Peanut Butter & Flaxseed Cookies

I'm one of those peanut butter lovers who eats it straight from the spoon so when I saw this recipe for peanut butter cookies with the added benefits of flax I had to make them and I'm so glad I did. I modified Angela's recipe: https://divaliciousrecipes.com/chewy-peanut-butter-flaxseed-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-14781

They have a strong peanut butter flavor with a bit of texture from the ground flax. If you want less texture, make sure your flax is finely ground. I altered the original recipe and decreased the sweetener. These are still plenty sweet and I might decrease it a little more next time I make them. I used a an organic peanut butter with the only ingredients being peanuts and salt and that needs the oil to be stirred in. Make sure you don't use one that is sweetened. I also weighed my flax and found the 1/2 cup measurement the original listed was not 84 grams but much less, so I tried one with 1/2 cup ( a bit less than 54gm of flax) and baked it. It worked well but was more tender than I wanted so I added the remaining 30 grams of flax giving me the texture I wanted so I could hold the cookie without it immediately crumbling. They aren't as solid as peanut butter cookies made with wheat flour but they can be picked up and eaten without a problem. I also reduced the salt and baking soda a bit and loved how they turned out.

. These cookies are also filled with protein and fiber. A four cookie serving has more protein than 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and over 6 grams of fiber so no need to feel like you are cheating if you eat them as breakfast or a meal on the run.

The last change I made was to flatten some of the cookies with a fork to form the traditional cross-hatch pattern peanut butter cookies have but I also left some rounded (on the right in the photo) to show you what they look like if you don't flatten them. The "dough" is quite soft so either use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to measure out the amounts, you won't be able to roll it into balls.

Now what you've been waiting for, the recipe!

Peanut Butter Flaxseed Cookies Less than 1/2 a net carb per cookie. I don't count the sweeteners in the carb count because they don't affect glucose levels. 6 tbsp. erythritol (or 1/4 cup erythritol* and 1 tablespoon sweetener blend equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar such as Pyure) (I use this brand of erythrtitol) 1/2 cup butter or plant based butter substitute (containing 11gm fat per tablespoon), softened 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter or your favorite nut butter (I use this brand) 1 lg. egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 84 gm ground golden flax seeds (flax meal) (3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons) (I ground my own using this brand) 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt (rounded 1/4 tsp.) (I use this brand) 1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sweetener(s) together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. 3. Add flax, baking soda and salt; beat until well mixed. Let stand several minutes to thicken. Mixture will remain soft. Drop by small rounded spoonfuls about 1-1/2 inches apart (forming 24 cookies altogether) on lined baking sheet. I baked these in two batches using the same baking sheet. 4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom edges show a hint of browning. This will form a rounded cookie. If you'd like a traditional peanut butter cookie, remove from oven after 8 minutes and press with a fork into a cross-hatch pattern; return to oven for 2 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes to firm up. Cookies are delicate straight from the oven. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. *I can taste erythritol when I use a large amount so I used part erythritol and part sweetener blend as I find that eliminates the flavor of the erythritol. Servings: 24 Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/24 of a recipe (0.6 ounces). (1 cookie) Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients not including the sweetener. Amount Per Serving Calories 83.77 Calories From Fat (81%) 67.67 Total Fat 8.07g Saturated Fat 2.83g Cholesterol 17.92mg Sodium 114.96mg Potassium 41.88mg Total Carbohydrates 1.96g Fiber 1.58g Sugar 0.2g Protein 2.45g