Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Crossover Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Fruit-Sweetened)

Can't decide between baking peanut butter cookies or chocolate chip cookies? (Yeah, I've been there, trust me.) How about BOTH annnnd you don't have to feel guilty about making and subsequently eating them? Sounds like a win-win all around to me! These cookies are just what they sound like: a morph between peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies that are 100% guilt-free (with a healthy surprise!).

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In a world where cobruffins (cookie brownie muffins, that is), cronuts, and ice cream pies filled with sugar, calories, and fat are taking over, I've decided it's time to have a healthy crossover dessert that tastes just as good as conventional desserts. These cookies, or cookie hybrids, if you will, combine the richness of peanut butter cookies with the timeless appeal of chocolate chip cookies.

Peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies were two of my favorite types of cookies growing up, and to this day I can't say I favor one over the other. They're just both too good!

I came up with the idea for these cookies because I noticed that bakers are always morphing together two, three, or more different desserts to create a new dessert that combines all the greatness of each "parent dessert". But, usually they cross two totally different types of desserts, like cookies and brownies, and I thought why not combine two different flavors of the same dessert? Hence, my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Crossover Cookies were born!

These hybrid cookies are vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and date-sweetened. (**PLEASE NOTE: these cookies are NOT paleo because they contain oat flour/oats, see the "Substitutions" section for alternatives to the oat flour.**) And the great part of this recipe? You use very similar ingredients and amounts of ingredients for each flavor of cookie dough, so you can just keep your different ingredients out on the counter to measure them for each flavor and you can use most of the same size measuring cups and measuring spoons for both flavors of cookie dough (which means less washing later!).

So what's the healthy surprise?

Chickpeas! Chickpeas blend into cookie dough perfectly and don't taste like anything, making a healthy addition to your cookies. Chickpea cookie dough is trending right now, and for good reason!

Alternative Ways to Enjoy This Recipe

If the sounds of a regular baked batch of these cookies doesn't sound appealing enough (or you're short on time or just want them a certain way) there are a few options I've come up with to enjoy this recipe differently:

1. Make these cookies into a deep dish cookie pie! Use the same amount of batter as you would for a regular batch of small cookies and fill a deep dish pan with the cookie doughs. Bake at the same temperature (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 25 minutes. Remove the cookie pie from the oven and allow it to cool before cutting into slices and serving.

2. If you want to straight up enjoy this recipe as raw cookie dough, substitute the 1/2 cup of oat flour for each flavor of cookie dough with 2/3 cup of gluten-free rolled oats for each flavor of cookie dough AND leave out the arrowroot flour/starch & baking soda altogether. It's extremely important that you don't use the oat and arrowroot flours if you're making this recipe to eat as raw cookie dough because raw flour can contain bacteria and other contaminants when unbaked (which can potentially cause food poisoning and other health issues). And be sure to leave out the baking soda for raw cookie dough because uncooked baking soda can be poisonous (only if consumed in very large amounts in one sitting, but still there's really no need for it, seeing as the cookies aren't being baked and therefore don't need to be leavened if you choose to eat this as raw cookie dough). If you use oats instead of the oat flour and leave out the arrowroot flour and baking soda it is edible and 100% safe to eat as raw cookie dough, as it is vegan and all of the ingredients are safe to consume unbaked (***NOTE: if you're using chickpeas in the raw chocolate chip cookie dough, be aware that the cookie dough will only stay fresh for up to five days // also, use canned chickpeas OR cooked fresh chickpeas for this recipe).

3. Just make either a batch of peanut butter cookies OR a batch of chocolate chip cookies using this recipe. You can make a batch of one type of these cookies (the peanut butter or the chocolate chip) and enjoy them on their own! Just double the recipe for one of the types of cookie dough and bake at the same temperature (350 degrees F) for the same amount of time (10 to 12 min).

4. Make these cookies into multiple mini cookie pies using oven-safe soufflé dishes. Divide the batter evenly among small soufflé dishes and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16-18 min.

Nutritional Profile of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crossover Cookies

Dates- dates are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, iron, and protein and are low-glycemic. Antioxidants fight disease-causing free radicals, while fiber and iron support digestive health and red blood cell health, respectively.

Gluten-free rolled oats- oats are an excellent source of fiber, protein, and iron, and help to reduce cholesterol levels. The fiber and protein in oats help keep you satiated and feeling fuller for longer, which can curb food cravings and aid in weight loss. Oats can be enjoyed in smoothies, hot oatmeal cereal, or overnight oats. (For a recipe for peanut butter chocolate overnight oats check out my recipe here)

Sea salt- sea salt, such as Himalayan pink sea salt, is good for the adrenal glands, regulates electrolytes, and contains plentiful minerals and micronutrients that provide numerous benefits for your health. Sea salt (calcium chloride), unlike table salt (sodium chloride) is beneficial to consume on a regular basis (of course, without over-doing it // and as always follow medical advice if you've been advised to stay away from all kinds of salt). Table salt is the kind of salt you typically want to stay away from, as it is highly-processed, can cause high blood pressure, and lacks important trace minerals that nourish the body (small amounts are okay to consume, though). I use Himalayan pink sea salt mostly (and only occasionally use iodized table salt), and honestly, the sea salt adds more flavor to your baked goods and savory dishes. Himalayan pink sea salt is a good choice for a minimally-processed, healthy sea salt, but there are other sea salts that promote good health, such as Celtic sea salt, Hawaiian black sea salt (black lava salt), and fleur de sel.

Chickpeas- chickpeas are rich in fiber, protein, iron, and trace minerals. Fiber is good for digestion and helps lower cholesterol, while protein and iron promote muscle and blood health. Chickpeas are extremely versatile and can be used in savory entrées, side dishes, snacks, and desserts!

Flaxseed- flaxseed is packed with fiber, protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help keep your heart, brain, eyes, immune system, skin, hair, and joints healthy. Fiber aids in digestion and keeps bad cholesterol levels in check. Protein and iron build muscles and red blood cells.

Cashew butter (cashews)- cashews are chock-full of healthy fats, protein, iron, antioxidants, and trace minerals. These nutrients are good for your heart & muscles and fight oxidative damage. Cashew butter is made of cashews, and thus provides the same health benefits as cashews themselves. (Tip: the best kind of cashew butter to purchase is unsalted, unsweetened cashew butter, preferably organic and/or non-GMO, and made from either raw cashews or dry-roasted cashews. I personally prefer cashew butter made from dry-roasted cashews because I like the flavor better, but use whatever kind you like. And if there's an added oil in your cashew butter (like sunflower oil) that's completely fine.)

Dark chocolate- dark chocolate is a superfood, and for good reason. It's an excellent source of antioxidants, iron, magnesium, calcium, and trace minerals. Dark chocolate and cacao have been shown to dramatically boost HDL cholesterol (the good kind), support heart health in other ways, help with period symptoms and PMS, help with cognition, and improve mood and aid in the production of serotonin (the feel-good brain chemical) and thus help with symptoms of depression. (Tip: try purchasing 100% chocolate (or as high a percentage as you can tolerate) without added sugar, dairy, or other additives. Of course if you can do less-processed sugars on your diet, like coconut sugar, then that's a perfectly fine sweetener in chocolate and if the chocolate you're thinking of purchasing has dairy-free milk in it, that's also a good option. Just double-check that the dairy-free milk in the chocolate is unsweetened or works on your diet.

Peanut butter- peanut butter is filled with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and iron. Peanut butter supports heart & brain health, helps build muscle, and regulates blood sugar. Peanut butter can be used in smoothies, desserts, on toast, in overnight oats, and even in a Thai peanut sauce! Get creative with this flavorful, versatile nut butter. Allergic or have a food sensitivity to peanuts? Try substituting almond butter or cashew butter for peanut butter in your favorite recipes.

Substitutions

**NOTE: I haven't had the chance to try all of these substitutions, so for some of these I'm using my best judgement on swapping ingredients. Good results with all these substitutions aren't guaranteed. I will be updating the "Substitutions" section soon to share what substitutions definitely work for sure.**

For this recipe, you can substitute the oat flour with slightly less of a 1 to 1 gluten-free or grain-free flour or an all-purpose gluten-free/grain-free flour. You can substitute the same amount of tapioca flour/starch or cassava flour/starch for the arrowroot flour/starch. You can substitute table salt for the sea salt. If you can't do chickpeas or don't want them in your cookies, then leave them out of your recipe altogether. You can substitute one chia egg OR 3 Tbsp aquafaba for the flax egg.

For the chocolate chip cookie dough, you can swap the cashew butter with almond butter or another mild nut/seed butter. For the chopped sugar-free, dairy-free dark chocolate you can sub dairy-free chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or chopped homemade paleo chocolate. You can substitute the peanut butter with almond butter, sunflower butter, or another nut/seed butter that works on your diet (just try to make sure you use a different kind of nut/seed butter for each flavor of cookie dough).

Other Great Recipes with Peanut Butter

Try some of my other delicious recipes that contain peanut butter:

My Go-To "Date Shake"

Chocolate PB + J Almond Smoothie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Overnight Oats

Enjoy! <3

-K.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Crossover Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar Free, Fruit-Sweetened)

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Servings: 18 to 22 small cookies, 1 large deep dish cookie pie (using a 9" diameter round deep dish pan), or several mini cookie pies (using 3" oven-safe souflée dishes)

Ingredients:

For the chocolate chip cookie part:

-3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted

-3/4 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour

-2 Tbsp arrowroot flour/starch (or tapioca/cassava flour/starch)

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/8 tsp sea salt

-1/4 cup uncooked, canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional // can sub fresh, cooked chickpeas)

-1 flax egg (can sub one chia egg)

-1/4 cup cashew butter (can sub almond butter or other nut/seed butter)

-1/4 cup sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free dark chocolate, chopped (or dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate chips/chunks or cacao nibs)

For the peanut butter cookie part:

-3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted

-1/2 cup peanut butter (can sub almond butter or other nut/seed butter)

-3/4 tsp vanilla

-1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour

-2 Tbsp arrowroot flour/starch (or tapioca/cassava flour/starch)

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/8 tsp sea salt

-1 flax egg (can sub one chia egg)

Directions:

1. If your dates are hard, soak the pitted dates in hot water for 5 to 15 minutes to soften. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line three to four large baking sheets with parchment paper (which makes for easy cleanup) OR grab one 9" deep dish pan OR a few mini, oven-safe souflée dishes. There's no need to grease or line the deep dish pan or souflée dishes, if you're going that route. (The cookie won't stick to those pans). **If eating as raw cookie dough skip lining the pans with parchment paper/getting the deep dish pans & preheating the oven.**

2. Start with making the chocolate chip cookie dough. Drain the dates and add them to the bowl of a food processor along with the vanilla, cashew butter, and flax/chia egg. Process until smooth and sticky, scraping down the sides as necessary. **If eating as raw cookie dough follow my instructions for the ingredients given in the "Alternative Ways to Enjoy This Recipe" section of this post, above.**

3. Add in the chickpeas (if using) to the food processor and the rest of the dry ingredients (oat flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, sea salt) except for the chocolate chunks/chips. Process again just until a thick, uniform batter is formed without over-mixing.

4. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and fold in the chocolate chunks/chips. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge while making the peanut butter cookie dough.

5. Next make the peanut butter cookie dough. If your dates are hard, soak the pitted dates for 5-15 minutes in hot water.

6. Drain the dates and add to the bowl of a food processor, along with the peanut butter, vanilla, and flax egg. Process until smooth and sticky, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. **If eating as raw cookie dough follow my instructions for the ingredients given in the "Alternative Ways to Enjoy This Recipe" section of this post, above.**

7. Add in the remaining dry ingredients (oat flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, and sea salt), and process just until a uniform, thick batter is formed. Be sure not to over-mix.

For eating as raw cookie dough:

8. That's it! You're done, and you can have your cookie dough and eat it too! :) Enjoy!

For a batch of regular small cookies:

8. Take the chocolate chip cookie dough out of the fridge. Grab a spoon, ice cream scoop, or whatever you prefer for forming cookies. Drop a small amount of the chocolate chip cookie dough on the prepared pan and drop approximately the same amount of the peanut butter cookie dough right next to it, touching. Use a spoon to gently join the two cookie doughs to form one crossover cookie. Repeat, making 6 cookies on each pan, until you run out of dough. Press down on the tops of the cookies with the back of a fork, to flatten.

9. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are lightly golden and browned on top.

10. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to remain on the pan for two minutes before transferring them to a plate on which they are cooled for 5 minutes.

11. Enjoy!

For a large (9") deep dish cookie pie:

8. In a 9" round, deep dish cookie pie pan, add both kinds of the batter and smooth the top.

9. Bake in the preheated oven (at 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes, until solid and browned on top.

10. Remove cookie pie from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting into it.

11. Cut cookie pie into slices, and serve warm, with vegan, sugar-free vanilla ice cream and shaved sugar-free, vegan dark chocolate. Enjoy!

For mini (3") deep dish cookie pies:

8. Fill the 3" round souflée dishes with equal amounts of both kinds of cookie dough in each dish, filling them about half-way. Smooth the tops of each mini cookie pie.

9. Bake in the preheated oven (at 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 16-18 minutes, until solid and golden on top.

10. Allow to cool into souflée dishes for 5 minutes, then serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Store leftover cookies/cookie doughs, covered, in an airtight container for up to one week. (**Note if using chickpeas, the cookies/cookie dough will last upwards of 5 days // the cookie dough is best eaten in the first 2 to 3 days.**).