Since it is Valentine ’s Day, I thought I would share a simple, quick (anyone can bake these) yet, nutritionally high in protein and low in carbs recipe, one that you can use for breakfast, post-workout or even as a snack. This recipe is gluten free and has omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamins, additionally, cinnamon can help regulate blood sugars and prevent sugar crashes in the body.

This recipe uses primarily three ingredients plus a few spices; of course, the nutritional value will change if you add or substitute ingredients, for example if you add any chocolate or other forms of sweeteners.

 

What you’ll need to bake this healthy peanut butter goodness

 

1 cup Splenda baking blend (if you decide to use other forms of sweeteners, nutritional value given below will change)

1 cup no-sugar-added creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch of salt

 

How to bake them?

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients. Using your hands, roll mixture into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with a glass and then use a fork to imprint the dough so when it is baked, it will look like you bought it from the store! (You can add some chocolate chip or sprinkles, if you do, the nutritional value given below will change)

Bake about 8-9 minutes if you want softer cookies or 10-12 minutes for a crunchy version or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. To ensure they are done, test the center of the cookie with a toothpick, if the pick comes out dry, your cookies are ready to be taken out of the oven. Cool them on a cooling rack and serve them once room temp!

 

Each medium size cookie will yield 125 calories, 3g of carb, 6g of fat, and 3.5g of protein. You should be able to prepare 10 medium size of 20 small size cookies from the ingredients.