Sneaky Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from The Conscious Kitchen
If you are looking for a sweet treat that still packs serious health benefits, look no further than these chocolate peanut butter cookies adapted from The Conscious Kitchen. www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/chickpea-peanut-butter-cookies/
These cookies are entirely plant-based, with no refined flour or unhealthy oils. They can be made gluten free (if you use gluten free oats), they are super high protein, and they are filled with fiber. Best of all, they are totally delicious! No, they don’t taste exactly like a traditional peanut butter cookie made with white flour and granulated sugar, but they are a darn good substitute, with excellent health benefits and zero guilt!
Making them is even easier than making traditional cookies, and they only contain eight simple pantry staples. The magic secret ingredient is garbanzo beans. These give the cookie a terrific structure and crumb, without any refined flour. Trust me, you will never taste them!
Special Equipment Needed: Food Processor
Ingredients:
1/4 cup oat flour (purchased or ground from rolled oats)
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained, and patted dry on a paper towel
(I have used garbanzos, great northerns, and cannellini beans all with success.)3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (preferably a brand containing only peanuts and salt)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, bittersweet or semisweet
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Either use purchased oat flour or grind your oats into flour, and then mix this with the garbanzo beans in a food processor. The result is a crumbly texture similar to shortbread.
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor, except the chocolate chips.
Blend until all ingredients are incorporated. This results in a soft dough which feels almost exactly like traditional peanut butter cookie dough.
Transfer dough to a bowl and stir in your favorite chocolate chips. I used plant-based bittersweet chips from Equal Exchange. If you wanted a sweeter cookie, semi-sweet chips would also work well.
Roll the dough into balls and flatten them with a fork, just as you would a traditional peanut butter cookie.
Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
The cookies turn out soft and moist, but hold together beautifully. The recipe doubles easily.
These would be great for lunch boxes or as hiking snacks, and they are terrific with coffee.
Give these cookies a try the next time you are craving something sweet. They are truly delicious and so good for you! Thank you for the terrific recipe, The Conscious Kitchen.
Happy Baking!
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