One of my favorite things about the WFPB diet is that you can “have your cake and eat it too.” To be able to eat a dessert every day and not feel guilty and STILL lose weight, is one of the best things ever. It really helps me and our family stay on this diet and not feel deprived. In fact we are eating more “sweets” now and my kids couldn’t be happier!
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Each week, I try to make a new WFPB recipe and I discovered this one last week from Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live Quick and Easy Cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook if you don’t have it yet! It has SO many great recipes with pictures and very easy to make.
Last week I decided to try this WFPB Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. I was skeptical, because I LOVE peanut butter cookies, so I knew it would have to be really close to the real thing for me to like it.
Yall. These. Are. Amazing.
Like, I can barely tell the difference between the real thing. The dates and raisins really make the sweetness and it has a good amount of peanut butter. The lentils are a PERFECT substitute for the flour and are great for anyone needing gluten free desserts!
Kid-friendly nutritarian recipe
My kids love these and I had to make a double batch so that we had enough for the week. I just throw them in an airtight container and store in my refrigerator!
This recipe is super easy to make and if you haven’t gotten one already, you will want a high powered blender. I use my blender every single day, sometimes multiple times, and my old traditional one wasn’t cutting it. I haven’t upgraded to a Vitamix yet, although I probably will in the future. Right now, I’m using this Ninja Professional Blender and it’s working well. So if you are looking for a high-powered blender but aren’t ready to spend hundreds, this one is currently $65 on Amazon!
UPDATE: I have now upgraded to a Vitamix and OMG. I had no idea that I was missing out. If you are looking to save money the Ninja is a good starter, but you will definitely want to upgrade to the Vitamix when you can! It is simply amazing and can get foods so much smoother. It is super easy to clean and is worth every penny! I got the Vitamix 5300 from Sam’s Club for about $349 – on Amazon they are around $399, but you can get a refurbished one for about $359 and I’ve heard others say the refurbished ones are just as good.
These peanut butter cookies are great for kid’s school lunches and snacks on the go.
I’m always trying to find new recipes my kids will like in their school lunches that are Whole Food Plant Based. That can be hard sometimes to find foods they like. Plus, peer pressure can be difficult when their friends are eating Lunchables, deli meat sandwiches, Doritos, and Oreos….. At least I can give them some awesome treats that look like everyone else’s but are 100% WFPB!
Tips for cooking lentils – they are so easy!
I did try making these with red lentils and they crumbled and fell apart too easily. Now, I just use green or brown lentils and they hold together great!
Also, many have never worked with lentils before – you do not need to soak them like beans. It is just like cooking pasta – really easy! Boil the lentils in a large pot of water until soft – about 8-10 minutes. I recommend using the dried lentils, rather than canned. The canned lentils contain added salt and are going to be a little too soft so the cookies might not hold together quite as well.
WFPB Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups dried lentils – green or brown
- 1 cup peanut butter – natural, unsalted
- 12 fancy dates or 6 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
- Rinse lentils and boil in a large pot of water for 8-10 minutes, or until soft. Cooking lentils is just like cooking pasta! You do not need to soak them. Drain and puree in high-powered blender.
- Pour lentils into a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup of the peanut butter. Mix until combined.
- Double check that the dates do not have any pit fragments. Chop the dates roughly to help with blending. Puree the dates, raisins, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter in the high-powered blender until smooth. Pour mixture into lentil mixture and combine with the baking powder. Mix until well combined.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or overnight. This will make it much easier to form the balls.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet. Roll batter in to 1 inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and then use a fork to press down to create the criss-cross pattern. Bake for another 18 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Makes about 36 cookies.
Related Reading:
- Italian Crispy Kale Chips Recipe
- What I ate Week 1 on the Nutritarian Diet
- Top 6 Reasons You Should Eat Whole Food Plant Based
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The Best WFPB Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dried lentils – green or brown
- 1 cup peanut butter – natural, unsalted
- 12 fancy dates or 6 medjool dates (check for pits)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Rinse lentils and boil in a large pot of water for 8-10 minutes, or until soft. Cooking lentils is just like cooking pasta! You do not need to soak them. Drain and puree in high-powered blender.
- Pour lentils into a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup of the peanut butter. Mix until combined.
- Double check that the dates do not have any pit fragments. Chop the dates roughly to help with blending. Puree the dates, raisins, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter in the high-powered blender until smooth. Pour mixture into lentil mixture and combine with the baking powder. Mix until well combined.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or overnight. This will make it much easier to form the balls.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet. Roll batter in to 1 inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and then use a fork to press down to create the criss-cross pattern. Bake for another 18 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Makes about 36 cookies.
Nutrition
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Is there really no other liquid in this recipe? We are burning out the motor of our vitamix and food processor here.
Hi Angela! I know what you mean. I currently use a Ninja Professional blender, but will probably have to break down and get a vitamix. I’m jealous you have one! When I have thicker things like the date & raisins in this recipe, I pulse or blend for a shorter time, then use a spatula to push down the mixture and then pulse or blend more. I find that is more effective and doesn’t run the motor for as long. Hope this helps!
I saw this recipe in one of Dr Fuhrman’s books and it was cooked not uncooked.
This recipe says to bake them at 350 degrees for 12 mins and then use a fork to make the criss cross pattern and bake them for another 18 mins.
Did you soak the lentils any length of time, overnight maybe, or just grind up dry lentils into flour for this recipe? You say use lentils as directed by the package, but we bought the lentils in the bulk section. :] Thanks! Neat idea!
You have to cook the lentils first – it doesn’t take long usually about 8 minutes. Just follow the directions on the lentil package.
Lentils cook fast BTW – no need to soak like beans!
I’m wondering if you made a mistake in your ingredients? Is it 1 1/4 dried lentils cooked or 1 1/4 cup cooked lentils? I cooked 1 1/4 cups and it was about 3 cups cooked lentils. That seems too much.
Nope that’s how I’ve always made them. It’s 1 1/4 cup dried lentils and then I cook them. Did you try finishing the recipe? It turns out really great. I make these just like this almost every week and my kids love them.
Oh I just saw the part that you bought in the bulk section. You just boil the lentils in a large pot of water – kind of like cooking pasta. Takes 6-12 minutes. So just check until they are tender. Hope this helps!
Do you think the recipe would work if I replace the peanut butter with PB2 powder reconstituted?
Would be less fat. Thanks
I’ve never worked with PB2 powder so I don’t know. But if it is the same consistency as peanut butter then I would say go for it! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Can I use a food processor instead?
I haven’t tried, but it might work. It gets pretty thick so just be careful it doesn’t burn out your motor. Let me know if you do and it works out!
Hi!! I have these in the oven now! Just curious, though… I snuck a taste of the batter, and the peanut butter flavor seems pretty mild. AND, I’m ending up with way more than 30 cookies! I’m wondering if it’s because my 1 1/2 cups of beans made a lot of cooked beans!! Does all that sound accurate?
Yes, depending on the size of your cookies you might end up with more. Sometimes I make them bigger and sometimes smaller and end up with almost 40! I think it tastes better cooked. They are a little more mild than a traditional peanut butter cookie, but once you are eating WFPB longer your taste buds will adjust to the more subtle less over sugary flavors. I find regular cakes/cookies to be too sugary now!
Just got a batch of these out of the oven! I made my boyfriend stay out of the kitchen while I was making the dough so I could surprise him with the secret ingredient (he did help me roll the balls though), and he guessed just about everything else in the kitchen and had no idea it was lentils!
It was a bit tricky to blend up the lentils in our blender; it required some patience and a strong rubber spatula. I used a mini food processor to grind up the dates and raisins, and had to take some of the mixture out to get the rest fully chopped and mixed. I used regular peanut butter instead of natural or unsalted or anything. They weren’t very sweet, so if using natural PB I would definitely add some sugar or other extra sweetness. I put a cinnamon stick, some ginger, and a cardamom pod in with the lentils while boiling. Not sure if that made a difference to the end product, but it sure smelled amazing. I ended up with 30 cookies at the size we rolled them, and they were burnt on the bottom after 12+18 minutes ): I wouldn’t want to make them much bigger either, because they’re a little crumbly while flattening them.
That being said, I’m still in love with this recipe. What a great idea. And they taste just like peanut butter cookies, maybe peanut butter oatmeal cookies. The chocolate chips add the extra sweetness I was looking for as well. I am absolutely going to make these again!
Hello,
I was searching for this recipe to make sure I had the ingredients. I have the cookbook this recipe is in and just double checked and the recipe actually calls for 1 1/2 cups already cooked lentils. So you’re using approx 2-3 times the required lentils. Still good I’m sure and alot more protein haha! They actually are quite peanut buttery when made with only 1 1/2 cooked lentils.
I think it’s a pretty forgiving recipe, I experimented with less dates and some banana for sweetness and it was pretty good.
LOL!! OMG, I didn’t realize I misread the instructions. This is how I’ve always made it HAHA! I was wondering why mine always made such a larger batch than he said….LOL
Well I did update the recipe, but not exactly as Dr. Fuhrman does it. When I went to make it with only 1 1/2 cup cooked lentils it just seemed like such a small amount! So instead of 1 1/2 cups dry lentils, I lowered it to 1 1/4 dry lentils so it does make a little less. They are a little more peanut buttery, but still makes a good amount – about 36 cookies.
Can I use almond or cashew butter