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Throw a few sticks of butter, a cup of white sugar, half a cup of brown sugar, and some white flour into a recipe and it’s bound to taste pretty good. Greatly reduce or eliminate the butter, take away the refined sugar, use a whole grain flour, and making something taste good is downright difficult.
That’s why I blog. I have a passion for creating healthy alternatives to the Standard American Diet recipes that we’ve all grown up with and I love being able to share what I learn with like-minded people.
I get excited when I create a recipe that has healthy components and still tastes great. Trust me, many of my recipes don’t taste that great and therefore never make it to the blog. When I put on my baking apron, however, and churn out something healthy and delicious, I love to share it.
This creation takes one of my favorite flavor combinations of apple and peanut butter and turns it into a healthy cookie.
The result is a chewy, somewhat cake-like cookie with a peanut butter flavor and bits of apple throughout. Delicious. And each cookie is only 49 calories, with 1.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of protein, almost 1 gram of fiber, and 4 grams of sugar. Made with whole grains. No refined sugar. No butter. Yes, please.
Healthy apple peanut butter cookie bites-49 calories each
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 44 cookies 1x
Description
A tasty and healthy snack for all!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat flour might work here, too)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 extra-large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup diced apple (two small or one large)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly oil them) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg well. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, peanut butter, apple sauce, egg, and vanilla until you get a smooth mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine. Add the apples and raisins and stir until evenly combined.
- Drop by 1/2 tablespoon onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie is lightly golden. {I baked mine in two batches}
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 49
- Sugar: 4g
- Fat: 1.5g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 1.5g
I love that these cookies are small, perfect for the little hands of a certain preschooler.
The small factor (did I mention these are only 49 calories each?!) is also good for her parents, who both have trouble saying no to cookie #2. And cookie #3. Oh, and sometimes even cookie #4. Just another reason to focus on healthy when I’m baking, even if it is more difficult.
I used up all my eggs making your Cheddar Apple Fritatta, otherwise i’d be making these right NOW!!!! Can’t wait to run to the store, restock on eggs and try these healthy cookies!!!!
(We loved the Fritatta by the way!!)
Thanks for this recipe! It was a hit with my family! Absolutely delicious 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m glad you and your family enjoyed these. And thank you for reminding me to make them again. 🙂
I love the look of the cookie bites! 🙂 You look stunning prego btw! 🙂
Thank you so much, Katie. 🙂
that is a great post!!
and an awesome recipe 🙂 will def give this one a try.
My oldest two and I made these this afternoon, and they were a definite crowd pleaser! Who wouldn’t like peanut butter and apple in a cookie form. This mama loves that there was no white sugar or butter in the list of ingredients yet they were still tasty. You are so right that anyone can bake with those ingredients {and I do}. It is nice to add a yummy yet healthy recipe to my repertoire of baking. The only drawback in this house is that my oldest son can’t take peanut butter to school. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for letting me know you tried the recipe, Caroline! I’m glad it was a hit. I get nervous when I hear about peanut-free schools. I so hope my daughter doesn’t end up at a school where she can’t bring peanut butter–we’ll be in trouble as it is definitely her favorite food! 🙂
Do you go to a certain site to find out the value of the items you make? I’m always trying to figure out the nutritional value.
Thanks
I have a recipe program called MacGourmet that I use. I plug in the ingredients and it gives me the nutritional value. It’s also a great way to save/store recipes. I highly recommend it if you have a Mac.
i love these little bites. Bursts of flavor too! oh i meant to email you, how do you get your recipes to look like that? so much nicer!
Thank you, Lindsay. 🙂 What do you mean about how the recipes look? In the print-friendly format? I have a plug-in that I use if that’s what you mean. I think it’s just called “WP print-this” or something like that. Let me know if you want the exact name.
These look super delicious!! I love that you use healthy, whole ingredients (and none of that white flour and sugar nonesense).
So excited to try these! 🙂 Thank you for doing what you do! 🙂
These look delicious, and yes healthy baking is so not easy! I just threw away another batch of cupcakes down the drain yesterday…I cringe but they just were not good…
I will give these a try for sure, we all love all the ingredients in these cookies. 🙂
Oats, and peanut butter, and apples, oh my! So many good things.
I am in love with the recipe and I haven’t even tried them yet! Can’t wait to make these – apples with peanut butter are my favorite snack ever and in cookie form? Yes yes yes! 🙂
Love that first picture – looks like it’s straight out of a magazine
It really is the best combination!
Oh, and thank you about the picture. 🙂
You always come up with great recipes! I too love healthy baking and cooking, so a lot of my time is spent in the kitchen (when my son still sleeps in the morning, when he naps, or when my husband can be with him). One or two snacks are bought, but I make sure I read the labels and I choose the healthy ones.
Thanks, Alina! I know what you mean about a lot of time spent in the kitchen. I’m so glad I enjoy it. 🙂
I love this! It looks simple and fabulous! I will “pin” this for sure 🙂
Thank you so much, Nikki!
These look great! A nice way to eat something that is so popular.
You are so right! Sometimes I secretly long for the days back in college when I would use butter for sautéeing and white flour for sauce-thickening…when cooking was easier! Then I see a picture of myself from back then and I’m reminded of why I eat healthy now. It’s incredibly tough to find recipes that #1 Use whole foods #2 Don’t use sugar (or artificial sweetners) #3 Are low-cal and #4 Taste good! I will definitely be trying these out as soon as possible!
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I know what you mean–there are times I wish I could NOT have all the knowledge about nutrition and healthy eating because “ignorance is bliss”. ha ha 😉
I am so glad that you choose to blog about your passion for healthy baking/eating. I, too, share a similar passion for healthy eating, but I am NOT a good healthy baker. That’s why I’m so glad you post your successful healthy recipes. They give me some options- and hope that maybe one day I’ll figure out the healthy baking thing, too:-).
I love how many awesome people get creative and make things so delicious! Peanutbutter and apple is a kid favorite (and maybe a teacher favorite too- especially this teacher) YUM!
Another good thing about these is they are made with all the stuff I always have on hand, so I can make them any time. Like, right when my kids get home from school today. They love after school baking activities. What a great idea, Maryea!
Awesome, I love these kinds of recipes. You’re so right – they aren’t as easy as the standard sugar, butter and white flour baked goods so when you do come across a good one it’s a big deal! These look so yummy. I’m actually craving some healthy cookies, so I can’t wait to try these 😀