Peanut Butter Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

 
At least once each summer throughout my childhood, my parents loaded our dark blue minivan with sleeping bags, roll-up mattress pads, a tent with stakes and collapsible poles, oversized plastic bins of old silverware and paper plates, a small propane stove, faded beach towels, sunscreen and bug repellant, hiking boots, and soft-sided duffle bags full of t-shirts, shorts, and sweatshirts. After a three-hour drive from our house in the suburbs through narrow, winding mountain roads, we arrived at Yosemite for a long weekend of camping.  

Most days, following a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal and powdered hot chocolate (complete with mini marshmallows!) at the campsite’s wooden picnic table, we hiked in the mornings and early afternoons, then swam in one of the ice-cold lakes or rivers nearby to wash off the layers of dirt from the dusty trails. In the evenings, we grilled an easy dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers, and once the campfire’s flames started dwindling, we stuck a few marshmallows on skewers to toast and sandwich between graham crackers and chocolate to make s’mores.
 

 
Since our hikes sometimes lasted through lunchtime, our parents often stashed plenty of food and water in their backpacks. They knew my brother and I could be bribed to walk an extra mile or two without complaining if we knew we’d “earn” a few extra M&Ms and gummy fruit snacks!

They also brought along not-so-sugary options to eat for lunch, and we always stopped in a shady area, usually with flat-ish rocks or logs to sit on, to munch on fresh fruit, GORP (good ol’ raisins & peanuts!), and peanut butter crackers.
 

 
To make the peanut butter crackers, we passed around a box of Ritz or Wheat Thins along with family-sized jar of creamy peanut butter. Each person took a turn dipping a cracker into the jar, scooping up a small amount of peanut butter, and sliding a second cracker across the top to both spread the peanut butter across the entire cracker and add a lid to make a “sandwich” at the same time.

With how often and far we hiked (and with how many calories we burned as a result), we easily polished off those entire family-sized jars of peanut butter during our three-day camping trips!

Although I haven’t gone camping in years, I still love peanut butter as much as I did back then… Especially snuck straight from the jar with a spoon! Because of that, I often forget to save any to bake with (oops!), but the last time I whipped up my easy blender peanut butter, I purposely made a double batch and set aside a full jar to use in recipes. And first on my list…
 

 
…were these Peanut Butter Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies! Aren’t they adorable?? These chewy cookies are full of peanutty flavor, and that a creamy cheesecake filling is absolutely irresistible… So thank goodness they have no butter, oil, refined flour or sugar and just 54 calories!

I may end up sneaking these cookies as often as I sneak spoonfuls of peanut butter from the jar…
 

 
To make these healthier cookies, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, which is perfect for these cookies’ chewy texture. (And it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like extra fiber!)

Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute, and I’ve included my preferred gluten-free option in the Notes section of the recipe, too.
 

 
Instead of refined sugar, you’ll sweeten the cookie dough with coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like—sugar that comes from coconuts! However, it does not actually taste like coconuts. It has a rich, almost caramel-like flavor very similar to brown sugar, and it has a pourable texture like granulated sugar. Many mainstream grocery stores have started to carry it, but you can always buy it online.

Of course, the most important ingredient is the creamy peanut butter! (If you can keep your spoon out of the jar long enough, unlike me…) I highly recommend my easy blender peanut butter. It takes just 5 minutes to make! Otherwise, buy a natural drippy-style peanut butter. The only ingredients on the label should be “peanuts” and “salt.”

Note: Do not substitute chunky peanut butter. The cookie dough will be too dry and won’t come together.
 

 
The base of the cheesecake filling consists of Greek yogurt and Greek yogurt cream cheese. I found my Greek yogurt cream cheese at Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and many Walmart stores carry this brand. If you can’t find Greek yogurt cream cheese, you can substitute either Neûfchatel (⅓-less fat) or regular cream cheese.

To sweeten the filling, you’ll use one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way—you only need ¼ teaspoon for the entire filling! This is the kind that I buy because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I usually buy it online here. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
 

 
These little gems always bring out my inner Cookie Monster! ?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your thumbprint cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!

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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥   Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
♥   Peanut Butter & Jam Thumbprint Cookies
♥   Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
♥   Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
♥   Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
♥   Raspberry Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
♥   Fudgy Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Swirled Brownies