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I love these no-bake cookies.
I actually need to thank one of my co-workers for giving me this grain-free idea.
A few years ago, she wanted to make a batch of traditional no-bake cookies– the kind made with chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal. While preparing the cookies, she realized she had run out of oatmeal! Instead of making a quick trip to the grocery store, this clever co-worker decided to use some slivered blanched almonds that she had sitting in her pantry instead. The result was fantastic! She brought them into the office to share, and they were all gone by lunch time.
Ever since, I’ve never felt the need to use oatmeal again.
I’ve also kept this recipe nut-free, using sunflower seed butter for my readers with nut allergies. If you haven’t tried it, sunflower butter tastes very similar to peanut butter! For the chewy filling, I tried a few variations, including sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, and coconut flakes– all with delicious results. My taste-tester, Austin, found the coconut filling a little too distracting (“too coconut-ty”), so he preferred the sunflower seed batch the most. Personally, I prefer the coconut flakes, since they have a similar texture to traditional rolled oats.
Whichever variation you choose, I hope you’ll enjoy them!
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No-Bake Chocolate Cookies (Grain-free, Nut-free)
makes 2 dozen
Adapted from The Food Network
Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, or butter
1/2 cup Once Again Sunflower Seed Butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups sunflower seeds (slivered almonds, or coconut flakes may be substituted)
Directions:
Combine the honey, cocoa powder, sea salt and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from the heat, and add in the vanilla and sunflower seed butter, stirring well until smooth.
Add in the 2 cups of sunflower seeds, slivered almonds or coconut flakes, and mix well to coat. Use a spoon to drop the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and transfer the cookies to the fridge or freezer to set.
When the cookies are solid, they should be easy to remove from the parchment paper. Serve immediately!
*Note: Despite my best efforts, these cookies will soften a bit when left at room temperature for too long. I’ve tried making batches with honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar, all with the same softening results. For a firm texture, keep them chilled before serving.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut oil , or butter
- 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups sunflower seeds , slivered almonds, or coconut flakes
Instructions
- Combine the honey, cocoa powder, sea salt and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from the heat, and add in the vanilla and sunflower seed butter, stirring well until smooth.
- Add in the 2 cups of sunflower seeds, slivered almonds or coconut flakes, and mix well to coat. Use a spoon to drop the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and transfer the cookies to the fridge or freezer to set.
- When the cookies are solid, they should be easy to remove from the parchment paper. Serve immediately! These cookies will soften a bit when left at room temperature for too long, so for a firm texture, keep them chilled before serving.
Nutrition
Calories per cookie: 140, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 3g
Substitution Notes:
- Vegans can replace the 1/2 cup honey with 1/2 cup maple syrup OR 1 cup coconut crystals (add 1/4 cup water for the crystals), for a more complex brown-sugar flavor.
- Sunflower butter can be replaced with any other nut butter, such as almond, peanut or cashew– keep in mind that any changes will affect the flavor.
- The cocoa powder can be left out is chocolate is not tolerated.
- Sunflower butter varies a LOT depending on brand, so using a brand other than Once Again may affect the results. For example, Trader Joe’s sunflower seed butter is much sweeter in comparison, so you may want to reduce the honey to compensate.
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Reader Feedback: Are you a fan of no-bake cookies? What’s your favorite easy cookie recipe?
Truly fabulous! Takes me right back to when my mom made these when I was growing up. I did almond butter, sunflower and pumpkin seeds plus coconut and chopped pecans.
I love this recipe because it’s very easy to make and you can do so many variations. I put the butter I had on hand which was almond butter and instead of sunflower seed I put cereal rice puffs. It was very delicious! Thank you Megan!!! I love your recipes!
These are hands down my family’s favorite cookies! Sometimes I make a non paleo version and sub gluten free oats for the sunflower seeds. Either way, they are always delicious!
Love these! I added a pinch of chia seeds and ground flax to the mixture, and they are the perfect healthy fix for a sweet tooth !!!
These are SO delicious!! I’m GF and I’ve recently gone dairy and grain free, too and was desperate for a sweet treat – these were perfect. I had to make some substitutions as I was out of some of your ingredients – I used maple syrup instead of honey, I used a mix of cashew & peanut butter and I did a mix of sunflower & pumpkin seeds plus shredded coconut. I think I ate half of the mixture before I put any on the tray!! Thank you for the great recipe.
I just make these with pepitas instead of sunflower seeds, and did the coconut crystals with a little water variation as the sweetener, and they are perfect! Thank you for the recipe! I love that the recipe doesn’t call for any obscure ingredients, and I already had everything on hand. Peace & progress & cookies!