A recipe post!
WOO HOO!
As much apathy as I’ve felt about blogging this summer, I really have missed posting recipes, so it feels good to be inspired again.
I stumbled upon this one over at Annie’s Eats (one of my favorite food blogs) and I had everything on hand so Grace and I whipped them up the other day.
Even though I didn’t follow the directions (oops!) they came together quickly and were very yummy! The first thing I thought was, “these taste a lot like peanut butter no-bakes!”
My mom never really made no-bake cookies growing up (probably because we loved her chocolate chip cookies so much) but I used to devour them whenever I was offered some at a friend’s house.
The chocolatey peanut buttery goodness combined with the “chew” of the oats in no-bake cookies is an addictive combo for me! This healthier version packs a bunch of protein and good fat to fill you up and still has that delicious flavor and chew that I’ve always loved.
The recipe calls for using a food processor to finely chop the oats, nuts and coconut flakes, but I think you could achieve a similar texture by using a blender to “chop” each of those separately to break them up. OR you could always leave the oats whole, chop the nuts by hand and leave the optional coconut flakes in tact. That might make these even more like traditional no-bake cookies!
Making your own peanut butter is one way to make these cookies even healthier. This article is a comprehensive guide to making your own peanut butter and would be a great place to start!
Whether you make your own peanut butter or use store bought, these cookies are a wonderful treat!
Without further ado…
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup shredded coconut (optional - use an extra ¼ cup of oats if you skip the coconut)
- 1 cup roasted almonds or other nuts (I used a leftover mix of roasted/unsalted cashews, pecans and almonds)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add the oats, shredded coconut, and almonds (or nut mix) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until ground into small pieces and then transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
- Combine the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate chips are completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the liquid over the oat mixture and stir together until fully combined.
- Using a scoop or tablespoon, portion out small balls of "dough", rolling them gently in your hands before setting them on a baking sheet. Once the balls are formed, chill in the refrigerator until firmly set, about 1-2 hours.
