Soft and chewy, peanut buttery, with a delightful chocolate kiss in the middle. All the things you love about peanut butter blossoms, done with whole grains, and less sugar! Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms help you stay on track this season while still treating yourself!
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Peanut butter blossoms make great Christmas cookies, of course. But they're also a great anytime cookie, since they combine classic flavors of peanut butter and chocolate! Plus, they're easy, so whipping them up at the last minute is no problem.
Make sure to check out some of our other healthier cookie recipes, like Spiced Molasses Cookies, Healthy Thumbprint Cookies, and Cherry Pistachio Cookies!
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Heart Health Benefits of Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms
Let me start by saying this: even healthier cookies are still cookies, and should be eaten in moderation!
My healthier version of peanut butter blossoms do contain about the same amount of calories per cookie as the regular version. But that's where the comparison ends!
My version has half the fat of regular peanut butter blossoms! That's because we subbed some of the usual butter with applesauce. These cookies also have a healthier fat profile, because we are using grapeseed oil instead of butter. So we decreased the total fat, and make the remaining fat a heart healthy fat!
We also reduced the sugar by almost half, and we're using pure maple syrup instead. While pure maple syrup is a more natural, less processed sweetener option, it is still added sugar, so we keep it to a minimum, while still making sure our cookie is plenty sweet. Yes, pure maple syrup does have some trace minerals that other sweeteners don't, but you shouldn't be eating enough of it to make any difference!
Lastly, we use whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour. This adds fiber and a delicious toasty undertone to the cookie.
Bottom line: With about the same number of calories as regular peanut butter blossoms, these cookies still need to be eaten in moderation, but you can feel good about their lower but healthier fat profile, lower sugar, and higher fiber content!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make healthier peanut butter blossoms.
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Maple syrup
- Peanut butter
- Grapeseed oil
- Applesauce
- Vanilla
- Granulated sugar (for dusting, if desired)
- Chocolate kisses
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
You make these healthy peanut butter blossoms almost like the regular version!
- Step 1: Mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, grapeseed oil, applesauce, and vanilla.
- Step 2: Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
- Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Step 4: Mix until a dough forms.
- Step 5: Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out about 1 ½ tablespoon dough, and roll into a ball. Coat with granulated sugar, if desired.
- Step 6: Repeat until all the dough is rolled. Place on lined cookie sheet, about 2 inched apart.
- Step 7: Bake for about 10 minutes.
- Step 8: Gently push a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven. Cool completely.
Hint: the cookies will crack a bit, and that's fine. If you find them cracking too much, don't push the kiss in quite as far.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions you may wish to make!
- Peanut butter - use almond butter if you like, or for a nut free version, try sunflower butter or soy butter
- Oil - you can use any liquid oil you have
- Maple syrup - try honey or agave nectar. You can use granulated sugar, but you may need to add some additional moisture, like more applesauce, a little milk, or just some water.
- Chocolate kisses - make these vegan peanut butter blossoms by using a vegan chocolate candy instead of milk chocolate kisses
Equipment
The only tool you might not already have for these cookies is a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (affiliate link). If you don't want to purchase one, use a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie.
Otherwise, you'll need your more basic measuring cups and spoons, a liquid measuring cup, bowls and mixing spoons, and cookie sheets with either a silicone liner or parchment paper.
Storage
Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Pro tip
Don't overbake these cookies! If you do, they will crack apart when you try to put the chocolate kiss on top. Bake only for the 10 minutes, and pull them out.
FAQ
This is probably happening either because they are overbaked, or because you are pushing the chocolate kiss in too far, or not gently enough. Either way, try pushing the kiss in gentler, and not as far. It also helps to cup your hand around the cookie as you press, to keep it together better.
I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour, but it should work fine. If you try it, let me know in the comments!
I recommend using a natural peanut butter brand, with as few ingredients as possible. I know these are the ones you have to stir, and that's kind of a pain, but those are your heart healthiest options! Read more about choosing a heart healthy peanut butter here.
Related
Looking for additional healthier cookie recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these whole wheat peanut butter cookies:
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📖 Recipe
Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- ½ cup Natural Peanut Butter
- ⅓ cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- ¼ cup Grapeseed Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar for coating
- 24 Milk Chocolate Kisses unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until combined.
- In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix completely.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls, about 1 inch in diameter (1 - 1 ½ tablespoon each).
- Roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat, if desired, and place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Gently press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
Safety is our top priority in the kitchen! Always keep these tips in mind.
- Wash hands before touching food, and after touching your hair, face, pets, etc.
- Make sure all needed utensils and equipment are clean before beginning
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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