#66 Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to do this thing where I pin about 3,584,267 healthy peanut butter-and-chocolate recipes on Pinterest. And then I get overwhelmed looking at all of them because they're so similar, and I can never decide which recipe to try. 

But! This week, I up and chose one to try! And it was one of the best decisions I made all week. I revised the original recipe quite a bit, removing the sugar and subbing some unhealthier ingredients with better-for-you ones. It was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. (After all, I've created multiple healthy recipes before that ended up tasting not great whatsoever, so I'm used to it.)

Now I LOVE baking with almond butter, but one of my friends recently told me she was way more into peanut butter than almond butter. Also, she was wanting to experiment with chia seeds, a super healthy and nutritious food, filled with protein, fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, etc. So, I made it a mission of mine to bake something yummy with both peanut butter and chia seeds.

The thing I love about chia seeds (besides their health benefits) is that they go pretty much unnoticed in baked goods. I didn't really even notice they were in these cookies because they are so tiny and tasteless. Besides the chia seeds, though, these cookies are chalked full of peanut butter, raw honey (NO refined sugar here), hearty and filling oats, and of course, dark chocolate. You can do a healthy cookie all you want, but if it doesn't have some sort of chocolate in it, I'm way less likely to try them. (Isn't this the same for everyone? At least give me some raisins or something?!)

Thankfully, these were SO easy to whip up - just mix a few ingredients, roll into balls, and bake. After they cool a bit, they firm up, and they are DELICIOUS. I'll just be honest and say I ate three right off the bat. And I really wanted a fourth, but I thought that was probably enough cookies, even if they are healthy ones. That being said, these are 100-CALORIE COOKIES! What could be better? If you need a chocolate fix (or peanut butter fix, which is also totally a thing), make these! They are subtly sweet, extremely soft, and full of nutrients and the delicious peanut butter-chocolate flavor you're looking for. 

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (flourless, refined sugar-free)

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.

Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter (I use Jif)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure raw honey
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled/old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 egg whites (or 1 egg)
*2-4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and honey. (Do not heat either, just stir until they're combined.) Add oats, baking powder and vanilla and stir to combine. Add in egg whites and stir until thoroughly combined. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips and chia seeds.

2. Roll dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes just until tops begin to brown. 

3. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes before removing to let cool completely. (It is important to let the cookies cool slightly before handling to allow them to set up and not be crumbly.) Cover and store leftovers at room temperature. 

Enjoy!


*I actually chopped a dark chocolate bar into very small pieces, so it was more like chocolate shavings. I liked having a little chocolate in each bite as opposed to larger chips, but chocolate chips will also work perfectly.


Click here to print recipe!

*Note: Nutrition facts may vary due to brand of products.

Recipe adapted from

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/gluten-free-peanut-butter-breakfast-cookies/