Let’s Make a Healthy Version of Peanut Butter Cookies

Let’s make a healthy version of peanut butter cookies—or at least healthier! Peanut butter cookies are among my top five sweet indulgences. Using simple ingredients like almond flour, creamy peanut butter, and pure maple syrup, you have soft, chewy cookies without all the refined sugar you would find in regular peanut butter cookies. This fills my sweet cravings without all the sugar. It’s the perfect treat for Sunday favorites with Mary Ann and Cindy!

So, what ingredients are in this healthy peanut butter cookie recipe?

• Almond flour
• Creamy peanut butter (smooth peanut butter works best)
• Pure maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Chocolate for dipping (optional)
• Crushed peanuts or Maldon Sea Salt to top on the melted chocolate 

When making recipes with simple and few ingredients, I like to use the best quality products including Bob’s Red Mill almond flour.

Supplies you will need:

It’s so simple! You only need a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, measuring cups, a baking sheet, and parchment paper. No electric mixer or food processor is required for this smooth cookie dough! You’ll want to store any leftovers in an airtight container, but you probably won’t have any! 

Can you substitute any of the above ingredients for this healthier version of a peanut butter cookie?

Yes, probably, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say the results will deliver chewy peanut butter cookies. You could probably use other kinds of nut butters, but I think the creamy peanut butter melted is part of what makes them soft and not dry. When I use almond butter in protein bites, it does seem to make them slightly more dry than when I use creamy peanut butter. 

I used natural peanut butter, but any creamy peanut butter should work. 

While you could experiment using other types of flour, like oat flour, what I like about almond flour is its slightly nutty flavor. It absorbs moisture without making the cookies at all dry. I used Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour, the only dry ingredient in the recipe. 

How to make these easy, healthy peanut butter cookies

1. Melt the peanut butter
2. Add the almond flour to a bowl, then add the wet ingredients:  the melted peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir to combine, and no more dry ingredients should be in the bottom of the bowl. 
3. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Using clean hands and/or a cookie scoop, form cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
5. Make a criss-cross pattern using the tines of a fork.
6. Bake cookies in a 350º oven for 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove; if slightly underbaked, wait a minute or two to remove to a cooling rack.
8. Allow to cool. 
9. Melt the dark chocolate wafers in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
10. Dip half of the cookie into the melted chocolate and place on a prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Refrigerate to set for best results.
11. Serve warm right out of the oven or at room temperature if dipping them in chocolate. 

Serve these easy peanut butter cookies any time of the day

When a craving strikes, these delicious cookies are perfect in the morning, with coffee and a glass of milk as an afternoon treat. Or serve them with ice cream or gelato for an easy dessert. 

Let me know if you try this healthy peanut butter cookie recipe! 

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Some of my other Sunday Favorites this week include:

Crossover Wireless Bras from Honeylove –

You may have seen Honeylove bras on Instagram like I did, it took me a while to try, but now I’m obsessed! I was thrilled that Nordstrom carries them. I started with one and now have three and will probably never wear a traditional wire bra again.

I found the perfect dress to wear to a formal wedding. The only thing I don’t love about it…it’s open in the back. It’s not backless, but it does require some shapewear. Also from Honeylove is the perfect low back mid thigh body suit. More expensive than the dress, but I could have spent upwards of $500 on a dress and still need shapewear.

Lindywell Pilates- 21-Day Jumpstart begins this Monday!

I’ve mentioned Lindywell Pilates before, and if you haven’t signed up yet, I would definitely follow on Instagram. Plus, they are doing a “21-Day Jumpstart – quick, energizing workouts that fit into yoyur real life and help you actually stay consistent.” — Instagram is where i first discovered Robin and often did her quick exercises she shares on Instagram. Now, I love having the app so I can do a 6, 10 or 30 minute class at home on my mat, or at the gym, or when traveling. No matter how busy I am, I can always fit in at least one workout. And I never regret it!

Poplight & Gingham Sheets

We are working on refreshing Madeline’s room (which doubles as a guest room) – We painted one wall mocha, added some vintage wool plaid fabric to cover the headboard, and these ginhgam sheets. But most importantly, we added these lights to each side of the bed.

What’s great about Poplights is how easy they are to install. They are also renter friendly. They have three built-in colors…of course I like warm and you can dim them. And you can do all this from an app, or on the lamp. We could not be more thrilled! Stay tuned for Madeline’s bedroom refresh post coming soon!

Let’s see what Cindy & Mary Ann found this week!

Cindy Hattersley Design

Click here to read Cindy’s Sunday Favorites post.

Classic Casual Home

Click here to read Mary Ann’s Sunday Favorites post.