PBJ Cookies: Healthy, Low Sugar, High Protein

Long time, no blog!  (Insert holidays, travel, book deadline.) Since  my husband Greg and I have decided to cut back on carbs and sugars, I’ve been a crazy woman in the kitchen,  experimenting with new recipes, generally making big messes and having a great time.  Lately I’ve been  searching for a yummy but healthy cookie, that is low in carbs, low in sugar (artificial sugars don’t like me so I don’t use them), high in protein and/or fiber.

It took me several hits and misses, but I may have created it: the perfect healthy cookie. Good enough for dessert, but healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast with a cup of coffee or your fave glass of cold milk.  In fact, you can feel great about giving these to your kids for breakfast or after school snack.

They are rich, made of little more than peanut butter and egg, so one or two will truly satisfy you!  A half teaspoon of low sugar jelly (no artificial sweeteners) melts like a  ruby jewel into the middle of a tender, flaky peanut butter nest.  The cookies have about 5 grams of protein, weighing in at a  little over 5 carbs each (less if you want to sub the sugar for a sugar sub).  Gluten-free (if you use a GF baking powder).

This recipe makes just one dozen, can be easily stirred by hand in a smallish bowl, and takes no time to mix up.  The secret with these cookies, since they have no flours at all, is to cook them in two stages.   I found it is best to cook them for ten minutes at 350 to get them started on crispy/golden, then lower the heat to 300 and cook for 10 more minutes to make sure they cook all the way through.  I really love natural stone or clay for baking cookies, they cook so evenly and rarely burn!

Healthy PBJ Cookies 

1 c. peanut butter

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. organic sugar

1 egg

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup  low sugar jam, preserves or  jelly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the first 5  ingredients together (everything but the jelly)   with a fork until thick, glossy and smooth. Drop 12 spoons  of batter (about a tablespoon) onto greased cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart. Using the back of a rounded 1/2 teaspoon, make a little crater in the middle of each cookie, as shown below.  (You can dip the back of the 1/2 teaspoon into hemp or chia seeds, almond or coconut flour or sugar to keep the batter from clinging as you make the craters.)

Fill each peanut butter crater with 1/2 teaspoon of low sugar jelly.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 300  and bake for 10 more minutes.  Let cool before moving carefully with a spatula off the cookie sheet.

These get even better as they cool.