Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Packed with peanut butter flavour, these cookies retain a classic chewy texture without using brown sugar. Don't be tempted to swap "natural" peanut butter - you need to use a classic homogenised peanut butter for the best results.
Ingredients
- 50 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 50 g (⅓ cup) unsalted peanuts
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) plain flour/all-purpose flour
- 5 g (¾ tsp) salt (see note 1)
- ¾ tsp bi-carb soda/baking soda
- 250 g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar (see note 2)
- 35 g (5 tsp) honey
- 250 g (1 cup) creamy peanut butter (see note 3)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Flaky salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the butter to a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, swirling occasionally, and cook until it begins to bubble. Continue cooking until the bubbles subside and you notice brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Add the peanuts to a rimmed baking tray and move to the oven. Toast for 5 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly before lightly chopping and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and bi-carb/baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Add the sugar and the honey to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
- To the honey and sugar, add the browned butter and the peanut butter. Mix on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is homogenous, pale and aerated - about 1-2 minutes (see note 4). Add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium-high until incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just incorporated and no dry spots remain. Add the toasted and chopped peanuts and mix on low until just incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and compact it into a rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 3 days (see note 5).
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking trays with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Use a cookie scoop or a sturdy spoon to portion out roughly 24 2-tbsp-sized (30ml/1oz) balls of dough. Arrange, evenly spaced and dispersed, on the 2 sheets.
- Bake one tray at a time until the cookies are dry and crisp around the edges yet still very soft in the middle - about 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Because the volumetric measurement of salt can vary from type to type and brand to brand, I highly recommend using the weight measurement of salt to ensure that the salinity is evenly balanced.
- Caster sugar (aka superfine sugar) is my preferred style of white sugar to use while baking. If you don't have it, granulated sugar can be swapped measure-for-measure with no ill results.
- Use classic, homogenised creamy peanut butter rather than natural peanut butter (such as Jif or Skippy in the US or Bega in Australia)
- Mixing with a stand mixer will be quicker than mixing with a hand mixer.
- If you would like to freeze the dough, portion it out first. Then, instead of baking, move the cookie dough balls to the freezer on the baking tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the usual bake time.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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