Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Your Go-To Workout Snack

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If you're searching for a truly healthy peanut butter cookies recipe that’s soft, chewy, and doesn’t rely on refined sugar or white flour, then you're welcome. You’ve found The One.

These PB Power Cookies are made with oat flour, natural peanut butter, and coconut sugar for a wholesome, high protein, better for you spin on a childhood classic. The high protein also makes it the perfect workout snack

They’re simple, delicious, free from junk, and, most importantly, nothing like the sad, oily supermarket peanut butter cookies that crumble into dust and regret.

Psst… want more healthy bakes like this? Join the Maybelle Cookie Club. Guilt-free joy, delivered weekly.

Why We Love These Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

✔ Soft, chewy, golden, and PACKED with peanut buttery flavour

✔ Made with wholesome ingredients you can actually pronounce

✔ Naturally sweetened (no refined sugar!)

✔ Gluten friendly thanks to oat + almond flour

✔ High in protein and healthy fats for better energy and satiety. Ideal for pre and post workout energy

✔ One bowl, no faff, and ready in under 20 minutes

✔ Kid approved, adult obsessed, and lunchbox safe

Here's our protein powered peanut butter cookie recipe:

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Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup oat flour - Wholegrain, fibre rich, and naturally gluten friendly. Oat flour gives these healthy peanut butter cookies their soft, chewy texture while keeping blood sugar stable.
• ¾ cup almond flour - Adds healthy fats, protein, and a buttery crumb. Works with the peanut butter to create that melt-in-the-mouth cookie centre.
• ¼ cup coconut sugar - A natural, lower GI sweetener with a caramel flavour that enhances the nuttiness. No refined sugar spikes here, just balanced sweetness.
• ½ tsp baking soda - Gives the cookies a gentle lift while keeping them soft, not cakey.
• Pinch of sea salt - Balances the sweetness and intensifies the peanut flavour. Never skip it. 

Wet ingredients

• ¾ cup natural peanut butter - The star of the show., Provides healthy fats, plant protein, and the signature creamy, rich peanut flavour. Use a runny, natural PB for best results, here's our favourite
• 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan) - Binds the dough and adds structure. The flax egg keeps things plant powered without compromising texture.
• ¼ cup maple syrup - A natural sweetener that brings moisture and a deeper flavour. Helps keep the cookies soft, chewy, and refined sugar free.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract - Adds warmth and rounds out the flavours, tiny but mighty.

Optional Mix-Ins (Choose Your Adventure)

• ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks - For a peanut-butter-meets-chocolate moment. Adds antioxidants and big melty pools of happiness.
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts - Boosts the crunch factor and intensifies the roasted peanut flavour. A must for texture lovers.
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder - Enhances structure, adds extra chew, and bumps up the protein content without compromising flavour.

How to make these healthy peanut butter cookies

1. Preheat the oven - Preheat to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Mix your dry ingredients - Combine oat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Mix your wet ingredients - Whisk peanut butter, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
4. Combine everything - Fold wet into dry to create a thick, soft dough. Add optional mix-ins here.
5. Scoop & shape - Roll into 12 balls and gently flatten each one with a fork to create the classic criss-cross pattern.
6. Bake - Bake for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges but still soft in the centre.
7. Cool + enjoy - Let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool. Patience pays off.

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Ingredient Deep Dive: Peanut Butter & Peanuts

Now, let’s start with the MVP of this cookie: peanut butter, the creamy, nutty love that somehow manages to feel indulgent and actually do you some good. Personally peanut butter is my favourite flavour profile.

Peanuts are packed with compounds that behave biologically in your body in ways that help support things like heart and brain health.

Here’s the science scoop:

• Contains protein and healthy fats: Peanuts are rich in plant protein and monounsaturated fats, which help keep you full and satisfied, aka snack guilt reduction mode.
• Contains polyphenols & antioxidants: These plant compounds help combat oxidative stress and even show up in studies of brain function and stress response. One randomized controlled trial found that regular consumption of peanuts or peanut butter was associated with improvements in memory and stress markers compared with a control group.
• Has bioactive gut and vascular perks: Research suggests that the phenolics in peanuts correlate with better vascular biomarkers, which is just science speak for “things that keep blood vessels healthy.” 

The bottom line is that peanut butter isn’t just tasty, it brings protein, heart friendly fats, and brain boosting plant compounds to the cookie party. Hurray!

Substitutions & Variations

• Make it vegan: Use a flax egg and maple syrup only
• Make it high protein: Add a scoop of protein powder
• Make it crispier: Bake 2 extra minutes
• Peanut free? Swap peanut butter for almond or cashew butter
• Add spice: A pinch of cinnamon is elite

Storage

• Room temperature: 4–5 days in an airtight container
• Fridge: 1 week
• Freezer: 3 months (thaw at room temp for 20 minutes)
• Bake from frozen: Add 2+ minutes to baking time.

Serving Suggestions (Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies)

✔ Dunk in cold milk (or almond milk for a lighter option) - Classic, comforting, and perfect for soft-baked peanut butter cookies that melt just a little on contact.

✔ Crumble over Greek yogurt for a high-protein snack - Adds crunch, healthy fats, and turns your cookie into a snack with real nutritional value.

✔ Sandwich with banana slices - A natural sweetness boost. Think PB and banana, but in cookie form.

✔ Warm in the microwave for 10 seconds - This turns the centres extra gooey and brings out that roasted peanut aroma.

Nutrition Per Cookie

• Calories: 145 kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 12g
• Fat: 11g
• Fibre: 2g
  

How These Compare to Traditional Peanut Butter Cookies

Feature	Maybelle PB Power Cookies	Traditional PB Cookies
Flour	Oat and almond flour	White flour
Sugar	Coconut sugar & maple syrup	Refined white sugar
Fat	Natural nut butter	Processed butters/oils
Protein	Higher	Lower
Additives	None	Often many
Healthiness	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐

 

FAQs: Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

When can I eat this cookie?

Your Peanut Butter Cookies aren’t just something to grab on the walk past the jar (though that’s okay too). We believe these are best before and after workouts

With a satisfying combo of protein, healthy fats, and slow-release carbs, these cookies are:

• Pre-workout energy: when you want fuel that isn’t a sugar crash waiting to happen
• Post-workout recovery: because protein and tasty feels therapeutic

Can I make these peanut butter cookies without flour?

Yes, you can go full “3 ingredient magic” (just peanut butter + egg + sweetener). They’ll be fudgy, dense, and slightly crisp, basically a peanut butter hug in cookie form. Our recipe uses oat and almond flour for that perfect chewy soft texture with structure, so if you go flourless, just reduce bake time by a minute or two and embrace the fudgy vibes.

What’s the best kind of peanut butter to use?

Go natural. 100% peanuts, please! Avoid PB with added oils, sugar, or stabilisers, or your dough might turn into a greasy puddle. Too dry? Stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil and you’re golden. Your future self (and taste buds) will thank you. 💛

Can I make these cookies vegan?

Absolutely! Swap the egg for a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water, rest 5 to 10 mins). Use maple syrup instead of honey and make sure any mix-ins are dairy-free. Slightly denser and chewier than the egg version, but still ridiculously tasty, plant-powered cookie goals achieved.

How can I make these cookies chewier or cakier?

• Chewy magic: add 1 to 2 tbsp extra oat flour, 1 tsp melted coconut oil, and pull them out 30 to 60 seconds early.
• Cakier delight: toss in 1 tbsp more almond flour or bake 1 to 2 minutes longer. Easy tweaks, cookie perfection every time.

Why did my cookies spread too thin or go flat?

Peanut butter with added oils, dough that’s too warm, or too little flour usually cause this. Fixes: chill dough 15 to 30 mins, use natural PB, and measure your flour accurately (spoon & level or weigh).

Cookies behaving badly? Just blame the peanut butter. 😉

Can I add protein powder, and how much?

Yes, yes, yes! 1 scoop of vanilla or unflavoured protein powder works perfectly. Reduce oat flour by 1 to 2 tbsp so it doesn’t dry out. If dough feels crumbly, splash in a little maple syrup or ½ tsp coconut oil. Extra chew, extra gains, zero compromise on yum. 💪

Are these cookies gluten free?

They’re gluten friendly by default. Want full GF status? Use certified gluten free oat flour and check your mix-ins. Safety first, deliciousness always.

How can I make these nut free (peanut allergy)?

Swap peanut butter with sunflower seed or soy nut butter. Sunflower butter can darken a bit and taste slightly bitter but 1 tbsp maple syrup fixes that. Also swap almond flour for extra oat flour (+¼ cup, adjust for dough texture).

What’s the best way to store and freeze these cookies?

• Room temp: airtight container for 4–5 days.
• Fridge: up to 10 days (they get extra chewy, yes, it’s a feature).
• Freeze baked cookies: layer with baking paper seal in a tub and freeze for 2 to 3 months.
• Freeze dough balls: scoop, freeze on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen +2 mins for emergency cookie moments. 🍪

Do these cookies need to be refrigerated because of nut butter?

Not necessarily! Natural nut butter is shelf stable. Hot kitchen (>24°C/75°F)? Pop in the fridge to prevent oil separation and keep them behaving.

How do I stop cookies from being too sweet or too bitter?

• Too sweet: reduce maple syrup by 1 tbsp or coconut sugar by 1 to 2 tbsp.
• Bitter chocolate? Choose 60 to 70% cocoa instead of 85%, or cut chocolate slightly.

Can I add chocolate chips or other mix ins without breaking the recipe?

Absolutely! Up to ¼ cup chocolate chunks, nuts, or dried fruit. Fold in gently, dried fruit adds chew, chocolate adds melty magic.

How many calories/macros are in one cookie?

Estimate: 140 to180 kcal, 4 to 6 g protein, 10 to 14 g fat, 10 to 14 g carbs.

Try These Recipes Next

1. Glow Up Ginger Cookies
2. High Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Lemon Bliss Cookies

PS. Before you go

Want more healthy, better for you cookie recipes?

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PPS: All recipes are developed in the Maybelle kitchen and tested multiple times for taste, texture, and better nutrition. We also work with our in-house doctor and nutrition expert to validate all our health claims!