These secretly healthy peanut butter cookies are packed with wholesome ingredients and delicious peanut butter flavor!
The best healthy peanut butter cookies
This soft and chewy cookie is sure to instantly win you over.
With just three ingredients plus a pinch of salt and vanilla, the super simple peanut butter cookie recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again.
The no bake cookies are quick to prepare without an oven. And they can be vegan, gluten free, flourless, soy free, dairy free, egg free, and oil free.
With no butter and no sugar added, they have absolutely no business tasting so good!
Also try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step by step recipe video
Peanut butter cookie health benefits
Made with all natural ingredients, no flour, and no refined sugar, these might just be the healthiest peanut butter cookies you will ever find.
- Each homemade peanut butter cookie contains just 70 calories.
- They are low in saturated fat, trans fat free, and cholesterol free.
- In contrast to white sugar, superfood dates are high fiber and high in potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. Dates are an easily digestible source of energy and are widely considered to be great pre or post workout fuel for athletes.
- The healthy cookies give you 2.6 grams of fiber and 2.5 grams of protein per serving.
- Unlike many other healthy peanut butter cookie recipes, this one calls for no banana. If you prefer peanut butter banana cookies, try these Banana Oatmeal Cookies.
Healthy peanut butter cookie ingredients
Peanut butter – The recipe works with either crunchy or creamy peanut butter. I personally love the added texture of crunchy peanut butter. Unless you are on a low sodium diet, it is best to use salted peanut butter.
While popular regular peanut butter brands like Skippy or Jif taste just as good, natural peanut butter is a healthier choice. Therefore I recommend choosing an option without added sugar if one is available.
Roasted peanuts – Look for roasted peanuts with salt at the grocery store. Or as a fun paleo friendly variation, substitute an equal amount of salted roasted almonds, cashews, or pecans.
Dates – The healthy cookies are refined sugar free and naturally sweetened with dates. Dried Medjool dates give you the best results, thanks to their soft texture and slight caramel flavor. Buy whole pitted dates or remove the pits at home before adding them to the food processor.
If you do not have dates on hand, you may substitute other dried fruit like raisins, dried figs, or apricots. The taste will differ, but each version is tasty in its own right.
*If you want a low carb option, try these Keto Peanut Butter Cookies.
Salt – I love a good salty peanut butter cookie. Adding a few dashes of salt deepens the rich peanut buttery flavor of these cookies.
Vanilla extract (optional) – If you have pure vanilla extract on hand (not imitation vanilla flavoring), you can pour in a fourth teaspoon to compliment the nutty peanuts and highlight the natural sweetness of the dates.
Other ingredients – Before or after blending, feel free to throw in a handful of chia seeds, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips.
Still craving cookies? Make Snowball Cookies
Katie’s favorite flavor ideas
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies: Add two tablespoons cocoa powder or raw cacao powder to the ingredients below. If desired, press a Hershey’s kiss or piece of dark chocolate into the middle of each. Or dip finished cookies in melted chocolate.
Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies: Replace two tablespoons of the peanut butter with an equal amount of coconut butter. Throw about two tablespoons of shredded coconut into the food processor, or roll cookies in shredded coconut at the end.
Healthy Almond Butter Cookies: Use almond butter and unsalted roasted almonds instead of the peanuts and peanut butter. I have not tried almond flour here.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies: Blend a tablespoon of rolled oats, quick oats, or oat flour in with the other ingredients.
Peanut Butter Protein Cookies: Blend in one scoop sweetened or unsweetened protein powder of your choice. If the cookie dough is too dry, add an extra tablespoon or two of peanut butter and blend again.
For a more traditional recipe, make Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
How to make healthy peanut butter cookies
- Gather all of your ingredients and take out a high quality food processor.
- Add the peanut butter, roasted peanuts, dates, salt, and pure vanilla extract to the food processor. (Using a blender is not recommended because it will yield a very sticky dough.)
- If adding chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, you can throw them in now or near the end. It is entirely your choice.
- Blend everything together until fine crumbles form. The texture should resemble a sticky, course flour.
- Transfer the peanut butter cookie dough to a large Ziploc bag and press it into one big cookie dough ball from inside the bag. Or simply use your hands to form the dough into one large ball.
- Break off smaller pieces of dough. Roll tightly into balls, or shape into cookies. For authentic presentation, I like to press down into the cookies with a fork to create classic peanut butter cookie lines. Or you can flatten the dough and use cookie cutters to make circles or other shapes.
- The cookies are now ready to be enjoyed. There is no oven or baking required!
Use up leftover peanut butter in this Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Frequently asked questions
The recipe is eggless, nondairy, and vegan as written. If you are serving the cookies to vegans and wish to add chocolate, look for plant based chocolate chips at the store.
For those who prefer baked instead of no bake peanut butter cookies, preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit (162° Celsius). Bake the cookies on a nonstick baking sheet for 8 minutes, then let cool before eating.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator. They should last for up to four months refrigerated.
You can freeze the recipe if you wish. Frozen peanut butter cookies are wonderful when eaten straight from the freezer and should keep for up to a year.
Not that you will ever be able to make them last that long!
For a large recipe, simply double all ingredients. I recommend processing in two batches to ensure you do not overcrowd the machine and risk uneven blending. Or to make a small batch of cookies, halve all ingredients.
Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (120g)
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts with salt (64g)
- 1 cup pitted dates (160g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- 1. To make the healthy peanut butter cookies, process the peanut butter, peanuts, dates, salt, and optional pure vanilla extract in a high quality food processor until crumbly and slightly sticky. (For best results, I do not recommend using a blender, because the texture becomes too sticky and the machine may overheat.)
- 2. If adding chocolate chips, you may include them now or after blending.
- 3. Press the no bake peanut butter cookie dough into one large ball. Then break off smaller pieces of dough and press into cookie shapes. I like to flatten each cookie with a fork, creating classic peanut butter cookie lines.
- 4. Store leftover cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for up to four months. These pb cookies also taste delicious straight from the freezer.
Video
Notes
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