Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are usually a great candidate for using whole wheat flour, even if you’re not usually a big fan of using whole wheat flours in baking. Whole wheat flour has a stronger flavor than regular all purpose flour does, and in some types of cookies, that flavor can sort of take over the cookie and hide the more delicate flavors of butter and sugar. In the case of peanut butter cookies, the peanut butter is strongly flavored enough that the flavor of whole wheat comes through as an extra nuttiness in the finished cookies that can make them even tastier – as well as making them a little bit better for you.

These Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies are made using only whole grain flour. You can use white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour to make these cookies. I prefer to use white whole wheat, which has a slightly milder flavor to it, but both will give you good results. The cookies are tender, but still chewy, and they have a great peanut butter flavor. They also keep very well, so one batch can last quite a while when stored in an airtight container.

You can use either plain or crunchy peanut butter in these, based on your personal preference. It’s good both ways, but it is nice to have those little chunks of peanut in there to add a little extra texture. I typically use a national brand of peanut butter – such as Jif – when making these cookies, but all natural peanut butter will also work if that is what you have on hand. Natural peanut butter cookies may spread slightly more than these, so give your cookies a little more space on the baking sheet so that they don’t run together in the oven.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/2 cups whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until the dough comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet, allowing room for cookies to spread. Use a fork to gently press a crosshatch patter into each ball, flattening it slightly (dip into water before marking cookies to prevent sticking).
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set and just beginning to brown lightly around the edges.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies