Cookie Bites, No Bake, No Stovetop, GF Vegan

Just like the after-school snack you loved as a kid, only healthy

No Bake, No Stovetop Cookie Bites: From The Abundance Diet by Somer McCowan, photo by Ann Oliverio. With permission from Vegan Heritage Press.

One day Somer was trying to make a raw-ish brownie out of dates, nuts, and chocolate. Instead, her creation tasted just like those no-bake cookies that her Mom always made as an afterschool snack - that Somer LOVED.

Voila! No Bake, No Stovetop Cookie Bites!

Total prep time: 20 min

16 Servings

Nutrition Data Per Serving 27g (2 cookie bites): 104 cal, fat cal 37, 17g carb, 11g sugars, 4g fat, 20mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein, low saturated Fat & Cholesterol, good source Copper, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 8.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 3/4 cup pitted soft medjool dates (8 - 10 dates)
• Pinch sea salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp vegan dark chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar or pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the nuts, oats, dates, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and maple syrup
2. Process until finely crumbled. Continue processing until the mixture starts to hold together into a mass
3. If your mixture seems dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it adheres
4. With wet hands, press the dough into an 8x4-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper
5. Refrigerate the dough until firm
6. Remove the parchment and the chilled dough from the loaf pan and cut into 1-inch x 1-inch cookie pieces
7. These cookies keep nicely well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months

SV Recipe Tips:

A food processor is almost a necessity for making this recipe super fast. If you don't have one, chop everything finely with a sharp knife and mix it all with a spatula and even your hands. Yes, you got that right!

When I made the Cookie Bites recipe I used pitted deglet dates which were very moist and I used too many, so my bars were a bit gooey, but tasted amazing. If I'd added about 2 Tbsp shredded coconut, or another 2 Tbsp cashews, they would have been perfect.

Soft pitted deglets are less work and cheaper than Medjools. Plus they have less calories, sugars and carbs, reducing the glycemic load somewhat. My deglets were just a little TOO soft!

I didn't have peanut butter, so I used almond butter instead. That might have made the bars more soft.

Next time I make these Cookie Bites, I'm going to try using prunes instead of dates and cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips - just for fun!