These soft and chewy gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are made with oat flour and with topped with quality chocolate. A perfect holiday Christmas cookie.
Is it even the holidays without peanut butter blossoms? Growing up these Christmas cookies were always me and my dad’s favorite. These soft and buttery peanut butter cookie dotted with a chocolate kiss have a lot of nostalgia. I can honestly say I loved making them with my mom as much as I loved enjoying them by the fire in my cozy flannel PJs.
These cookies are Nourished by Nutrition’s take on the classic peanut butter blossom. Consider it an elevated version with more intense peanut butter flavor and high-quality chocolate. I’ve tested these cookies six times, just to make sure they’re perfect. I have a feeling you’ll make this updated version for years to come.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are incredibly soft and chewy. They’re made with oat flour, peanut butter, and sweetened with a touch of coconut sugar. Since there is no extra oil or butter, the cookies have an intense peanut butter flavor that pair well with high-quality dark chocolate. These cookies are made with an egg but I’ve tested a vegan version that uses a flax egg. These turned out delicious so feel free to use that option if you prefer.
You may have noticed that these peanut butter blossoms don’t have the traditional chocolate kisses in the center. This is because high-quality chocolate makes all the difference. It’s rich and smooth, unlike the chocolate kisses that always find taste slightly waxy. I opted for a Chocolove 70% dark chocolate bar because of the square shape and the cute heart. But some of my favorite high-quality chocolate brands are Hu Kitchen and Eating Evolved.
Tips For the best cookies
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- Natural peanut butter – This peanut butter blossom recipe requires creamy natural peanut butter. The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt. The peanut butter should require stirring and be very runny. Essentially you should be able to pour the peanut butter out of the container. I used Trader Joe’s creamy salted peanut butter. Whole Foods 365 brand is also a great option.
- Measure the flour correctly – I tested these cookies six times with varying amounts of flour. measuring your flour correctly is essential. Too much flour causes these cookies to have a dry texture and crack. To measure flour properly, I recommend pouring it into a bowl and fluffing it with a fork. Then gently spoon the fluffed flour into the measuring cup, careful for it not to compact down. Once you have flour heaping out of the measuring cup, take the back of a knife and gently level of the flour.
- Cool immediately – If using high-quality chocolate, it tends to melt quickly since there are no stabilizers. Your chocolate will end up not keeping its shape and turn into a pool of chocolate. It will eventually firm up but once the cookie cools, but it won’t look as nice. To avoid this, I recommend placing the cookies on a flat plate or small sheet pan after 5-8 minutes of cooling out of the oven and moving them to the fridge or the freezer to flash cool them. This will help prevent the chocolate from continuing to melt and also firm up the cookies.
Nourished by Nutrition Facts:
Peanut Butter – While you may consider this a nut butter, peanuts are actually part of the legume family, which includes beans and lentils. Peanut butter is higher in protein than other nuts and seeds with 8 grams per two tablespoons. It’s also a source of healthy fats and vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, folate, vitamin E, copper, and magnesium. Peanut butter is considered a minimally processed food and a healthy option when made from just peanuts and possibly salt. It’s best to avoid peanut butter with added ingredients like sugar and vegetable oils.
Oat flour – This gluten-free flour is a whole grain that’s packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Since oat flour is just finely ground rolled oats, it has all the same benefits and health properties as oats. It can take some trial and error to figure out how it will work in recipes since oat flour typically absorbs more liquid than traditional flour. That being said, the benefits of the oats make it worth it. One ½ cup serving provides 4g of fiber and contains both soluble and insoluble. Oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber called beta-glucans. Soluble fiber draws water into your intestinal tract. This type of fiber helps support regular digestion, helps us feel fuller, and can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. (4)
Dark Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like high-quality dark chocolate. It’s rich, smooth and can do a wonderful job satisfying a sweet craving. The higher the percentage of cacao powder, the darker the chocolate. In turn, this accounts for a higher percentage of health-promoting properties.
The darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of antioxidants. These compounds may help fight free radicals that contribute to inflammation, aging, and other diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. The high concentration of cacao also means more nutrients like magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and copper. When choosing dark chocolate, look for at least 70% cacao or higher. This ensures the chocolate retains the most antioxidants, nutrients and therefore health benefits.
IF YOU LOVE THESE Peanut BUtter Blossoms, YOU’LL ALSO ENJOY THESE RECIPES:
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
These soft and chewy gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are made with oat flour and with topped with quality chocolate. Healthy cookies with a vegan-option.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Ingredients
1 large egg or flax egg*
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
3/4 cup oat flour
8 dark chocolate squares or peanut butter cups
Instructions
Preheat the over to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a mixing bowl, combine the and egg, peanut butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the coconut sugar, baking soda, sea salt, and oat flour. Mix until fully combined. The dough will be thick. Roll the dough into 8-10 balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls slightly.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until slightly golden. Once out of the oven, let the cookies sit on the pan for about 2 minutes before gently pressing a square of chocolate or peanut butter cup to the center of the cookie. Continue to let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. If using high-quality chocolate, transfer to a flat plate or small sheet pan and place in the fridge or freezer to set the chocolate. You can also simply transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling, but the chocolate may melt into a pool rather than holding its shape.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge. These cookies taste best eaten within a week.
Notes
Vegan option: Use a flax egg in place of the large egg. Use 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes so it can gel before adding the other ingredients.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #nourishedbynutriton.
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