The cookie gods were good to me on the day that I made these beauties. Recipe testing is rarely a straight forward process (understatement of the year), and usually requires multiple failures, with or without tears of frustration, before nailing it. These peanut butter cookies were an exception. A gal needs a break every once in a while, I’ll take it!
I started off simply wanting to make a healthier peanut butter cookie, but as I warmed up my oven, I realized that I had no eggs in the house. Sighing as I started to put my ingredients away, I stopped myself short….what about chia eggs? And if I was going to make it with chia eggs I may as well just make them completely vegan! I had already intended on making the cookies gluten free using oat flour for some of my family members with celiac disease, so they ended up being gluten free and vegan. Of course, if you choose to use non-vegan margarine or butter that will work.
I made them into heart shapes for Valentine’s Day and dipped some of them in dark chocolate, which is completely optional but … DELICIOUS!
Makes about 24 cookies
- 1 c. smooth natural peanut butter
- ½ c. vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
- 2 chia or flax eggs (see below)
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ¼ c. white sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. gluten free oat flour (I used Only Oats brand of oat flour)
- 3/4 c. good quality dark chocolate (optional)
*to make 2 chia or flax eggs, combine 2 Tbsp. of ground flax seeds or chia seeds with 6 Tbsp. water. I use a Magic Bullet or mini food processor to grind them.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl blend the peanut butter, margarine, chia eggs, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the oat flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix until incorporated on medium speed with an electric blender.
- Roll the dough into 1” balls and slightly flatten with the palm of your hand. To make them into a heart shape, simply press the handle-end of a fork or other utensil into the top of the cookie to form the top of the heart, and shape the dough into a heart with your hands. They don’t have to be perfect! Press a cross pattern with a fork in the top of each cookie by pushing the fork lightly into the dough each way to form a cross pattern. (see the pictures below)
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate if desired. Simply melt 3/4 c. good quality dark chocolate in a small heavy bottomed saucepan (I used a Staub mini rice cooker it’s the perfect size) or in the microwave (by microwaving in a glass bowl for 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted). Place on a cooling rack or sheet lined with parchment to set.
Making them now, they look Yummy! In the ingredients you note baking soda and in the instructions #2 you note baking powder, which is it? Thanks!
Ah, baking soda I will change it sorry!
Delicious cookies! I have been following your blog for awhile now and each time I try something It turns out amazing and inspires me to try more! Being a new mom trying to bake I always want to make sure it’s worth the time, energy and ingredients and your recipes always are!
Awe Lisa thank you that made my day! And congrats on being a new mom….best job EVER!!!
I love your blog. I am thinking that I could replace the sugar with organic cane sugar, and use vegan chocolate chips. I use the “Enjoy Life” brand. Any suggestions to replace the brown sugar?
Hi Tori
Would it work with using gluten free flour instead of oat flour? To make oat flour, can I just grind up oat flakes until flour consistency? Thanks!
Hi Mary Anne, I believe it would as another reader said she did it with success! I am not sure if the results would be the same if you make your own oat flour would be a fun experiment! Good luck!
Hi Tori! Adorable heart shapes!
Do you think cashew butter could work in place of peanut butter in this recipe?
Hi Amanda yes I do!
Made these tonight, very yummy. Substituted wth a regular gluten free flour.
Nostalgic as my grandmother used to make them for me 💚
I just loved how these turned out🍪☕️I made them with fresh organic local eggs and rhe chia seed blended ( i use my husbands coffee bean blender to blend up my chai seeds) and then also added oats to blender to male my own oay flour, turned out Yummy for the whole family! Tryyng to keep up with baking homemade, local and GF. Thanks so much.
I am so extremely excited that I found your amazing recipes. Can not wait to try it all little by little. I am always looking for recipes for my 4 and 2yr old as well as for my husband and me 🙂 Quick question, you stated that you used oats only without making an actual oat flour and just threw in the whole oats? Thank you for inspiring me to try new things as I am always looking for healthier ways to feed my little family.
Oh gee sorry for the confusion, Only Oats is a brand of oat flour! I can see how that is confusing I will add a note to the recipe! Thank you for following along and so nice to hear that you’re making such an effort to feed your family well, they’re lucky to have you!
Hi Tori,
Can you tell me anything about this pot https://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay/sauce-pan
I’m wondering if it is the one you use for melting chocolate.
Thanks
Hi Dina sorry it doesn’t let me click on the link! I use a Staub pot generally for melting chocolate, the smaller ones work best. However, you can also melt it with a glass dish over a pot of hot water, stirring constantly (don’t let the water boil), OR you can melt it in the microwave with a glass bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring between each. Good luck! Tori
Hi Tori, these cookies sound delish! Just wondering if there is a certain type of vegan dark chocolate that you use for baking? Thanks!
Hi Erin thanks! I love the Prana brand and they sell the mini chunks (love the look too!)
If I wanted to replace the oat flour with regular flower and sub in eggs – would the result be the same? Replace 1:1?
Yes you should be able to substitute them no problem!
Made these today. They are delicious! I did have to add more flour – mine was fine ground oat flour so needed to add quite a bit more to be able to roll.
Thanks for the feedback Karen!!
Take care,
Tori
I also had to add more out flour as mine was fine but batter still too sticky to roll. Did like a drop cookie instead. Hoping they turn out. Had to use regular smooth kraft peanut butter as didn’t have natural.
Hi Catherine, it could be the peanut butter as it makes a big difference in a lot of recipes. I hope they turned out ok!
Hi! I’m going to make these tonight for my kids v-day treat. Is the margarine suppose to be melted or softened? Also, should I use 1 or 2 eggs to replace the chia eggs?
Hi Brandy,
The margarine would just be softened and you would use two eggs to replace the chia eggs.
Thanks and I hope they enjoy them!
Tori
Just made these and delish! Highly recommend chilling dough before rolling as my batter was way too wet and sticky. Would be cool to adapt the recipe to have no margarine like Angela Liddon did for her peanut butter cookie recipe. Also, I ground up oats to make oat flour, and it worked perfectly. Thanks, Tori!
Thanks Kaley! I actually tried it with coconut oil, the dough was much greasier but I will work on an adaptation! Thanks for the feedback!
Hey Tori! Making these delish cookies again, wondering if I could use butter instead of margarine? If yes, would it be the same amount as the margarine?
Hi Deep! You bet you can!