Flourless Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

In these better-for-you peanut butter cookies, the nut butter is the primary ingredient, and the sweetener is date sugar, which is simply dried, ground dates – so the cookies contain no flour or refined sugar at all. They turn out richly peanut-buttery, with a pleasant, crumbly texture, luscious with melted chocolate and subtly sweet, with a lovely hint of date flavor.

Look for salted natural peanut butter; if you have unsalted only, add 1/4 teaspoon fine salt to the mixture.

Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Date sugar can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, natural food stores and online.

Directions

Time Icon
Active:
30 mins|
Total: 40 mins

1. Step 1

   Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Step 2

   In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the peanut butter, butter, egg and vanilla until well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the date sugar and baking soda until well combined. Add the date sugar mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir to incorporate. The mixture will be a bit crumbly-looking, but should hold together when compacted. Stir in the chocolate until well combined.

3. Step 3

   Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon to scoop the batter onto the prepared sheet pan, spacing the mounds about 1 inch apart. Using the tines of a fork, press each cookie down a bit and create a crosshatch pattern.

4. Step 4

   Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes; the cookies will firm up as they cool. Serve, or transfer to an airtight container until needed.