Spooky No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (SRC)

Fall is hands-down my favorite time of year — the smells, the flavors, the colors, the cooler weather…all of it makes me a happy camper! I want to snuggle up in a big sweater (or sweatpants) and spend time in the kitchen creating comfort food. Let’s kick off Fall with a holiday-geared post for Halloween that’s not only quick, easy, health(ier) and fun. Oh yeah, and it has chocolate 🙂

I’m sold! These no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies are the perfect addition to a holiday party, a potluck, a kid’s school event, a bake-sale, or even a tailgate. Not only are they portable but they are allergen-friendly and a healthier version of no-bake cookies. I’d say that’s a win in my book…you CAN have your cookie and eat it too 🙂

I was thrilled to be assigned Wendy’s blog A Day in the Life on the Farm for September’s Secret Recipe Club reveal. I had my sight set on her Morel Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque (doesn’t that sound heavenly?!) but had a small hiccup. True story – I went to the natural foods grocery store and found dried morels, yet I opted out when 1.2 ounces rang up for $56. Yikes. Wendy wasn’t kidding when she said morels are like gold, I tabled that recipe for a night when I really want to “treat” myself or for a special occasion!

I happily chose her No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies for this month’s reveal. Not only did I have a hankering for something sweet, but wanted something easy without much hassle (or maybe I didn’t want to wait on dessert). Once I was mid-recipe, ambition and creativity hit so I couldn’t help but whip out my cookie cutters for a little Halloween fun!

I made a few swaps to make these cookies allergy-friendly: I substituted coconut oil for the butter, sunflower butter for the peanut butter, and coconut palm sugar for the granulated white sugar. I amped up the fiber with a few tablespoons of flaxseed meal and I used non-dairy almond milk in lieu of regular cow’s milk. I made sure to use gluten-free oats and added a pinch of sea salt to the mixture. Voila…Now that’s comfort in a cookie WITHOUT sacrificing the taste 🙂

Spooky No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Wendy’s recipe)
Gluten-free, Refined Sugar-free, Dairy-free Vegetarian, Vegan, No-Bake, Egg-free, Nut-free Option

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance Vegan Spread (could use butter but it won’t be dairy free or vegan)
1 1/2 – 2 cup granulated coconut palm sugar (or other granulated sweetener)*
1/2 cup dairy free milk (I used unsweetened vanilla Almond milk)
4 Tbsp cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter or other nut butter)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
generous pinch of sea salt, optional
3-3 1/2 cup gluten free oats** (I used about 3 1/4 cups)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal, optional for added nutrition

For decorating and shaping (optional)
cookie cutters of your choice lightly greased with coconut oil
coconut butter (or your favorite recipe for a glaze) – I used about 3 Tbsp
black sesame seeds (for the eyes)

Directions

1. Add first 4 ingredients into a 4 qt. saucepan.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high and hold one minute stirring often.
2. Remove from heat.  Add sunflower seed butter (or other nut or peanut butter) to hot mixture and stir until melted.
3. Add vanilla and sea salt and stir well.
4. Mix in the oats and flaxseed meal, then stir well.
5. Place cookie cutters on parchment paper and press mixture evenly into cookie cutters (make sure to press down to get into small creases) OR drop by tablespoons onto parchment paper. Let cool until set.
6. Carefully remove cookies from cookie cutters after completely cool. If decorating, melt coconut butter until it reaches a liquid state. I put the whole jar in simmering water for a while and stirred occasionally and then scooped about 3 Tbsp out. Spoon liquid coconut butter into a small plastic sandwich bag and cut a small corner off to create a tip. Pipe over cookies to decorate and use tweezers (or tiny fingers) to place sesame seed “eyes” or sprinkle over the cut-outs.

*I used less because I didn’t want these cookies as sweet, it’s up to you! You could probably use agave, maple syrup or honey but I haven’t tried it with this recipe.

**If you want a less chewy consistency for the oats, feel free to pulse the oats in a food processor several times since they aren’t quick cooking oats

For other recipes from this month’s reveal, please click the link below!