Lol it’s been a month since I last blogged. What can I say, other than sorry? Even though you probably didn’t even notice or care I didn’t post for a month, it bothered me. I just was under so much stress from the hardest semester of school of my entire academic career/finishing my applications and finals and my two jobs I just kind of drafted like, 9 different posts, got anxious they weren’t good enough, and didn’t publish them. Reminder to self: don’t let the obsession with being perfect prevent you from being good. Moving on. It’s Vegan Peanut Butter Blossom time.

^That was the worst transition ever. And why did I keep it in the first paragraph? Because according to SEO crap I have engrained into my brain, the search term should be in the first paragraph. So there it is. Here it is again in the second paragraph: easy Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Wow, this post is officially all over the place, and we’re only to the third paragraph! But such is life. I’m just pumped to be back home in Wisconsin, with ample time and creative energy to devote to creative pursuits, including this blog.

I also am very stoked to have a new camera. The upgrade was years overdue, but being a chronic student doesn’t leave much wiggle room for big purchases.

But for better or for worse, my two jobs decided not to give me a paycheck until December, so August – mid-December consisted of me being chronically stressed about finances, coupon clipping my heart out, and being as frugal as humanly possible (ie: if it wasn’t totally necessary, I didn’t buy it).

Even though I’m still waiting to get paid for one of my jobs, and for the other to catch up on payments, all that chronic saving left me with a bit of money I figured I probably would have wasted on crap I didn’t really need. Then the camera I’ve been eyeing for two years went on sale significantly, and bam: I did the damn thang. And I’m so stoked about it. I played with it for hours yesterday (still trying to figure it out) and am bursting with excitement to create some videos! Millie montages are coming your way friends.

So now we’re on paragraph 5 and I’ve barely talked about the cookies. So I should probably do that now. Welp, these Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms are truly scrumptious, and certainly something you should add to your holiday-season baking list. They come together in minutes and are fluffy, moist, and purely joyful.

The peanut butter flavor combined with the soft texture packs a nostalgic punch, and is heavenly paired with a large square of dark chocolate. I substituted Hershey’s Kisses (dairy, etc) with a large hunk of Trader Joe’s Dark Pounder Plus bar, and it was insanely delightful. But you can use Hershey’s kisses if you’d like, and/or a square (or two) of your favorite non-dairy dark chocolate.

Speaking of customization, if you’re into the salty/sweet thing, you can most certainly add a healthy sprinkle of flaky salt to the top of these vegan peanut butter blossom cookies as they cool. I love me a sweet/salty mashup, so I was all about this addition, but if that’s not your jam, feel free to omit it. Or put salt on half because decision making is hard.

These Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms are a perfect addition to your cookie plate, and are sure to please vegans and non-vegans alike.

If you make these, let me know! Holler on the IG, and/or Tweet me. Happy holidays, and happy baking!

Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

Active Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 12-15 minutes

Servings: about 14 blossoms

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup apple sauce (or sub canned pumpkin)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (substitute all-purpose and/or a gluten-free baking blend, if desired)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling over chocolate if desired

14 large squares of dark chocolate (or Hershey’s kisses)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat and/or a piece of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter and softened vegan butter until well combined. Add brown sugar, and whisk again until creamed. Fold in apple sauce.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold until just a dough is formed.

5. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch sized balls. Place onto the prepared baking sheet with about 1 inch between each cookie dough ball.

6. Place cookies into the oven. Three quarters of the way through baking (~8 minutes after you place them in the oven), carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, and gently press a square of dark chocolate into the center of each cookie dough ball, applying just enough pressure for the chocolate to adhere to the cookie dough.

7. Place the cookies back in the oven to finish baking, an additional 2-4 minutes. The chocolate will melt into the cookies.

8. Remove cookies from oven and if desired, sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

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