These Vegan No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites Take Just 15 Minutes to Make

I'd be lying if I told you I didn't crave raw cookie dough nearly everyday of my life. I could eat it first thing when I wake up and would be the happiest human on planet Earth. It wasn't until a few months ago that I decided to do something about my severe appetite for such a sweet treat (don't fret, the solution was never to eliminate it). After some digging and messing around with a few recipes, I figured out how to make these vegan cookie dough bites.

They're clean, simple, and essentially instant (if you just want to eat the dough then and there). I have enabled the consumption of cookie dough at any time of the day. This is cookie dough that's not only good for you, but that also won't inflict stomach issues or sugar-induced headaches.

Nothing excites me more than great tasting food that's made out of real, whole food ingredients. This vegan cookie dough recipe is exactly that. These bites are made of unprocessed, real foods that are actually beneficial for your body. The base for this recipe is chickpeas, instead of traditional refined white flour. Chickpeas are a great source fiber, plant-based protein, manganese and folate and you can't even taste them in this recipe!

Medjool dates, a completely natural, unprocessed and healthy source of sugar are the primary ingredient that sweeten this cookie dough. Even if you end up adding the tablespoon of maple syrup for additional sweetness, it's still an unrefined natural sweetener that is far better for you than refined sugars. The peanut butter (which needs to be the peanuts-only kind), is a fantastic source of healthy fats, a little added protein, and a phenomenal nutty flavor. 

Before you question the use of chickpeas, try it. Once it's all combined, you won't even be able to tell you're consuming chickpeas. You'll fool anyone who tries them, yourself included. These vegan cookie dough bites are fantastic any time of the day, for any and every occasion. Good luck making these bad boys last for more than a couple days!

Vegan Cookie Dough Bites

• Prep Time:15 mins
• Cook Time:0
• Total Time:15 mins
• Servings:18
• Easy

Ingredients

• 15oz can chickpeas
• 6 - 8 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• Optional: 1 - 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup/more dates
• If needed: 1 1/2 tablespoons almond milk to help blend

• Step 1

  Drain the chickpeas, get rid of as much liquid as possible.

  

• Step 2

  Remove pits from your dates.

  

• Step 3

  Combine chickpeas, peanut butter, dates and pure vanilla extract to food processor, do not add the chocolate chips yet! Blend until smooth.

  

• Step 4

  Taste-test the batter, add an extra date (or two) or maple syrup if it isn't sweet enough for your liking. Additionally, the batter should be pretty sticky and thick. If you think it's not blending well enough, add no more than 1 1/2 tablespoons of almond milk if the consistency is too thick.

  

• Step 5

  Once your batter is well blended, it should resemble regular cookie dough. Now it's time to add in your chocolate chips; add as many or as few as you'd like. I personally like more dough-to-chips ratio, so I do 1/3 cup. Make sure to manually stir the chocolate chips; do not rely on your food processor to incorporate them, it'll chop them up and you will no longer have chocolate chips!

  

• Step 6

  Begin forming small cookie dough balls by creating little spheres within the palms of your hands. Depending on the size of your balls, this recipe can make between 18 - 22 bites.
  
  #SpoonTip: Wetting your hands with a little water and cleaning them after every few balls you roll will make the process much easier.

  

• Step 7

  Place your cookie dough bites on a plate separated from each other (they're quite sticky at first) and keep them in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.

  

• Step 8

  Enjoy!

  

These cookie dough bites are a definite game changer and have undoubtedly changed the way I think about "treats." It's liberating to make your own food and create recipes that not only taste great, but that are great for you. I encourage you to take on any food or recipe that's normally deemed "unhealthy" and figure out how to make it healthy and delicious. 

#SpoonTip: If you want to go the extra mile, feel free to melt some chocolate chips and dip the vegan cookie dough bites in them. Place them in the freezer for a half hour and you've got yourself chocolate-covered cookie dough bites!