Do you need a quick treat that is free of refined sugar, gluten and dairy but also full of fiber?
No Oven Required
We always had a little family meeting on Monday nights when I was growing up. We didn’t get desserts most nights after dinner but after that family meeting we always received a treat of some kind.
Living in Arizona, where the hot months are more dominant than the cold months, my mom was always looking for a treat that didn’t require the oven. No bake cookies was a quick solution with a huge bonus, they are naturally gluten free.
Tweaking It
I have tweaked the recipe over the years and love these little cookies now more than I did then. They were always naturally gluten free because the only grain used is oats. But, I also change the butter for coconut oil to make them dairy free.
Also, we make some swaps with the sweetener. Refined sugars are a problem in our house and so we switch them for a smaller amount of a more natural sweetener. They are still sweet and delicious.
I love to add chopped up pecans to this. It increases the fiber and makes them more filling. If you don’t have pecans, any nut will do. I have used slivered or sliced almonds or chopped cashews. Walnuts would work great as well.
Seed or No Seed
My little guy with vitamin absorption problems needs high nutrition foods and this little cookie becomes a powerhouse for him when we add a seed mixture.
The seed mixture is not necessary and can be left out but, I love the nutritional boost it adds, as well as the crunch.
He also can’t have peanut butter so I make his batch with cashew butter or sunflower butter.
Gluten Free?
If gluten free is necessary at your house, make sure your oats are gluten free.
I often use sprouted oats in this recipe. If you have a hard time digesting oats, try a sprouted or soaked version. It might help.
I prefer the texture of quick oats in this recipe and the only sprouted oats I have are rolled oats. It is simple to throw them in the blender or food processor and pulse a few times to make them a little smaller.
These cookies come together quickly and are awesome to keep in the freezer for a fast snack or treat.
Tweaked No Bake Cookies
½ cup coconut oil
1 cup peanut butter
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup honey
¼ cup cacao or cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 ½ cup quick oats
2-3 tablespoons seeds (optional)
Add coconut oil, peanut butter, and sweeteners to a saucepan. Warm over low heat and stir until everything is melted, blended and smooth.
Remove from heat. Add cacao powder, salt, pecans, oats, and seeds, if desired. Stir until well combined.
Use a cookie scoop and scoop desired size on a cookie sheet. I like to use use a silicone mat on my cookie sheet.
Place sheet in freezer and freeze until cookies are firm. These cookies will not firm up unless they are frozen and they soften quickly when out of the freezer.
After the cookies are frozen firmly, I place them in a freezer bag or tupperware and store in the freezer. They will last a few weeks in the freezer.
Tweak It Notes
- COCONUT OIL – If coconut is a problem, swap it for dairy free butter or butter.
- PEANUT BUTTER – You can use any nut butter or even sunflower seed butter to be nut free. We like it best with sunflower butter if we can’t use peanut butter.
- SWEETENER – Use all honey or all maple syrup, if desired.
- PECANS – You can swap almonds, walnuts or cashews for the pecans. If you need it to be nut free you can add more oats (about 3/4 cup in place of the 1 cup nuts) or use pumpkin seeds.
