Hello Lovelies:
Who has two thumbs and a serious love for peanut butter anything? This girl (yes, I awkwardly pointed at myself with my thumbs after typing that one. This lady is a total dork!) I mean… PB is magic, am I right? And what’s more classic than peanut butter cookies?! I certainly can’t think of anything. Which is why I wanted to do what I do best – healthify the heck out them!
Are you ready for super easy, no bake, healthy peanut butter cookies? I know I sure am! Let’s do this:
Why Peanut Butter Cookies
I think my adoration for all things peanut butter is weaved into my DNA. It’s was a pretty big staple in my childhood home. We’d pop that stuff on toast and bagels, drizzle it onto our cereal, make awesome desserts and even enjoy it solo (I still do that on the regular). And I was always gaga for sweet, sweet PB cookies.
Some of my earliest kitchen memories involve me trying (and failing) to sneak up behind my mama and steal a little peanut butter cookie dough from the bowl before those suckers met the oven. It rarely worked. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that I’ve never wanted to be a spy – I’ve never been very good at subtlety.
My failure was still often met with a little taste of the dough (thanks mom!) It was never enough (I could have eaten the whole bowl) but it certainly started a trend. Peanut butter cookie dough and I developed an unbreakable bond… that is, until I became a Graves Disease warrior and had to seriously rethink my diet.
But if I’ve learned anything over the years it’s this:
Healthy eating is never about deprivation: there is almost always a way to create a healthy version of old favourites!
Which is why these bad boys are no bake. I mean – since the dough is the best part why in gods name would I ever want to take it a step further? And hey, since we’re keeping these delicious treats raw we also won’t be losing out in any way in the nutrition department. Total win!
Related: Why You NEED Lucuma in Yo Life (Plus a Yummy Lucuma Peanut Butter Smoothie)
Let’s Talk Nutrients Baby
Peanut butter has some awesome nutritional goodness waiting for you. But only if you get the right kind. Lots of peanut butters out there come with an ingredient list longer than this entire cookie recipe! They’re overflowing with sugars, salt, corn, vegetable oils and more. Basically a bunch of needless junk that’s getting in the way of the only thing you truly need to make yummy peanut butter… peanuts. It’s that simple!
And, my favourite part, when you treat yourself to pure, amazingly fantastic peanut butter you’re also loading up on tons of copper, manganese, vitamin B3, molybdenum, folate, biotin, phosphorus, vitamin E and niacin. Not to mention, we’ve got protein and healthy monounsaturated fats in the house too! (source)
But what do all of those nutrients really have to offer you?
The monounsaturated fats found in peanuts are heart health superstars! Regularly consuming peanuts can actually help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (source). Gotta love something that’s being so kind to your heart, right?
And if the whole high fat thing has you worried about weight gain let me ease those fears. These are good fats and have no interest in affecting your waist line. In fact this study found that people who enjoy nuts at least twice a week are less likely to gain weight than those who don’t. Don’t let healthy fats scare you away! They’re too good to miss out on.
Why stop at the heart – Niacin has some amazing benefits for that beautiful brain of yours. Regularly enjoying niacin rich foods like peanut butter can help to protect you from Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline (source). That’s one exciting bonus for indulging in something so yummy!
There’s also this cool flavonoid found in peanut butter called resveratrol that might help to prevent the risk of stroke (source). More studies are needed, but that’s one pretty cool possibility in my books!
Oh and if Gallstones run in your family you may want to add nuts and nut butters to your shopping list. After gathering data for 20 years and monitoring over 80 000 women, this study found that eating at least 1 ounce of a nuts per week can lower your risk of developing gallstones by as much as 25%. That’s like 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or a handful of nuts in a 7 day period. Let’s just say that it’s totally doable! (And delicious).
Don’t forget to store your peanut butter in the fridge
Peanuts need to be stored in a cool and dry environment because certain fungi and bacteria like it as much as we do! There’s an especially icky fungus called Aspergillus flavus that adores peanut butter… and it can be a pretty big health concern! So don’t give it a chance and keep that peanut butter nice and cold. Your health will thank you!
Ready to get your peanut butter on? Me too! Let’s make some cookies!
Healthy No Bake Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
I’m sure that it’s absolutely no surprise that I like to make sure that all of the ingredients are rocking it in the health department! If you need help tracking down good brands here’s what I’m using:
For Peanut Butter I prefer the Nuts to You brand. And I love to stick with crunchy! But smooth will work wonders too. And any brand that keeps it simple in the ingredient department is fantastic (remember – we only want peanuts up in there).
I’m also a big fan of the Camino Chocolate Chips – fair trade, organic chocolate chips made with awesome ingredients (it’s 55% nutrient dense cacao and only 3 ingredients!) Keep your eye out for brands that keep it simple in the ingredient department – we’re looking for cacao (preferably fair trade), cacao butter and maybe a little cane sugar to cut the bitterness down a little.
I hope that helps! Now, who’s hungry?
Healthy No Bake Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Almond Flour
- 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter Like Nuts to You
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Raisins or pitted Medjool dates
- 2 Pinches Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1/4 Lemon - Juice Only
- 1/4 Cup Organic, Fair Trade Chocolate Chips Like Camino
- Sprinkle Maple Sugar on top Optional
Instructions
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Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend until you have a thick dough that easily clumps together.
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Add the chocolate chips and stir using a spoon (we don't want to break up the chocolate).
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Roll the cookie dough into balls, then flatten with a fork into cookies.
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Sprinkle with some maple sugar (optional).
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Store in the fridge for a maximum of 10 days (I highly doubt they'll last that long ;))
Are you eager to give these healthy no bake chocolate chip peanut butter cookies? What are your favourite treats? Any peanut butter recipes you’d love to see healthified? Let me know in the comments below!
Health and love,
Jamie
Um yuuuum I love love love no bake cookies and I sometimes when I’m being really bad buy them from the store but they’re so bad for me (I usually get the oatmeal kind that don’t have flour since I’m gluten free) but I’m going to have to make these because they’re so much better for me AND sound so easy! I can do this. In fact, I was just putting away an unopened jar of peanutbutter. Think it’s time to crack that open and give this a try <3
Sara
I’m so glad you’re a fellow cookie girl Jamie! Aren’t raw cookies the best? It’s all about that dough baby! I hope you adore these. Did you treat yourself to some? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And man, oatmeal cookie dough was another one I would try and steal from the bowl as a little one. That stuff is magic. I’ll have to work on a healthified version of that one next ;).
Have a gorgeous day hun <3.
Emily Anne
Anything with peanutbutter and chocolate and you can count me in!!! These look incredible!!
Sara
You have wonderful taste Emily Anne! Peanut butter and chocolate are the beeessssst. Totally made for each other! Thank you tons – I’m so happy you like these. I hope you spoil yourself to some ^^. Enjoy!
Kendra | www.helga-marie.com
These look so good!!! Ive never had a no bake like this. Especially not one that could be considered remotely healthy. Lol pinning for later!
Sara
Oh goodness, welcome to the world of raw desserts Kendra! It changed my entire life. I have a huge sweet tooth and I was super surprised (and so happy) to discover that I could make it a healthy one. Because dessert should definitely be enjoyed on the regular sans guilt ^^. I hope you love these if you try them! And that you discover tons of other no bake options you adore! Let me know <3. Have fun!
Sam
These look delicious and I’m glad to see they’re gluten free and vegan! I’ll need to save this for a fun baking day with my kids 🙂
Sara
I’m so excited for you to have a fun baking day with your little ones Sam! I still adore baking with my parents and have so many fond memories of time in the kitchen with them. That’s such a fun activity for everyone (especially since you get to eat your creation in the end!) I hope that you have an absolute blast and that everyone enjoys their cookies. I’d love to hear how it goes <3. Wishing you well! :)
radianthomesco
Looks so yummy!! Im going to have to give them a try sometime.
Sara
Oh thank you tons! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Bon appétit <3
Tereasa Mansfield
These look so yummy and the ingredients fit right into our lifestyle!
Sara
I’m so happy to hear that Tereasa! I’m such a huge food nerd and so passionate about showing people that healthy never means boring or tasteless. Especially in the dessert department! I’m glad you’re on board too! Do you have any favourite healthy desserts that you can’t like without? I hope that you have fun making these someday and love them as much as I do. Enjoy <3
Jana
These look good! I have serious problems in getting no bake cookies to actually be cookies, but I’m going to give them a try because they look so good!
Sara
I’ve totally been there Jana. And it’s so sad when your recipe falls apart, I hope that you have success with this recipe – let me know how it goes. I’d love your feedback! Wishing you awesome whole, happy cookies <3.
elenathinks.life
I do love peanut butter. I can excited anytime I can include it in my baking. I saved this recipe for later!!
Sara
I like the way you think Elena! Because peanut butter is life! I couldn’t live without it ;). Hope you enjoy tons of peanut butter goodies in the near future, including these cookies! Enjoy <3
karly
These look incredible and so easy to make! I too am a peanut butter fiend so I’ll be giving these a go. Thanks for sharing the recipe ?
Sara
Love that you’re a fellow peanut butter fiend! Yaaass! That’s wonderful. I seriously can’t get enough peanut butter! I hope that you adore these Karly. Enjoy (hopefully with tons of peanut butter goodies on the side ;))
confessionsofarealisticmom
Those look so yummy! I love peanut butter anything as well! I love that they are vegan and healthy so I won’t feel so guilty after eating a few! lol
Sara
Right? Because who wants to feel guilty after eating dessert? Not me. We should all be able to have our cake and eat it too and that’s so possible with healthy ingredients. I’m so excited for you to try them <3. I hope you are them as much as I do! :)