Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I'd like to take credit for this beautiful photo and recipe, but I can't because unfortunately this amazingness was not from me.  Jenny Flake at Picky Palate has come up with way too may sinful concoctions: from chocolate covered peanut butter brownie bites to caramel pumpkin cheesecake cups to cookies and cream banana bread! Like I said, pretty much illegal. And I love it.  Check out her website.

This genius-of-a-cookie was a must try in my book, since banana + peanut butter only equals pure bliss.  Honestly, if you've never tried slathering a banana with crunchy (or creamy) peanut butter, you have not lived.

Add in a cookie, and we're talking I died five minutes ago, and am way too happy in peanut butter-banana heaven.

These cookies are even slightly healthy, or rather I'll say healthiER because there is no butter.  Nope, none!  The mashed banana  acts as a substitute, although with the peanut butter, it gives the dough a slightly sticky texture, but the cookie turns out light, fluffy and incredibly delectable.  

Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
from Picky Palate

½ Cup mashed ripe banana, about 1 medium banana

¼ Cup granulated sugar
¼ Cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 medium egg or ½ of a beaten large egg
¼ Cup creamy peanut butter
¾ Cup whole wheat flour (if you substitute white flour, you’ll have to add more, about 1 Cup)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 regular size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, cubed (I cut them in thirds, then thirds again)
1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling (I used a larger dusting sugar, use what you’d like)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place banana and both sugars into stand or electric mixer on medium speed and mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla, egg and peanut butter until combined on medium speed.

2. Place flour baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Slowly add to the wet ingredients until JUST combined, then add the Reeses Cups. Don’t over mix this.

3. Scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop, roll into sugar and place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down cookies so they are about ½ inch thick, they don’t spread much. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cooked but still soft. Let cool for 3 minutes on hot cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 20 medium cookies