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These Paleo No-Bake Cookies are inspired by the popular peanut butter-and-oatmeal version, only this recipe is naturally sweetened and grain-free. We have one of my co-workers to thank for this idea, because nearly 12 years ago, she brought a batch of no-bake cookies like these into our office. She had run out of oatmeal and had substituted sliced almonds for oats in her classic no-bake cookie recipe.
Everyone in our office devoured them.
I took this Paleo version one step further by using a natural sweetener. The result is a delicious treat that is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan—no flour or chocolate chips are required!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Delicious! Probably the best no-bake cookies I’ve ever made. It was hard not to eat the whole batch. 🙂 Super easy to make, and the perfect blend of flavors. It kind of tastes like a chocolate candy bar, yum. I will definitely be making these again… and again.” – Christine
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Maple Syrup. Pure maple syrup acts as a sweetener and binder in this recipe. Briefly boiling it will help the cookies hold their shape when they cool.
- Nut Butter. Use almond butter or cashew butter for the most chocolate-forward flavor. (They don’t compete with the chocolate flavor the way peanut butter does, but feel free to use peanut butter if you prefer.)
- Coconut Oil. This acts as a dairy-free substitute for butter. Since coconut oil is solid when chilled, it contributes to the texture when the cookies cool. Use refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil for a neutral flavor.
- Cacao Powder. I keep cacao powder in my pantry, rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, so that’s what I used here. If you have regular cocoa powder on hand, that should work, too!
- Coconut and Almonds. A combination of unsweetened shredded coconut and sliced almonds acts as a texture replacement for rolled oats. You can also mix in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, if you like!
How to Make Paleo No-Bake Cookies
Step 1:
Start by measuring the ingredients because this recipe moves quickly. (The full measurements are in the printable recipe card below.)
Add a half cup of maple syrup to a small saucepan on the stove top. Bring the maple syrup to a boil, and once it’s bubbling, set a timer for 3 minutes.
Step 2:
When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in half a cup of almond butter, a quarter cup of cocoa powder, three tablespoons of coconut oil, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt.
Stir until the mixture looks smooth. If your saucepan is large enough, you can mix the cookies directly in the same pan.
Otherwise, pour it into a large bowl with one cup of shredded coconut and sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds).
Step 3:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a cookie scoop to scoop the mixture onto the prepared pan. Use roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie.
Depending on the size of your scoops, you’ll get roughly 15 to 16 cookies from this batch.
Step 4:
Flatten the cookies with your cookie scoop, if needed. Then transfer the pan to the fridge or freezer to chill until firm. This may take up to one hour.
Once the cookies feel firm, they are ready to eat! Serve these chilled for the best texture; they will melt if left at room temperature for too long.
Paleo No-Bake Cookies (No Oats!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil , or butter
- ½ cup nut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut, sliced almonds, or sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil. Once it's bubbling, set a timer for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cacao powder, coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Once the mixture looks smooth, stir in the shredded coconut and sliced almonds. (I use 1 cup of each, but feel free to use any mix-ins you prefer.)
- When the nuts and seeds are coated in the chocolate mixture, use a cookie scoop to drop the mixture onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. If you're using a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop, you should get roughly 16 cookies from this batch. (A smaller scoop will create more than that.)
- Flatten the cookies into your desired shape, then place the pan in the freezer to set. When frozen, they should firm up in 30 minutes. Or, place the pan in the fridge for about 1 hour. Once the cookies feel firm, they are ready to enjoy. Serve these cookies chilled from the refrigerator for the best texture. They will soften if left at room temperature for too long.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Vegan Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Applesauce Paleo Muffins
- Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
- Protein Balls
If you try these Paleo No-Bake Cookies, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them.
Can you replace the sweetener with stevia liquid? If so, should you add water to compensate? Thanks!!!
In this particular recipe, the boiled honey is what makes the cookies hold together, so I don’t think stevia would work.
If you can tolerate a granulated zero-calorie sweetner, like xylitol, that might work? I’d follow the instructions for the coconut crystals if you want to try that. (Adding 1/4 cup water to help them dissolve.) Please let us know if you have any success!
These look SO good, but I have a cocoa powder intolerance – would melted Enjoy Life chocolate chips sub well? Or perhaps something else?
Yes, I bet the chocolate chips would work! They might even make the cookies hold together better.
Yum! I do love no bake cookies, since I always tend to let the bake ones bake for too long. I made a recipe once with oats, bananas…chia seeds, I don’t remember but it was great!
I had a quick question! I sent in an email to be put on your wait list for coaching – I was wondering if you were still planning on sending something out for the New Year! I’ve been excited to learn about pricing, etc. 🙂 Thanks!!
Yes, I’m planning on a new affordable coaching format for the new year– I’ll be making an announcement about it hopefully by the end of next week!
Yay so excited! Thank you!!
I am so excited to see this recipe! I was at my parent’s yesterday & they had a batch of these, but due to allergies I can’t eat them. It’s nice to have a version that I’ll be able to enjoy too. THANKS!
I was so excited to see this recipe since I have multiple allergies that are present in most baking and paleo baking. I just tried the recipe. Are you sure that you replace a half of a cup of honey or maple syrup with 1 cup of coconut sugar? I could not get the coconut sugar to melt and liquify. My cookies came out crumbly and super rich. I want to try this again, but can you clarify that substitution for me please? Thanks!
You know what? I totally forgot that I added 1/4 cup of water when I used the coconut crystals. Sorry about that! The extra liquid does help them dissolve. I’ll update the substitution notes!
Sunflower butter and cocoa powder were all I needed to read to be convinced; everything else is just a bonus. I made something similar to these for Thanksgiving with a bit of leftover melted chocolate, tahini, and coconut oil with oats and raisins. No-bake cookies are such a simple and delicious treat!
oh man…i have some raw pepitas that would be perfect here. you keep sucking me in with the grain free treats haha. my fave easy treats are usually some mish mash of medjool dates, raw cacao + nut or seed
I love that kind of treat, too! Dates + chocolate + ANYTHING is delicious. 🙂
Wow these looks A-MAZING! I have all the ingredients and I can’t wait to make them 🙂 Thanks!
What a nice healthy alternative for cookies. And the no bake is even nicer. Kids could help with these. Thanks for sharing.
What a brilliant recipe! I’ve always wondered how to make these no bake cookies in a grain free version! These are genius