Chocolatey & Delicious Gluten-Free No-Bake Cookies

Click Here to Discover 5 “Living Nutrients” That Allow Almost Any Woman to Burn More Fat & Banish Bloating…

I grew up making these chocolate no-bake cookies thinking they were my grandmother’s recipe – totally authentic and made all the more delicious because they were a “family secret.”

And while yes, these cookies certainly ARE based on my grandmother’s recipe… a simple Google search recently revealed to me that “grandma’s recipe” is pretty much all over the internet.

(It should have tipped me off when one of my best friends in college made almost *exactly* the same no-bake cookies that I did… and claimed they were also HER family recipe.)

So OK, I’ll admit it – this recipe is not a family secret.

And in fact, it’s not even exactly the same as my grandmother’s recipe.

Want to know why?

Because the original recipe – which makes 24 cookies – calls for 2 cups of sugar.

TWO cups!!!

After learning about all of the potential problems that can come from consuming too much sugar… I knew I needed to do something about that sugar content.

On top of that, the cookies are called “chocolate” no-bakes – yet the recipe doesn’t call for any real chocolate (just cocoa powder).

(Which in my eyes, makes the recipe something of a lie… especially for a chocolate-lover like me!)

So in the recipe below, I’ve cut the sugar down to a modest 3/4 cup, made tweaks to ensure it’s 100% gluten-free, and added in a good dose of dark chocolate to satisfy real chocolate cravings.

And I have to say… they might just be better than the original, which is saying a lot.

(Just don’t tell my grandma!)

FTH’s Chocolate Gluten-Free No-Bake Cookies

Equipment Needed: Small pot; heat-proof metal bowl; whisk; parchment paper or nonstick surface

Recipe Time: 15 minutes, not including time for the cookies to chill and set in the fridge

Makes: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 3 Tbsp cacao powder (not cocoa – see Recipe Notes)
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• Pinch Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 60% cacao)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably crunchy) 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1Tbsp rum (optional)

Directions:

1) Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut sugar, coconut flakes, cacao powder, cacao nibs, and salt. Set aside.

2) Get your double boiler set up & melt the wet ingredients.

Fill a small pot with 2-3 inches of water, then place on your stove over medium heat. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pot (it should fit comfortably on top, but not too low that it hits the water in the pot). This is your double boiler.

Add the butter (or coconut oil)  and dark chocolate chips to the bowl, and let melt for 2-3 minutes. When almost fully melted, add the non-dairy milk. Whisk until everything looks smooth, silky, and ultra-chocolatey.

3) Mix it all up! (And taste.)

Add the chocolate mixture to the dry mixture, then add the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and optional rum.

Stir to combine, and taste. Adjust as needed.

4) Form individual cookies and refrigerate until ready.

Using a small ice cream scoop or your (clean) hands, roll the cookies into golf ball-sized spheres and place onto parchment, a Silpat, or some other nonstick surface. They should be sticky enough to form little balls, but not so sticky that they fall apart and get all over everything.

If they seem too dry, you’ll need to add some more butter or oil (or melted chocolate). If they seem too wet and sticky, you may have to add more oats – don’t forget to adjust your seasoning if that’s the case!

(However, I’ve made this recipe MANY times without fail, so I wouldn’t worry too much about this if I were you.)

Once your cookies are fully formed, throw those puppies into the fridge to cool and firm up. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re cool to the touch and are fudgy in texture.

Yum!

Recipe Notes

• Cacao powder is preferable to cocoa powder here because it has more antioxidants, has a more “pure” chocolate flavor, is less processed, and may even potentially boost metabolism according to some research.

• “Aren’t regular oats gluten free?” <<< If you’re wondering that, the answer is yes… mostly. The thing is, oats that don’t say “gluten free” on them may have been handled in a facility that also works with gluten-based products, so there are risks involved with choosing oats that don’t specifically say “gluten free.”

Here’s An Easy Substitute That’ll Cut The Calories Per Cookies Nearly In HALF…

If you’d rather not indulge in 1/2 cup of full-fat crunchy peanut butter (760 cals)… I get it.

As a substitute, you can use a powdered peanut product called PB2.

Two tablespoons contain just 45 calories, and while the texture is a bit strange if you’re just mixing it with water and spreading it on a piece of bread – mixed into a recipe, it’s fantastic.

You could even combine it with some non-dairy milk for added flavor if you want!

The best part is, PB2 is sold in a LOT of stores now, and you can get it on Amazon if you can’t find it in your local grocery.

So, PB2 is a great addition to this recipe.

Something else you can do?

Substitute the coconut sugar in this recipe for a lower-calorie sweetener.

This might be a good option if you are watching your calorie intake or want to minimize your blood sugar response.

But just a heads-up!!!

Some lower-calorie sweeteners are actually extremely unhealthy for you and can CAUSE weight gain – you’ll want to avoid those. (Like “Splenda,” for example.)

The problem is that pretty much all low-calorie sweeteners are marketed as being great for you! It’s hard to know which ones you should – or shouldn’t – use.

So we made a list of safe sweeteners you can use that won’t cause weight gain… and that will help you save calories and peel off the pounds:

Feel free to check out this list for yourself right here. 🙂

Click Here To Find Out Which Sweeteners Are Best For Losing Weight (And Which Ones You Should NEVER Use)

[Note: This post was updated by Fit Trim Happy on January 5, 2020.]