Name: Healthy No-Bake Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup all natural peanut butter; 1/4 cup coconut oil; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp cacao powder; 1 cup organic rolled oats; 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Healthy no-bake cookies are loaded with peanut butter, oats, cacao and shredded coconut. These gluten free, flourless oatmeal cookies are full of that nostalgic, delicious chocolate/peanut butter flavor you know and love. The perfect treat for kiddos and adults! Best of all, they take just minutes to make, this is a must try recipe.

These no-bake cookies are made healthier with natural peanut butter, coconut oil and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect quick treat to whip up when you don’t want to spend hours rolling dough and baking batch after batch of cookies. Just be sure to allow time for the cookies to chill in the fridge!

I love to add them to my holiday cookie trays, sometimes I even add red and green sprinkles on top to make the cookies look extra festive! They’re so easy to make that even my kids love to help.

Ingredients in Healthy No-Bake Cookies

These Cookies are made with just 8 simple ingredients, all of which you probably have on hand right now! Here’s the lineup:

Natural peanut butter – I use all natural creamy peanut butter, but chunky peanut butter will also work. If you happen to be allergic to peanut butter, almond butter is a good substitute.
Coconut oil – just a bit of coconut oil will give these healthy no-bake cookies the right amount of moisture without having to use butter.
Maple syrup – we’re sweetening these cookies with all natural maple syrup instead of a regular, refined sugar. Honey works as well.
Kosher salt – brings out the yummy chocolate flavor!
Vanilla extract – an essential for cookies!
Cacao powder – similar to cocoa powder, but less processed and more nutritional benefit. You can sub with cocoa powder, if that’s what you have available.
Organic rolled oats – I like to use regular old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe but you can also use quick oats if you prefer. And remember to purchase certified gluten-free oats if you are baking for someone who is gluten-intolerant.
Unsweetened Shredded coconut – you can use sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut. Just make sure you are using shredded coconut NOT coconut flakes.

Cacao Powder vs. Cocoa Powder

Cacao (click here for pronunciation) powder is a minimally processed form of the cacao bean that maintains the nutritionally dense properties of the cacao seed. Cacao and cocoa powder are similar, but have some key differences, both in processing and in nutrition.

Both powders come from the cacao plant, but cacao is closest to the raw state after harvesting the seed while cocoa has been processed with high heat and typically supplemented with additives to cut the bitterness. Cacao powder is minimally processed and maintains the nutritionally dense properties of the cacao seed.

Cacao powder is a great source of minerals (iron, magnesium and potassium), fiber and those unique antioxidants called flavanols, which support cardiovascular and brain health.

How to Make Healthy No-Bake Cookies

The best part about these no-bake cookies is how easy they are to make. You’ll have incredibly tasty cookies with very little effort!

Start by combining peanut butter, coconut oil, cacoa powder and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until melted and well combined.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt before adding in rolled oats and shredded coconut, stir until everything is combined.
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and form into a disc-shaped cookie. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you have worked through all the dough.
Chill in the fridge overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours (you are looking for the cookies to set up and harden).
Enjoy! Store leftover cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 5 months.

What Makes These No-Bake Cookies Healthy?

There’s no flour! We’re just using nutrient dense, whole grain oats for the perfect cookie texture. This keeps the cookies gluten free (if you use gluten free oats) while adding a boost of fiber.
They’re dairy free because there’s no butter involved.
Instead of using refined sugar, these cookies are sweetened with just a bit of all natural maple syrup.
Thanks to the cacao powder, these cookies have a good amount of nutrients. Cookies for breakfast, anyone?

These easy no-bake cookies are perfect for the holidays, delicious for breakfast, and lovely as after school snack! They also work well for those days when you are just wanting something chocolatey and delicious.

More Healthier Cookie Recipes

If you make these delicious no-bake cookies, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).

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3.65 from 139 votes