Thursday, September 22, 2022

#Recipe: 3 INGREDIENT NO BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (NO FLOUR, EGGS, ADDED SUGAR OR BUTTER)

With summer and vacation over, I’ve been meal planning and prepping and also trying to do the same with snacks. What I love about these no bake cookies is that they store well and taste just as good days after they are made. They are a very easy snack and dessert that my whole family enjoys.

Ingredients:
1 packed cup (165 g) pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup (128 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
2 tbsp (14 g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add dates to food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms. You will need to stop a few times and scrape down the sides of your food processor with a spatula to help it mix. If you are using older dates that are a little dry you may need to rehydrate them before using. See notes for more details.
  • Add cocoa powder and peanut butter. Pulse until they are evenly incorporated and blended in, with no cocoa or peanut butter streaks remaining. You will need to scrape the sides of your food processor a few times with a spatula to help the food processor mix. When you are done mixing, your mixture should be the consistency of cookie dough.
  • Using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop out the dough. Release onto prepared cookie sheet, spreading 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Pick up a dough ball and roll it between hands to form a round, smooth ball. Place back onto cookie sheet. Lightly press down on the dough ball so that it flattens into a thick disk. Use the back of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern across the surface of the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
  • Place cookies into the fridge to help them firm up (I usually put them in for about 30 minutes). Store uneaten cookies at room temperature for a few days or longer in the fridge or freezer.
Peanut Butter: This recipe is made with unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter. Make sure the only things listed in the ingredient list in your jar of peanut butter are peanuts and salt because some brands of peanut butter will label their peanut butter “natural-style” but it still contains added oils. This recipe will not work with peanut butter that has added oils.  Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter or natural sunflower seed butter.

Dates: This recipe uses Medjool dates because Medjool dates are big and contain a lot of soft flesh, which is what is needed to make a date paste. Dates are used as a natural sweetener for these cookies. They also create the structure and texture for the cookies.

Cocoa Powder: I used dutch process cocoa powder though I think it should also work with natural cocoa powder.

HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
The dates are first blended to form a date paste. The peanut butter and cocoa powder are then mixed in until a thick cookie dough forms. The cookie dough is then shaped into cookies and placed into the fridge until set. The cookies are then ready to eat.

NO BAKE COOKIE TEXTURE
Because these cookies are not baked or cooked, they will not have the same texture as a baked cookie. They are chewy and sweet, with a slightly crumbly texture.

These cookies are not super sweet. Everyone has different levels of sweetness they prefer. If you prefer these cookies to be sweeter, you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder, add more dates or add chocolate chips to the dough.

NOTES
  • You want to use dates that are very soft and moist in order for them to form a smooth date paste. If the dates you are using feel dry or hard you can rehydrate them before using. To do so, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain from water, lightly pat dry, and then use.
  • Make sure to pit the dates before measuring them.
  • These cookies are sweet but not super sweet. If you prefer sweeter cookies, you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder (by 1 tbsp), add more dates, or add chocolate chips (if adding chocolate chips, add them at the very end after the dough has formed).
  • The cookies do not have the same texture as baked cookies. They are chewy and slightly crumbly.

NUTRITION
serving: 1cookie, calories: 92kcal, carbohydrates: 11g, protein: 2g, fat: 5g, saturated fat: 0.1g, fiber: 2g, sugar: 8g, net carbs: 9g

No comments: