Raw cookie dough bites
Happy twenty-eleven! Now that it’s the beginning of a new year, it seems the holiday hoopla is already becoming a distant memory. The big meals and decadent desserts have been devoured, the wine bottles have been emptied, and the gingerbread house has been picked clean. After so much excess, I would feel a bit guilty if I tempted you with more sweets. And yet here I am, with a recipe for cookie dough bites.
But wait, don’t go! I promise you, this one is different. If you have a health-related New Year’s resolution still fresh in mind, a sugar and calorie laden treat likely won’t be passing your lips anytime soon. Or, perhaps your body is craving healthy greens and whole foods after too much Christmas cake and cocktails. It’s time for a fresh start, right?
While it’s nearly impossible to attest to giving up all sweets in January without caving before the start of February, one thing I have learned is that nutritious, whole food options are the keys to success. So, basically, you can have your [unrefined, whole grain, sugar-free] cake and eat it, too. Even that hidden desire to eat raw cookie dough can be fulfilled! Here, raw cookie dough bites—”raw” in the good sense of the word, not a raw batter of flour, sugar and eggs—are filled with nutrient-dense nuts and oats and sweetened with raw agave nectar. They are super easy to make, and they can be stored in the freezer for those times when you want to satisfy a sweets craving without feeling bad about it. Enjoy!
Print 
Save
Raw cookie dough bites
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup raw almonds
- 2/3 cup raw walnuts
- 2/3 cup raw oat flakes (see note below)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal.
- Add the agave nectar and vanilla and process to combine.
- Next, add the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) and pulse just to combine.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each (wet your hands if the dough is too sticky) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.
Raw oat flakes can be substituted for regular rolled oats (or certified gluten-free oats, if necessary), but if you want this treat to be truly raw, look for raw oat flakes, which haven't been steamed or toasted during processing. I buy mine locally from a company called Grainstorm.
-
Pingback: Good Morning Kadapa « lauracatherinekennedy
-
Pingback: What to Do? « Won't Give Up
-
Pingback: Cookie Dough Bites « P31 Wannabe
-
Pingback: This Week’s Gluten-Free Menu :: Money Saving Mom®
-
Pingback: Super Woman/Man Cookie Dough Bites | Sweetie And The Kitchen
-
Pingback: This week’s gluten-free menu :: Money Saving Mom®
-
Pingback: 5 Things That Are Worth Every Penny (And a Few Things That Aren’t) « YOGA with MINDY
-
Pingback: Comfort Food With Ingredients You Can Feel Comfortable With | Brimful Belly!
-
Pingback: We Cooked This! Friday #5 Raw Cookie Dough Bites « How Was Your Evening?
-
Pingback: » March 3, 2012Little Toadfrogs
-
Pingback: harmful traditions « rawrebecca
-
Pingback: Cookie-Dough Bites, Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers, Spinach-Artichoke Dip, and Mac and “Cheese” | mendingbodyandsoul
-
Pingback: Cookie Dough Energy Bites « Sara Jane
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites « Diy « Lifestyle « RTR On Campus
-
Pingback: Productive Weekend « The Munchkins
-
Pingback: clean no bake dough balls
-
Pingback: Katelyn tries recipes. What? « loveinlufkin
-
Pingback: Little Bites of Heaven from the Cookie Gods. | Sweet Tooth Tootsie
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | The Spiffy Cookie
-
Pingback: Versatile Blogger Award | It's a Wunderful Life
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | Whole Green Love
-
Pingback: Creative Snacks For Your Kids This Summer
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | Voila!
-
Pingback: Ready to Clean Up « This Is Living
-
Pingback: Hope, Haiti and Healthy Cookie Balls « happelsauce
-
Pingback: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough That’s Healthy!!! « The Flexitarian Humanitarian
-
Pingback: The Food Thread! - Page 2
-
Pingback: Gluten Free Cookie Dough Bites – Free From Gluten
-
Pingback: Healthful Recipes Thread - Page 2
-
Pingback: Power Cookie Bites | Endurance Concepts
-
Pingback: Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls «
-
Pingback: This week’s gluten-free menu | Coupon Code Today
-
Pingback: weekend links « il mucca
-
Pingback: Pintrest: It’s what’s for dinner…. And dessert! « My Not So Humble Opinion
-
Pingback: If It’s Healthy, It’s Disgusting « Runaway Broad
-
Pingback: Got Almond Milk, Raw Cookie Dough Bites & The Art of Non-Conformity | SweetOnVeg.com
-
Pingback: Oatmeal and Squash served here « How My World Runs
-
Pingback: 12/8/2012 Laura's Team Update » Brighton Ski Team
-
Pingback: Healthy Desserts? | Ph.D Cooking
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | Veggietude
-
Pingback: Meal/Snack Recipes | Healthy Food Recipe
-
Pingback: A Taste of Spring « Crunchy Momma: A Day in the Life
-
Pingback: Weekly Wrap-Up | Straight from the Pages
-
Pingback: Dairy-Free Chocolate Bars (and a Guilt-Free Chocolate Treat!) | My Journey to Lean
-
Pingback: Overnite Oats & The ABC’s of Recipes « Fitcupcaker
-
Pingback: Cookie Dough Bites « Lilies, Lattes & Lace
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | littlelifechanges
-
Pingback: BabyStep 3 – Healthy Eats for Picky Kids » BabySteps to Healthy Eats
-
Pingback: Raw Cookie Dough Bites | The New Lu
-
Pingback: Surrendering to My Sweet Tooth –the healthy way (Chocolate Cinnamon Chia Pudding) | The Approximate Yogi
-
Pingback: Smart Dessert Choices for the Sweet Tooth | The Healthy Miss
-
Pingback: Huge list of reviewed recipes! | Everything That I Need
Share
those are super cute; I love the top pic! Oh, and I am sure they are delicious as well!
Reply
Mmm cookie dough!
Love the name of your site.
Reply
Thanks for the compliments, ladies! :)
Reply
Happy New Year Nicole!
I love all of the ingredients you've used. These look sooo yummy!!
Reply
DROOL! These are adorable & look so delicious.
Reply
These look so good! I'm going to make them tonight! Thanks curing my craving for something yummy.
Reply
Nicole, these are amazing! I made them to share with some friends, one of whom said, "These taste exactly like cookie dough. It's raw cookie dough that is safe and healthy to eat!". Thanks for the great recipe. :)
Reply
Jennifer: Happy new year to you, too!
Jess: Thanks! They're both healthy AND delicious :)
Kim: I hope you enjoyed making these! It's a healthy way to cure those cookie cravings.
otherwisehealthy: Oh, yay! I'm so happy you and your friends enjoyed these!
Reply
These look great!
Reply
Made these tonight– they are so good and so easy! Thanks for a great recipe!
Reply
Michele: Fabulous! I'm so glad you liked them :)
Reply
How many does this recipe make?
Reply
Stacy: I got just over a dozen out of this recipe, but it depends on how large you roll them.
Reply
Thanks!
Reply
I wonder if you're readers have considered a cookie dough fundraiser? There are some terrific cookie dough fundraising ideas to choose from. It doesn't cost anything to start cookie dough fundraising and you can make quite a bit of money.
Reply
Made these tonight, they were a little sticky to roll into the balls but they taste wonderful.
Reply
I made these last night – sooooooooo good and super quick and easy to make!
Reply
monica: So glad you liked them! :)
Reply
I love these little balls of joy as well!
I often make little raw treats with my food processor, but have yet to try this combination of ingredients.
Thanks!
Reply
Hey, whats the nutrition for these?
Calories, fat, sodium all that jazz?
If you dont know iI’m sure I can figure it out :)
Reply
Nicole replied: — January 24th, 2012 @ 12:31 pm
Kyla, I’m sorry but I don’t track the nutrition info for my recipes.
Reply
kimbery replied: — April 18th, 2012 @ 8:37 am
i just figured out weight watchers points for these…..if you get 12 servings out of them that is equaliviant to 4 points for each one….pretty steep but packed with nutrients for sure! ill prolly make these on my cheat day….i know i won’t be able to eat just one…..perhpas making 24 minis then they would only b 2 pts each.
Reply
Cathy replied: — June 12th, 2012 @ 7:36 am
Hi Kimberly,
Did you happen to note the Calorie Count by any chance? Very interested but need to know the calories and I thought others might be interested as well.
Thank you!
Kristie replied: — August 9th, 2012 @ 2:34 pm
When I entered in the recipe with each ingredient listed on My Fitness Pal, I got 1465 calories total and 122 calories per ball.
Could you substitute raw honey for the agave nectar? We have honeybees and I like using our natural “homemade” honey for recipes :)
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 8th, 2012 @ 10:51 am
I haven’t tried honey as a substitute, but I think it would work just fine as long it has a similar consistency.
Reply
christi replied: — May 11th, 2012 @ 11:06 pm
I tried honey, but since it is really very sweet, you need less and therefore the cookie balls come out much more dry. I’m not sure what to do to make them less dry. :(
Nelda Pimental replied: — September 25th, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
Try adding a little water. I thought about a nut butter might do the trick as well.
ay sontespli replied: — January 7th, 2013 @ 10:20 am
Add a lil applesauce … I am just reading this recipe and I was thinking I would use honey too but not so much.
Nelda Pimental replied: — September 25th, 2012 @ 1:36 pm
I just tried raw honey. I cut it back a little bit and they are super sweet. I will cut it back some more in the future.
Reply
Nicole,
Can you substitute honey for the agave?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 8th, 2012 @ 10:48 am
Yes, I think honey would work too.
Reply
mumwithfour replied: — June 11th, 2012 @ 11:40 am
yes honey would work possibly even pure maple syrup…agave is toxic, not healthy at all.
What is the advantage of the raw oat flakes? I’ve read a lot that suggests that digestion, especially of raw grains and nuts, is severely compromised by the nature of the food (seeds are built to survive until they can germinate). Is there something to suggest raw oats are better for you?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 9th, 2012 @ 4:54 pm
Ellajac, soaked and sprouted seeds and grains are certainly better for digestion, but my research tells me that regular rolled oats are treated with steam to about 200C for preservation and then heat rolled. This guarantees the shelf life and simultaneously cancels them from the list of fresh natural foods, since the most valuable parts of the grain, the germ oils with its vitamins, are destroyed. Raw oat flakes preserve their valuable oils. Of course, you can always soak your oats to break down the enzyme inhibitors if you prefer. Hope that helps :)
Reply
Do you think these are Diabetic Friendly?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 9th, 2012 @ 4:33 pm
Heather, there is some controversy as to whether or not agave nectar is diabetic friendly, so I can’t really give you a full answer. Here is what the American Diabetes Associaton has to say about it: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-dietitian/archives/is-agave-nectar-safe-for.html
Reply
Thank you! I just made this and it is seriously delicious; totally tastes like cookie dough! I added 2/3 cup shredded coconut and 2 tbsp flaxseed meal, then substituted wheat bran for the oats and dried cranberries for the chocolate chips. I also spread “dough” into an 8×8 square baking dish instead of rolling into balls. I will most definitely be making this again!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 9th, 2012 @ 9:00 pm
Excellent! I love your adaptation!
Reply
I’m allergic to almonds, so do you think this would work with 2/3 cup of another hard nut? I would love to try these!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 11th, 2012 @ 9:20 pm
Yes, absolutely! The flavour will change depending on the nut you substitute but it should still work. Cashews would be your best option.
Reply
Nicole,
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 11th, 2012 @ 9:22 pm
The recipe should make at least one dozen, depending on the size.
Reply
I just made these and they are delicious! I substituted maple syrup for Agave nectar and added flax seed. Love it!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 12th, 2012 @ 10:57 am
Excellent! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Reply
These look yummy! But I would suggest using something other than agave nectar to sweeten. It’s not actually healthy or natural. http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 12th, 2012 @ 10:58 am
Anne, you’re welcome to substitute another liquid sweetener if you prefer.
Reply
These sound fabulous! We used to make “Protein Balls” with a protein powder that we used to buy, which were amazing, but now we are trying to eat even less processed than we were before. That eliminated that particular powder. Unfortunately, it was delicious… ;) This just might be the perfect solution!
We have recently converted to steel cut oats at our house and always have them around. How do you suppose these would work in this recipe? I’ve not experimented with the oats in any way other than to make deliciously chewy, hearty oatmeal!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 13th, 2012 @ 5:16 pm
Good for you for eliminating processed foods! Steel cut oats are delicious. I think they might work in this recipe if you grind them into flour first. You may have to adjust the proportions. The dough should be wet enough to stick together and roll into balls. Let me know how it turns out!
Reply
Madison replied: — June 20th, 2012 @ 3:54 pm
I used Steel Cut Oats in mine and they turned out great!!
Just made these today! I used honey since I couldn’t find agave nectar anywhere & the honey was right in my pantry. also did 1/3 butterscotch chips for fun. delicious and my kids loved them too! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 13th, 2012 @ 5:13 pm
I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed them!
Reply
just made these:) delish! thanks for the recipe:) now i wont feel so guilty eating them!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 13th, 2012 @ 5:17 pm
Thanks, Stephanie! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Reply
YUMm.. Im going to make these tonight. I just made chocolate no bake macaroons yesterday off another blog and they to were so yummy and guilt free..
Thanks!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 14th, 2012 @ 4:16 pm
I hope you enjoy them, Julie! Guilt-free, no-bake treats are the perfect solution, aren’t they? :)
Reply
I just made these and they are delicious! My 1 1/2 year old loved them too! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 14th, 2012 @ 4:16 pm
Excellent! I’m so glad you and your little one enjoyed them.
Reply
Would these work if they were all almond, or if they had almonds and sunflower or pumpkin seeds? (I’m allergic to most nuts, but almonds are okay.) Can’t wait to look into the raw oat flakes.
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 15th, 2012 @ 11:07 am
Yes, I think substituting the walnuts for all almonds would work, but the flavour will be different. Let me know how they turn out!
Reply
i love them but hard to roll into balls truth i really dont know how i would roll them lol but i spread them as well as others and i used tonz of different raw nuts and fruit and coconut :) yummo !
Reply
Oh my gosh! These look amazing. I bet they’d be good with honey, too!
Reply
These look delicious! Can’t wait to make them today :) How long do you think they stay good for?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 16th, 2012 @ 12:41 pm
They should stay fresh in the freezer for several weeks.
Reply
May I pin this to my Pinterest board?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 16th, 2012 @ 10:14 pm
Yes, please do :)
Reply
I made this today and OMG! seriously delicious! I could live off of these! I added some coconut flakes too.
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 19th, 2012 @ 9:57 am
Great! The addition of coconut flakes sound lovely.
Reply
fantastic! i made these with salted almonds, omitted the salt from the recipe, quick oats , and pecans. my daughter whi eats NOTHING, loved them! ty! Next time, i won’t blend in the choc chips. ty!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 19th, 2012 @ 9:58 am
I’m so glad to hear you and your daughter enjoyed them!
Reply
Delicious! I did a calorie count and it’s approx 155 per bite. A little bit high for 1 ball, but a super healthy snack once every couple of days :) And high protein! Thanks for the recipe.
Reply
atlcharm replied: — April 17th, 2012 @ 9:58 pm
Thanks I was wondering.
Reply
Just made these and WOW!! Yummy!! I used honey since I had it on hand and instead of walnuts used pecans-again, had them already. I can’t get over how good these are.
Thanks so much for sharing
Diane
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 21st, 2012 @ 12:13 pm
I’m so glad you like them, Diane!
Reply
Hi! I’ve made 2 batches now I’m in love with them and so are the girls at work. Both times I made them I got 8 haha and I used maple syrup because I couldn’t find agave nectar at superstore. They are sooo good! :) thanks!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 23rd, 2012 @ 1:00 pm
I’m so glad to hear you like them! Maple syrup is a great substitute.
Reply
do you know the serving size and calories per serving? sounds so yummy!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 23rd, 2012 @ 1:04 pm
Hi Lisa. The serving size is 1 tablespoon. I don’t do calorie counts but if you check Kelli’s comment above, she did one :)
Reply
My friend posted this to her FB page and everyone at our Bootcamp is asking about them. I made them and brought in samples……. THEY WERE A HIT! Thank you…. definately a staple item in the freezer from now on.
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 23rd, 2012 @ 1:05 pm
I love that! Thank you so much for your comment. (P.S. They are a staple in my freezer, too.)
Reply
Thanks for the recipe (and to all those who thought to pin it at pinterest, where I found it!) I made these last night and like them very much. Followed recipe almost exactly, except my rolled oats aren’t raw. I calculated nutritional info for y’all:
Per 1 Tbsp ball (recipes makes 14):
160 calories
15g carbs
10g fat
4g protein
Calculating each ingredient’s Weight Watchers points value, each Tbsp is 2 pts each. However, calculating based on completed recipe, I come up with 3 pts each.
They’re a great snack to appease a craving for sweets and keep you satisfied between meals.
Reply
Jennifer replied: — March 23rd, 2012 @ 8:55 pm
(MUCH much better than those artificially sweetened junk food WW brand snacks. Blech!)
Reply
Jenn M replied: — March 24th, 2012 @ 7:23 am
thanks so much for doing this for me :D
Reply
hi. i am super excited about these :) i just made my first batch. i had some trouble though getting the ‘dough’ to stick together enough to roll into balls. i followed the instructions to a ‘t’. anyone else experienced this and if so, any ideas how to remedy??
Reply
Nicole replied: — April 13th, 2012 @ 11:28 pm
Deena: Was your dough too dry or too wet? If too dry, add a touch more agave. Also try chilling the dough in the fridge so that it stiffens and makes it easier to roll into balls. Hope that helps!
Reply
Deena replied: — April 13th, 2012 @ 11:47 pm
it was too dry. the ingredients would stick together. i didn’t even think to add more agave because i was afraid to veer from the recipe. i will definitely try that tip next time :) we have 20 more minutes until they are “set”. can’t wait to taste them :) :) thank you!
Deena replied: — April 13th, 2012 @ 11:53 pm
*wouldn’t stick together
Nicole replied: — June 19th, 2012 @ 6:44 pm
I ended up going up to a 1/2 cup of agave and they are still super dry and crumbly. I didn’t want to add more because it was already a lot of sugar. My oats and almonds were toasted and I used a blender because I don’t have a food processor so things were a little chunky. I just gave up and grabbed a spoon and took a bite lol. Tastes amazing :P
Madison replied: — June 20th, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
I actually had just a little bit of purified water to help hold together if it’s too dry. Not too much though because then it’s kind of a mess. Still good, but a mess!
Hi, I need clarification. Can these be eaten after placed in the fridge for an hour or should they only be eaten after they r frozen. I didn’t know if your freeze ins
tructions were for preservation purposes only or if they had to be eaten that way.
Reply
Oopps ignore my initial Queston about the freezer. I misread. Still once I take Out of the freezer after an hour can the rest ?be stored in the fridge I if I’m going to eat in a day our two
Reply
Nicole replied: — April 18th, 2012 @ 11:04 am
You can store them in the fridge if you want to but they will be soft when eaten. I usually store mine in the freezer.
Reply
atlcharm replied: — April 18th, 2012 @ 5:58 pm
Thanks! Now that I ate two, I see the freezer is perfect. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
These were awesome!!!! Plus even though it’s so good, you only want one. Maybe it’s because of the protein. Anyway, I had to improvise because I forgot Walnuts. So I used Pecans. Pluse I forgot the sea salt. I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips.
One problem I had my processor wouldn’t spin after few seconds. It’s like the mix was too dry or too sticky. Not sure which. This was before I added the Agave or the Vanilla. I’m thinking possibly it was the pecans. It started to feel buttery. I have Blendtec Processor which is by no means cheap so I know it can do the job. Maybe I did something wrong? hmmm…
Adding bit of water probably would have helped but I didn’t want to mess up the recipe.
Reply
Nicole replied: — April 18th, 2012 @ 11:12 am
It sounds like you over-processed the dry mix and the pecans started to release their oils and turn into nut butter. Next time try it with walnuts, and make sure your nuts are raw (not roasted). Hope that helps!
Reply
atlcharm replied: — April 18th, 2012 @ 6:00 pm
Thanks, will try that next time!!
I just made these and they are AMAZING!! Perfect snack for a sweet tooth :)
I followed the recipe as you have it but found it a little tricky to get the dough to stay in balls, so I added about 1/2 C of natural peanut butter. Problem solved! Will definitely be making these again…and again….and again!
Reply
Nicole replied: — April 25th, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
Thanks for your feedback, Briana! Although I’ve never had problems with rolling the balls, peanut butter is a great solution. Thanks for sharing :)
Reply
michelle replied: — May 9th, 2012 @ 12:47 pm
mine were sticky to roll too, until I clued in that if I wet my hands with water to do it, it was very easy and didn’t stick to my fingers at all (i used sticky maple syrup instead of agave
)
Reply
Jennifer replied: — July 16th, 2012 @ 11:43 pm
I had a hard time but I used some brown rice flour but still sticky! So will try the weting of the fingers next time for sure! Wonder why yours isn’t as sticky?
These sound delicious. Do you have any idea what the calories are like for one of them?
Reply
Nicole replied: — April 29th, 2012 @ 7:30 pm
Hi Brittany. You can check the comments above. I believe a couple of people did calorie counts and came up with about 150 calories each.
Reply
Hi Nicole, I found this recipe on Pinterest. I made them last night and they are gone! They were very good. The balls in your picture are a lot nicer than what mine look like though! I followed the recipe exactly and I had no trouble… tonight I’m going to double it and keep them in the freezer! Thank you so much for sharing!
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 2nd, 2012 @ 4:33 pm
Thanks for your feedback, Kristy! I’m so glad you enjoyed them enough to make another batch! :)
Reply
I just saw these on Pintrest and can’t wait to try them. I will probably use either honey or maple syrup and add some ground flax seed.
Reply
These are amazing! I have never had agave nectar, so I was a little nervous, but it tastes better than honey! I did substitute raisins for chocolate chips and it was delicious :))
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 6th, 2012 @ 1:46 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Beth!
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 6th, 2012 @ 1:47 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Renee!
Reply
so, I just made these…I had to sub some things—I used maple syrup instead of agave nectar, I had pecans and almonds (no walnuts)…I added some ground flax seed —these are yummy, yummy, yummy! My 2 and 4 yr olds have dug in as well!
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 22nd, 2012 @ 1:24 pm
I’m so glad you and your little ones enjoyed them!
Reply
Anyone have a carb count on these?
Reply
I’m not eating grains, is there a way to substitute or delete the oats?
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 22nd, 2012 @ 1:28 pm
I haven’t tried anything other than oats. Do you eat quinoa? If so, quinoa flakes might work as a substitute but you will need to adjust the measurement–use just enough so that the mixture sticks together and can be formed into balls. Let me know how it works out!
Reply
I was looking for a quick “healthy” gluten free desert for tonight and this was PERFECT! My brother and I scarfed them down =). The only thing I did different was use honey instead of agave
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 22nd, 2012 @ 1:29 pm
Thanks, Ashley! I’m so glad you and your brother enjoyed them.
Reply
Heather replied: — July 18th, 2012 @ 3:28 pm
I’m glad to hear they worked with honey! I was thinking about using honey instead of the agave too!
Reply
I made these this morning for my son’s class.He was told gluten free and these fit the bill. Very good. I had some coconut flour and flax seed flour I wanted to use up. I used honey since I didn’t have any agave.
Reply
Nicole replied: — May 30th, 2012 @ 3:15 pm
Great! I’m glad the substitutions worked out.
Reply
We just tried these tonight (ten minutes ago). We used all almonds instead of the walnuts, but they were still great. I think the cinnamon’s the real star of the recipe. MMMMM!!! We’ve already sent our family links to the recipe! Thanks!
Reply
Sherry Berrett replied: — June 2nd, 2012 @ 9:46 pm
oh, and to keep the dough from sticking, we just wet our hands a bit.
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 3rd, 2012 @ 6:45 pm
Great tip! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
These were great. I made one batch as is – minus the cocoa nibs since I didn’t have any on hand. The next batch I added some dark chocolate cocoa powder in w/the dry ingredients and it turned out awesome. In fact, it took away a lot of the sometimes too sweet taste of the agave. Next time I might add cayenne to make it kind of like a Mexican hot chocolate cookie dough. Mmmm! Thanks for the great recipe – wonderful as is, and easy to play around with for variation.
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 5th, 2012 @ 10:59 am
Wonderful! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe and playing around with new variations.
Reply
Wow! I made these because I’ve been craving something sweet but I didn’t want to completely ruin my diet. They were amazing! Tasted like chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough! I didn’t have enough walnuts so I used half walnuts and half pecans, then the almonds. It was PERFECT! Thanks for posting this! You saved my diet!
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 14th, 2012 @ 9:44 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Amanda!
Reply
These look awesome. I would love to put them on my site with a credit to your site, only with permission from you. Thanks again for a delicious recipe.
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 14th, 2012 @ 9:46 pm
No problem, Shannon. You’re welcome to share them on your site as long as you credit me and link back to my site. Thanks!
Reply
Shannon @ RecipesMe replied: — June 14th, 2012 @ 10:12 pm
Thanks Nicole, I will definitley do that. Again great recipe!!!
I made these and they really do taste like cookie dough! Love! My husband is a huge fan as well!
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 21st, 2012 @ 2:40 pm
Thanks, Erin! I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed them.
Reply
Thanks SO much! these rock! Is there any way you can give us the amt of calories per ball or per serving? that would be awesome! thanks!!!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — June 29th, 2012 @ 12:24 pm
I don’t track calories in my recipes but there are a few people in the comments above who’ve calculated calories for these balls.
Reply
Wait… yummy goodness that I don’t have to cook? And it’s healthy??? I’m in! Thanks!!!
Reply
These sound yummy. Can’t wait to make them. Especially love the fact that no baking is required!
Reply
These look yummy but all the great recipes seem to have some kind of nut in the recipe. Could something be substituted for the almonds & walnuts?? Thanks!
Reply
Nicole replied: — July 16th, 2012 @ 10:19 am
Hi Emma! Many of my recipes do require nuts, and unfortunately nothing can be substituted without completely changing the taste and texture. You could try seeds, coconut, or flax, but again, the taste would be completely different. Good luck!
Reply
Emma replied: — July 18th, 2012 @ 11:43 am
Great! Thank you for your help!!
YUM…just made these and ate half the dough while I was rolling it into balls, oops, so addictive! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Nicole replied: — July 24th, 2012 @ 2:39 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Beth!
Reply
Nicole,
These are delicious! They have become a staple to curb my sweet tooth.
I love making them with raw cacao nibs. No extra sugar but still chocolate!!
I use honey in place of the agave. Tonight I substituted 1/4 cup sunflower seeds,
1/4 cup hemp seeds and 1/8 cup ground flax seed for the oats. They were a little
stickier but still great.
I, too, discovered the ‘wet hands’ trick the first time I made them. Makes rolling
them into balls very easy.
So, commenters, experiment, experiment, experiment – I think these would be
next to impossible to ruin.
Again, great recipe! Thanks, Nicole!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — July 24th, 2012 @ 2:39 pm
Thanks so much for your feedback, Sandy! I love the variations you created.
Reply
Christine replied: — September 7th, 2012 @ 2:32 am
Thanks for posting these substitutions, Sandy! I’m trying to get away from oats because I have read that a significant percentage of Celiacs may have trouble with gluten-free oats and I’ve still been getting sick.
I love the fact that this recipe is almost paleo. I could make it (or a slight variation) and barely be straying from the diet I’m trying to follow to help my digestive system heal!
Reply
substitute honey for agave, because agave has more fructose, than high fructose corn syrup..
Reply
Nicole replied: — August 24th, 2012 @ 6:36 pm
Thank you for the suggestion, Jenne, but honey is not vegan friendly. I would also suggest substituting maple syrup if you do not like using agave.
Reply
I have made these and I can not get them to roll. tried the wet hand idea, tried adding a touch of water..even tried a cookie dough scoop and they just fall apart..mine are not stiky at all..HELP..
Reply
Nicole replied: — August 24th, 2012 @ 6:39 pm
I’m sorry you’re having problems, Stephanie. Did you double check your ingredient measurements? If it’s dry, a tablespoon or two of nut butter might help it stick together.
Reply
Anybody lnow how many WW points?
Reply
I have been making these on Sundays in preparation for the work week ahead. They are the perfect healthy (and filling snack.) Thank you! :)
Reply
Nicole replied: — September 14th, 2012 @ 10:36 pm
Wonderful! I’m glad you’re enjoying them, Amy.
Reply
Thank you for the great recipe! I made some today with almond meal, oat bran, chia seeds, and coconut to make up for half the nuts I was missing. I used maple syrup instead of agave as well, and my 2 year old keeps asking for more. Very yummy and healthy alternative to … well…. almost everything out there!
Reply
Nicole replied: — September 14th, 2012 @ 10:37 pm
I love your variation, Jessica! That sounds pretty amazing.
Reply
Do you know the carb count? My son has Type 1 diabetes and I have to count all the carbs. Thank you ! Please email me at
Reply
I’ve made 4 batches of these within the past 2 days. UNREAL!!!
Reply
Nicole replied: — September 17th, 2012 @ 8:45 am
That’s fantastic! :)
Reply
These are amazing. My kids are devouring them! I doubled the recipe, added some chia seeds for an extra boost, and used a small melon baller to scoop them. I got 40 cookies doing it this way. I see all kinds of yummy in our future…maybe add some coffe beans? Yum. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Reply
These are so good….can also make them with pumpkin.
Reply
These sound wonderful and I get that they are healthy but my boyfriend is insulin dependent and is there a carb/fat/protein breakdown?
Reply
How many calories and protein per serving?
Reply
I’m sure you could dehydrate this as little flat oatmeal chip cookies, too! delicious :)
Reply
Wondering if this recipe would still work without putting the nuts in there? For allergy purposes.
Reply
Nicole replied: — January 22nd, 2013 @ 10:30 am
The nuts are an essential part of the recipe. You could substitute seeds, oats or coconut but the taste ans texture will be completely different.
Reply
These are wonderful! The recipe was spot on (making recipes from blogs is about 50/50 for me), and the bites are so delicious. Just one is enough sweetness for me. Thanks for posting it!
Reply
Nicole replied: — January 25th, 2013 @ 7:55 am
So glad you enjoyed them, Alicia!
Reply
Tried tonight , great sugar tooth fix!
Reply
Delicious! Just one as a treat is yum. Sweet enough to relieve cravings and satisfying enough to not feel the need for more.
Reply
My husband’s allergic to agave … do you think local honey would be a good substitute (if we’re not going for vegan)?
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 13th, 2013 @ 2:11 pm
Yes, honey should work!
Reply
I made these last night and they are fab! Even my picku hubby loves them. I split the nut/oat mix in half and made one batch with a scoop of almond butter and a bit of coconut oil and they are so good! I substituted all the chocolate for craisins so no need for any added sweetener! Thanks so much for the recipe, it’ll be a staple in my household from now on!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 17th, 2013 @ 6:10 pm
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Reply
These were absolutely delicious!!! I used maple syrup because it’s all I had and they were super sticky but great!!! My 2 and 4 year olds loved them too! So glad I can give them treats and not feel guilty! :) Thank you for sharing this!
Reply
Nicole replied: — March 22nd, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed them, Jess! Thanks for your feedback.
Reply
DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! I just made them, now if I don’t overdo it I shouldn’t feel guilty! right???
Reply
hi, thanks for posting this. i found you on pinterest!
i made some today. i think i need to wet my hands a
little more often. it worked great at the beginning, but
then started to not stick to itself because it was sticking
to me 8(. lol. very very tasty. i agree you only need one or
two at a time. i didnt have all the nuts so i ended up with
only about 8 balls but yummmmm!
Reply
I am on weight watchers. Does anyone know the points plus for these or the nutritional value for them?
I have made them quite a few times and LOVE them. My niece requests these fr her dessert now. Auntie-1 Crap Sweets-0!
Thanks :)
Reply
I ran out of agave, so I use pure Vermont maple syrup. I was also shy of almonds, so I added some pecans. I just sampled a little as I was rolling the balls, but they taste amazing. I coated a few in coconut, too. I’m looking forward to eating a couple of them in about an hour.
Reply