Showing posts with label peanuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peanuts. Show all posts

Homemade Peanut Butter


For the last two weeks, I've been working on 'cleaning out' my pantry.  I tend to keep it well stocked, but that sometimes leads to food items that hang around past their prime.  (sometimes you can't see the cans through, well, the cans :)   So, I've been having an interesting time trying to use up all the items and have been getting creative with our meals and side dishes ~ to put it kindly.  Today I found a couple of bags of dry roasted peanuts, stashed waaaaay in the back, and they called out to me.  Since I was almost out of peanut butter, I decided I might as well try making my own.  


I found this Homemade Peanut Butter recipe, over at the Food Network site, and gave it a try.  Other than shelling the peanuts (what a boring and messy chore), it was simple to make and tasty to eat.  If you ever find yourself with some extra peanuts hanging around, this might be the recipe for you.  It's a kid friendly recipe, too bad J was in school when I made it.  I must say, it's really nice to know exactly what's in your peanut butter and depending on how long you blend it, you can make it as creamy or chunky as you like.   Not to mention, this homemade version has nothing in it that I can't pronounce.  Only ~  peanuts, honey, salt and oil.  Real time cooking in my kitchen today.  :)


Kale & Chickpeas with Simple Spicy Peanut Sauce ~ Meatless Monday



I was cleaning out my veggie bin and found some kale and yellow squash that had totally seen better days.  Since I never let anything in the fridge go to waste if I can help it, I chopped the tired veggies and gave them the ol' steamer treatment.  Then I tossed the hot cooked veggies with a big spoonful of creamy peanut butter, some canned chickpeas, a healthy shot of Bragg's (my soy sauce stand-in), a liberal dose of Frank's Hot Sauce, a few chopped nuts and some crushed red pepper flakes ~ just for a little extra 'kick'.  It made for a really quick, tasty, cheap and satisfying meal.  Booyah!  



 

No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping


I saw this recipe link for a clean eating granola bar (from the site ~ Reboot with Joe) on my Facebook feed  and was intrigued.   So much so, that I went right into my kitchen at midnight (what can I say, I'm a night owl!) and made a batch.  I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for, so I used what I had on hand. (sound familiar?)  

I was thoroughly impressed with the taste, but was unable to get it to set-up properly, it just would not hold a bar shape. :(  So, instead of a bar I turned it into ~ No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping.  It makes a perfect, crumbled crunch that is excellent over yogurt or ice cream.  What a tasty, clean-eating snack treat!  There are so many flavor/ingredient variations that you could do, the possibilities are endless.  I'm sorry that the recipe didn't work out as planned, but so happy that I've got a new superfood creation to top my morning yogurt with. :)  Enjoy! 

 

No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping
adapted from this recipe 

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 
  • 1/2 cup oat bran 
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 
  • 1/4 cup carob chips (or raisins, or cacao nibs, or chocolate chips ~ or a mix ~ I used a 1/4 cup mix of carob chips, raisins & cacao nibs)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • 3 Tbsp chia seeds 
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (or a 1/2 tsp mix of spices like I did ~ cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cardamom) 
  • a dash of salt 

Directions
Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Add all ingredients to bowl and mix well.  Spread mixture into pan and press down firmly, using the back of a spoon.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set-up for at least an hour in the fridge.  When firm, crumble and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Best when eaten while still chilled.
 

Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~


I received a comment/recipe from Judy (a reader of the blog) a few weeks ago, it was regarding her spin on my Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. I just made her version this afternoon and they blew me away!!  So, I just had to formally share her wonderful recipe with everyone.   I think her version bridges the gap between my breakfast cookies and more traditional cookies.  Since her cookie recipe uses quick oats, a touch of milk and different proportions of the same ingredients as most of my breakfast cookies, it comes out similar, yet with a different texture ~ both for the cookie 'dough' and for the finished breakfast cookie.  There are still no added eggs or wheat, it's still sweetened with fruit and the only bit of refined sugar comes from the dried cranberries. (you could replace the dried cranberries with raisins, if you really want to avoid any white sugar ~ but, it doesn't bother me :)   Judy's cookie has a more classic, soft peanut butter cookie texture and I'm soooooooo enjoying it!!!! 



It really makes my day to know that people are trying some of my recipes, and/or are inspired to take them in a new direction, and then come back to share the recipes with me. It gives me the warm fuzzies!  :)  I bet you're gonna love her cookies as much as I do! I've decided to call her cookies ~ Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.

Here is Judy's comment that she left on my original recipe post for ~ Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies...

4/12/13 ~ I made these today at my senior complex and everybody loved them!!!--My recipe called for 3 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup milk, 2 cups quick oats, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Cook for 18 minutes at 350.
Thanks for sharing and we love your recipes!!
Judy from Vancouver, Washington

 
Judy's Ultimate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
makes 16-32 cookies depending on how big you like your cookies
(This recipe can easily be cut in half, that's what I did. When I made half a recipe, I came up with 16 regular size cookies.  Just divide all measurements by half)

Ingredients
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all wet ingredients together in a large bowl, then add all dry ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Allow mixture to rest for 10 minutes.  Place spoonfuls of the cookie 'dough' on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten them into 'thin-ish' circles. (or to the thickness of your choice, the cookies will not spread by themselves)

Bake for 18 minutes, or until done to your liking.  Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Enjoy warm, room temperature or chilled ~ as you wish.  Keep in a covered container, in the fridge, so they will last longer.  Enjoy!


Judy, I'd like to thank you so much for sharing your version of the Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies with me!  I'm so happy that everybody at your senior complex loved them.  Thanks so much for letting me know and for making my day!! You are all awesome!  Wishing you all the very best ~ Cheers!  :)

 

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ feeling the 'Boulder Crunchy Vibe'!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ Dairy-free, flour-free, refined white sugar-free, egg-free and they're sweetened naturally with fruit & carob chips!  ((if wheat is not an issue for you, then you could toss in some wheat germ/wheat bran ~ if you choose to include the optional add-in's.  W/G & W/B always make me think of old-fashioned, health food hippie-goodies :))  I'm loving the 'feel good' 'Granola Hippie/Crunchy Vibe' of these breakfast cookies!  How about you?  :)

I've been wishing for spring to get here,  I'm so tired of the cold and all the gray skies!  I'm ready for wildflowers and warm sunny days.  I want to get outside more, I want to ride my bike and wander around some of the nature trails that are in our area.  Since the weather just doesn't seem to want to cooperate, I've decided to hit the trail anyway...but, in my kitchen...and in the form of a new breakfast cookie.  I'm calling it my ~ Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie.

Chautauqua Park ~ Boulder, Colorado ~ The Flatirons (in the distance)
To get in the outdoorsy mood, I started throwing all my favorite trail mix goodies into my basic Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie dough.  I was going for a little Crunchy/Granola Hippe vibe. (click on the link to learn what being 'crunchy' is all about.  (Can you tell that I'm missing Colorado?  Especially one of my all-time favorite towns, Boulder?  What I wouldn't give to be hiking in Chautauqua Park right now!)  This is a happy, tasty cookie that could be different every time you make it, depending on your mood or what's available in your pantry.  Sweet!  Happy Trails!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 20-24 cookies or 10-12 bars or a varied amount of mixed shapes :)

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite dried fruit, like ~  raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, chopped apricots or dates
  • 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite nuts, like ~ sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans
  • 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips, if you aren't Crunchy :)
  • 1 Tbsp+ mixture of optional add-ins, like ~ ground flax, hulled hemp seeds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or oat bran
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or maybe coconut or almond, for a change)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon  

Directions
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. Get out a medium bowl and...
Mash bananas until creamy, and then...  
Combine all remaining ingredients together & let sit for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, shape & flatten cookies into circles or into bars.
Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden & done to your liking.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.  Serve room temp or chilled, as you wish.
Enjoy as is...  Or maybe get a little creative ~ how about swapping the carob or chocolate chips for some M&M's; or maybe just use a 1/2 cup of real trail mix instead of the 1/4 cups of fruits/nuts I've listed above; or maybe even try the breakfast cookies like this...


** I recently tried a new Coconut Spread that is really good, it's by Olivio.  I don't really use coconut oil due to its high saturated fat content...but, I just love its light coconut flavor, so I splurged and bought a tub.  I spread it on as a special treat for a few of these Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  It added a nice, 'buttery' feel with just a hint of coconut flavor.  It's still less s/f than butter, so I might just keep a tub of it around for special occasions.  :)

Super Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies ~ Mimi's 'Magic Trick' Cookies ~ they disappear right before your eyes!

My friend, Michele ~ aka Mimi ~ is a gal who is a challenged baker, just like I am.  She has come up with an easy way to overcome this and shared her secret ~ Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookie ~ recipe on Facebook the other day.  When I read her comical recipe write-up, I just had to share.
J and I made these cookies today.  They are so simple to make, with hardly any mess and they taste GREAT!  I love it when I can take a couple of store bought ingredients and with just a little kitchen slight-of-hand, turn them into a yummy homemade treat.  Now, that's my kind of baking!!
Mimi, thank you so much for letting us in on your little cookie secret.  You Rock!
Super Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 tube of sugar cookie dough 
  • 2/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 bag of chocolate kisses, unwrapped


Directions 

~ Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
~ Mix the sugar cookie dough with the peanut butter until combined.
~ Roll dough into balls (or whatever shape your creative self wants) and flatten slightly.
~ Place cookies on parchment/baking mat lined cookie sheet.
~ Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
~ When done, press a chocolate kiss into the top, right away, before they cool. (it's so much fun to keep touching the kisses when they start to melt on the bottom ~ it's hard to know when to stop... :)
~ Enjoy warm or when they cool ~ if you can wait that long.

Now, here's  Mimi's trade secret for the 'Magic Trick'  part of the recipe...
Tell your kids the cookies are ready.  Watch how the cookies magically disappear ~ before they're ever really tasted ~ so ingredients don't matter.  And that folks, is me revealing my favorite illusion.
 Hocus Pocus. No need to focus.  :)
P.S. ~ This is now my favorite cookie recipe.  It took all the mess out of cookie making for us.  J & Roy could care less that they weren't made from scratch.  It was stress free for me, and that means I'll be willing to bake cookies more often.  That will make J happy.  I'm happy with how easy this is and Roy will be happy to eat these tasty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies when he gets home from work.  Mimi is a genius!  Oh, the cookie flavor spins I see with this quick & simple gem of a recipe.  Oh, yeah!

Sharon's ~ No-Bake Double-Decker White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cracker Cookies


My friend, Sharon, just shared a photo on Facebook of some recent cookie making in her kitchen.  I was so thrilled to learn about her ~ kid friendly, no-bake, easy to prepare and mighty impressive ~ No-Bake Double-Decker White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cracker Cookie.  It'll be perfect to make over the upcoming winter break with my son.  I was so tickled with how simple this recipe is, that I just had to share it right away.  J will be so thrilled to make these when he gets out of school later this week.  They're made with some of his favorite foods, all dunked & decorated to make a new flavor combo.  Kid + an easy, no~bake cookie recipe = one happy mom!  : )

Sharon, thanks so much for sharing this truly simple recipe that our family will enjoy making ~ You are awesome!

Sharon's ~ No-Bake Double-Decker
White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cracker Cookies




Ingredients
  • Ritz crackers
  • peanut butter
  • melted white chocolate for dunking the double-decker peanut butter crackers in
  • sprinkles, crushed peppermints, colored sugar, etc. ~ for sprinkling/decorating
Directions 

Take your Ritz crackers, spread one side with a bit of peanut butter.  Top with another Ritz cracker and then carefully dip the 'cracker cookie' into the melted white chocolate, covering both sides.

Once dipped, place on a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper & sprinkle or decorate to your hearts content.  Allow to dry, then package for gift giving or eating.  If you happen to have any left, (yeah, like that is going to happen around here...) store in a covered container.  Enjoy!

P.S. ~  Sharon says ~ I have tried variations (Nutella, dark chocolate, etc.) and found that these are the most coveted...so I stick with it!

PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies


PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ Using PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter makes these cookies lower in fat since it has 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter.

I've been craving chocolate & peanut butter lately, must be because of the bag of Halloween candy we still have hanging around the house.  So, I decided to channel that craving into making a new batch of breakfast cookies.  Using ~ PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter ~ instead of traditional peanut butter makes these cookies lower in fat, but with all the flavor.  These breakfast cookies are flour, egg & dairy free.  Hope you enjoy this new flavor spin. 


PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies
makes 18~24 cookies, depending on size



Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (regular or chocolate flavored)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 bananas, mashed until creamy
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
  • 2 cups quick oatmeal, uncooked
  • 2 Tbsp raisins
  • 2 Tbsp carob chips (or chocolate chips)
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix, in a small cup ~ PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter with water and stir until completely blended.  Set aside.

Combine the mashed bananas, applesauce, vanilla extract and cocoa powder in a large bowl.  Stir thoroughly, add the PB2 mixture and stir again until well combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.

Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until done to your liking.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.




Spooky Halloween Almond Butter Rice Krispy Treats


Spooky Halloween Almond Butter Rice Krispy Treats ~ These haunting lil' ghosts would be welcome at any Halloween party.  Trick or treat?  Treat, please!  

I'm a huge fan of the food blog ~ Chocolate-Covered Katie.  Katie always has some really cool recipes for healthier versions of traditional (and sometimes not so traditional) sweet treats.  I just made her ~ Spooky Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats.  They are a spin on the classic Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats, the ones that we all remember from our childhood.

I made mine with the optional almond butter, used only a dash of salt & unsalted nut butter.  I used melted vanilla flavored almond bark to dip the little ghosties in & regular chocolate chips for the eyes, since that is all the market had on the shelves. I did smash the rice mixture down as instructed - a lot - but the cut pieces didn't hold together as well as I'd hoped.   I ended up dipping the whole treat in the white chocolate, so they would be more solid & I also made some into 'truffle balls'.  The rice krispy treats flavor is fantastic & J REALLY liked them.  So, even with them being a bit fragile, I'll still make them again, but next time just in the 'truffle ball' form.

I had fun making these cute, little, spooky sweet-treats, especially with the Halloween theme.  J is VERY happy that I made it & gave me a big hug.   Here is the link for the recipe, so you can make your own ghostly goodies.  Go check out Katie's adorable pictures & her 'biting' comments on how her batch of chocolate-covered little guys met with their demise.  We'll be here, working on our own batch... heehee  Enjoy!


Superfood Protein Smoothie with PB2 & Chia Seeds

Superfood Protein Smoothie with PB2 & Chia Seeds ~ It's full of simple, healthy superfoods.  What's not to love?  :)

I was just introduced to this amazing blog ~ Tuesday Recipe ~ by my new friend, Sarah.  As I was reading through all the wonderful recipes/posts,  I came across this recipe for a Protein Smoothie.  The ingredient list was short, it was simple to make ~ yet full of superfoods.  Well, that got my attention pretty quick.   I was also intrigued by the story behind Tori's enthusiasm about this smoothie.  This recipe was right up my alley ~  I had a big bag of chia seeds just sitting in the pantry, begging to be used... and I'm a sucker for raw oatmeal...  and I do so love my yogurt smoothies...  and it included peanut butter.   You better believe that smoothie had my name written all over it!

Of course, I decided it had to be made ~ right then and there (even though it was after midnight), so off I went.  I excitedly ran into my kitchen to make my own glass of this superfood elixir... only to find that I was out of peanut butter.  Argh!!  Then I remembered my trusty stash of PB2.  Crisis now averted, I was back in business.  (when a midnight craving strikes, I am not to be deterred ~ besides, PB2 is lower in fat than regular peanut butter, score! :)



Superfood Protein Smoothie with PB2 & Chia Seeds
serves one ~ slightly adapted from this recipe



Ingredients
  • 1 medium ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup raw rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or kefir ~ regular, low fat, or fat free
  • 2 Tbsp PB2 Peanut Butter (or 1 Tbsp traditional peanut butter)
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or 2 dates, pitted (or sweetener of choice)
  • 6 ice cubes

Directions

Throw all ingredients into blender & whirl away until smooth & frosty.   Enjoy!
(if using Greek yogurt & the smoothie is too thick for your tastes, just add a little bit of water or milk to thin it out) 

I'm going to add this smoothie to my diet for a few weeks, just to see if I get the same skin benefits that Tori does.  I'll be so happy if it does.  If not, no worries, because it's a tasty smoothie & I really enjoy it ~ especially the slightly nutty/crunchy quality that the chia seeds add to the drink.   :) 


PB2 Chocolate High Protein Smoothie



Have you heard about the unique low-fat peanut butter, that's full of peanut-y goodness, comes dehydrated & has 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter?  It's called PB2 & it's an amazing product ~ I'm totally in LOVE!   Check out ~ the Bell Plantation company website ~ they give you the scoop on how they make this incredible food.  It's got the full taste of creamy peanut butter ~ all you have to do is add water to the dehydrated peanut butter powder, mix it up & you're good to go.  I've been adding a bit of extra water to the mix & letting it sit overnight in the fridge.  I think it gives the peanut flavor a chance to get even richer, it makes more & it's still plenty thick enough for spreading ~ gotta love that!  It's like getting almost double the amount for the same calories ~ Yeah, baby!

I'm so glad that several of the blog readers told me about this wonderful peanut butter.  Thank you, guys!!   I ordered mine from Amazon, (I looked around & found they had the best price/free shipping) one of each ~ original & chocolate.  I've been having fun trying both styles in recipes & have been eating it all sorts of ways... starting with just a spoon.  :)

Another blog reader shared how she enjoys it in her smoothie, so I had to include it in one of mine, too.  Thanks so much for the inspiration, Becky!  :)


PB2 Chocolate High Protein Smoothie
serves one


Ingredients
  • 1 cup non-fat milk (or your favorite milk/nut milk)
  • 2 Tbsp PB2 Chocolate or Original (or more to taste :)
  • 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (or more to taste)
  • 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (or your favorite kind)
  • 1/3 cup frozen banana slices
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 packet Equal or sweetener of choice (or to taste)
  • 6 ice cubes

Instructions  

Blend all together until smooth & frosty ~ Enjoy!


Greek Yogurt ~ my new favorite breakfast

Greek Yogurt & Chocolate PB2 ~ WOW!!  It's like eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup - without the guilt!  Thick, rich chocolaty-peanuty taste ~ perfect!


I'm a recent convert to Greek yogurt.  I've always liked yogurt, especially when I would strain it overnight & it would become so rich & thick tasting ~ I've been making it that way for years.  I guess I was making 'Greek-style' yogurt before it was cool.  Now, Greek yogurt has become the golden child of the yogurt aisle & it seems every manufacturer is on the bandwagon.  It's more expensive then regular yogurt, but it's also much higher in protein.  It's a condensed form of yogurt & since it takes more milk to create this extra thick yogurt, I do understand the price difference ~ I just wasn't willing to pay extra for it ~ except for a small container, here & there, if a special recipe called for it.  But, then...


Greek Yogurt, Raw Oats, Fresh Fruit & Nuts ~ the peaches came from a neighbors tree.  They're smaller than what you get in the markets, but they more than make up for it in their sweet, ripened-on-the-tree, taste.


On a recent trip to Sam's Club, I noticed that they carried the large container size of ~ Fage brand of Greek yogurt ~ for substantially less than my local market, so I decided to get some.  So glad I did!  Now I can use it everyday, in whatever way I like ~ eating it in a bowl for breakfast, as a snack, cooking with it in recipes, in desserts or in smoothies.  It's now my go-to stand in for sour cream; when sweetened & mixed with a bit of fat-free cream cheese, I use it in place of mascarpone cheese; & when hand whipped, I use it in place of thick whipped cream in some cold desserts.  I like to get the non-fat variety, so it's a guiltless pleasure we can all enjoy ~ I like the sound of that. 

  

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ Kimberly's Version

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ This breakfast cookie is sweetened with bananas, applesauce & raisins.  It's gets its high protein from ~ peanut butter, vanilla protein powder & egg.

Kimberly, (one of the readers of the blog) shared her tweaks to the original Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ recipe.   In her version she added an egg, raisins, cinnamon & baking powder ~ & she left out the extra nuts, butter extract & carob/chocolate chips.  Cool!  It sounded like such a neat spin, I just had to give it a try ~ so I made them today.  She turned the recipe into what I'm calling the ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies.  Her version is very good & just as easy to make as the original version.  We treated ourselves & 'frosted' some of the cookies with a few spreads that we like.  (I've got a picture down below showing all the different ones we tried out) 

Kimberly, thanks so much for sharing your version of the peanut butter breakfast cookie!  You ROCK!  :)

Updated 9/6/2012 ~ I worked up the nutritional info over at Calorie Count.com  ~~ CLICK HERE ~~ for the breakdown.


Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ Kimberly's Version
makes 16 - 24 cookies, depending on the size you like your cookies


  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed until smooth & creamy
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg, well beaten  
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal  ~ uncooked  
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins


Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix, in a large bowl ~ mashed banana & peanut butter until completely combined.  Then add in the applesauce, beaten egg, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon & vanilla extract ~ mix again until all are completely combined.

Add in the oatmeal, raisins & baking powder to the banana mixture & combine.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Dough will be 'thinner' than my other breakfast cookies ~ more like a really thick batter.

Drop cookie dough/really thick cookie batter ~ by spoonfuls ~ onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Shape the cookies into circles, the batter should stay where you put it, if it's just a tad too thin, add an extra tablespoon or two of oats.  The cookies should not spread when baking.

Bake cookies approx. 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown & done. (cooking time really depends on how big you make your cookies & if you like them a bit more soft in the middle)  Remove from oven when done & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  
 
Cool cookies completely, then store in a covered container. 

 **  For a special treat ~ check out some of the optional cookie 'frostings' below  :)  **

Enjoy! 



 ~ OPTIONAL ~ 

Today, as a special treat, we've been enjoying adding some flavored spreads to the tops of these breakfast cookies.  So far, we have 'frosted' the breakfast cookies with:
We all love having a 'special treat', every now & then.  Especially when it's eating a 'frosted' cookie!  



P.S. ~ I had some extra cookie dough/batter that wouldn't fit on the cookie sheet, so I cooked it like a pancake. One word ~ A W E S O M E !!!  I just topped it with some butter & skipped the syrup. I really enjoyed it.  I'll have to explore that avenue in the future.  :)    If you have some cookie dough/batter left over, why not give it a try, too ~ you might find you like it as much as I did.

 


~ Other NUT BUTTER / SEED BUTTER variations to consider for this breakfast cookie ~

For a different spin on these breakfast cookies, you could change up the Nut Butter or Seed Butter that you use.  You can purchase different kinds of nut/seed butters...  Or, you could make your own nut/seed butter, if you're so inclined.  (making my own homemade nut/seed butters recipes sounds intriguing,  I might be trying that out soon) ~ Some different kinds of butters that might be interesting to try in these cookies:



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