Here’s a Fun ‘Healthy’ Twist on the Peanut Butter Cookie

The UK Cooperative Extension's 2024 Recipe and Nutrition Calendar features a unique and healthy take on the classic Peanut Butter Cookie. This recipe adds oatmeal to the mix.

Catherine Dowdy, from the Daviess County Extension Office, joined the WBKR morning show for our weekly What's Cookin'? segment and shared her thoughts about the recipe and her tips on how to make it.

PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BITES

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or 2 large very ripe bananas (or half of each)

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups quick oats

3/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apples, dates, etc., or a mixture)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

pepitas (pumpkin seeds), or sunflower seeds (or a mixture)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

3) In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, applesauce or bananas, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth. Add the oats, dried fruit, and nuts, stirring until combined.

4) Drop the dough into equal sizes onto the baking sheets, about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Flatten the top with the back of a spoon.

5) Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and the dough is set, but soft.

6) Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

7) Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Use within four days or freeze.

Of course, the recipes created by the UK Cooperative Extension Office are designed to be healthy and delicious and feed families for a minimal cost. The cost breakdown for the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites is as follows:

The recipe makes 30 bites. The estimated cost for the recipe is $4.44. That makes each serving just fifteen cents.

What's Cookin'? is sponsored weekly by Kight Kitchen Interiors on Windhaven Drive in Owensboro, KY.