Healthier No Bake Cookies

These Healthier No Bake Cookies have all of the attributes of the beloved classic but come in a more wholesome package. Combining simple, whole ingredients like rolled oats, coconut oil, almond milk, peanut butter, coconut flakes and naturally sweet maple syrup instead of sugar, this no bake cookie recipe is a healthier alternative to the original.

Healthier No Bake Cookies have all of the tasty, chewy bits and classic flavors of the original

No Bake Cookies are a classic comfort cookie. For a while there they felt as ubiquitous as Chocolate Chip Cookies. Well maybe it wasn't quite that level of notoriety but they were pretty popular for a minute there! Personally, I loved them as a kiddo but somehow I'd all but forgotten about them.

However, during a recent roadtrip pitstop, I bought a no bake cookie for on a whim. You know, for road snacking. And, ooheeey, that baby was sweet! I'd forgotten just how sugary no bakes are during the decades since I've had one or made them myself. This got me thinking, perhaps a recipe for Healthier No Bake Cookies may be in order. 

During a routine trip to the market, eggs were at the top of my list. But, the store was fresh out of eggs, an increasingly common occurrence these days. So, the next day while I was at Target buying freeze dried strawberries for my Big Pink Cookie recipe, I checked in on their egg situation.

Lo and behold, a Target team member just happened to be stocking eggs at that very moment in time. So I snagged a carton without realizing they cost $9.99 a dozen! The most I’ve paid for a dozen eggs, ever. Turns out, this may just be the start of an egg shortage that’ll likely end up lasting well into 2025. Tough news for a baker. 

No eggs, no butter & no flour needed

In an effort to avoid recipes with eggs, my thoughts circled back to no bake cookies. No baking, means so eggs necessary. Combining the egg shortage and my idea for creating some kind of Healthier No Bake Cookies, I got to work on this recipe. Simplicity and nourishment were at the forefront but I didn’t want to lose out on that quintessential peanut buttery, chocolate and chewy oat base. 

This recipe combines all of those classic no bake cookie personality traits but provides a healthier foundation to start from. I developed these Healthier No Bake Cookies as a tribute to the original without that sugar overload. They've got just is just enough sweetness to feel like a cookie with lots of healthier ingredients in the mix.

Make these No Bake Cookies with a handful of healthy ingredients

• Coconut oil is like the sticky glue that binds these cookies together. But ya know, in a healthy fats, cleaner eating kind of way.
• Maple syrup or honey works in 2 ways. Also as a sort of binding agent. But more importantly, as a natural sweetener. Most of the classic No Bake Cookie recipes call for loads of sugar! However, we dial it waaaay back in this Healthier No Bake Cookie recipe and replace the sugar with significantly less amounts of natural sweetness. 
• Almond milk helps to hydrate the cocoa powder and offers up a little creaminess to the cocoa as it simmers together. 
• Peanut butter or almond butter brings that classic nutty flavor along with natural binding sweetness. 
• Cocoa powder harkens back to the original, blending with the coconut oil, maple syrup and peanut butter to form the sticky base with a deep chocolatey flavor.
• Thick rolled oats give these cookies their ultra chewy texture and homey comfort.
• Coconut flakes also add a chewy component and a hint at natural sweetness.
• Vanilla rounds out the other flavors and amps up the “cookie” vibe of these no bake cookies.
• Salt is incorporated in 2 ways here. First, as a flavor balancer in the cookies with fine sea salt. And secondly in the form of sea salt flakes as an optional topping experience. If you’re a person that likes a little burst of briny saltiness with your chocolate, this is a must do move! A little sprinkle of sea salt flakes livens up these Healthier No Bake Cookies and really graduates them into grown up territory.

Just some common ingredients is all it takes to quickly make yourself a batch of these Healthier No Bake Cookies. And here’s some even better news, there is no need to lug out the mixer or turn on the oven for this no bake cookie recipe! The only “cooking” involved is simply warming the coconut oil together with the maple syrup and cocoa powder for a couple of minutes. 

As easy as 1, 2, 3. No really!

1. Simmer down now. Heat the coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a small saucepan for a few minutes. Whisk consistently until it's smooth and glossy. 

2. Stir it up. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla. Then stir in the salt, oats and coconut flakes. Stir until mixed and let it all hang together in the pan for a few so the oats can soak up some of that moisture. 

3. Scoop & set! Using a 2 TB cookie scoop, scoop small mounds onto a parchment, silpat or wax paper lined baking sheet. Use the scoop to spread the cookies slightly into disks. Top with those sea salt flakes, if you're into it. Then place the sheet of Healthier No Bake Cookies in the fridge to set up for at least an hour.

See, that’s it. That’s the whole thing. In just 3 incredibly easy steps, you can have chewy, chocolatey, peanut buttery and coconutty cookies. While these Healthier No Bake Cookies are indeed healthier, they still hit on all of the high notes of the original. 

I often call my simplest recipes easy bakers but this Healthier No Bake Cookies recipe is just straight easy, no baking necessary! In an era of high stress and eggs shortages, this feels like the right time for this healthier take on a nostalgic classic.

Since this Healthier No Bake Cookie recipe is made without all of that added sugar and mostly good for you ingredients, these little nuggets are ideal for a pre or post workout snacking situation too! Just maybe don't attempt taking them on a long hike in the warm sunshine. I learned that lesson the sticky way. While they may have crumbled and melted, they still tasted great at the top of Bishop's Peak.

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