Cashew Butter Bites for #CreativeCookieExchange

Just one spoonful. That’s the thought I had when a major late afternoon hunger attack happened. It was a busy day and I skipped my usual mid-afternoon granola bar. Then it struck. My tummy was growling and I needed something. One big spoonful would hold me over. One led to finishing off the jar then feeling full and not wanting dinner. I should have eaten a couple of the Cashew Butter Bites instead of the leftover cashew butter.

I should know better than to skip my mid-afternoon snack. Each time it leads to over eating something. Do I learn from it? Nope. I suppose it is a weakness. We all have one or a few of them. Anyway, back to the Cashew Butter Bites. I baked them for this month’s Creative Cookie Exchange. Packing for a Picnic is the theme. As usual, it involved a big thought process and deciding on the right cookies.

My first thought was sugar cookies. Simple slice and bake ones might be nice. For whatever reason, I can’t think of sugar cookies without the thought of butter cookies coming soon after. Butter transferred right over to peanut butter. Now I was on a tasty thought train. The tracks went right to cashew butter because I haven’t had it in a while and I wanted something different.

It was time to do recipe adapting. There really isn’t a whole lot of cashew butter recipes out there. Fortunately it is easy to use it in place of peanut butter. I started with a base for cookies with some sort of chocolate candy put on top when hot out of the oven. I didn’t want to use chocolate though. It could melt and be messy if picnicking on a hot day. Instead a single whole cashew did the trick.

How are the cashew butter bites? They are nutty, buttery, soft, and chewy. Note cashew butter has a milder flavor than peanut butter so the main flavor is less intense. These bites would pack marvelously for a picnic. What else would? I suggest Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Tomato Sandwiches. Scroll down to find more picnic cookie recipes too.

5 from 2 votes

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Cashew Butter Bites

Cashew Butter Bites are made with creamy cashew butter and topped with a whole cashew. They are nutty, buttery, soft, and chewy.

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 21 minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 40

Author Renee

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 40 whole cashews roasted and salted

Instructions

1. Cream butter and cashew butter in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until well combined.
2. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat until combined.
4. Chill dough thoroughly, at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a total of 40 cups in 2 mini muffin pans.
6. Shape dough into 40 balls (about 1 tablespoon of dough per ball).
7. Place balls into greased muffin cups. Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and lightly press 1 whole cashew into each one.
9. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Recipe Notes

Cashew Butter Bites are made with creamy cashew butter and topped with a whole cashew. They are nutty, buttery, soft, and chewy.

The Creative Cookie Exchange theme this month is Pack for a Picnic Cookies. It’s any kind of cookie that sounds great for a picnic. If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura via email (thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com) and she will get you added to our Facebook group where discuss our cookies and share links.

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Blondies from A Baker’s House
• Browned Butter Lemon Cookies with Macadamia Nuts from The Spiced Life
• Cashew Butter Bites from Magnolia Days
• Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Noshing With The Nolands
• Chocolate Chip Cookies from SimplyVeggies
• Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies from Our Good Life
• Demerara Shortbread Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Gingham Picnic Cookies from Food Lust People Love
• Gluten-Free Trail Mix Cookies from Rhubarb and Honey
• Key Lime Coolers from 2 Cookin’ Mamas
• Naan Khatai – Indian Shortbread Cookies from Spiceroots
• Nutella Energy Bites by Study at Home Mama
• Raisin Biscuit Cookies from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Soft Brown Sugar Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks