I love to bake.
I grew up learning from the best (my mom of course!) who, at one time in her younger years, used to bake 14 pies every week. EVERY WEEK! From scratch! I am not even joking.
Side note – If you happen to be one of the few people who know my parents, be sure to ask either one of them about what happened when my dad tried her “sugar pie” one night when they were dating. It’s surprising that they are still together after this incident … and for 44 years strong!
I come from a long line of homemakers and have a treasury of old cookbooks. On a rainy Saturday afternoon, you might just find me fingering through the well-marked pages, complete with grease stains, spills and notes in the margins. I love knowing that these recipes were baked often and truly enjoyed.
Many of these old family recipe books have massive sections for baked good (and pies). And while I often pull them out for special occasions, they typically don’t have recipes for cookies or muffins that I would stick in my lunch every day.
That’s where this recipe comes into play, as a twist on the classic PB cookie!
I wanted a cookie that was nourishing and that I would enjoy eating with my afternoon cup of tea but wasn’t too “health-ified” so that it tasted “hippie-granola-crunchy”… and while that’s not an official word in the dictionary, I think you know what I mean! It is possible to overdo it on the flax, hemp and chia guys!
Other criteria for my new cookie recipe:
- Must have chocolate chips.
- Check – ALWAYS chocolate chips!
- Must have a good balance of protein and high fibre carbs.
- Check – Protein (PB, beans, eggs) + Carbs (oats, whole wheat flour)
- Must use local ingredients and things that are always in my house.
- Check – Good thing it’s maple syrup season in Ontario right now and we freeze pear-sauce and applesauce every summer!
- Must only use only ONE bowl to minimize dishes
- Check – As an added bonus, it only uses the food processor!
Introducing the PB&B cookie – aka peanut butter and bean cookies! I received verification from my children that these passed the “tastebud test” and so I hope they pass yours too!
P.S. This recipe is easily made nut-free by substituting sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and then they become school-safe. You can also make it gluten-free by swapping out the regular oats for gluten-free oats and using an all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of the whole-wheat flour.
High Protein Peanut Butter and Bean Cookies
Yields approximately 2.5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
Step 1 ingredients:
- 1 cup navy beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (or any nut or seed butter of your choosing)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or pear-sauce
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp local maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Step 2 ingredients:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Method:
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the Step 1 ingredients and process until well blended.
- Add the Step 2 ingredients and pulse until just combined.
- Take the bowl of the food processor with your cookie dough and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to chill – this is an important step so don’t skip it!
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F and prepare your baking sheets. Drop the cookie dough in heaping tablespoons onto your baking sheet and press the tops down gently.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until just turning golden.
- Transfer onto a cooling rack. These cookies keep at room temperature for 1-2 days but are best stored in the refrigerator.
Take it one bite at a time,
Rosanne
If you enjoyed this recipe, I highly recommend also checking out Nut-Free Energy Bites For Spring Sports.
