5-Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies You Can Make In 15 Minutes

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Photo: Eugene Mymrin / Getty Images

Chances are you know and love the classic peanut butter crisscross cookie. (You know, the ones you get to smush with a fork.)

While the traditional recipe for peanut butter cookies is laden with butter and sugar, there is a healthier way to do it that still actually tastes good—like real good. This twist on the recipe is packed with the same peanut buttery goodness you won't be able to resist—yet they're also free of dairy, gluten, refined sugar, and eggs. (So, yep, they're vegan too.) The best part? You only need five ingredients and 15 minutes to make them! (Also try these avocado protein cookies from the Tone It Up trainers.)

With almond meal as the flour base and sweetened with pure maple syrup, these cookies will please any peanut butter lover—without being a true indulgence. (Related: Everything You Need to Know About Nut Butter)

5-Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes: 18 to 28 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1 1/2 cups almond meal

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Pulse until a somewhat sticky dough forms. If you don't have a food processor, mix batter with a hand mixer.

  3. Roll dough into small balls. If you want larger cookies, make balls a bit bigger and recipe will yield about 18 cookies. If you'd like smaller cookies, roll balls on smaller side to yield about 28 cookies.

  4. Place dough balls evenly on the baking sheet. Use the back of a fork to imprint crisscrosses on each ball, flattening the cookies out a bit.

  5. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. The dough will still be soft, and the bottoms of the cookies should be slightly brown. (These cookies can burn easily, so keep a close eye on them.)

  6. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Nutrition facts per cookie (if yielding 28): 110 calories, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat, 7g carbs, 1g fiber, 5g sugar, 3g protein