Back to school (for the husband). Back to routine. And back to eating healthy. My, has summer done a number on us. Our consistent workout patterns have been, let’s just say, more organic. Our healthy eating patterns have been in hibernation. And our routine in general has been on vacation.

I used to hate routine. It felt too trite. Too redundant. Leaving no room for spontaneity. Maybe I’m growing up or maybe I’ve been working for the man too long, but I’m coming around to routine. I’d even go so far as to say—I like it. Let me explain with this little illustration. By day, I work as a graphic designer. When I approach a project, a blank computer screen, it’s comforting to know the boundaries. Boundaries meaning the borders in which I can create. And within those borders, I can more clearly exercise my creativity. Without borders, the options are endless and the decisions are ambiguous. (And there’s greater potential for unhappy clients. No thank you!)

This is how I feel about routine. Or better yet, structure. Having parameters around my day, week, and month help me to make decisions on how to fill that time. It makes me a bit more sane. And a tiny bit happier. Who am I kidding, it makes me a lot happier. With no structure, I’m a big fat grump. [Insert Saturday mornings.] I wake up in a fowl mood if we don’t have a plan for the day. Sitting is my least favorite activity. Still working through this one as my husband prefers to relax, rightly so. I realize I am abnormal.

But to keep some normalcy, I need structure. I need routine. I need to work out. And I need to eat healthy…cookies. Or else I’m a grump.

And these cookies fit the bill. Check out the ingredient list. I was a little apprehensive at first, but they turned out quite nice. And they’re a perfect addition to the lunch box. With this blog as my witness, no matter how healthy I eat, I will always crave sweets. By the way, these cookies are vegan friendly as long as you use vegan chocolate.

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Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies


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  • Yield: 3 dozen cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 c. whole wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 c. natural peanut butter
  • 1 c. maple syrup
  • 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 c. coarsely chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl combine peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. (Tip: add a little olive oil to your measuring cup before adding the peanut butter. This will help it to release from the cup without sticking.) Whisk until combined and smooth. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Meanwhile, coarsely chop dark chocolate. Add to cookie mixture, and stir to combine.
  5. Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets (about 1 heaping tablespoon in size). Place in freezer for 15 minutes to help cookies hold their shape.
  6. Using the back of a fork, make a criss-cross pattern in cookies. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
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Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

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