Delicious No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
These allergy-friendly no-bake cookie dough bites are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, and just plain delicious!
I know I’ve said it time and time again but I honestly bow down to each of you who deal with food allergies on a personal level and also for those of you who work around food allergies on a small- or large-scale family level.
You are amazing! Seriously, so amazing. I have heard from hundreds of readers over the years who are cooking and baking gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, everything-free; the list goes on and on.
I personally don’t have to work around any food allergies (yet, at least!), but I want you to know how much I admire and respect those of you who do.
Even if my blog is not dedicated to any definite niche of eating, I try to post a wide variety of allergy-friendly recipes on this blog.
In the past, this gluten-free chocolate cake has been one of my most popular recipes for that given year, and here are the categories for allergy-friendly recipes (gluten-free, gluten-free adaptable, egg-free, dairy-free) that hopefully help those of you who desperately need recipes like that!
I have extended family members and lots of dear friends who deal with food allergies each and every day.
Learning more about their experiences has been eye-opening and quite honestly, a little humbling. It totally makes me grateful for our lack of food allergies – something we totally take for granted most days.
My friend, Megan, reminded me that this week (May 8-14) is National Food Allergy Awareness Week and it didn’t take me even three seconds to know that I wanted to post a delicious, easy, allergy-friendly recipe in tribute to all of those who live with food allergies day in and day out.
You know me well enough to know that even given my admiration for all the above, I still wouldn’t post a recipe if it wasn’t absolutely amazing.
And these little no-bake cookie dough bites are just that. Not only do they take literally minutes to put together, they are crazy delicious.
Kind of unbelievably so, really, given there is no refined sugar, and the base of the recipe is cashews. I have nothing against cashews, but I was a little skeptical when I first made them.
Let’s see, as far as I can tell, the laundry list of allergy-friendly items in this recipe are:
Gluten-free (make sure to use gluten-free oats!)
Dairy-free (with dairy-free chocolate chips – or sub in carob chips or cacao nibs)
Egg-free
Peanut-free (but NOT nut-free)
Soy-free
Vegan (if you use Vegan chocolate chips)
What else? I’m probably missing several others but those are the ones I noticed immediately.
UPDATE: what I assumed would be obvious may not be so – PLEASE keep in mind this recipe would clearly not be appropriate, and could be dangerous, for anyone allergic to cashews (or any other ingredient in the recipe).
We loooooove these little nuggets of healthy cookie dough goodness.
I make the cookie dough bites all the time because they are such a yummy and guilt-free treat to pull out of the fridge once (ok, five times) a day, and I’ve converted several friends and family members to their amazingness.
It didn’t take much work, let’s be honest. They are seriously dreamy!
Happy Allergy Awareness Week! If you deal with food allergies on a regular basis, keep on keeping on!
You are amazing for what you do. And if you don’t have to worry about food allergies, maybe this week would be a good opportunity to take a minute and think about those you know who do – and figure out how you can support them.
A few ideas that come to mind are:
-keeping allergy-free/friendly ingredients on hand for when these friends/family members are at your house,
-being aware (to the point of keeping a written list) of what they are allergic to,
-going out of your way to talk to them about it,
-control your reactions – instead of being irritated you might have to cook a gluten-free (or any kind of -free) meal for an upcoming get-together or function, be grateful that it’s a one-time obligation and not something you have to do every day of your life.
And then! If your friends or family members aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients, you should totally make these cookie dough bites for them.
One Year Ago: Simple and Delicious Sour Cream Muffins
Two Years Ago: Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli
Three Years Ago: Super Simple Spicy Thai Noodles
No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Peanut-Free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) unsalted cashews
- ½ cup (50 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats, if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (43 g) mini chocolate chips (use dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed)
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the cashews, oats, salt and cinnamon and process until the mixture is finely ground (but don’t overprocess until it becomes a paste!).
- Add the maple syrup and vanilla, and process until the dough forms a cohesive ball; this might take longer than you think. It should do more than just “come together,” the dough should stick together in one large mass.
- Remove the blade from the food processor and add the chocolate chips, kneading them in with your hands.
- Scoop out tablespoon-size portions of dough and roll into balls with your hands. Refrigerate to firm up a bit or eat immediately.
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Recipe Source: adapted ever so slightly from The Kitchn
Not quite allergy free since it is made with tree nuts (cashews) unfortunately. If I ate one of those I’d land in the ER! Gluten free foods are not easy to find if you have a tree nut allergy.
I do not have a food processor….just a smoothly maker…so the first part ok…just not mixing into a ball…would these still turn out making by hand?
Definitely worth a try!
I’ve been looking for sugar free and flour free recipes and this is amazing! I was out of maple syrup, so I tried it with honey. It was a decent sub. It did end up pretty sticky though, so I rolled the bites in shredded coconut and that turned out amazing!! Thanks for this yummy recipe!
I want to make the no bake cookie dough bites but he is allergic to nuts also. What else can I use?
It might be best to try a different recipe – I haven’t found a sub that works quite as well unfortunately.
Holy cow. I can not believe how people trashed you over this recipe. If you do not like the recipe or will not use it, move on. Not everyone is going to like every recipe.
My son has a peanut allergy. I read recipes all the time. I never have been put off by what someone else is putting on their site. The Google world has put so much at our finger tips. It is easier than ever to find recipes for someone with food allergies.
I made these with almond flour, (didn’t have cashews on hand) and a little peanut butter powder (which made the dough a little dry), so I added three tablespoons of coconut milk. All five kids who ate them declared them to be worth making again. Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! These were fantastic. My family ate them in one sitting. No wonder my sister hides them in her freezer.
I just made these with macadamia nuts–yum! I used the nuts frozen so that might have helped keep things from getting too oily.
I agree; these are dreamy!
These are soooooo good and very simple to make! My kids are tired of classic “energy bites” and granola bars. This was a welcome change!
I’m exploring vegan recipes and thought these tasted awesome! These are a delicious alternative to tide me over until I can make your double chocolate chip cookies again
These are delicious!! I have made them two times in two days. They were supposed to be for my husband’s gluten-free cousin, but they didn’t last! I think I improved my technique with the second batch. I over-processed the first batch, and they got warm enough in the food processor to partly melt the chocolate chips. For the second batch, I used a tiny bit more maple syrup to help hold them together, processed them for a much shorter time, and cooled the dough a little in the fridge before mixing in chocolate chips. These are fabulous!
These are unbelievably good!!! I made them for my vegan niece then realized that the chocolate chips I used weren’t vegan so I happily ate them and will make some more for her! I was really surprised that they actually taste like cookie dough. Yum!!
Very yummy! Did yours turn out more nutty or creamy?
I would say a little of both.
I am excited to try these! If I use salted cashews would it be salt overload? What if I cut out the salt in the recipe? Thanks for your help! These sound so yummy!
I do think the overall taste might be too salty. You can rinse the salted cashews and dry them very well – that helps, too!
I’m wondering if these would work with almonds. My son is allergic to peanuts AND cashews, but otherwise they look delicious!
I think it’s definitely worth a try!
Ack! Almost got my mixing bowl out but sigh, cashews. My son is 10 and has serious peanut and all tree nut allergies. We found out when he was 2. It’s not easy but keeping him safe is worth it. Thanks for peaking into our lives a little and validating the struggle. You are awesome!
Darn, sorry, Amanda!
We have dairy and soy food intolerances at our house so these fit well into our lives. Super yummy. I made them twice this week. Thanks!
While these look delicious its unfortunate this was posted on Allergy Awareness week. Peanut/Tree nut allergies are one of the bigger more common allergies out there (and can also be incredibly dangerous and schools), many schools across the country now go so far as to be totally nut free because it is such a dangerous allergy. While the recipe looks delicious it s sad to me this is the recipe you choose to highlight for this cause. Would love to see a re-do without the cashews.
I’ve seen recipes like this use chickpeas with great success.
Hi Mel! Thanks for this recipe. I just made these and similar to the comment above it did not come together as a ball so I let it keep running for several minutes and my food processor got very hot and I could smell something burning. So I stopped it and the dough was really, really greasy (like puddles of grease). Maybe because it processed too long? Any ideas on what went wrong? Thanks!
Hmmm, that’s weird, Sarah. What brand/type of cashews did you use?
Hi Mel. I used Planter’s. The person who commented just before me said something similar about grease. Wonder if I processed them too long?
That might be the case – probably due to all food processors being a little different in power and speed. Right when it forms that ball you can turn off the processor. I hope they work out if you try them again!
Made these today and they are SUPER yummy! I’ve made other energy bite/lara bar recipes and I have an issue with them coming out very greasy. An in they look like I rolled them in oil after I was done which makes them rather messy to eat. My only guess is I’m over processing them? Any input? I’d love to make more of these for an upcoming trip but the grease factor makes these less than ideal for traveling.
Hi Miranda – are you saying these cookie dough bites were greasy or the other recipes you’ve tried are greasy?
I’ve made these a couple times and they’ve come out beautifully. The last batch I made, however, came out very greasy and messy. Any idea why this may have happened?
Did you use the same brand of ingredients as the other times?
I have now tried to make these 3 times and they always turn out too dry. The dough is a little crumbly but when I work it together with my hands it stays in balls fine but taste very dry. Do I just need to run it in the food processor longer?
Are there bits of chunky cashews in the dough or is it fairly smooth? You might try adding just a bit of water if the dough is that crumbly.
It’s fairly smooth. I will try adding a little water next time! Thanks!
These look amazing. I can’t wait to try them out!
I only had 1 tbsp of syrup, but I wanted these right now, so I did a 1/3 size in my tiny food processor and these are awesome! They hit the cookie dough craving for an 8 month pregnant woman, and they were healthier to boot! Thanks for your hard work on this fantastic site. Next time I make this, is there any reason I can’t use my vitamix blender instead?
Someone commented in the thread above they tried it with their blender and it didn’t work (but it might not have been a vitamix). Worth a try, I think!
I have tried every type of nut /oat ball out the and this is hands down the best recipe! ! It really tasted like cookie dough! I’m so excited, thank you thank you Mel!!
I have to admit that I was very skeptical. A recipe that takes minutes to throw together and uses ingredients i already have in my pantry?!? I should know by now- never doubt Mel. These were like a party in my mouth. So excited to feed these to the kids for breakfast this morning. They’re nutritious, simple and delicious. Thank you so much for yet another recipe to put in my repertoire.
Thanks so much for everything. I use your recipes multiple times a week and have so many people fooled into thinking I’m a kitchen genius when really i just have incredibly reliable recipes from you.
As for the angry commenters, well haters gonna hate. You’re amazing.
Thank you for taking the time to share a recipe during this important week. Allergy awareness is so important and the fact that you found a recipe that could be used by many families is wonderful. I can tell you have a kind heart and appreciate your willingness to recognize the struggle that many of us food allergy parents deal with. It is an everyday battle we fight. I enjoy your recipes and always adapt the recipes to suit our food allergy needs. Thank you again and I appreciate your wonderful recipes!
Hi Mel – just making these today and wondered if you have a rough estimate for how long it takes the dough to form a cohesive ball in the food processor? Thanks!
Hi Nancy – a lot will depend on the speed/power of your food processor, but I usually let mine run 2-3 minutes for that part of this recipe. Does that help?
Mel,
Wow, thank you so much for this post. My son has several severe food allergies (dairy, eggs, nuts, peanuts, beans, lentils, and peas), and feeding him through the years has been quite a challenge. It is so comforting to read compassionate posts like this! Thank you thank you for your awareness and concern. I have been a fan of yours for years ever since I lived in your stake in Wisconsin and love LOVE love your recipes. You have changed the way I cook and feed my family…I’ve converted several of my sisters and sisters in law to your site! I’ve adapted many of your recipes to fit our allergy needs and I’m excited to adapt this one! I’ve seen the comments suggesting sunflower seeds, and I also want to try using hemp seed hearts.. we’ll see how it goes! Sorry for the mean comments about this recipe, I’m amazed by your graciousness in your replies. Thank you for thinking of others and bring so aware!!! Also, just a side note, I really look up to you as a mother. I can just tell that you are such an involved, organized, careful mom and that you really teach your kids well. Thanks for your example! And again, thanks for your allergy awareness and compassion and for posting this recipe!
Thank you for a delicious, sugar-free, allergy friendly recipe! These are dynamite! I am loading up on maple syrup and cashews next Costco visit so I can make these all summer long for us and our friends with allergies.
Can’t wait to try these!
I made these yesterday, and boy are they delicious. I made mine a little bigger so I got 9 out of the recipe. Definitely doubling the recipe next time as they are almost gone already. A great snack to take on the go. Thanks Mel.
Yes!! So excited to make these!! Thank you!
Hi Mel, how long did you process before the ball formed? I did about 10 mins and no ball. Plus my processor started to smoke. Wondering if it’s my machine or if it needs even longer than that?
Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good. It shouldn’t take that long. If that happens, you might need to add a bit of water or a tad more maple syrup to help it come together (or make sure the ingredients in the first step are finely ground). It should only take a couple minutes. Sorry about that!
I am amazed by how many people are complaining about this recipe. Of course not all recipes will be friendly to all allergies there are too many. just be happy that there is someone like her out there trying and letting you view her recipes for free! quit complaining and get over yourselves.I have dairy allergies dye allergies cashew allergies and gluten allergies in my family and I am just happy she is trying
Thank you. Our gluten free house appreciates finding recipes that taste like real food.
This recipe looks awesome. While I have a kiddo that is allergic to tree-nuts, I still think it’s great that you are aware of food allergies and posted a recipe that is safe for some that suffer from allergies. Great job!
Ok, I don’t have any allergies. Can I throw a bunch of allergy-non-friendly ingredients in this just to be rebellious? Mel, you are my hero. Your responses to these comments have been level-headed and so fair. Blogging must be a frustrating world sometimes, but you handle it with kindness and grace. You can’t make everyone happy 100% of the time. But your recipes usually make my family’s tummies happy, thank you for all that you do!
Thank you to everyone who has chimed in with your thoughts about food allergies and for all of your kind words. I do sincerely apologize, again, for any hurt I may have unintentionally caused today. Hopefully Wednesday’s post will be a little less exciting. 🙂
Take a deep breath. 🙂 You are awesome!
Can I just ask whether the cashews should be raw or roasted?
I use raw cashews but as long as they are unsalted, it doesn’t really matter (I think the original recipe was developed to officially be “raw” which is why they used the raw cashews).
Mel, I was shocked to see the backlash in the comments! I have life-threatening food allergies myself, and I appreciate you even addressing the subject. I have been met with more than my share of insensitivity concerning my food allergies, so I hate to see you attacked for being sensitive and considerate in a way that most people are not.
Yes, many of your recipes call for ingredients I am severely allergic to, but I do not take offense. I either pass on the recipe or adapt it to my needs (this has made me a much better cook, by the way). PLEASE keep on keepin’ on. Thank you for all of your hard work and your wonderful recipes.
Looking forward to trying this one Mel. I asked Brian for ramekins for Mother’s Day so I can make your molten lava cakes. I’m making your Beef with Broccoli tomorrow with baked brown rice. And my cinnamon chips just arrived from King Arthur so as soon as I get my hands on my favorite buttermilk I making the scones! Don’t know what I’d do without you. I definitely would not be the kitchen Rockstar that I am. I pray you will be encouraged and blessed this week. 🙂
Thank you for sharing with all of us allergy peeps. Isn’t Megan amazing and you must be to since you were so willing to share your recipes for Allergy Awareness Week. Can’t wait to try these.