Today it was peanut butter cookies. Peanut butter has always been one of my favorite foods. Peanut butter sandwiches were often my after-school snack. I prefer to eat waffles and pancakes with a smear of peanut butter on top. Peanut butter cookies were always my first choice over chocolate chip or oatmeal.
When I started paying closer attention to what I was eating, and reading nutrition labels, I found that conventional peanut butter often has added oils, sugars, and is high in fat. While it's toted as a "high protein health food" option, it comes with a cost. So, I gave up one of my favorite foods because it didn't fit my macros. Then I discovered PB Fit peanut powder. While it doesn't have the same taste and texture that I enjoy about peanut butter, that peanut taste is definitely present.
Today it became the star ingredient in my Protein Peanut Butter Bites.
Protein Peanut Butter Bites
8 Tbsp PB Fit peanut powder
8 Tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 cup protein powder* (I used a plant-based powder, unflavored & unsweetened)
2 Tbs ground flax seed
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add PB Fit and water. Whisk until combined and smooth. It will be thinner than regular peanut butter.
3. To bowl, add vanilla, sugar, and egg whites. Whisk until combined.
4. Finally, add protein powder and ground flax seed. Whisk to combine. Mixture will thicken with this addition of flax seed. Set aside to rest while you prep your pans.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With a cookie scoop (1 Tbs size) drop cookie dough, leaving 1-2 inches between each cookie, on lined baking sheet. Don't waste any dough...you should end up with 24 cookies. Using the back of a fork or spoon, gently pat down each cookie to slightly flatten. Cookies will not spread during baking time, so this step should not be skipped. Also, the dough is sticky, so don't press to hard on each cookie as you flatten them.
6. Bake in oven on 350° for 10 minutes. Once baked, cookies will appear dry, and bottoms will have began to lightly brown. They'll be soft in texture.
Yields 24 cookies.
See my cookie scoop.
If you don't have one of these, get one. These are a great help when making cookies, meatballs, scooping out melon balls, etc. It's a useful tool for uniformity, and portion control. I know by using it, my cookies will bake evenly and at the same rate, plus they're all the same size.
I have kids. So, it's not just about my recipes satisfying my tastebuds, but theirs, as well. And this recipe is kid-approved! They each gobbled up their cookies just as soon as I gave them the green light. I didn't even get a chance to plate them...the kids were grabbing cookies hot off the pan.
Not only will you enjoy them, but you'll feel good about letting your kiddos snack on them, too.
Here's the nutritional info for ONE cookie.
If you're like the kids and I, you'll easily eat 3-4 of them.
*Keep in mind, if you use a different protein powder, the numbers will be different.
