These cookies are probably the most unusual love bites I’ve ever made.
Unusual, in part, because they are not only grain free but also flour free – no dehydrated chickpeas or coconuts here! But what amazes me most is that despite their lack of flour, baking soda/powder, butter and refined sugars, they turn out as though they were… yes, almost a customary cookie, with such a yummy flavor!
Are they edible you ask?
Well, if my teenage sons are anything to go by, that would be a big yes with another batch please mom!
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend Eva over at Kitchen Inspirations. As soon as I laid eyes on her Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies, I was transfixed and couldn’t stop thinking about them…
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Friends, thank you all for your feedback on these cookies! Please read through the comments section below to see if your questions are addressed, it might help troubleshoot for your next batch. Please keep in mind that these are all natural cookies without traditional binding and leavening agents; results will vary depending, among other things, on the brand of nut butter used as well as the size/type of egg. Altitude can also play into the results. I’ve made these cookies over a dozen times now and each time, they turn out slightly differently. Sometimes puffy and airy (very light weight almost as light as meringue but with a lovely pb/banana flavor). Other times, they are slightly more dense and chewy — it’s difficult to know exactly what accounts for the difference. Try the experiment in your own labs and see what happens!
- 1 cup all natural smooth peanut butter or almond butter -- make sure you have fully stirred the nut butter (the oil naturally separates from the ground nuts and needs to be smoothly integrated) -- this will assist in avoiding oily runoff
- 1 large ripe banana - make sure it is fresh and not frozen
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
- ½ cup quality dark chocolate chips, plus a few more for topping
- Heat oven to 325 F.
- Using a simple hand mixer/blender, mix together peanut butter, banana and vanilla until relatively smooth (you don't want to pulverize into soup, little banana lumps are good).
- Add egg and maple syrup or honey, mixing just to combine.
- Mix in dark chocolate chips by hand with the help of a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Place mixture in fridge for about 20 minutes or until firmed up slightly.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop peanut butter cookies by rounded tablespoons allowing room between the cookies (they will expand and puff up somewhat). Add another chip or two to the top of each cookie, if you like.
- Place cookies in oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the undersides are lightly brown and the exterior is just firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on a rack for a few minutes before enjoying!
Bake at Once: This cookie batter is best prepared all at once. Even if you don't plan on eating 16 cookies, I recommend using all the batter and freezing or reserving the baked cookies for later use rather than saving half the batter as it does not age well (the banana tends to oxidize as all natural/real foods do!).
The Nut Butter: You can use any nut butter of choice in this recipe, I have found peanut and almond to be the fan favorites here.
Hand Mixer: You don't need a blender/food processor for this recipe. I use a simple hand mixer that I've had kicking around for years - still works great.
I was very excited to find a gluten free chocolate chip cookie but these turned out very odd. I also had trouble with them being very oily on the baking pan. I checked on them at 15 minutes to find them boiling in their own oil and put them on another piece of parchment paper to finish cooking. They were firm to the touch when I took them out after 20 minutes and appeared done but the inside was extremely doughy but the bottoms and outside were burnt. Not sure what happened but I don’t think I will chance eating them due to the egg possibly not being cooked through.
hello Amanda, thanks for your note, please read through the comments section to help troubleshoot your next batch if you choose to give them another try (the issue of oil arises as well as many other answered questions) — regarding texture, these will be moist on the inside due to the peanut butter (there’s no flour tho so you won’t encounter the issue of raw dough) if the cookies were in the oven for 20 minutes, your egg should be cooked however it’s best to proceed according to what feels right for you, understood. cheers.
Just curious if you know the calorie content per cookie.
hello, my quick calculation would be approximately 140 per cookie; enjoy!
Really good. Left off the chocolate chips as I made them for a 2 yr old and we avoid sugars, but the maple syrup added plenty of sweetness. We used all organic everything, natural peanut butter which had been thoroughly stirred and refrigerated. Baked on a silicone mat, 20 minutes, no added oil, made a dozen nicely sized cookies. I had to test one that was kinda cooled, very soft and tasty! Next time I’ll use the honey to see if the family likes it as well/better than the maple syrup. Definitely a keeper recipe!
Wonderful Leslie! I’m so happy to hear these were a success for you and that you enjoyed the taste on your test bite :) agreed, banana and syrup add a nice amount of sweet, good call on removing choco for babe – could also work well as a breakfast cookie (about as healthy as it gets!) thanks so much for dropping in to let me know about your experience with these; appreciate your feedback.
Delicious recipe will definitely make again!
Yay! Thanks Kristen, I’m so glad these worked out for you :) thank you for letting me know.
These are yummy. I didn’t oil the parchment as the baking sheet was very oily after these baked but the cookie was not oily. Mine did not spread at all so I pushed them down a bit. Would make again.
Hello! welcome and thank you for dropping in with your feedback; I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies! I haven’t had the oil issue myself but another commentator below (Emily) mentioned the same experience – I suggested a few things in case you want to scroll down and have a look at our convo — stirring the nut butter to full, creamy integration may be one of the keys. Also, you might enjoy exploring these flourless cookies to see which you prefer taste/texture wise: https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2015/09/irresistible-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-flourless.html
I made this in a large batch, they look nothing like the cookies pictured and I also definitely left out oiling the paper. Mine are very dark in color but still pretty tasty
I’m glad you liked the taste Ashley – the appearance of the cookie does vary (for me too). In terms of oily runoff, I have not had the issue but it may vary according to a few factors like brand of nut butter, how well blended the nut butter is and another commentator below (Alison) suggests that she has this issue when she over-mixes the batter: Hi guys, I found that when I over mix my recipes that have almond butter in it, that can separate the oil from the rest of the batter. The definite solution is to not over mix the batter.
Hi. I’m always looking for new low carb recipe for yummy goodies. Diabetic diet. I used your recipe minus the chocolate chips. I used crunchy peanut butter and 2 Tbsp honey. I put batter in muffin tin and voila!! This made some delicious muffins.
Thank you
Hi Jodye, I’m so glad you found inspiration in this recipe and were able to make it your own; that’s the best. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiment and feedback with us, really appreciate that.
These were recommended to me because my hubby is on a gluten free diet….will make them soon, however was disappointed I could not copy the receive for my use….and I had to write it out….I’m sure we will enjoy them.
Hi Jan, thank you for your note. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience (I can understand the frustration), I changed blogging platforms a while back and unfortunately the print functionality on some of the recipes did not migrate well. I have just manually changed this one (should you ever need to print it the button is under the recipe card photo). If the issue ever arises again with future recipes, please feel free to email me. I hope you enjoy these cookies – they turn out a little different for us every time we make them (they really are a weird and wonderful experiment ;d) and remain a family favorite! Thanks again for reaching out. Cheers.
My dough came out very creamy and thick, I used a somewhat thawed frozen banana. The color is nice and rich. Honestly I feel like using the frozen banana helped keep it thick. It’s hard to believe there is no flour in it. I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (was all I had), 100% Natural organic no added sugar peanut butter, organic honey, 1 egg and by accident I used 1 teaspoon too much vanilla. Hopefully that won’t change the taste too much. My dough is chilling now, hope they come out as good as the picture!
Hi Tara, how exciting! Your batter sounds very promising, I can’t wait to hear how you like them! Do you know what’s funny — I’ve made these cookies over a dozen times now and they turn out slightly different every time (it’s always a little surprise) but the flavor always manages to be rather yummy :) – hope you like them too! thanks so much for stopping by.
This looks so good, I will bake them tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the receipe :)
delightful. thank you for dropping in to let me know ~ I hope you enjoy them!
It was a tough cookie, convincing my three young cousins (4, 6, and 8 years old) that these sweet treats could be made without flour and heaps of refined sugar. One of them grumbled at the fact that we had to use bananas (he doesn’t eat fruits) while the other two were a lot more open to trying it out — especially when I mentioned the words peanut butter and chocolate chips. Preparing the mix was easy and fun, and the 20-minute cooling/firming period of the mix gave us time to continue a movie that we began before baking (it’s always best to have a movie ready when baking with impatient kids).
The cookies turned out delicious, with the right amount of sweetness, and with a medley of natural flavors at play. I used homemade peanut butter that had a little coconut oil which I think distinctly contributed to the mixture in fragrance. With the lack of refined sugars, the toasted peanuts and ripe bananas stood out well. Our first batch was a tad over-baked, probably because we’re in the Philippines (hello, tropics) and summer (hello, humidity) has just begun, so I took the temperature down a notch to 300 for the second batch. This is a better baking temp. for our climate or this weather in general.
Two of the kids enjoyed the cookies, while the 6 year old claimed that they were fake (“I want cookies with bad sugars and no bananas, next time”) and that he’d give his share to his mom. And so my healthy baking experiment ended with two grateful eaters and one that remains undeterred. On the plus side, the hot chocolate I made for him and the others had Moringga powder. And they all asked for seconds.
Nicole… thank you so much for this amazing note! You made my week (month…) ❤️ — just loved reading about your detailed adventures in the kitchen – complete with movie time – and the frank description of your cousins reactions :) the best!! So pleased to hear that you made these with youngsters and that (for the most part ;-) the cookies were well received and perhaps expanded their ideas of baking without the usual ‘generosity’ of ingredients that we all grew up on :p Good for you for finding a temperature that suits your climate best — experimentation is where it’s at and every environment will give rise (forgive the pun) to different issues, so making adjustments can be very helpful to the outcome. Good for you for having so much fun with your cousins and treating them to this learning experience and kitchen adventure. You’re a star! xx
Hello,
I made these cookies tonight. Although the taste is yummy, I had an issue with a significant amount of what I thought was honey, or maybe oil from the peanut butter, running out of the cookies onto the tray? It coated the entire bottom of the baking sheet. I took them out, and actually moved them to another piece of parchment paper to continue cooking, and whatever liquid it was continued to run out. I followed the recipe. It also seemed like the batter was very wet as well. The cookie did end up baking but looks nothing like your photo. The texture is just different. I wonder what the issue was?
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for stopping by and providing feedback. Although I’ve never had the issue myself, (I would describe the batter as creamy), my best recommendation to avoid the release of oil is to make sure that whatever nut butter you are working with has been fully stirred for complete integration of oil and ground nut (the oil naturally separates and if it is not completely mixed it remains that way and I suspect may runoff more easily in this state). Something else you can try, is cooking the batter (each cookie) in a mini or medium sized muffin tin to encase any inadvertent runoff. Also, make sure you are using a fresh (and not from frozen) banana. I do hope this helps. It’s difficult to know the precise cause and different types of nut butters may also give rise to different results. Either way, please let me know how it goes if you try again! Cheers.
Hi Kelly!
Thanks for your response. I did use fresh banana. That’s a good tip to make sure the PB is fully integrated. Regardless of how they looked/baked-my twin two year old boys loved them & kept asking for more! So that’s a win!
Mine were exactly the same as what you are describing
I just made these. They’re delicious, but mine turned out as thin as paper and chewy. I chilled the batter for twenty minutes, and then put the batter back in the fridge in between each cookie sheet, but they were all paper thin. Very bizarre.
Hi Lauren, thanks for dropping by. I’m so glad you find them delicious – I’m always amazed how tasty they turn out given their few ingredients – magic :) As for the rise, are you baking at sea level or high-altitude? This may impact the result – have a look here for starters: https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/article-3-03.html
Hi Kelly,
I live at normal altitude (about 500 feet). I don’t have a problem with my regular baking not turning out the way it’s supposed to. It’s just this combination of ingredients. I followed the recipe exactly, but the dough was so runny and wouldn’t firm up. It was flattening right out on the cookie sheet before it even went in the oven! And it must have spent an hour in the fridge, total.
I made an EXTREMELY similar recipe (exact same ingredients, just tweaking the number of eggs and bananas slightly) to make muffins back in December and they were really weird, too. The batter was really runny and they didn’t turn out looking anything like the picture.
It’s weird. I just wanted to leave a comment. I’m jealous of your thick cookies! :)
how interesting, I wonder what accounts for the difference… are you using a frozen banana by any chance? something else you can try — put the cookie batter into a small or medium sized muffin tin (this will contain it and prevent it from spreading) :D I’d be so curious to discover what happens!
Nope, no frozen bananas. I might try the muffin tin next time if I want them to be thicker. They weren’t bad tasting, they were just comically thin.
Made these for my kids. They are so good, but I had a problem with the batter separating. There was a lot of oil that baked out of the cookies… I’m guessing from the peanut butter. Still super tasty and probably few calories…right?!? ;)
Hi Jennifer! thanks so much for stopping by, I’m so pleased to hear that you’re enjoying these cookies. So interesting, I’ve never had oil bake out of them. My best suggestion regarding the separation is to make sure you fully mix the natural peanut butter or almond butter before incorporating it into the batter. Let me know how it goes!
Hi guys, I found that when I over mix my recipes that have almond butter in it, that can separate the oil from the rest of the batter. The definite solution is to not over mix the batter
We love these and they’ve been a lifesaver with all of our terrible allergies. :) They’ve tasted wonderful everytime, but I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do about the color. Mine always turn out so dark (like a dark brown) and you can’t see the chocolate chips. Is there anything I can do? Perhaps using fresher bananas? We always use ones from the freezer. Would love some feedback. :)
Hi Sherrie, thanks for stopping by. So happy to hear that you’re enjoying the cookies. That’s so interesting about the color… I wouldn’t have thought the frozen banana would change it quite to that extent once baked but it sounds like the oxidization process may in fact be the culprit. Try using ripe fresh bananas and see if that lightens things up for you. Also, a tip for the chocolate chips: once you have your cookie batter laid out on the baking sheet, add another chip or two (or three :) to the top of each cookie (pressing down very gently to adhere) — these additions should be visible on the baked cookie! Enjoy and if you have a moment, please let me know how it goes… ♡
something else that occurs to me – i think i may have mentioned this in the post but the batter itself tends to oxidize fairly quickly (it’s harmless, the banana just darkens as all natural foods do when exposed to air) but if you prefer the lighter look, maybe skip the 20 firming in fridge part and drop onto the cookie sheet straight away — cheers.
those look delicious and I love the banana addition. PB and banana is one of my favorite combinations
Might have to throw on some crumbled bacon to make it the complete Elvis experience!
That’s amazing that these puff up like that with only 1 egg. They do look good and I will definitely take the word of teenage boys to determine the “goodness” of a cookie! :) The picture of your puppy and kitty is absolutely hilarious!!!!
I love Eva’s blog as well:) I’m glad she inspired you.. these are amazing, almost too good to be true with so few ingredients! Lovely little goofballs too!! xx
Oh that’s too funny — the cat definitely behaves like a dog I’d say and Stella, well, she’ll do anything she needs to for a cuddle & a kibble :O).
Eva, I couldn’t stop thinking about your GF beauties…I’m so glad you posted them because I don’t think I would have ever arrived at this recipe without that inspiration. I’ve never made a cookie quite like this one before. Lots of fun and well loved by all over here. Thank you! :)
I can hardly believe I actually got that picture… seems like a pretty unlikely pose :) — one of my faves too!
Haha, love it!! Was it pb & banana sandwiches that Elvis loved? Elvis Cookies, too fun.
Too funny, eh? They kill me too. :O)
Hello Stephanie! So nice to see you here. We find the banana adds… especially since there’s so little going on here, it lends some much needed bulk – lol – but also flavor. Yummy. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for the reminder of the flax egg KoKo – great idea – I should add that to my notes section! Have you crazy cats left on vacation yet? I hope you have a blazing good time! :)
Haha, I do like to experiment that’s for sure. In fact, when I started this whole nutrition journey, recipe modification was what I did most — little changes here and there that add up to big results in the long run. Cheers Sissi.
I know, I know, this is it Charles, there’s nothing going on here that would lead you to believe that it could possibly come out looking anything like a conventional cookie, and yet…I find it all so baffling… makes me very curious about the food chemistry (or mad science ;0) behind it all!
But, but… they’re so “cookie”-like… I looked at the ingredients list Kelly and I’m a bit shocked. I can’t believe how few ingredients there are, and no ingredients which have any real “substance” really (flour or the like) and yet you’re able to get such a result? They look great – it’s a healthy cookie! (kinda) :D
Kelly, I feel as if most of your recipes were (not maybe mad) scientist’s experiments! And successful ones! These cookies look beautiful and very unusual. I imagine having lots of fun, while asking my guests what these cookies contain! One more impressive achievement!
Ohhhhh my god….replace that egg with a flax egg and hand me the batter with a spoon! I don’t even think I could wait to eat these until they came out of the oven. I’m sure there would be some spatula and bowl lickin’! However, I learned my lesson about eating cookie dough (raw eggs and all) as a child….the hard way.
And I just LOOOVE that picture of your pets- they are soo funny. I have that blanket, too ;-)
I just had to LOL a few times to see your two babies lying on the sofa that way…too dang adorable.
Peanut butter cookies look divine!
Gotta love the family goofballs! I dub these Elvis cookies. I must try these.
Hehe, “love bites” :) And how could I not love this post when you have both a delicious recipe and my most favorite pet picture EVER. hehehehehe, so cute!!!
What a great cookie, and I am SO FLATTERED that you’ve taken that recipe and bumped it up a notch. I’m definitely making these for my brother (he is avoiding gluten for health reasons) — you should have seen him with the pb version I made, as soon as he found out they were GF he was inhaling them. I know he loves banana’s and chocolate so this will be perfect.
Your dynamic duo look like a crazy bunch, who sleeps like that? Does the dog think he’s a cat or does the cat think he’s a dog?
Eva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com
Are they not hilarious? Couple of kooks! They keep me constantly entertained :). Let me know how the experiment goes Sandra — hope you and your boys enjoy!!
Ha! The batter is pretty delightful on its own – I’m with y’a sister. I make so many unbaked bars and desserts, I think my sons feel somewhat mainstream when I actually bake cookies ;0).
Oh my goodness, that batter!!!! Why did you even bother baking the cookies? I’d serve the batter in a bowl with a spoon! ;)
OMG that is the funniest picture of the “kids” on the couch!!! haha…I LOVE IT :) And these cookies are totally getting made over here at my house. I can’t get over that ingredient list!!!! Absolute Perfection Kelly :)