Simple and Easy PB + J Blossoms (Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Low Carb, Vegan Option)
Summer and Autumn is usually when I’m craving the PB + J combo. Summer because it’s berry season and Autumn because school is starting and I’m always nostalgic about cozy + yummy foods from my childhood. When coming up with this recipe, I just wanted to make healthier old-fashioned peanut butter blossoms with Hu Chocolate squares in place of Hershey’s kisses, but when I found a bunch of Raspberry filled Hu Chocolate Bars that were coming up on their expiration date, these PB + J blossoms immediately came to mind.
Boy did these turn out wonderfully! They’re peanut buttery, chocolatey, and the raspberry flavor from the chocolate and raspberry powder take it to another level. It’s like an elevated PB + J. These cookies are super simple and perfect for making this summer because they’re quick to whip up and require minimal time in the oven so you don’t have to worry about overheating your kitchen. I’ve always loved raspberry jam in my PB +J’s and I haven’t tried other combos, but feel free to mix it up! Use almond or cashew butter to make it paleo, or use plain Hu Chocolate squares and a different freeze dried fruit like blueberries or strawberries! I hope you give this recipe a try, and if you do, let me know how they turned out in the comments section below. Let me know if you tried out any different flavor combos too! Enjoy these yummy and healthy summer cookies and I hope you’re all enjoying your summer!
Love Always,
Nat
Simple and Easy PB + J Blossoms
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup Lakanto Golden Monkfruit sweetener + 2 tbsp
1 egg (or flax egg if vegan)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 package of freeze dried fruit of your choice (raspberry is my fave)
2 packs of Hu Cashew Butter + Raspberry Chocolate Bars (There will be a few extra )
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a blender add 1 package of freeze dried fruit and pulse until a powder forms. Transfer to a bowl and mix in 2 tbsp of monk fruit sweetener.
In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, egg (or flax egg if vegan), 3/4 cup monk fruit, vanilla, and salt until dough forms.
Scoop out dough into 12 even balls and roll into the raspberry powder and place on the cookie sheet.
Slightly Flatten each cookie until they are about 1-1 .5” thick.
(I like to flatten before baking so the cookies don’t roll around and so that the Hu Chocolate squares are easier to press into the cookies since they are flatter and have a bigger surface area than Hershey’s kisses.
Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. *Note that this dough will not rise or spread, and you want the cookies still soft when you take them out of the oven
Once removed from the oven, press 1 Hu Chocolate square into the center of each warm cookie. Cool for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling
Enjoy fresh or keep the cookies in an airtight container for about a week. Since it’s been hot lately, I’ve been keeping them in the fridge and reheating a cookie in my Instant Vortex Plus until the chocolate is just starting to melt. Highly recommend!