These Homemade Peanut Puffs are light, crispy, and melt in your mouth, with a gentle peanut flavour little ones love. They're made with just a few simple ingredients and baked low and slow, so they're a fun, toddler-friendly snack to tuck into a snack cup for the park, or on-the-go outings.
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These Homemade Peanut Puffs for Toddlers are the newest addition to my puff collection, and if you've made my Pumpkin Spice Puffs, the method will feel very familiar. This time, powdered peanut butter gets folded into the whipped egg whites! A fun way to mix it up and keep peanut on the menu once it's been introduced (provided your little one does not have an allergy)!
While inspired by the store bought peanut butter puffs, they are a little different as they are using an egg white structure to create that light puffy texture!
Why You'll Love These Peanut Puffs
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture: Baked low and slow until light and crisp, so they dissolve easily.
- Peanut in a fun format: A simple way to keep peanut in regular rotation once your child has had it safely.
- Great for self-feeding: Small, easy-to-grab puffs are perfect for practicing the pincer grasp.
- Low-mess and portable: Perfect for a reusable snack cup on the go.
Ingredients for Peanut Puffs for Toddlers
You only need a few ingredients for these homemade peanut puffs!
- Egg whites: The base of the puffs. Whipped to stiff peaks, they give the puffs their light, airy structure. Make sure there is no egg yolk at all - even a small amount will keep the whites from whipping up.
- Cream of tartar: A small amount helps stabilize the egg whites so they whip up and hold their shape. This one is a must for this recipe.
- Maple syrup: Adds just a touch of sweetness and helps stabilize the whipped egg whites.
- Vanilla - Helps bring out more of the peanut flavour.
- Powdered peanut butter: I use PB2, which is peanut butter with most of the oil pressed out. It gives these puffs their peanut flavour and folds into the whipped egg whites without weighing them down.
- Cinnamon (optional): A touch of cinnamon helps round out the peanut flavour!
Peanut and egg are both common food allergens, so these puffs are best offered once your child has already had both safely. If you have any questions about introducing allergens, check in with your child's healthcare provider.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Peanut Puffs
These homemade peanut puffs use the same method as some of my other baked puffs. The key is whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then folding very gently so you keep as much air in them as possible.
Separate the eggs and add just the whites to a completely clean, dry stainless steel bowl. There can't be any egg yolk in the whites, so separate each egg over a small bowl first if that's easier.
Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they're frothy (about 10-20 seconds).
Add the cream of tartar, maple syrup, and vanilla (and cinnamon if using) to the frothy egg whites.
Continue whisking until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes). This step is very important - if the egg whites don't reach stiff peaks, the puffs won't hold their shape.
Sprinkle the powdered peanut butter to the side of the bowl, not on top of the egg whites.
Very gently fold the powdered peanut butter in with a spatula. It may not look completely combined, and that's okay.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag, snip a small hole in the corner, and pipe small puffs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 200°F for 1.5 hours. Turn the oven off and leave the puffs inside for another 30 minutes to firm up.
Top Tips:
- Use a metal or glass bowl to whip the egg whites. The type of bowl does actually make a big difference for whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks! Don't use a plastic bowl, a metal or glass bowl is best.
- Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and dry before you start. Any moisture, grease or egg yolk will keep the egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. Even the tiniest bit of egg yolk makes a huge difference!
- Fold gently: I can't stress this enough! Use a spatula to gently fold the peanut powder into the egg whites. You want to make sure you keep as much air in the whipped egg whites as possible.
- If you have any issues with the peanut puffs collapsing during baking, be sure to check your cream of tartar to make sure it isn't expired!
Substitutions
I don't recommend any swaps for this one - it's a recipe to make as written. These puffs rely on whipped egg whites for their structure, so a few details really make a difference!
Variations
If your little one loves these, try one of my other puff flavours. The Pumpkin Spice Puffs are a cozy fall option, and the Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Puffs are another favourite in our house.
For another peanut snack, my Peanut Butter White Bean Energy Balls are a delicious snack option, or these Peanut Butter Chia Seed Crackers which are a family favourite over here.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Piping bag or zip-top bag
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Storage
Let the puffs cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them.
If they start to go a bit soft, pop them back in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to crisp them up again.
I noticed a huge difference when the humidity changed in our house and I left a few puffs out, they went soft quite quickly. But fear not, popping them back in the oven for a few minutes solves this!
Toddler Tip
These puffs are such a fun snack, but they aren't the most filling on their own. I like to pair them with something more filling, like yogurt and fruit, cheese and crackers, or veggies and hummus. Once peanut has been introduced, offering it regularly is a great idea, and a handful of these puffs in a snack cup makes that easy.
FAQ
These puffs dissolve easily, but because they contain a small amount of maple syrup, I recommend them primarily for toddlers. Current guidance is to avoid added sugar under the age of 2 when possible. They also contain peanut and egg, so make sure your child has already had both safely and is ready for finger foods.
I don't recommend it. Regular peanut butter contains a lot of oil, which will deflate the whipped egg whites and keep the puffs from holding their shape. Powdered peanut butter gives you the peanut flavour without the oil.
Stiff peaks give these puffs their structure. When you lift the beaters out, the peaks should stand straight up without flopping over. If the whites are still soft, the puffs will spread out on the baking sheet and won't crisp up.
Cream of tartar stabilizes the whipped egg whites so they hold their shape, even when you fold in the powdered peanut butter. It's a small amount, but it makes a big difference in this recipe.
Humidity, extra moisture, puff size and bake time can all leave puffs a bit soft. Pop them back in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to crisp them up again.
Recipe
Homemade Peanut Puffs
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Piping bag or zip-top bag
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites no yolk at all, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional, but adds a nice bit of flavour with the peanut!
- 1 tbsp and 1 tsp powdered peanut butter such as PB2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Separate the eggs and add just the whites to a completely clean, dry stainless steel bowl. There can't be any egg yolk in the whites, so separate each egg over a small bowl first if that's easier. Ideally, the egg yolks will be room temperature.
- Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they're frothy (about 10-20 seconds).
- Add the cream of tartar, maple syrup, vanilla, and optional cinnamon to the frothy egg whites.
- Continue whisking until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes). This step is very important - if the egg whites don't reach stiff peaks, the puffs won't hold their shape.
- Sprinkle the powdered peanut butter to the side of the whipped egg whites, not on top of the egg whites.
- Very gently fold the powdered peanut butter in with a spatula. Be careful not to knock any air out of the whipped egg whites!
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag, snip a small hole in the corner, and pipe small puffs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 200°F for 1 and a half hours. Turn the oven off and leave the puffs inside for another 30 minutes to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
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