[Find Peanut-Free Peanut Butter Cookies–plus over 100 other recipes–in my book, Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free. These cookies are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, yeast-free and vegan. Suitable for Stage 3 and beyond of an anti-candida diet.]
[photo credit: Celine Saki]
Can you believe it’s almost time for back to school? As we’ve been remarking over here in the RH household, it feels like we didn’t actually have a summer in Toronto this year, so “back to school” sounds like an error. (Then again, I’m sure that it sounds like an error to all the kids anyway–for whom going back to school is always too soon!).
While I continue to toil away on book edits for Living Candida-Free (due TOMORROW! *faint*), I thought I’d share a favorite recipe from my previous book, Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free. These are the perfect cookies to send along with to school as they’re allergen-free and yet provide a great imitation of classic peanut butter cookies, both in look and taste. They were a huge hit a couple of years ago when I served them at the Gluten-Free Garage (where I spoke on living well with food restrictions).
If you’ve got a family member with a peanut allergy–or even if you don’t–I think you’ll all enjoy these Peanut-Free Peanut Butter Cookies!
In the meantime, enjoy the first day of school. See you after the book is done!
xo Ricki
Peanut-Free Peanut Butter Cookies from Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free
These cookies are a real crowd-pleaser, with a chewy, rich taste that’s not too sweet and a familiar criss-cross pattern. This makes a big batch–you’ll want to have extras to share!
3/4 cup (180 ml) natural unsweetened sunflower seed butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut nectar
1/3 cup (25 g) coconut sugar
20-25 drops plain or vanilla pure stevia liquid, to your taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened soy, almond, flax or rice milk, or a little more, if absolutely necessary
1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground chia seeds or meal (i.e., measure after grinding)
1/4 cup (60 ml) psyllium husks
2 cups (260 g) Ricki’s All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
1/2 to 1 tsp (2.5 to 5 ml) fine sea salt, to your taste (and depending on whether there’s salt in your seed butter or not)
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sunflower seed butter, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, stevia, milk, oil, vanilla, chia, and psyllium until well blended. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined (use your hands if necessary to blend into a fairly stiff dough).Using a small ice-cream scoop or tablespoon (15 ml), scoop out small mounds of dough and roll them into balls. Place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a fork, press down first in one direction, then in the opposite direction, to form a crisscross pattern and to flatten the cookies.
Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets once about halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and just beginning to brown on top. Allow to cool completely before removing to a cooling rack. May be frozen. Makes about 24 cookies.
Suitable for: ACD Stage 3 and beyond, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, yeast-free, vegan.
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Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
I am just hanging out for the end of term 3 – it has been challenging – though I suspect the first proper summer holidays at the end of the year will be even more so. Biscuits look lovely but I still can’t handle the taste of sunbutter – luckily sylvia can have other nuts than peanuts.
These don’t taste like sunflower seed butter, Johanna–I think it’s something to do with the mix of coconut sugar/nectar and the butter. My hubby literally thought they were peanut butter, and he eats peanut butter all the time! 🙂
These cookies look simply fantastic, Ricki! And folks who can’t eat peanut butter will just love the fact that they taste like peanut butter. 😉
xo,
Shirley
Thanks, Shirley! I like that perspective–works out for everyone! 🙂
Shucks, they look awesome for home but I won’t be able to send them to school for my daughter. All elementary schools in Montreal now are Nut Free, and since lots of kids that are allergic to nuts are also allergic to sunflower seeds, sesame and the such, it means that i would literally have to make or buy pine nut free pesto and tahini free hummus (i sneak it in, i tell my daughter not to share and to be honest, i don’t think anyone has ever had to have a dosage of an epi-pen because of being in contact with the hummus on the doorknob my daughter may have left behind!) anyway… reading the title of this recipe I almost thought id get a eureka moment of something non related to nuts completely tasting like nuts. I guess no ingredient is that magical! 😛 They look awsome though!
Wow, amazed that sunflower and sesame are now banned, too. Seems like every day there is a new major allergen! Sorry she can’t bring them to school. There are lots of other options, though! 🙂