Name: Low-Fat Peanut Butter Cookies
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Cap'n Crunch's peanut butter cereal; 1/3 cup (1⅔ ounces, 47 grams) plus 1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 5 tablespoons reduced-fat crunchy peanut butter; 1 1/4 cups packed (8¾ ounces/248 grams) light brown sugar; 2 large egg whites; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon water

Why This Recipe Works

Most cookies get their fat and calories from sugar, eggs, and a whole lot of butter. Peanut butter cookie recipes go a step further by adding at least a cup of the fatty main ingredient to the mix. We wanted a Low-Fat Peanut Butter Cookies recipe that lost the fat and kept the peanut flavor. To do this, we used melted butter, which the dough absorbs more easily, allowing us to cut back the amount needed in our recipe. Ground peanut butter cereal also added so much peanut flavor to our Low-Fat Peanut Butter Cookies recipe that we could cut back on the amount of peanut butter—and thus on the fat.

Before You Begin

Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk is the test kitchen's favorite brand of low-fat peanut butter.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse cereal and 1/3 cup flour in food processor until finely ground. Add remaining flour, baking soda, and salt and pulse to combine. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat softened butter, peanut butter, and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in melted butter, egg whites, and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Add water and mix until absorbed.

Roll 1 1/2 tablespoons dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Following photos, press and crosshatch dough. Bake one sheet of cookies until edges are lightly browned but centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookies. Serve. (Cookies will keep in airtight container for 3 days.)