No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

MAKES 12-14 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup pitted medjool dates (about 12)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup unsalted peanut butter (heaping)
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. maca powder (optional)
2 Tbs. pure grade A maple syrup
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Optional: 1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes

DIRECTIONS:

  • If the dates are hard, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.  Drain liquid well.

  • In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients (only ¼ tsp. salt). Pulse until well combined and the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers.  You still want to see small pieces of peanut and oat throughout.  Taste for salt and add the extra ¼ tsp. if needed.  I like a saltier cookie, but it’s a personal preference. 

  • Roll the dough into heavy-handed tablespoon sized balls and lay out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  You should get approximately 14 cookies.  At this point, you can leave them as is in ball form, but I prefer to go the extra step and press them into the traditional peanut butter cookie shape.  Just use the tines of a dinner fork to make a hashtag (#) pattern. 

  • Chill the cookies on the sheet pan for at least 30 minutes to firm up.  Then, either store in a sealed container in the fridge for one week or freeze up to two months. 

Recipe developed for SWW® by Erin Parekh