I make a big batch of fresh almond milk each week, and up until now, I’ve been at a loss for what to do with the leftover pulp.
As I understand it, much of the nutrition from the almonds is released during the blending process and transferred into the almond milk, which is why the remaining almond pulp is rather bland and lacks the texture of traditional almond flour. This is why I’ve had no issue throwing almond pulp into the compost bin up until now, but due to high demand for almond pulp recipes, I kept at it, even if the first few experiments were not very successful.
Luckily, I’ve finally come up with a solution that’s both easy and delicious.
Raw cookie dough bites!
These bite-sized treats feature coconut oil, almond butter and pure maple syrup, which when combined with dried almond pulp, create the texture and mouth feel of traditional cookie dough–> without any raw eggs to worry about!
As I’ve mentioned before, coconut oil, along with other healthy fats, are key to brain health and may actually boost metabolic function. Almonds not only contain additional healthy fat, but are also associated with lowering cholesterol and are a hefty source of magnesium and vitamin E. With an extra boost of fiber from the almond pulp, this naturally sweetened cookie dough is actually something you can feel good about eating!
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Raw Cookie Dough Bites (Vegan)
makes 16 bite-sized pieces
Ingredients:
1 cup dried almond pulp “flour”
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons raw almond butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
dark chocolate chips, as needed
Directions:
The key to working with almond pulp is drying it first, so don’t be tempted to skip this crucial step. Trust me, I’ve tried! Once the pulp is dry, you simply pulse it in a food processor to break up any clumps and create a flour-like texture. Any leftover almond pulp “flour” can be stored as you would traditional almond flour, in a sealed container in the pantry, or in the fridge for longer shelf life.
Measure out one cup of the almond pulp flour, using the “scoop and swipe” method: Scoop the flour with a measuring cup and swipe the top with the back of a knife to level off the top.
Combine the dried almond pulp flour with the coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until a sticky, uniform batter is formed.
Adjust the flavor to taste, if necessary, then use a tablespoon to scoop the batter into bite-sized balls. The batter may feel slightly greasy, thanks to the coconut oil melting with the warmth of the food processor, but rest assured that they will lose that greasy texture once they have set in the fridge.
Roll the batter between your hands to form a smooth shape, then arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the dark chocolate chips into each ball, before placing in the fridge or freezer to set.
I placed mine in the freezer, because I’m impatient, and I found that these were set “enough” after 10 minutes. I actually recommend storing and serving these bites directly the freezer for best texture!
Note: As an added bonus, these little bite-sized bites can also be baked for a delicious cookie treat! They don’t spread like a traditional cookie, but they do get crispy on the outside and stay soft and tender on the inside. If you keep a stash of these bites in your freezer, you will only be 10 minutes away from a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie anytime you like! To bake, preheat your oven to 350F and arrange the frozen cookie dough bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookie bottoms are golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes– they will firm up a bit– then devour!
- 1 cup dried almond pulp flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil, softened
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons raw almond butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- dark chocolate chips, as needed
- The key to working with almond pulp is drying it first, so don’t be tempted to skip this crucial step. Trust me, I’ve tried! Once the pulp is dry, you simply pulse it in a food processor to break up any clumps and create a flour-like texture. Any leftover almond pulp “flour” can be stored as you would traditional almond flour, in a sealed container in the pantry, or in the fridge for longer shelf life.
- Measure out one cup of the almond pulp flour, using the “scoop and swipe” method: Scoop the flour with a measuring cup and swipe the top with the back of a knife to level off the top.
- Combine the dried almond pulp flour with the coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until a sticky, uniform batter is formed.
- Adjust the flavor to taste, if necessary, then use a tablespoon to scoop the batter into bite-sized balls. The batter may feel slightly greasy, thanks to the coconut oil melting with the warmth of the food processor, but rest assured that they will lose that greasy texture once they have set in the fridge.
- Roll the batter between your hands to form a smooth shape, then arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the dark chocolate chips into each ball, before placing in the fridge or freezer to set.
- I placed mine in the freezer, because I’m impatient, and I found that these were set “enough” after 10 minutes. I actually recommend storing and serving these bites directly the freezer for best texture!
Hope you enjoy them!
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried any other successful almond pulp recipes? If so, please share!
Hi Megan! When I make almond milk, I just strain it through a fine mesh strainer, which means that the “pulp” that I have left over is a little bit more wet. Can I still use this for your recipe, and how should I dry it out? Thanks!
You should still be able to use it, I assume it will just take longer to dry. I use my dehydrator, but an oven set on a low setting for an hour or two should also work!
I’ve mixed my leftover nut pulp (sometimes I use hazelnuts) into bread dough before. It adds a nice texture to the finished bread.
And I am so excited to try these to satisfy my pregnancy sweet tooth! I will have to use honey instead of syrup; I live in Switzerland and the cost of maple syrup is prohibitive! Happily, the Swiss love honey.
It seems almost impossible to come up with a way to make the wet pulp taste good! It’s just too fluffy for my taste.
I’ve made a granola with it, and that’s the best way I’ve found to use it, but it still requires drying it first. Your bites look delicious! I’ll have to give them a shot next.
Yes, I’ve come to the conclusion that wet pulp is disgusting. I’ve tried using it so many times, and I feel like I just ruin every other ingredient that it comes into contact with! LOL
These look so yummy! I have recently started making my own almond milk and this will be the perfect way to use my almond pulp (after it’s dehydrated) of course!!
Please tell us how to dry the pulp out! I have read where you can put it in the oven, which takes a LOT of hours. I don’t have a dehydrator, which would have been a choice.
I do use my dehydrator, because I can turn it on and forget about it without worrying about burning. You can probably dry it in the oven on parchment paper at a low temperature– ideally between 200-300F– for an hour or so. Just make sure it doesn’t burn!
Can you just use almond flour? or crushed up almonds? I’ve never made almond milk, plus I really want to try these tonight! Thanks.
If you’re going to use almond flour or meal, I’d actually recommend using my recipe for Vegan Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies instead: http://detoxinista.com/2012/06/paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan/ (Just don’t bake them for the cookie dough bites!) You don’t need all the extra ingredients that this recipe calls for, because you won’t need to cover up the weird almond pulp texture!
Megan,
Interesting that you talked about the texture – when I make almond flour, I grind the pulp in the dry grains container in the vitamix, so the texture is quite flour-like. Is your almond pulp coarser?
Thanks for the idea, these look delicious!
I’m referring to the fact that the texture is not as oily, since most of the fat has been removed in the milk-making process. That’s why I’ve compensated by adding extra fat to this recipe. If you were going to use regular almond flour or meal, you wouldn’t need to use as much coconut oil or almond butter to achieve the same texture.
These are so delicious! I have made your classic recipe (http://detoxinista.com/2012/04/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies-grain-free/) with dehydrated almond pulp before and they come out great.
These look fantastic! I’m always looking for new ways to use my leftover pulp so I’ll have to give these a try.
After trying homemade almond milk for the first time just the other day, I’m a little obsessed with it (the almond milk “slushy” you posted recently is wonderful!) Looking forward to making these with all the leftover pulp I’m sure to have. One question: I have a tiny hand me down food processor that can only make very small batches of things, so I’m in the market for a new regular sized one but I’m also on a super tight budget. Do you have any that you recommend?
I’m not sure this is the cheapest one, but it’s the one I’ve owned for nearly 6 years, so it definitely lasts a while! http://amzn.to/XTULjE (I own the 12-cup model, but the 9 cup would be sufficient I think)
These look great! I’ve been interested in making my own almond milk, but wasn’t sure about the leftovers – Would you mind sharing with me your almond milk recipe? Or the link to it?
Here you go! http://detoxinista.com/2010/11/dont-wait-another-minute/
These look like the perfect treat to satisfy those sweet cravings in an undestructive way! 1 question…do I need a dehydrator to dry the almond pulp or do you just mean leave it out for a while?
I do use a dehydrator, but you could probably leave it out in the sun for a few hours, if you don’t have any woodland creatures that would disturb it.
Also, an oven set to low should work.
Can you use almond meal instead of leftover pulp? I don’t make my own almond milk. But I am dying to try these.
If you’re going to use almond meal, I’d actually recommend using my recipe for Vegan Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies instead: http://detoxinista.com/2012/06/paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies-vegan/ (Just don’t bake them for the cookie dough bites!)
How long do you dehydrate your almond pulp to get it dry? Would squeezing it really well be sufficient? Looks yummy. Love your paleo cc cookies. I usually make almond pulp flax crackers with my leftover almond pulp using this recipe – http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-almond-pulp-pizza-crust-recipe
Squeezing it is definitely not sufficient, it has to be very, very dry. If you have a dehydrator, I just spread the crumbled almond pulp onto a teflex sheet and crank the temperature to 120, leaving it there until I remember to check on it again! With the dehydrator, you don’t really have to worry about over-drying it, so you could let it dry overnight if you wanted to.
These are so tasty, judging by what I licked off my spatula.
The batter is setting in my freezer right now. I make coconut/almond milk blend and I use the pulp in my daughter’s oatmeal, and to make chocolate cookies. Thank you for another delish recipe!
I’m a fan of anything cookie dough related, and this looks like a perfect healthy alternative to the regular butter and sugar laden cookie dough. I’ve been planning to make some almond milk, so I know where my almond pup will be going!
How can you determine the nutrition fact of almond pulp? I presume it is different than almond flour. THanks!
I would assume to calculate it accurately, you’d need a science lab! I wouldn’t even know where to begin…
I made these last night! Perfect timing–they were delicious! I added some flax seed meal to make them even healthier. Yum!! Thank you!!
You are brilliant!!!!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to keep us all happy and answer all our questions and think of amazing recipes!!!!!!! This is my favorite food blog and believe me, I follow a TON of them!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Holly! Hope you enjoy them.
When you say you make a big lot of almond milk each week, how much do you mean? And how long does it last without going off?
I make 5 cups for myself, which lasts a week. Sometimes I have to make double that, if my husband is interested in almond milk that week, too.
We made these similar, but added oats and used the pulp still wet. I refrigerated it over night. Maybe used a bit more coconut oil. Worked really well. So yummy. My kids liked it just as well as regular cookie dough.
This recipe looks easy and good! One question. I’ve never worked with almond pulp flour… can this recipe be used with just almond flour?? I don’t even know what almond pulp flour is.
Please see my comments above if you’d like to use almond meal/flour instead of the almond pulp.
Any recommendations for what to use instead of almond meal. My son as a peanut/ nut allergy.
I made these this morning. They are really, really good. I just dried my pulp in the oven at 200 degrees for a couple of hours and it dried out. My 2 and 4 year olds like these too. Thanks for the great recipe.
Made these last night and they are really good! They taste just like cookie dough!
I like to use my almond meal with juice pulp in my raw breads and crackers. It works out well, I think, because I like to put flax in my milk for a thicker milk and because my blender isn’t the best so the flax doesn’t all get broken up.
Made these today with my leftover almond pulp and they are so delicious! Even my husband (who doesn’t like sweets) thinks they’re great.
[...] found this recipe for Raw Cookie Dough Bites which is amazing, because I too was at a loss for what to do with all of the almond pulp left over [...]
Ummmazinggggg… hehe i already know this is gonna be good and I havent even made it yet. thanks!! Love!!
eatlovelivelove.blogspot.com
hey! I just made these! they taste great! I used raw honey instead of maple syrup and the only thing i would do differently is a lot less coconut oil, half as much. when i processed them they were so oily that it never came to a uniform batter, it looked more like wet brown sugar along the sides.. i even added more almond pulp to fix this. and when forming the balls the coconut oil was dripping from my hands. I stuck it our rolled them around got em in the freezer and they tasted good. flat layer of frozen oil on the bottom of each ball so def less oil next time <3
[...] As for the left over pulp, here is a website to get you started if you don’t want to throw it out http://www.therawtarian.com/recipe-categories/raw-almond-pulp-recipes and these look soooo good I will try them asap: http://detoxinista.com/2013/03/raw-cookie-dough-bites-vegan/ [...]
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[...] I have searched around a bit on the net and yes, this is pretty much the same as almond meal. Generally gluten free biscuits and cakes are the types of recipes which this will be good for, but before you try an elaborate recipe which calls for almond meal, or flour, maybe do your own research as to whether this is the best thing for that. I have made ’3 Ingredient Pancakes’ with this flour and they turned out pretty good. Will post the recipe soon. There is another recipe I want to try, ‘Raw Cookie Dough Bites’, they look divine! Here is the link for those: http://detoxinista.com/2013/03/raw-cookie-dough-bites-vegan/ [...]
[...] after blending: raw vegan cookie dough: you can use Megan’s recipe or Averie’s recipe or simply blend some dates, nuts (e.g. walnuts or cashews) and vanilla [...]
Wow! Just made a half batch… So good! Thanks for the recipe.
[...] Raw Cookie Dough Bites [...]
[...] throw out your pulp, head over to Detoxinista and try her raw cookie dough bites made with almond [...]
This is awesome! So satisfying as a cookie dough alternative, even with cacao nibs. Thank you!!
I made these just as written but used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips. Came out great! Thanks for the recipe!
DELICIOUS! This is my new go to recipe for my left over almond pulp! Thank you!!