No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
This article has been updated since original posting.
I have an exceptionally yummy recipe to share with you that will cure your cookie cravings sans oven…and refined sugar! My healthy oatmeal cookie dough bites are easy to make, no bake and have ingredients you can feel good about eating.
Maybe you are embarking on a new diet for the new year, or perhaps you are like me and have had a busy holiday baking season. I simply don’t want to make a large batch of cookies or turn on my oven on this week. It’s nice having a sweet small bite to eat throughout the week and these cookie dough bites offer a perfect taste of sweetness without having to feel guilty or occupy time baking. Bonus points, they make a wonderful snack and are great additions to kids lunches.
Why I Love This Recipe
Oat flour, almond flour, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, coconut oil and chocolate chips are all you need to make these healthy, no-bake cookie dough bites. It takes less than 10 minutes to mix them up and less than 5 to scoop them into bite sized pieces. They are fudgy, chewy, sweet, and a great substitute for cookies. Let’s be honest though, nothing can really compare to butter, sugar and flour in terms of texture and mouth feel. What we can achieve with this recipe is a very close copycat to raw cookie dough. It is vegan and refined sugar free and because it uses coconut oil, it is best eaten straight from the fridge cold. You can feel good about this recipe as a healthy snack for you and your family.
Both of my kiddos had a dairy allergy when they were very young. As a mom it was important for me to be able to nurse both of them when they were newborns, so I gave up dairy in order to do so for several months. I was dairy free for almost a year with my first and 6 months with my second. I began to incorporate a lot of coconut oil as a dairy free option in baked goods and treats. These cookie dough bites remind me of a time that I was stressed out and very hungry. I really wanted a sweet, comforting, cold snack to sink my teeth into during those late-night nursing sessions and I needed it to be a quick recipe I could whip up with little time to spare. I snacked on them all the time and they got me through some pretty tough days. I love that I can share them with my kiddos now that they are older.
Ingredients You Need
-Coconut oil-you can use any plant-based butters if you don’t like the taste of coconut oil and you want to still keep it vegan friendly. Earth balance and Violife are two brands I have used often in dairy free desserts with wonderful results. You can also use real butter in this recipe as well, it will come out just as yummy.
-Oat Flour- I blend mine until it turns into a fine powder. This is called oat flour and it has a nice nutty flavor that pairs well with the coconut flavor of the coconut oil. The texture is chewy, kind of like a granola bar that has been finely milled. It creates a nice texture when mixed with the other ingredients.
-Almond Flour (optional)-I like the texture that almond flour gives the faux dough, but you can omit it and add more oat flour in its place. You can also substitute other flours if you have them. I have used coconut flour and whole wheat flour with good results. Be sure to heat treat the whole wheat flour for a minute in your microwave if using. Wheat flours can harbor nasty bacteria when they are uncooked.
-Salt. To add flavor to the oats and bring out the sweetness. Oat flour can take on kind of a cardboard flavor when it’s uncooked, so we want to add salt to give it flavor and bring out the sweetness of the maple syrup.
-Maple Syrup. This is my sweetener of choice because it adds a nice flavor in combination with the nuttiness of the oat flour and a slight bitterness from the dark chocolate. You can also use brown sugar, honey or agave syrup as a substitute.
-Dark Chocolate Chips. I love using Lilly’s dark chocolate chips for these. They are sugar free, organic, vegan and their dark chocolate chips are mini so they work great for a perfect chocolate bite. Any chocolate chip you prefer would be great to use and even your favorite chocolate bar chopped up would be a great addition.
Additional Notes
This recipe can be doubled if you want to make extra for a larger crowd. I get roughly 16 one-ounce bites from this recipe.
You can also substitute chocolate chips for dried fruit or chopped nuts.
My favorite combos are:
-chopped apricot and walnuts
-cranberries and white chocolate
-raisins and pecans- I will usually add in a sprinkle of cinnamon to this combo. Tastes just like oatmeal raisin cookies.
-coconut and chopped macadamia nuts
How I Make This Recipe
I start out with old fashioned oats and make oat flour. You can buy oat flour at the store, but this is the exact same thing and much cheaper to make at home.
In the blender I pulse the oats until they look like flour. I shake up the contents and pulse blend, going back and forth between shaking up the container and blending to make sure I get all the oats blended up.
In a medium bowl I add melted coconut oil, or butter if using, and mix with maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. I add in the oat flour and almond flour and mix those in with a large spoon.
Add in chocolate chips and mix well. Place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. I use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to form little bites, but a tablespoon works just as well.
Scoop out onto a parchment lined baking tray and place back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set up. You can roll the dough in between your hands to smooth out the edges of the dough.
That’s it. Super Easy. You can store in your fridge for up to a week, but I doubt they will make it that long. They are addicting!
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do please tag, follow and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. I post new recipes every Tuesday and Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil melted but not hot.
- 1½ cups oat flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 4 tblspns maple syrup
- ½ tspn salt
- 1 tspn vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil in microwave for 10-20 seconds. Alternatively you can leave the coconut oil out on a warm counter for 10 minutes until it is soft and melted.
- Add vanilla extract, salt and maple syrup to coconut oil and stir.
- In blender, blend oats until you reach a floury consistency. Add to the coconut oil and mix.
- Add in chocolate chips and mix until combined.
- Place bowl of dough into fridge to firm up for 10 minutes if you find it to be too soft. You can also add in more oat flour or almond flour if it is too soft.
- Scoop out 1 ounce portions of dough onto parchment lined baking tray. You can use a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon.
- Roll out dough between your palms to smooth out the edges.
- Refrigerate dough for another 5-10 minutes then transfer to a covered container to store.
- Best when eaten cold. Can be stored in fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!
