Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love freshly baked cookies straight outta the oven? They are warm enough that when you bit into them they just melt in your mouth, not to mention how the chocolate melts and combines itself with rest of the cookie to give you the most yummiest taste... Plus, the smell... OH MY GOSH do I love the smell of freshly baked cookies!

I won't lie, these just about the survived the photos before I started indulging!

I have 3 words for you: AH. MAY. ZING! I'm not even exaggerating. These cookies are literally the dream for those of you looking for a healthier option without compromising on the classic cookie experience! Not to mention they can easily be made gluten and dairy free by switching out just 2 simple ingredients!

I used a recipe from Minimalist Baker with just a few tweaks, and made them double the size to achieve this deliciously chunky result!

They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, as well as being beautifully soft and chewy with just the right amount of crunch and crumble, so when you bite into them they literally melt in your mouth and release all those endorphins because you are wholeheartedly on cloud 9...

Best part: all you need is 1 mixing bowl, 1 wooden spoon, a teaspoon, and 1 mug - so can spend more time munching and less time washing up! And they only take about 20 minutes total to make with no chilling required! Literally the quickest recipe every with the tastiest end result = WINNING.

So how are these healthier than normal chocolate chip cookies? They use unrefined sugar as opposed to normal sugar, meaning a much lower sugar content. They also use no oil or butter therefore less saturated fat. The proof is in the nutritional values which I have provided at the end.

INGREDIENTS (makes 7-8):

• 1/4 cup wholegrain rolled oats (use gluten free if needed)

• 1/4 cup ground almond/almond flour

• 1/3 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 cup demerara natural unrefined cane sugar

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (check the ingredients to ensure there is no palm oil, should just be peanuts)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips (dairy-free if desired), chopped (plus more for topping)

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.

• In a medium mixing bowl, add oats, ground almonds, salt, baking powder, and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

• Add peanut butter (should be pourable), vanilla, and egg and stir until a tacky dough is formed. Depending on consistency of your peanut butter you may need to add a little more ground almonds if it’s too wet, or, a bit more peanut butter if it is too crumbly. Add a little bit at a time to ensure it doesn't go to the opposite extreme.

• Stir in chopped up chocolate chips. Divide the mixture evenly into 7-8 balls and place on the baking tray. Press down slightly to form into a disc shape about 2cm thick, ensuring there is a few centimetres gap between each as they will spread a little during baking. Top it some whole chocolate chips.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly golden brown and they’ve expanded a little. Remove from oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!

• Store cookies well sealed at room temperature up to 4-5 days, in the fridge up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month (allow to thaw before eating).

NUTRITIONAL INFO - Per Cookie:

✅ 239 kcal

✅ 22.3g carbs

✅ 12.6g fat (3g saturated)

✅ 7.7g protein

✅ 2.5g sugar