Here we are, 3rd week into January (what?!) and everyone is still teetering on the edge of salads and smoothies, giving some leeway to the resolve of new eating habits.
I love a green smoothie and a crunchy salad like the rest of them, but let’s face it, sometimes, you need cookies. Not just, “oh geez I found this little cookie in the breakroom, I guess I want to eat it” cookie, but a “WHOA that felt like a bear hug wrapped in a plate of hashbrowns with a side of gab session with my BFF” cookie.
These cookies became much more of a labor of love than I had originally intended them to be. They started out as Nutella stuffed cookies, but..oh wait, my Nutella was eaten by the cabinet monster, so there went that one. Next, I wanted to stuff them with a vegan caramel sauce, but my blender refused to bring the mixture together as planned (might be time for a food processor, oy!).
So there I was, standing over my kitchen counter with an entire batch of whole wheat chocolate chip cookie batter, wondering what to stuff it with. Don’t get me wrong, I love a chocolate chip cookie, but this just needed a little oomph to them. A little something extra to take them to the next height of cookie greatness.
Enter: Peanut Butter. Peanut butter is a great, pliable filler when frozen for 15 minutes or so, creating a center that will still slightly melt when baked, but hold a substantial shape. If you are impatient (like me), you can easily smash out the cookie batter and plop a smear of peanut butter in the middle, but it makes the forming of the cookie just slightly more difficult. Regardless, putting peanut butter inside a cookie is never a mistake, so do what works!
These cookies are best under baked, to prevent the peanut butter center from drying out and becoming grainy. As long as the tops are slightly browned, you are good to go.
Peanut Butter Stuffed Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 banana, finely mashed (no chunks)
1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli is sometimes vegan!)
1 cup peanut butter
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peanut butter in a small bowl, place in freezer while mixing the cookie dough.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl, set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix banana, brown sugar, and Earth Balance on medium speed, until thoroughly blended.
3. Slowly add in dry ingredients while mixing on low, until thoroughly combined.
4. Mix in chocolate chips until just combined, being careful to not mix too heavily, or the chocolate chips will break apart.
5. Form small balls (about 1/4 cup) of the dough and flatten enough to allow for filling, they will look like cookie pancakes. I fit about 6 cookies to one cookie sheet. Roll frozen peanut butter into tablespoon sized balls and place in the middle of flattened cookie dough.
6. Fold cookie dough up and around the peanut butter balls, tucking edges under and forming a cookie ball shape. Slightly flatten tops of cookies.
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, making sure not to overbake.
Megan @ megbakes says
Mmm – how frozen should the pb be?
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Megan! Good question, it should be frozen enough to form into small balls, but not so hard that it can’t be scooped out, I would say 10-15 minutes in the freezer : )
Kath says
“…bear hug wrapped in a plate of hashbrowns with a side of gab session with my BFF”
All of these things are on the agenda for April. 🙂
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
YES!!! 🙂
Red says
Wow! These look so good! Is Nutella vegan? I think I’d like to try with Nutella.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Nutella is not (skim milk is usually used) but I have been playing around with making my own with almond milk, so I’ll keep you posted : )
Karis' Kitchen says
I fully support the idea of having cookies in addition to salads and smoothies 🙂 Baking in the winter just feels so right.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I agree! I’ll get my fill of the healthy stuff in the hot summer : )
Natalie says
I love PB in everything, but clearly it is best stuffed in a cookie!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Agreed! I read your “about me” and I also am always thinking of what I’m going to eat next : )
Cookie and Kate says
Peanut butter-stuffed chocolate chip cookies?!! Holy moly, these look and sound delicious. On another note, I inherited a food processor from my grandma and it is so handy!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I’ve been contemplating the purchase of a food processor for a while now, and it will probably be the next on my list of must-haves! : ) Hope you are having a great time at Alt summit, I’ve been following along with your blog!
a farmer in the dell says
I would stuff peanut butter in the middle of everything if I could! these sound FANTASTIC!!!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I so agree!! Peanut butter just seems to make everything better. I spent quite some time looking through your blog last night and I love it! Your farm looks beautiful!
Sophie33 says
Waw! These Pb filled cookies look irresistable, tasty & apart too! 🙂 Yummm!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
They are SO good, almost too good!
makingthymeforhealth says
I just found your blog and this recipe sounded soooo good, I had to let you know! 🙂
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy! : )
a farmer in the dell says
I think my sister and I are going to bake these this weekend!!!!! I am already salivating 🙂
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Yay!!!! Let me know how they turn out or if you have any questions!! 🙂
Roxane's Natural Kitchen says
These look positively delicious! I am such a peanut butter lover – what a great idea stuffing cookies with it!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Me too! I tend to try to work it in anywhere I can!