I don’t make desserts often, but when I do, we usually stick to low or no-sugar options like chia seed pudding. Still, my kids had been asking to help create some new blog recipes (since I try to let them help out in the kitchen as much as possible) and I remembered the no-bake cookies I used to make as a child with my mom.
I realized that these would be really simple for my kids to make and that a few substitutions would make them healthier by increasing the protein and fiber and still keep the same texture and flavor as the originals that we used to make.
I gave them the basic recipe I used as a kid and the ingredients we were using to substitute and let them take charge of this recipe. They did a great job (especially with the taste-testing part) and while I ended up with a few extra dishes, they created this recipe pretty much on their own.
Grain-Free No-Bake Cookies: Ingredient Substitutions
The original recipe calls for instant oatmeal, butter, peanut butter, and refined white sugar. These aren’t ingredients we typically use, but they are really easy ingredients to replace with other and more nutritious options:
- Coconut flakes make a great substitute for oatmeal. If you have bigger coconut flakes, pulse them in a food processor for a couple of seconds to create the same size and texture as instant oats.
- Coconut oil is a great dairy-free substitute for butter in almost any recipe and it doesn’t disappoint in this one. Of course, if you can tolerate dairy and prefer butter, absolutely use it.
- Peanut butter is easily replaced with almond butter, pecan butter, or tahini (we love these raw nut butters that are soaked, sprouted and dehydrated before being made into butters).
- White sugar can be replaced with maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar, and I’ve found that you can use much less than the regular recipe calls for. Using stevia tincture is another good option to reduce the sweetener even more.
- For more of a traditional (baked) chocolate cookie, try this recipe.
We also experimented with adding chopped nuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chopped dried fruit to the recipe and they all worked really well. As long as you keep the basic proportions of the ingredients, there are endless ways to mix up this recipe. This is our favorite variation:
Coconut No-Bake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup honey, or coconut sugar, or stevia drops to taste
- ¼ cup cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter pecan butter, or tahini
- 2-3 cups shredded coconut flakes
Instructions
- Melt butter or coconut oil in a large saucepan.
- Stir in sweetener and cocoa powder and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2-3 minutes or until it bubbles, but be careful not to let it burn.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla and almond/pecan butter and stir until smooth.
- Add two cups coconut and mix to combine. Add more coconut if needed until finished mixture is thick and somewhat crumbly, but scoopable.
- Use a spoon to scoop the mixture onto a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet in cookie-sized servings.
- Place baking sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes until they have hardened.
- Store in an air-tight container in the freezer until ready to consume to maintain the texture.
Notes
Nutrition
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My kids love helping out in the kitchen, and this recipe is an easy way for younger kids to help out with an easy recipe that they will love to eat once finished, especially since they can help choose which ingredients to add!
Which desserts did you make as a child? Do you ever still make them?
Natural Bubble Bath Recipe for Kids
The recipe is so simple and easy to follow. Can’t wait to try it.
Why do you recommend maple sugar or honey over ordinary sugar? They all contain pure sugar as their main ingredient. And sugar is much cheaper and easier to use,
Regular white sugar is actually not pure sugar; maple syrup and honey truly are natural sources of sugar. They are great substitutes for baking, etc. but also shouldn’t be over-used as a sweetener.
Are you kidding me?
So just to clarify…these are actually a frozen dessert?
Yes. You can set them out when ready to serve but if left in the heat, etc. they may start to melt.
Boxed brownies and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups were our culprits. Need the best recipe substitutes for them because there are so many!!. And I was going to attempt to ask you a good replacement for oats in recipes like these because I found one using bananas, oats, honey, and almond butter. So, perfect timing with the coconut flakes. I’m gonna try substituting this weekend and try this recipe too!!
Unless you have issues with oatmeal, you could still use oatmeal in this recipe. Rolled oats do not have to be cooked to eat them. I prefer rather fine cut rolled oats for this sort of cookie. I love cut up dates with it too. I also use soaked raisins for sweetener, but I would suppose the cookies might have to then be kept refrigerated. The English do a no bake oatmeal bar which is commonly sold in bakeries, my husband is English so we go there ever so often, I indulge a bit at the pastry shops and have a Cream Tea with an English Scone and that lovely Devon heavy cream!
Your blogs are among the most interesting and useful that I follow. Thanks Katy.
It sounds yummy. The recipe says to add the oats/coconuts after removing from heat. I am planning on using gluten-free oats because I don’t like coconuts. Shouldn’t oats be cooked before consuming?
My mom made apple crisp and peanut butter cookies like none other! I have figured out a more healthy work around for both of these and occasionally make the real deal without gluten or white refined sugar!
I would love both of those recipes of possible, please! We are slowly working toward a real food diet (lifestyle) and it’s hard for us to just royally cut out all the desserts. But, with that I’m trying to make them healthier when we do them. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Hmmm…didn’t know that. I appreciate the response.
These sound yummy…will try them. Just a question though; I’m a bit of a natural crunchy peanut butter addict. Is peanut butter not as healthy as other but butters? My peanut butter has no additives…just peanuts.
It depends on the individual and how they handle it. It’s technically a legume and not a nut…
This looks genius. Thanks for sharing.