Now the important thing here is HOW GOSH DARN TASTY these are. They're are super duper peanut buttery, very very flavorful-and there's no flour or butter. Lots of winning. Full disclosure, though--forming the dough into balls was THE BIGGEST PAIN IN MY BUTT. They were so crumbly and it was rough. Now-this may be partly because I used PB & Co peanut butter which I thought wouldn't count as natural peanut butter but...maybe it did and affected the texture. I couldn't tell you. But but but seriously they're so yummy.
Michael was a giant fan of these cookies-they got sent in his lunches every day (I love that I'm already well versed in packing lunches before even having given birth) and they were perfect for my occasional peanut butter cravings (which I'm attributing to the fact that I haven't been eating a ton of meat since getting pregnant so I probably needed the protein.) Whatever reason you may have for wanting them, you won't be sorry you made these cookies. Even if you're cursing their existence when you're scooping and shaping them :P
Makes approx. 12-20 cookies, depending on size
Ingredients:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural or homemade pb!)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chips (or 6 oz. semisweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks)
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just a large bowl and using a hand mixer), combine peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-combined and the sugar is fully incorporated and no longer grainy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the baking soda.
- Mix in the chocolate chips or chunks until evenly incorporated.
- Scoop out mounds of cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet or a large dish (using a medium cookie scoop is ideal but you can make them as large or small as you desire)--you may have a hard time keeping them together because of all the chocolate, use your hands to form them as best as you can if they start to fall apart. Flatten slightly (if possible) and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees and, if you haven't already, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place refrigerated dough balls on the prepared sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for about 7-10 minutes (although this could vary if the cookies are particularly small or large)-until the edges are set but the middle still looks a bit underbaked.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. (Unbaked cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 4 months, so you can bake only as many cookies as desired and save the rest of the dough to be baked in the future.)
If you're a peanut butter lover, these cookies will be your friend.