A Negative Comment Led To The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

Share The Love!

A Negative Comment Led To The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Title Card. In a background is a photo of the best peanut butter cookies from this recipe.

Hiya Loves:

Have you ever been on the receiving end of an unpleasant or mean comment on the internet? Yea, me too.

Internet rudeness can really suck. And it’s an unfortunate side effect of being an online creator.

But, recently, I felt inspired by an angry message. Inspired to create a video and bake cookies. The BEST peanut butter cookies ever!

Maybe that sounds like a strange combo. But, ultimately, it all boils down to food freedom!

I’m feeling so passionate and inspired and I’m super excited to share with you.

So let’s dive in! And use the negativity to create some goodness. It’s like making lemonade out of lemons, only sweeter!

Are your ready?

Negative Comments Inspired Me To Bake Cookies

Two stacks of the best peanut butter cookies sit on a white table, decorated with blue flowers

I’m sure you’ve been there before… unpleasantly surprised by an aggressive or distasteful comment or message on social media? It’s never a fun experience. And, as an online creator, it’s something I (unhappily) anticipate at times.

Often my response is to hit delete and even block, depending on the context. If there’s room for respectful conversation, I’m all about it! But there’s no point in responding to anyone who is committed to misunderstanding and/or belittling you. That’s what the block button’s there for. Self-care baby!

But recently I was inspired to take things in a different direction. A direction that ended with cookies. The best peanut butter cookies! And I plan to share the recipe with you in a hot minute. So I promise there’s a delicious, happy ending.

How did a negative message lead to peanut butter cookies, you might ask… let me explain.

A woman sits and looks down at her cell phone

A couple of weeks ago I awoke to a rather long, unhappy message on Instagram. There were a number of issues to unpack, but, in short, the writer did not like that I:

  • Talked about Graves Disease and Autoimmunity being incurable
  • Shared important anti-thyroid medication side effects in response to a question in my stories
  • Wrote about fermented foods
  • Promoted “unhealthy” eating by sharing that I eat cookies

Two stacks of peanut butter cookies sit on a white table, decorated with blue flowers

That’s a lot to unpack. And unfortunately, the language and nature of the message made it clear that a healthy, respectful conversation wasn’t exactly possible. So I indulged in the self-care I listed above.

But I also felt inspired to talk about it. Because I’m so incredibly passionate about spreading Graves Disease and Autoimmunity awareness. And this is not the first time someone has gotten upset with me for discussing the in-curability of autoimmune diseases… even though that truth is so incredibly important.

I wanted to share why I’m so thoughtful with the terms I use (like incurable) for anyone who needs to hear it. Because that really matters!

So your girl made a video…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sara | Kindness + Self-Care (@mshealthesteem) on

Related: 7 Uplifting Self-Love Lessons From A Graves Disease Diagnosis

And then I made cookies.

Sweet, sweet peanut butter chocolate chip cookies to be exact. Because I wanted to. Because dessert can be a part of a healthy diet. And because food freedom matters!

And in honour of food freedom, I think you really, really need the recipe. Wouldn’t you agree?

Best Peanut Butter Cookies

A pile of the best peanut buter cookies sit in a stack, decorated with pink flowers. One cookie with a bite out of it sits in front of the stack.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Simple, easy and delicious peanut butter cookies. This recipe is vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Cookies
Keyword peanut butter cookies
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Peanut Butter Crunchy or Smoothe
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 Cup Oat Flour
  • 1 Egg Replacer Like Namaste Foods
  • 1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips Optional - Like Camino Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup and egg replacer.

  3. Add in the oat flour and mix well.

  4. Mix in the chocolate chips.

  5. Scoop out a spoonfull of dough and roll into a ball. Place on a large, non-stick or greased cookie sheet.

  6. Keep going until you've used all of the dough. Make sure the dough balls are evenly spaced.

  7. Press each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, when the bottoms will start to brown.

  9. Allow cookies to cool and enjoy.

A pile of chocolate chip peanut butter cookies sit on a white table, decorated with pink flowers

They look amazing right? And I promise they taste just as awesome! Who’s excited to make some?

Related: How To Make Chocolate, A Quick And Easy Recipe

Even cooler! Em of New Moon Holistic felt inspired to bake cookies in response to this too.

I am so incredibly delighted to have someone I adore and respect so much stand in solidarity with me. And I’m super excited to make her Salted Tahini and Chocolate Cookies.

Which brings me to the whole point of this goodness…

Let’s Talk About Food Freedom.

Someone bites into a chocolate bar.

You do not have to live off of salads and smoothies to have a healthy diet. Food freedom is incredibly important. Balance is incredibly important. And eating dessert can absolutely be part of that if you want it to be.

A true healthy diet is not about a bland, restrictive and frustrating approach to food. It’s a lifestyle. One that, yes, embraces all those lovely fruits and vegetables. But one that also doesn’t make you feel bad if you want to enjoy a cookie.

A healthy diet should support your mental and physical well-being and feed you with flexibility and kindness.

Related: Are These Healthy Eating Myths Holding You Back?

For me, occasional cookies are a part of that.

A close up shot of a pile of the best peanut butter cookies.

There is absolutely no such thing as a perfect diet. Not only because we’re all unique and have different wants and needs. But also because eating should be simple, fun and fulfilling and never stress you out. Perfection doesn’t fit into that equation.

In fact, becoming fixated with eating “perfectly” really isn’t good for you anyway. Developing an overly obsessive and restrictive approach to food can potentially lead to disordered eating, orthorexia and malnutrition. (source)

Which kind of takes the healthy right out of healthy eating, right?

A woman rests her head on her hands. She appears disappointed as she looks at her food.

So let’s let go of the pressures of perfection and create a healthy balance that works for us.

Yes, embrace those fruits and veggies and all that super important stuff. Find recipes that excite you, cook, meal prep, try new things… But also eat cookies if you want to.

And don’t just take my word for it…

While discussing Kurbo (Weight Watchers’ unfortunate app for children) Dietitian Anna Sweeney had this to say:

“[…] what we know is that preoccupation with food and righteousness around food does not create healthy relationships with food. It does not leave people feeling good or competent in eating.” (source)

So let’s just not, shall we?

Final Thoughts

Two stacks of PB Chocolate Chip cookies sit on a white table, decorated with blue flowers.

I could go on about how each and every ingredient in these cookies has something to offer your body. Because there are nutrients in there too! But I’ve done that before (you can read about it and get a recipe for peanut butter ice cream pie right here).

So I will instead leave you with this…

There are lots of ways to create a healthy diet. Like:

A woman enjoys some food in bed. There are different plates with different food options on a tray

A pile of Peanut Butter Cookies sits on a white table, decorated with pink flowers.

Actions like these allow us to create a balance that works for us while also promoting a healthy relationship with food. Eating “perfectly” doesn’t fit into that narrative. It’s impossible.

There is no such thing as the perfect diet or lifestyle. Nor is there a one size fits all way to live. But mindfulness, balance and self-love go a long way for all of us.

So, if you want to enjoy a cookie, enjoy a cookie. (May I suggest the best peanut butter cookies ever haha!)

A pile of the best peanut buter cookies sit in a stack, decorated with pink flowers. One cookie with a bite out of it sits in front of the stack.

And, hey, while we’re at it…

Let’s all be kinder to each other, shall we? I think the world needs a lot more of that right about now.

Have a favourite cookie recipe? Excited to give these peanut butter cookies a try? Share with me in the comments below!

Health and love,

sara-signature

Thought of the day: Be kind to yourself. You’re doing your best and that is enough.

HOW TO SUPPORT THIS SITE

Ms. Health-Esteem wouldn’t be possible without you! I’m so grateful that you make it possible for me to share free weekly self-love, wellness and healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thank you!

If “A Negative Comment Led To The Best Peanut Butter Cookies” was your first Ms. Health-Esteem article, thank you tons for reading it and welcome to the Health-Esteem family <3.

Here’s how you can provide a little extra support:

Subscribe for freebies, extra inspiration, and much more!

Treat yourself to a $2.50 copy of Smoothie Love – How to Drink Your Fruits and Veggie and Love It. This 37 page recipe e-book PDF features 15 delicious recipes, a shopping list, beautiful photos, super simple instructions and tons of love.

Looking to promote something that aligns with Ms. Health-Esteem’s health-philosophies? Let’s talk about it (options for bloggers and businesses alike)

Join me on PinterestInstagramTwitterFacebook, or Tumblr for extra goodness.

Share The Love!

Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

Sara Flanagan is a wellness writer and the creator of www.mshealthesteem.com, where she shares her story of being diagnosed with Graves Disease, a chronic autoimmune disease, and empowering herself to do everything she can to thrive in spite of her diagnosis. She writes articles on self-love, acceptance, wellness and nutrition. Join the Health-Esteem Family today and share in the journey.

32 Comments

  1. Reply

    Sayed Williams

    April 23, 2020

    Peanut butter cookies is something new for me. I have to definitely make it in home sometimes.

    • Reply

      Jessica Collazo

      April 23, 2020

      You did the best and sweetest comeback of an insult ever.I will love to try these cookies.

      • Reply

        Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

        April 26, 2020

        Aww thank you Jessica! I’ll wear that as a badge of honour ^^.

        I hope you enjoy the cookies! We all need a little extra sweetness ever now and then 🙂

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      I hope you love them Sayed! I would love to hear what you think if you give them a go :).

      What are your favourite cookies?

  2. Reply

    valerie

    April 23, 2020

    I’m glad you found a way to turn a negative (and totally unnecessary) experience into something positive AND delicious. Not everyone is going to get you. There is always going to be someone out there with unchecked issues, anger, and an internet connection. So you might as well just do you!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Wonderful advice Valerie! It’s so true. We can never please everyone, so we should truly just be ourselves. Thanks for sharing that awesome gem <3 and for your kind words and support :)

  3. Reply

    GiGi Eats Celebrities

    April 23, 2020

    Gotta love when negativity inspires you to do great things!! 😉

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Heck yes GiGi! 🙂 I couldn’t agree more <3

  4. Reply

    littlemisadvencha

    April 23, 2020

    wow. this is the perfect example of turning negative into positive. those cookies look so yummy! I can’t wait to create my own as well. <3

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Yes! I’m quite happy with how this experience turned out. Especially the cookie part haha.

      I hope you have the chance to try them out <3. May cookies find you in the near future :)

  5. Reply

    TheSuperMomLife

    April 23, 2020

    When I’m upset, I bake. It’s always been a thing. I’m not sorry about it either.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      I think it’s awesome that you have a soothing self-care activity to go to when you need it most. And, in the end, you end up with something wonderful and delicious. Nothing to ever be sorry for there! <3

  6. Reply

    Stacie Connerty

    April 23, 2020

    Oh man I cannot stand the internet trolls that thrive on stirring the pot. I’m glad you found an outlet for the hate, and bonus….cookies!!! I love peanut butter cookies and these look divine!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      I feel you there Stacie! I’m super happy with the cookies, so I guess I’m ultimately grateful hahaha. I hope you have the opportunity to treat yourself to some cookies too sometime soon :).

      Thank you tons for your kind words and support <3

  7. Reply

    The JOYOUS Living | Influencer (@thejoyousliving)

    April 23, 2020

    that’s so awesome how you turned negativity around and created these amazing looking cookies. i am seriously salivating in need for some peanut butter cookies. thanks for the recipe!!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Thank you so much! I’m really glad you’re excited about the cookies :). I hope you get to enjoy a lovely dessert sometime soon too <3

  8. Reply

    Emman Damian

    April 23, 2020

    Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter cookies? It’s one of my favorites. I hope to bake your recipe soon!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      You have wonderful taste Emman! I hope you get to enjoy some peanut butter cookies soon :). Let me know what you think if you have the opportunity to give my recipe a try <3

  9. Reply

    katrina Kroeplin

    April 23, 2020

    if you want to eat them, eat them. i love to bake but i have a lot of health issues so i can’t eat them. i still bake for others though and love it. this looks like a great recipe! love it

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Aww I’m sorry you can’t enjoy these Katrina. I’ve had to make some dietary changes for my health too – I can appreciate the difficulty that can come along with that. I think it’s so lovely you continue to bake for others. That’s so kind and thoughtful :).

  10. Reply

    Iamgeetha blog

    April 23, 2020

    Nice post to turn from negative to positive, these cookies look so yummy!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Thank you so much Geetha! I hope you get the chance to treat yourself to some cookies soon too 🙂

  11. Reply

    stephenrht

    April 23, 2020

    I love the fact you’re channeling your creative juices into making something as yummy as cookies, much more produce and less toxic than letting a stranger on the internet get you down

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Thank you Stephen! It really just inspired me to speak up about autoimmunity in my video and food freedom here. I think there can be a lot of confusion around either. And, with food, we all deserve to be able to create a healthy balance we enjoy. For me, that includes cookies! So I started baking and here we are. I really appreciate your kindness and support 🙂

  12. Reply

    Daniel Sierra

    April 23, 2020

    The internet is a very dark place. I am happy you got the best out of a negative comment. The world needs more kindness and more peanut butter and chocolate cookies!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      It truly can be! Thankfully there are lots of lovely people out there to make up for the not so fun moments. And peanut butter chocolate chip cookies too hehe. Thank you for your kindness Daniel 🙂

  13. Reply

    knycx

    April 24, 2020

    Interesting post 🙂 and who can say no to a peanut butter treat! thanks for that and I am enjoying it already with the photos. – Knycx Journeying

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      I certainly don’t know how to say no to peanut butter cookies hehehe. And thank you! I was very happy with how the photos turned out. I appreciate your kind words so much 🙂

  14. Reply

    forkwardthinkingfoodinista

    April 24, 2020

    Yaya I love how you have turned a negative into something so positive and also yummy too by the sounds of things x

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      Thank you Melanie! Me too! <3 It can sometimes be really hard to take a negative moment and pull something positive out of it. But, when we can, it can lead to some pretty awesome (and sometimes delicious) things. :)

  15. Reply

    khoingn | The Broad Life

    April 25, 2020

    Haha so the situation turned out to be so good, tho? Thank you for the cookie recipe! I will try it

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      April 26, 2020

      It did! I think we all get negative comments sometimes. This one inspired me to speak up about autoimmunity and food freedom and I couldn’t be prouder of how things turned out :). I really appreciate your kind words. I hope you enjoy the cookies <3

Leave a Reply to valerieCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Work With Me - Sponsor mshealthesteem.com
Hiya! I’m Sara

I’m a wellness writer, Graves Disease thriver and self-love advocate.

And I’m passionate about empowering you to prioritize self-care and love yourself fiercely.

Let’s have some fun!