These gluten free peanut butter blossoms are a spin on the classic Christmas cookie filled with peanut butter flavor and a chocolate stud in the middle. They are great as part of a holiday cookie platter and also perfect for any time of year. Delicious for regular and gluten-free diets alike.
PB2 Pure Peanut Butter Powder
This post is brought to you by PB2 whose PB2 Pure - Peanut Powder (No Sugar or Salt) makes up the peanut butter as well as flour part in these gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies.
PB2 produces gluten free peanut butter in powdered form, which you can easily add to baked goods, protein drinks, and smoothies. The company produces these powders by pressing the natural oil out of freshly roasted peanuts and finely crushing them into powder. Its original version includes some salt and sugar for flavor, but this Pure peanut butter powder includes just one ingredient: peanuts!
One benefit of using powdered gluten free peanut butter rather than traditional peanut butter is that there are fewer calories due to the removal of fat. It is also rich in protein with the wonderful flavor of peanuts. Finally, it offers versatility in the kitchen. It is a dry good, which makes it an excellent substitute for flour in traditional baked goods. You can also blend it into a smoothie for some added flavor and protein.
How to Make Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
To start making these gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies, preheat your oven to 375° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have a large enough cookie sheet, you can use a couple and simply bake them in batches.
Next, in a large bowl, you whisk the PB2 pure peanut butter powder with the cane sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined. The two types of sugar add different properties to the dough. The cane sugar adds a pure sweetness while the brown grants the cookies a caramel undertone.
Afterward, you add the wet ingredients directly to the bowl including a beaten egg, melted coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla, before stirring to combine. If you are on a vegan diet, you could substitute the egg with a flax egg instead.
To make one, simply stir 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, and allow it to sit until it becomes the consistency of raw egg white. This mixture does a great job of binding ingredients together in a similar way as an egg. The vegan cookies made with flax egg turn out slightly softer than their counterparts made with egg.
Shaping and Baking
To form these gluten free cookies, you can use a small scoop or a tablespoon to portion the dough before rolling into balls. Next, you roll the balls in cane sugar to form a sparkling, textured coating. You arrange these on the baking sheet and slightly press down on them before baking. The total bake time for this peanut butter blossoms recipe should only be about 10 minutes. You will know that they are done when they look puffy with crackled tops. Additionally, the cookies should be an even golden colour on their undersides.
Once the cookies are out of the oven, the final step is to stud them with dark chocolate drops, wafers, or squares. Since the cookies will be very soft out of the oven and the chocolate centers start melting a bit, you should let them cool on the baking sheet before storing them. During that time, they will become firmer and the chocolate sets up again, making them much easier to handle.
Substituting the Sweeteners to make low-carb/keto Cookies
If you know you will be serving these cookies to someone who limits their sugar intake, you can replace the cane and brown sugars with sugar-free sweetener instead. The results will be a little different, but the cookies will be delicious nonetheless. For example, the sugar-free sweetener will result in a chewier texture than if you rolled your cookies in cane sugar, which creates a more crisp cookie.
You may also miss out on the slight molasses taste of the brown sugar and the cookies will have a blonder appearance. However, it is good to know that this cookie is versatile enough to prepare for those on low-sugar diets and that they can still enjoy something sweet during the holiday season.
How to Store Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
The completed cookies store extremely well, in an airtight container at room temperature. In fact, they should keep for up to a week if stored in this manner.
However, if you would like to bake several batches to have on hand for the holidays or school lunches, you can freeze them instead. In this case, you should place them in airtight containers in a single layer before freezing. They should keep for several months in the freezer, allowing you a quick snack or something to serve to last-minute guests.
Random Questions
If your peanut butter blossoms are crumbly, you might have overmixed the dough. Be cautious not to over-stir, as it can result in a drier texture.
The sugar content depends on the recipe. Traditional versions use cane and brown sugars, but you can opt for sugar-free sweeteners for a lower-sugar alternative.
Flat peanut blossoms could be due to various factors, such as expired leavening agents, overly soft or melted butter, or not chilling the dough adequately before baking.
Caloric content varies, but using PB2 Pure Peanut Butter Powder reduces calories compared to traditional peanut butter, providing a lighter yet flavorful cookie.
Other Gluten Free Cookie Recipes You'll Love:
Recipe
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups PB2 Pure peanut butter powder (156g peanut flour)
- ⅓ cup cane sugar *
- ⅓ cup brown sugar *
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg whisked **
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- extra cane sugar for rolling *
- 18 dark chocolate drops, wafers, or squares or sugar-free chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375° F. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1.5 cups PB2 Pure peanut butter powder, ⅓ cup cane sugar and ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- On top of the dry mixture add 1 whisked egg (or flax egg), ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup almond milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Using a spatula combine the wet and dry ingredients until a uniform cookie dough forms.
- Use a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) to portion out the dough. Roll each dough ball between your hands to create a sphere, then roll in a small bowl of cane sugar to cover the outside.
- Add the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet and flatten just slightly. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. The cookies should look puffed up with crackled tops.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately press a dark chocolate piece into the top of each cookie. Let the cookies cool fully on the baking sheet before moving.
- The cookies last about a week in an airtight container at room temperature. Or freeze them in a single layer for several months.
Notes
47 calories, 2g carbs, 1g sugar for a total of 1g net carbs per cookie
Nutrition
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Cindy Craner
I only have the regular PB2 powder, would I decrease the amount of sugar and salt in the recipe and if so how much?
Regina | Leelalicious
Yes regular PB2 already includes some sugar and salt, but for the overall recipe here the difference isn't huge. But if you want to make it more even, you can reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon and use only 1/8 tsp salt.
Ruth
What can you substitute the coconut oil with? I have tree nut allergies, as well as other allergies.
Regina | Leelalicious
Any other oil will work too. Melted butter works if you can do dairy. Otherwise avocado or vegetable oil
Mary
Can you substitute Oat Milk for the almond milk?
Regina | Leelalicious
Yes any milk will work