Wicked Yummy: Lightened Up Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 2 Cookies

WW Points+: 4 Calories: 179.9 Total Fat: 6.7 g

Baking a lower fat, healthy cookie is a challenge. Baking a healthy peanut butter cookie is even harder. But, peanut butter cookies are my boyfriend's favorite so I figured I should try it out. I ended up making two batches of these. The first came out a little too cakey and did not have enough peanut buttery goodness in them. For the second batch, I reduced the amount of flour and added more peanut butter and that did the trick! These cookies came out soft and chewy on the inside and were packed with peanut butter and chocolate flavor.

Instead of using regular peanut butter, I opted for Better'n Peanut Butter. I have been buying this for over a year and I love it. It tastes like a mix between regular peanut butter and the peanut butter in a Reese's cup. (I still buy the regular kind for Harvey). It is made from peanuts and has less fat, less sodium, and less calories than regular peanut butter, plus, the Points+ value for Better'n Peanut Butter is awesome. While regular PB is 5 Points+ for 2 tablespoons, Better'n Peanut Butter is only 2 Points+. In this cookie, you can't tell the difference. You can find Better'n Peanut Butter at Trader Joe's and most grocery stores and it is usually located with the all natural and organic peanut butter.

I originally was planning on making just a peanut butter cookie, but there is nothing better than the peanut butter and chocolate combination. I made the serving size for this recipe 2 cookies because they are a little addictive, especially when they are warm right out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, unpacked
2 tbsp Butter, softened
2 tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Egg White
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Original Better'n Peanut Butter
3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together both Sugars, Butter, and Applesauce until fluffy.

Add Egg White, Vanilla Extract, and Better N' Peanut Butter. Mix on medium speed until smooth.

In another bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Mix well to combine.

Add half of the Flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate fully. Add the other half and mix well until all flour has blended in.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon, scoop out the dough and place it on the parchment lined baking sheets.

Press the dough down slightly with your fingers. The dough will be too sticky to create the signature fork imprints that are usually found on peanut butter cookies, but you can do that later.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have begun to brown. If you want to create the imprints, press a fork into the cookies after about 10 minutes of baking and return to the oven.