Ahhhh yes. A classic cookie hit gets a healthy remix... Peanut Butter Cookies are here!! After much trying to perfect my PB Cookies recipe, this delicious favorite is now on The Dimpled Date. These Healthy Quadruple Peanut Butter Cookies are quadruple peanut butter because they're made with four types of peanut butter or peanut ingredients: peanut butter, peanut flour/powder, peanuts, and peanut butter white chocolate chunks. And they are 100% date-sweetened, PB white chocolate and all! Plus, they are grain-free, high-protein, and vegan, too. Made with just 8 simple ingredients, these cookies are so easy and quick to make, you'll be making them on repeat. There's also a paleo and peanut-free option made with almond butter, almond flour, almonds, and optional almond butter white chocolate chunks. So whip up a batch of these moist, flavorful, sweet, and chewy cookies that don't skimp on the satisfying, comforting peanut butter flavor or texture.
Another classic healthier cookie recipe for your well-being! If you've been here for a while, you remember my other healthier classic cookies: my chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, "sugar" cookies, tahini choco chip cookies, and "Oreos," all vegan, gluten-free, and sweetened with dates.
For some other great cookie recipes here on The Dimpled Date, check out the following:
Keto Matcha Snickerdoodles (vegan, GF)
Paleo Pepita Butter Cookies w/ Cinnamon Chips (cookies made with pumpkin seed butter, not butter cookies)
Healthy Pistachio, Rose, Cardamom Snickerdoodles (date-sweetened)
And more... But you're here because: PB cookies. And honestly they top most of the ones I've already made. They are über peanut buttery and paired with the dates, peanuts for crunch, peanut flour for extra PB depth, and PB white choco chunks (bc why not?) it makes for an irresistible combo!
These cookies are soft-baked, chewy, and wholesome with just the right balance of sweet-to-salty-to-nutty. What makes my Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies different from the loads of other date-PB cookie recipes out there (some which can boast being 3-ingredient)?
Mine have quadruple the PB flavor, a variety of textures, are grain-free, and are even higher protein than those touted 3-ingredient PB cookies. Because mine are made with peanut flour AKA peanut powder (which is essentially defatted ground peanuts, which = no fat + a lot of protein!). Plus, for those allergic to tree nuts but not peanuts, these cookies offer a nice grain-free change of pace from the typical recipes based on almond flour or the grain-full ones with oat flour.
Plus: the taste and the texture. These cookies are like a PB explosion in your mouth, so for you die-hard peanut butter lovers, you won't be wishing the peanut flavor came through more once you try one of these. Because they are super peanut buttery. And the PB white chocolate offers a tasty addition to these cookies done in a healthier way. Plus, these cookies are soft and chewy and are also a little crunchy from the chopped peanuts fold-in. And also a little creamy from my melt-in-your-mouth date-sweetened PB white choco (which is also vegan!).
And these cookies are just too cute, take 5 minutes or less to bake, AND can be enjoyed as raw cookies without baking (just leave out the baking soda, and proceed with rolling the dough into cookie balls and cross-hatching with the tines of the fork like you would for baked! ... or technically you can eat it by the spoonful without having to form cookies if you're lazy). Everything in the dough for these PB cookies is 100% edible in its raw form (bc it's literally just nuts, dates, vanilla, salt, and optional white chocolate), so you can enjoy raw or baked, chef's choice (both are great)!
But the real question: what flavor/type of cookie should I make next??
Tbh I just bought some raw macadamias, so I'm thinking white chocolate macadamia nut cookies sweetened with dates. Also already thinking about pumpkin flavors unfortunately even though it's still summer 🙈 Or maybe a double chocolate cherry chunk cookie? Or thin mints?? Perhaps Italian/Mexican wedding cookies???? Or shortbread cookies ? Should I finally up my macaron game and get a healthier macaron recipe on here?
I can't decide, and I need your help! Here's what to do: give this recipe a like, and drop your suggestion in the comments along with how you liked this PB cookie recipe! Your feedback is valued!
Going forward, you're going to be seeing some more changes here on The Dimpled Date, including Memberships, ads, menus for my local cake biz customers, and some website design changes.
So stay tuned for renovations and more mouth-watering recipes!
Substitutions
Dates: It's a bit trickier to replace the dates in this recipe, as they contribute a unique texture and consistency to these cookies, but any variety of dates work, such as Medjool, Deglet Noor, Zahidi, Barhi ("honey ball"), Khadrawy, Ajwa, etc. If you must, you can try substituting the dates with maple syrup OR date syrup OR yacon syrup OR honey, but you'll have to reduce the amount of sweetener by a third or a half. AKA one batch calls for 1 cup dates, so sub 1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup or sticky sweetener. I can't guarantee the amount of sticky sweetener you'd have to substitute, so you have to play a bit. You'll have to adjust to your sweetness preference and the moisture/smush-ability/cohesiveness of the dough. I don't have any recs for a dry sweetener substitution at the moment.
Peanut butter: almond butter is the perfect substitute for PB in these cookies. And using almond butter + almond flour + almonds here makes these cookies paleo and peanut-free. But really most kinds of nut/seed butters will work in these cookies. Some suggestions: cashew butter, hazelnut butter, walnut butter, pecan butter, raw pistachio butter, pepita (raw pumpkin seed) butter, sunflower seed butter, etc. Just make sure the nut/seed butter you use matches the nuts/seeds and nut/seed flours you use, e.g. if you use pistachio butter, fold in pistachios and use pistachio flour (or almond flour bc it's neutral). I also don't recommend using tahini, hempseed butter, coconut butter, or any of the really fatty nut butters like macadamia as a direct substitute in these cookies only because the flavors would be too bold and in the wrong proportions. For a flavorful tahini cookie recipe, see my Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies (which are nut-free and coconut-free).
Peanut flour/peanut powder: almond flour is the best substitute and makes these cookies paleo if you use almond butter too (peanuts are not paleo). Alternatively, use any other nut/seed flour, so long as it matches the flavors, e.g. pistachio flour, hazelnut flour, sunflower seed flour, hemp flour, pepita/pumpkin seed flour, cashew flour, etc. Alternatively, gluten-free oat flour would work. Possibly tigernut flour would work, given its nut-flour-like texture, but I can't guarantee that it wouldn't change the flavor (and honestly, I've never used it myself). Honestly, if you really wanted to you might be able to get away with leaving out the flour to make these cookies flourless. I know this specific PB cookie recipe was written to be made with flour, but I think it could be adapted to work like other flourless PB cookie recipes out there. If you omit the flour, omit the baking soda too.
Peanuts: these are just a fold-in and technically optional, but substitute any other raw nut or seed, such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, pepitas/pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc., ideally matching the nut/seed butter in the cookies. All of these aforementioned nuts/seeds are paleo.
Vanilla: you can substitute an equivalent amount of scraped vanilla bean, pure ground vanilla beans (black powder AKA the seeds), sugar-free vanilla powder (white powder), sugar-free vanilla paste (white sugar-scrub-like paste), OR sugar-free vanilla syrup in place of the extract. I don't recommend omitting it, but if you must you can omit the vanilla. If you're using almond butter instead of PB, try substituting the vanilla with almond extract.
Baking soda: there is really no substitution for the baking soda, as it's the leavening agent/leavener in this recipe. If you make these into raw cookies, simply omit the baking soda to make the cookie dough edible. Baking soda technically is edible in raw desserts, but too much can cause digestive upset in some people, so it's best to avoid it (also because raw cookies aren't baked and the only purpose of baking soda here would be to help the cookies bake/leaven).
Sea salt: any kind of sea salt will work, fine or coarse. Try table salt (iodized or regular) instead. I used Himalayan pink sea salt. Or you can omit the salt, especially if your PB/nut butter is salted.
Peanut butter white chocolate: the chocolate is perfectly optional, but you have options. I like to use my date-sweetened peanut butter white chocolate, chopped into chunks, for this recipe. But if you want 100% peanut-free/paleo cookies, sub the PB in my white chocolate recipe with almond butter to make almond butter white chocolate. And you can use any vegan PB white chocolate recipe instead, store-bought or homemade. Regular vegan white chocolate (store-bought or homemade) works too. Just make sure whatever vegan white chocolate you use (PB or regular white), it's refined sugar free as needed. And if white chocolate isn't your thing, vegan dark chocolate would be great with these cookies too! For a vegan date-sweetened dark chocolate recipe, check out my Date-Sweetened Dark Chocolate. Or use your favorite vegan store-bought dark chocolate or fave dark chocolate recipe, refined sugar free as needed. 100% dark chocolate works great too. For any of these chocolate options, the chocolate can be chopped and folded into the cookie batter, or pushed into the tops of the cookies, post-baking, like a chocolate "Hershey's" "Kiss." If you want, instead of chocolate, you could try unsweetened cacao nibs.
Other add-ins: if you have any other add-ins you want to fold in, go for it! You can also finish these cookies with coarse sea salt, a drizzle of peanut butter, finely chopped peanut, or a drizzle of dark chocolate. Have fun with it!
Future Recipes Sneak Peek
Wanna hear 3 new recipes coming to The Dimpled Date soon? Here they are:
Vegan Raspberry Rose White Truffles
Healthy Matchagato (matcha affogato)
PB Chia Pudding
...And more!
Keep posted for the greatest!
Enjoy :)
-K.
Healthy Quadruple Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, GF, Grain-Free, Date-Sweetened, 8-Ingredient, High-Protein, Paleo Option)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time (if needed): at least 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Total Time: about 30 minutes
Servings: 18 to 22 cookies
Ingredients:
-1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, salted or unsalted, roasted or raw // sub almond butter for paleo/peanut-free // can sub nut/seed butter of choice // just make sure it's unsweetened)
-1 cup dates, pitted and soaked in hot water 5 minutes
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup peanut flour AKA peanut powder* (can sub almond flour for paleo OR GF oat flour)
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/8 tsp sea salt
-1/2 cup dry-roasted or raw unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional fold-in // sub almonds for paleo/peanut-free // can sub nut/seed of choice)
-1 cup my Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter White Chocolate, chopped OR vegan peanut butter white chocolate of choice OR vegan white chocolate of choice OR vegan dark chocolate of choice, (optional fold-in/press-in // homemade or store-bought // refined sugar free as needed // sub almond butter in my PB white choco recipe to make paleo almond butter white chocolate)
For finishing:
-a pinch coarse sea salt
-a drizzle of PB/AB
-a drizzle of melted 100% dark chocolate
-finely crushed peanuts/nuts of choice
Directions:
1. If using my homemade date-sweetened PB white Choco or my homemade date-sweetened dark chocolate, make ahead of time and allow to set in the fridge/freezer. If you want to make these cookies like peanut butter blossoms with a "Kiss" on top, you can pour the homemade chocolate into buttercup molds or silicone molds of choice prior to chilling to get shaped pieces. If using store-bought chocolate, chop as needed. Preheat oven to 350 F and line two or three large baking sheets w/ parchment paper or large baking mats. Soak dates in hot water for 5-15 min. Chop the nuts (if using).
2. Blend soaked & drained dates, peanut butter, and vanilla together in a food processor until smooth and well-combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients (peanut flour, baking soda, and sea salt) to the food processor and pulse until just combined and a dough comes together. Don't overmix it. If the dough is too dry, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of unsweetened plant milk and pulse to incorporate. If you're making these into raw PB cookies, omit the baking soda.
4. If using peanut fold-ins, remove the blade from the food processor and fold these in now. If you want to add chopped chunks of peanut butter white chocolate or chocolate of choice inside the cookies, fold these in now too. Otherwise, you can press pieces of chocolate into the tops of the cookies after they're done baking and fresh out of the oven, like a "Kiss."
5. If the dough is too soft/warm, chill it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour until firm enough to roll into balls.
6. Using 1.5 Tbsp of dough per cookie, scoop up some of the batter roll into a ball, and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat w/ the rest of the dough (you can fit up to 12 cookies per sheet). Smush each ball w/ a criss-cross hatch pattern using a fork. Sprinkle w/ coarse sea salt if desired.
7. If making these into raw peanut butter cookies: that's it! You're done. Enjoy! Recommended: serving with a glass of unsweetened plant milk. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. But if baking cookies:
8. If baking cookies, bake at 350 F for 3-5 Min, until the tops just begin to look more dry, are solid to the touch, the bottoms are lightly golden, and the cookies are fragrant.
9. Allow to cool on the pan for a couple min.
10. If you waited until now to push in the piece of PB white chocolate into the tops of the cookies, do it now while the cookies are fresh out of the oven and still soft enough to make an indentation: take a piece of your chocolate and gently push it into the top of the soft cookie. Repeat with the rest.
11. Serve with a large glass of unsweetened peanut milk/almond milk or plant milk of choice. Or, serve crumbled on top of vegan vanilla ice cream or atop a dairy-free peanut butter milkshake. Another idea: serve with refined sugar free banana chia pudding and fresh fruit. Alternatively, finish with an additional pinch of course sea salt, a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, a drizzle of smooth PB, and/or with crushed peanuts. Or simply enjoy on its own. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week or in an airtight container in the fridge for much longer. Peanut butter cookies with chocolate need to be stored in the fridge.
NOTES:
*peanut flour/powder comes in various forms. It can be made simply from ground peanuts (either raw or roasted peanuts) or it can be made from defatted peanut butter (peanut butter with the fat removed). It can come in lighter, sweeter, more mild grades or darker, richer, nuttier, fattier, roasted grades. For this recipe, the lighter kind is preferable. I used the kind made from naturally defatted peanut butter because it retains the protein and nutrition of the peanuts without the extra fat, plus it's more mild and sweet, perfect for cookies (believe it or not, peanut flour is higher in protein, lower in fat, and dare I say sweeter & nuttier yet more mild than almond flour!). The kind of peanut powder I use is literally just powdered peanut protein made with just 1 ingredient: peanuts.
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