Healthy No Bake Cookies
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Last updated on Jan 19, 2024
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Peanut butter chocolate healthy no bake cookies made with half the amount of sugar in traditional no bake cookies and coconut oil instead of butter. Dairy-free, vegan and refined sugar free.
I’ve always loved traditional chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies. I grew up with them as a kid — my mom would make them for us every Christmas and once I was old enough she taught me how to make them myself.
No Bake Cookies Made Healthier
Traditional no bake cookies are made with butter, milk and refined sugar, but for this version we’re keeping things dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of the regular milk. To keep things refined sugar-free we’re using coconut sugar instead of white sugar. It also has half the amount of sugar and I have to say, I actually like this version with coconut sugar and less sugar way better!
I will warn you, these cookies might be healthier than traditional no bake cookies, but they’re just as addictive… I think I ate around four every day until they were gone. Oops. Breakfast dessert, lunch dessert, snack and/or dinner dessert – they work well for any and all of the above. 😉
How to Make These Cookies Sugar-Free
If you want to make this recipe sugar-free, feel free to try using stevia or monk fruit in place of the sugar. I haven’t experimented with either myself so I don’t know the appropriate measurement. For stevia, I’d recommend adding a little bit of stevia at a time until the cookies taste sweet enough to suit your liking. If using monk fruit, you can probably just sub it 1:1 with the coconut sugar. Let me know if you try a sugar-free version in the comments below!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these cookies, plus some ideas for substitutions.
- coconut oil – I’ve also made this recipe with a mashed banana in place of the coconut oil. The cookies will turn out a little bit more dry without the coconut oil, but still yummy.
- creamy peanut butter – you can also use almond butter or any other nut/seed butter in place of the peanut butter.
- coconut sugar – if you’re looking for a sugar-free option, you can use monk fruit or stevia.
- cocoa power or cacao powder – either option will work.
- unsweetened vanilla almond milk – any non-dairy milk option will work just fine.
- sea salt
- vanilla extract
- instant oats or rolled oats – steel-cut oats won’t work for this recipe.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
Mix the dough – Add melted coconut oil and peanut butter to a large bowl and stir until combined. Then add coconut sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk, sea salt, vanilla and oats into the bowl and stir until combined.
Scoop the dough – Drop the dough by the spoonfuls on a baking sheet lined parchment paper.
Set – Place baking sheet in fridge until cookies are set, then serve.
How to Store These Cookies
After letting these cookies set completely in the fridge, store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 1 week. These also freeze well if you need to keep them longer. Store cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Holiday Cookies To Try
- Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out Cookies)
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Healthier Snowball Cookies
- Almond Butter Espresso Cookies
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Oatmeal Date Cookies
- Healthy Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter, or almond butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick oats (also called instant oats)
Instructions
- Add melted coconut oil and peanut butter in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add coconut sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk, sea salt, vanilla.
- If desired you can heat the peanut butter cocoa mixture on the stovetop over medium low heat to fully dissolve the coconut sugar, about 5-6 minutes. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I don't. Depends on how much time I have.
- Add oats to a large mixing bowl and top with peanut butter cocoa mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Using a small/medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to press the dough down a bit and form the cookies into a cookie shape.
- Place baking sheet in fridge until cookies are set, then serve. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- No oil version: I’ve also made this recipe with a mashed banana in place of the coconut oil. The cookies will turn out a little bit more dry without the coconut oil, but still yummy.
- Sugar: You can use granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar, but you will definitely want to heat the peanut butter cocoa mixture to dissolve the sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made them with liquid oil and they didn’t firm up completely. They were still delicious. The next time I made with cold pressed oil and they did firm up well. Will be making these all the time! You have to keep in fridge unless you eat all in one sitting. lol.
Glad you enjoyed them, Misty! Cold-pressed coconut oil definitely helps them set better since it firms up when chilled. Love that you’ll be making these often—thanks for the review.
What about if we have cooking coconut oil, so it’s already in liquid form (the recipe calls for ‘melted’ but I don’t have it yet).
If your coconut oil is already melted in liquid form you should be fine to just use that! Let me know if you end up making this recipe and how it turns out.
Sorry but it was way too sweet for my taste
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love this recipe, Pam. Thanks for giving it a try!
Hi
I was about to make your healthy no bake cookies, am new to coconut oil, but noticed coconut oil can have trans fat(partially hydrogenated). googling indicated there are coconut oils that are fully hydrogenated- no trans fat or partially hydrogenated – has trans fat. is this true; which do you use. Do u think the trans fat is minimal and OK to use? looking forward to making it. I know u said a banana can be subbed but cookie may be dry. any other oil substitute? thanks
Ken
Hi Ken! Great question about coconut oil — it’s true that some coconut oils can be partially hydrogenated, which would introduce trans fats. But most pure, unrefined or virgin coconut oils you’ll find on shelves aren’t hydrogenated at all, meaning they’re trans-fat-free. I usually go for virgin or cold-pressed coconut oil in my recipes for that reason; it keeps the ingredients simple and avoids unnecessary processing.
If you’re looking for a substitute, melted butter would be your best substitute. And yes, while the banana substitution can work, it might result in a drier consistency. You could always add a splash of milk or a little extra banana to help add moisture if you’re opting for this route. Hope this helps, and I’d love to hear how your cookies turn out!
It doesn’t stay together and taste terrible
Oh no – I am so sorry these didn’t turn out for you. Did you happen to change anything about the recipe?
Can you use rolled oats?
Yes! Rolled oats will work. Enjoy!