Ben Williams' save from Niall McGinn's early penalty proved vital as Hibs maintained their two-point cushion over the hosts.
Williams got down to his right to push away the 10th-minute spot-kick, awarded after Tim Clancy's foul on Johnny Hayes, in what was the one highlight of an otherwise poor game.
Peter Pawlett came straight into the side and was instantly involved, with his driving run between Clancy and James McPake ending with the winger going down, but referee Craig Thomson adjudged him to have dived and produced a yellow card.
The hosts were awarded a penalty after 10 minutes, though. This time it was Hayes who ran at Clancy before being sent tumbling, and Thomson did point to the spot. McGinn stepped up and fired low to Williams' right, but the former Manchester United goalkeeper got down to push the effort away.
Ten minutes later, Pawlett should have broken the deadlock when Joe Shaughnessy headed a cross from the left into his path, but the winger headed over with the goal at his mercy.
And on the half-hour, the Hibs goal was again under threat, 25-year-old McGinn this time sending his attempt wide of Williams' right post.
On the stroke of half-time, a neat move down the right saw Williams palm away Pawlett's delivery. The ball fell to Clark Robertson, but he hit over.
The visitors tried to liven things up with the introduction of the more mobile Eoin Doyle in place of the ineffective Shefki Kuqi on the hour but, 90 seconds later, it was Aberdeen's Isaac Osbourne who fizzed a 25-yard strike narrowly wide.
As the game entered the dying stages, there was a late chance for Hibs as Doyle swung over a low cross from the right which seemed destined for Leigh Griffiths until Osbourne got a vital touch to turn behind for a corner. Thomson and his assistant disagreed, awarding a goal-kick, and Griffiths picked up a booking for expressing his dissent.
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