Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies
I love making these cookies when I have a random banana laying around that my daughter asked me to buy and then 2 minutes later decided: “me not like that, mom”.
And best of all, these cookies are gluten, dairy and refined sugar free, but don’t taste like dirt!
Tea and cookie time
Ingredients:
½ cup (75g) salted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons sugar or more coconut sugar (optional-for rolling)
1 cup (240g) unsweetened chunky peanut butter
⅔ cup (120g) coconut sugar
¼ cup finely mashed banana (about 1 medium)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Coarsely chop the peanuts. Reserve half, and chop the remaining half into small pieces. Put the finely chopped peanuts in a small bowl, add the sugar (if using) and set aside. The sugar adds a bit of crunch to the exterior of the cookie, but it’s not essential.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the reserved coarsely chopped peanuts, peanut butter, coconut sugar, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, baking soda and salt. The dough will be thick and sticky. Let it sit for 15 minutes. As the baking soda reacts, the dough will thicken a bit.
4. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough into the bowl of finely chopped peanuts. Roll the dough around to coat, then roll it into a ball in your hands. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. Leave 2 inches between cookies as they will spread while baking. Flatten them slightly with your fingers or a fork.
5. Bake until the cookies crack and their edges begin to look crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake, as they will continue to dry out while cooling. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. The cookies will be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and will keep for 5 days in an airtight container.
Recipe courtesy of Gluten Free Baking Goddess: Aran Goyoaga