Dark Chocolate Almond Butter No Bakes (GF, DF, Sugar free, Semi-Raw )

 
     Chocolate no bake cookies have to be one of my absolute favorite desserts. They’re moist and chewy like cookie dough, but have a little more satisfactory substance to them. I used to sit down and eat 10 at a time whenever my mom made a batch. Puppy chow is another downfall of mine, but that’s a post for another day.

   Unfortunately, the last time I picked up some store bought no bakes I spit out the very first bite. That sugary, gloppy mess was nothing short of gross. Homemade ones typically aren’t much better as far as health goes. My go to recipe book sitting in my kitchen cupboard calls for 2 cups of refined sugar. Yikes!

   So last night I went on a quest for the perfect chocolate no bakes. Luckily for me this recipe came together with little effort and minimal fuss. These contain natural sugars from real maple syrup, but they’re quite healthy as far as cookies go. Cocoa powder offers this nutrient that an estimated 75% of Americans are deficient in, while coconut oil nourishes skin and provides healthy essential fats (read about it here).

      AND…unlike every other no bake recipe I’ve seen, these can be made semi- raw, so you’re getting the full benefits of the raw coconut oil. I prefer not to use raw cocoa powder and almond butter due to the phytic acid content, but it is an option.

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 2 & 1/2 cups quick oats

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium/low heat until warm and combined, stirring constantly.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, continuing to stir until combined. Do not let this mixture get too hot to touch.
3. As soon as all of the ingredients are mixed together turn off the heat.
4. Spoon mounds of the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the freezer or fridge until firm. About 10 minutes in the freezer, 20 in the fridge.
5. Yields 2 dozen cookies.