Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Hummus Recipe

Clocking in at about 1 mg per serving, peanuts and peanut butter are a great source of zinc—an oft-unheralded mineral that grabbed a lot of headlines over the past year. Why? Because zinc is one of the best nutrients for boosting immunity, a hot topic during the pandemic.

Zinc is essential for immune cell development and communication, and even mild deficiencies can suppress immune function. A review of studies showed that zinc alleviated cough, sore throat, and fever if taken with 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Other research shows that this trace mineral can reduce the duration of the common cold by 33 percent, and up to 40 percent. And findings presented at the September 2020 ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease showed that zinc could help reduce Covid-19 severity. Recommended doses for zinc supplementation range from  10mg to 15mg daily.

Of course, it’s a lot more fun to snack your way to better immunity, and this Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Hummus is so tasty you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. You can also use it as a more traditional dip with crisp apple slices, or as a spread over banana spears with a little sprinkle of cinnamon. To make it into a fun dessert, scoop a few tablespoons into individual shot glasses, and provide a selection of toppings for a DIY cookie dough “sundae” bar. Try mini chocolate chips, sliced fresh berries, juice-sweetened grape or strawberry jam, or chocolate syrup.

March is National Peanut Month, so we’re spotlighting flavor-packed peanut recipes throughout the month.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Hummus