The cookie gods were good to me on the day that I made these beauties. Recipe testing is rarely a straight forward process (understatement of the year), and usually requires multiple failures, with or without tears of frustration, before nailing it. These peanut butter cookies were an exception. A gal needs a break every once in a while, I’ll take it!
I started off simply wanting to make a healthier peanut butter cookie, but as I warmed up my oven, I realized that I had no eggs in the house. Sighing as I started to put my ingredients away, I stopped myself short….what about chia eggs? And if I was going to make it with chia eggs I may as well just make them completely vegan! I had already intended on making the cookies gluten free using oat flour for some of my family members with celiac disease, so they ended up being gluten free and vegan. Of course, if you choose to use non-vegan margarine or butter that will work.
I made them into heart shapes for Valentine’s Day and dipped some of them in dark chocolate, which is completely optional but … DELICIOUS!
Makes about 24 cookies
- 1 c. smooth natural peanut butter
- ½ c. vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
- 2 chia or flax eggs (see below)
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ¼ c. white sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. gluten free oat flour (I used Only Oats brand of oat flour)
- 3/4 c. good quality dark chocolate (optional)
*to make 2 chia or flax eggs, combine 2 Tbsp. of ground flax seeds or chia seeds with 6 Tbsp. water. I use a Magic Bullet or mini food processor to grind them.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl blend the peanut butter, margarine, chia eggs, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the oat flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix until incorporated on medium speed with an electric blender.
- Roll the dough into 1” balls and slightly flatten with the palm of your hand. To make them into a heart shape, simply press the handle-end of a fork or other utensil into the top of the cookie to form the top of the heart, and shape the dough into a heart with your hands. They don’t have to be perfect! Press a cross pattern with a fork in the top of each cookie by pushing the fork lightly into the dough each way to form a cross pattern. (see the pictures below)
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate if desired. Simply melt 3/4 c. good quality dark chocolate in a small heavy bottomed saucepan (I used a Staub mini rice cooker it’s the perfect size) or in the microwave (by microwaving in a glass bowl for 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted). Place on a cooling rack or sheet lined with parchment to set.
