Grab your peanut butter, my friends, and let’s get bakin’!
On Sunday night, Ryan turned to me and said, “I’m in the mood for sweets.”
As someone who looks for any excuse to bake, I jumped on his craving for something sweet and took the opportunity to make something that was both slightly sweet and relatively healthy.
I used my favorite recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies as inspiration. I greatly reduced the sugar content and added some delicious wheat germ for an extra punch of fiber and nutrients.
Since I was experimenting a bit, I wasn’t quite sure how these little babies would turn out, but the dough gave me hope. It was pretty darn tasty. I couldn’t keep my fingers out of it!
After baking in the oven for right around 11 minutes, we had peanut butter energy bites ready for eatin’!
Warning: These cookies do not change shape while they bake and will keep the same shape they had when you plop the dough onto the cookie sheet before baking.
I tell you this to warn you that a big divot caused by your finger swiping some dough will be quite noticeable after baking…
Oops.
These energy bites were delicious on their own and I also really enjoyed them crumbled into a cup of vanilla Greek yogurt or sprinkled on top of a bowl of hot oatmeal for some added peanut butter goodness.
They’re also small enough to pop one in your mouth for some quick energy before a workout without totally weighing you down.
Yum!
I think these energy bites would also be fantastic with some pecan pieces, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, craisins, coconut or granola stirred in. The possibilities are endless!
Peanut Butter Energy Bites (Makes approximately 15 cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 c. peanut butter
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. wheat germ
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together until everything is fully mixed. The dough will be very thick.
- Scoop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the sides of the bites begin to brown.
- Let cool and enjoy!
mmm, these look amazing! can’t wait to try them out — I totally agree, they seem like they would be great crumbled atop yogurt. YUM!
Those look super delish! Can’t wait to try the recipe..hopefully this weekend!
I’ve tried your Flourless PB cookies and those did not do me wrong! I’m defintely pumped to try these – maybe with some flax seed mixed in too! Hope you’re livin large on your travels 🙂
These sound so good! I love those flourless PB cookies so much.
Wow these look so good and I love that there is such little ingredients.
These sound SO good!! I love that they’re so easy to make too. The easier the better if you ask me.
I’ve baked those flourless pb cookies before. they’re awesome! except I always want to try to replace the white sugar with a healthier natural sweetener – havent figured it out yet but your method looks like an improvement!!
I did them with 1/3 cup of sugar and they still are delicious. If you can’t find a natural sweetener, at least you could cut back
Those look so yummy. Love me some peanut butter.. anything!
Boy, I am definitely going to be making these soon!! The recipe looks so easy, I don’t think I’ll be able to screw it up! Haha! I’m working on my cooking skills at the moment! 🙂
I am definitely making these this weekend! Thanks 🙂
What a great idea!! I am so excited to try this out!
I just made them but added some oats. This taste like warm pb. No wonder why you love then ms. Pb fingers lol
i’ve been waiting for this recipe! wooooo! i love how there is only a few ingredients! i will def be making these soon! 🙂
AMAZING!!! Love this.
AH, the recipe that brought me to your site the first time! I can’t wait to make these again! They were literally a shot of peanut butter. 🙂
I have a recipe similar to that for flourless peanut butter cookies, but mine crumble, I’ll have to try your recipe
A teaspoon of baking powder will make them spread out when they bake, giving them a nice cookie shape. 😉
My BF and I adore peanut butter, and this is a fantastic alternative to making something super sugary and unhealthy! Thanks for sharing, I am going to make it later today or tomorrow!
Hmm, I wonder what to add instead of wheat germ which I can’t have. Maybe I’ll blend up some gluten-free oats and try them instead. Delicious!
YUMMMM!!! I must try these! Good job experimenting 🙂
Those look AWESOME! I’ve been in such a mood for sweets lately. And my willpower is so weak. These would be great to have around so that I know exactly what’s in them. And they’re so simple!
Just made them and my roommates and I all agree that they are phenomenal! Its like biting into a hunk of pb. I can’t wait to crumble one over a banana smoothie 🙂
Next time I may try it with my chocolate peanut butter…oh the possibilities
I’ve made these 3 nights in a row! Last night was the 1st time I made them with the wheat germ and did it with half the sugar. They got rave reviews!
I made these tonight! I changed the recipe a but…with 1/2 c of Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter (Dark Chocolate Dreams), 1/2 c Regular Peanut Butter plus I added honey and oats.
Do you think using ground flax seed would work instead of wheat germ?
hmmm, i’m really not sure! it’s worth a try! if not, you can definitely sub in oats.
Do you know how many individual bites this makes ?
ah! i can’t remember. i’m sorry! if i make them again soon, i’ll add it to the recipe.
For me it made about 23 cookies with about 55 calories a piece.
I’ve just put these in the oven and I’m super excited to try them. I ended up with 21..so I’m thinking you enjoyed about 6 “bites” of dough..yum! 🙂
Do you know the nutritional facts of these? Specifically the grams of protein in each one?! 🙂 thanks! my husband was inquiring… heh
Happy PB Cookie Day, Julie! I shared a huge round up of recipe on my blog yesterday – I am loving today’s devotion to my one and only love.. PB 🙂
PS: great cookies!
These are SO GOOD and everyone I gave them to raved about them!
These are soooooo tasty! This is the second time, I have made them. I love the simple ingredients. I tweak the recipe each time, as I try not to use too much sugar. I cut the sugar in half and use a 1/4 tsp of stevia as substitution and half a banana (frozen, it does not have to be, but mine are 😉 (you need to replace the volume and moisture lost by using less sugar in most recipes, not sure about this one, but I do it anyway) and it transforms this recipe into ooey gooey yumminess!!!
This time I used 1/4 cup of finely ground roasted almonds and 1/4 old fashioned oats (I don’t have wheat germ). The batter was out of this world! Was sad to drop the little spoonfuls on the cookie sheet : /
I made these last night! I didn’t enjoy the first couple bites ’cause I’ve never used wheat germ before and was expecting a purer PB flavor. However, I encourage anyone who makes these and resists at first to keep tasting! Weirdly, the PB tastes dominant once you get used to the wheat germ. They grow on you. Better yet, you can’t eat too many ’cause they’re so filling and flavorful! I found that they’re most exceptional if you put them in the freezer and snack on them cold with milk ’cause the dense PB feels chewier and more decadent.
I also made Nutella granola and ate it ALL for “lunch” this afternoon. Oops! That was supposed to be my snack contribution for a road trip next week. Better start on something else…
can i just say that these have become a staple in our house hold? my hubs doesn’t even LIKE peanut butter, but he LOVES these somehow 🙂
Anyone use Laura Scudder’s or other natural peanut butter with these? My second-ever batch is in the oven, and if the batter is any indication, they’re going to be even tastier with natural PB. Can’t wait for that timer to go off!