Uncle Joe’s Gluten-Free Perfectly Chewy Peanut Butter Monster Cookies

Sometimes I just want something yummy and sweet. 

Instead of going off the deep end, what about a delicious treat that satisfies a craving but also keeps your blood sugar steady because of the significant amount of fat from peanut butter?!

I also find it easier to enjoy just one of these cookies at a time because the fat anchors the part of the brain that responds to sugar.

Are peanuts good for you?

Peanuts can be good for you!

Do you love PB? I do too. 

I try to mix it up and choose other nut butters as well.

After all, variety is the spice of life!

There’s no reason to demonize peanuts, unless you have an allergy or sensitivity to them. Peanuts happen to be higher on the list of potential allergens and sensitivities than other nuts, but they pack a significant amount of protein along with a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat.

Beware of aflatoxins

I recently got into the freshly ground PB at the local grocery, but it might be better for us all to buy jarred PB from the shelves due to aflatoxins.

Aflatoxins are a group of toxins produced by fungi in moist conditions and are associated with an increase in cancer. Where can this fungus hang out? In the bulk bins at the supermarket. Ugh.

Just one PB ingredient: peanuts

It’s best to buy jarred PB with only one ingredient: organic peanuts (and maybe a little salt). Or make your own at home by grinding up your nuts of choice in the food processor!

Dark chocolate chips

I’m a fan of dark chocolate, so I usually buy chocolate chocolate chips that are at least 60% cacao. The darker, the better!

Now, to Uncle Joe’s cookies!

Makes 40-45 medium cookies

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 stick butter, softened

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup salted crunchy natural peanut butter

2 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 cups rolled oatmeal

2 cups dark chocolate chips

Approximately 120 Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees. (Tip: Do not use convection bake mode when baking something that needs to rise, like a cookie or a cake.)

2. Mix ingredients in order given. (Note: if your natural peanut butter is a little runny, use less than 1 1/4 cup, and then add more to get to desired cookie consistency.)

3. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a spoon, create 40-45 cookie about the size of a golf ball. Press 3 dark chocolate peanut gems into each cookie. The cookies bake for 10 minutes total, but at the 6 minute mark, open up the oven and vigorously bang the cookie sheets against the oven racks several times so the cookies flatten and the chocolate chips break. (I found it helpful to take the pan out of the oven and drop it repeatedly on the stove top.) Then continue baking for the remaining 4 minutes.

4. After baking for 10 minutes, pull the cookies out of the oven and allow them to rest and cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. This is an important step because they will appear slightly underdone, but they will bake some while cooling.

5. After 10 minutes of cooling, place cookies in the freezer for storing. (Note: If your cookies are still a little soft, place the whole pan in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes, which will make transfer to freezer container easier.)

6. Before serving, allow cookies to thaw for 10 minutes.

Brother shenanigans: dropping leftover gems into each other’s mouths! * Mom Sigh *

Enjoy!

(Note, these pics were taken before Dr. Katie discovered naturally-colored M&M alternatives.)