Peanut Butter Chia Cookies

These soft peanut butter chia cookies have a secret ingredient you'd never guess, white beans. They blend in completely, add a lovely soft texture, and bring extra fibre along with them.

Between them, these cookies cover all three fibre jobs. Chia seeds give you GEL fibre, which helps soften things. Wholemeal flour and peanut butter give you BULK, which keeps things moving. And the white beans and banana give you FEED fibre, which your gut microbes love.

If your gut is still finding its feet with fibre, start with one and see how you go. Once you're comfortable, they make a really easy afternoon snack or lunchbox filler.

Peanut Butter Chia Cookies

Makes: 12 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup wholemeal flour
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ ripe banana, mashed
• ⅓ cup canned white beans, rinsed well, then mashed or blended until smooth
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a bowl, mash the banana and white beans together until smooth.
3. Stir in the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla (if using).
4. Add the wholemeal flour, chia seeds, cinnamon (if using), salt and baking powder, and mix until a dough forms. If it feels too dry, add a teaspoon of water or milk at a time.
5. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the tray, about 12 in total, and flatten each one slightly with a fork.
6. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden. Let them cool on the tray before eating, as they firm up as they cool. 

Tips for sensitive guts

• Use maple syrup rather than honey, as honey can be harder on some sensitive guts.
• Rinse your canned beans well. It washes away some of the carbs that cause gas.
• Start with one cookie and see how your gut feels.

Storage: keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to a month.