Easy Grain-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
These super easy and healthy peanut butter cookies are made using coconut, Medjool dates and creamy-delicious peanut butter. So easy and delicious!
Servings: 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 10-12 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted and soaked for at least 20 minutes in hot water (blends into about ⅔ cup date paste)
- ⅓ cup salted peanut butter (crunchy or creamy) -- almond butter or sun butter works too!
- 1 cup coconut flour (I DIY-ed my flour, see below for details)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder + ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 2 teaspoon warm water, as needed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- Optional add-in: ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- Optional date-paste add-in: 1-3 tablespoon water (if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- IY coconut flour: I made my own coconut flour by blending low-fat coconut shreds in my Vitamix from low to high until a fine powder formed.
- To make date paste: add all the pitted/soaked/drained Medjool dates to a high speed blender. start blending from low to high, scraping down the sides ever minute or so. Add in 1-2 tablespoon water if needed to blend -- this is usually needed if your dates were extra dry or did not soak long enough. Note: Your paste does not need to be perfectly smooth and creamy - it can be slightly lumpy if you don't mind those textures in your cookies. Another tip: If you don't mind adding oil, you can add 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil to the date paste to help smooth things out and make it a bit richer.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the date paste and the peanut butter. Then fold in any optional ingredients like the vanilla extract and vinegar and baking powder combo. (The vinegar and baking powder make your cookies a bit fluffier.) Now fold in the coconut flour. If your dough feels a bit too thick or dry, you can fold in the optional 2 teaspoon warm water. The dough should be similar to a traditional cookie dough, with a bit more texture. Finally, fold in the optional chocolate chips.
- Roll your dough into balls and place on the baking sheet. Press down on the cookies with a fork, in a criss cross design.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes.
- Serve warm and store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. These are super as grab-n-go snacks or healthy dessert nibbles. I love them with cold almond milk.