So remember how I told you that back when I was eating dairy-free I suddenly craved chocolate chip cookies? Well, once that craving was satiated, I was hit with another craving. This craving was more normal for me, because it involved peanut butter. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve LOVED peanut butter. It is the most ridiculously American thing about myself, this love of peanut butter, and I’m not ashamed. I will eat peanut butter on a lot of things, and I had decided that I needed peanut butter cookies in my life.
Fortunately for me, there are a lot more recipes for dairy-free peanut butter cookies. So back in the summer when this was my newest quest, I had more options to choose from than when I was trying out the chocolate chip cookies. The first recipe I used, the cookies didn’t turn out well. In fact, they were barely edible for anyone except a crazed-peanut-butter-loving new mom who is desperate for something sweet. I don’t have the recipe handy any more, and there’s no photographic evidence.
The next cookies I made were ones from the Tasty facebook page/app/website. I figured that I’d had decent luck with their recipes in the past, this one looked pretty easy, and also I had all the ingredients on hand it was at least worth a shot. Let’s just say that peanut butter and coconut is not a classic combination for a reason. I ate them, and they were fine, but the Boy was not impressed. I will say that because they are chilled/frozen instead of baked, that they have an odd texture, and also have a tendency to melt in your hand while you’re eating them. This isn’t a huge problem if you’re the kind of person who is desperate for a peanut butter cookie RIGHT NOW, but if that’s not you, perhaps that’s a recipe to skip.
The final dairy-free peanut butter cookie recipe that I tried was an actual winner. Minimal ingredients, most of which are the kind I usually have around the house already. Incredibly short prep time – nothing says “easy” like, “Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix”. Terrific flavor and texture that mimics the way that regular peanut butter cookies taste. And that all-important seal of approval from the Boy himself. These are also the kind of cookies that are easy enough to make with a child, because the ingredient list is minimal the the recipe itself is simple and doesn’t take long. Sadly, I failed to take more pictures of the cookies after they were baked, and can only share this one with you of what they look like just before baking. You’ll see they’ve got the traditional fork-crosshatch pattern that is typical of peanut butter cookies, which is already a good sign. And despite having made these cookies a half dozen times or so now, I have yet to get a picture of them post-baking. Perhaps it’s because they’re so good that I never let them sit long enough to be photographed?
Who knows? Make them yourself, and you be the judge! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Dairy Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield: About 18 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Scoop out the dough in 1.5 tablespoon size balls onto the cookie sheets, and use a fork to make cross hatches on top of the dough.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are slightly puffed up, rotating the cookie sheets half way through baking. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before eating.
Leftovers will keep for 1 week, if they last that long.
Details: Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Cookies from Tastes Lovely