Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies (vegan + gluten-free + refined sugar-free)

Do you ever hesitate to turn the oven on when the temperatures rise? I love the sunshine of summertime, but it feels like I should be saving the warmth and comfort of the oven for the colder seasons! To satisfy my sweet tooth without touching the oven, I love making these Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies. They're made with just a handful of ingredients and require no baking, which also makes them perfect for getting little helpers involved in the kitchen!

Ingredients in Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

Here's what we're cooking with! I love that these are ingredients I always have in my kitchen, so I don't need a special trip to the grocery store to make a really yummy treat.

• Oats - I prefer quick cooking oats for texture, but old fashioned whole oats work as well. Oats are an important ingredient because they bind the cookies together as they set!
• Unsweetened cocoa powder - I think a high-quality cocoa powder makes a big difference in recipes like this one.
• Almond butter - Raw, creamy, and unsalted almond butter is my favorite nut butter to use. You can swap for sun butter to keep this nut-free, or use any nut or seed butter you happen to have on hand!
• Maple syrup - This keeps our Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies free of refined sugar!
• Vegan butter - My favorite brand of vegan butter is Miyokos, which melts, bakes, and tastes just like traditional butter. You could also use melted coconut oil, I just preferred the taste with vegan butter. Grab a jar of refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut-flavored cookie!
• Baking essentials - Just a splash of both salt and vanilla are going to perfectly balance the flavors in these cookies!

All About Almond Butter

These Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies get tons of protein from almond butter, which also adds the most perfect subtle nutty flavor. I love the Trader Joe's creamy raw almond butter, but I also like making my own! It only requires one ingredient and some time in the food processor. Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. They also offer a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium. They also provide iron and calcium.

Naturally Sweetened Healthy No-Bake Cookies

One of the things that makes these cookies so much healthier than traditional recipes is that they're naturally sweetened. Rather than using refined sugar, I opted for pure maple syrup. This is made from one ingredient: the sap of maple trees. It is a seriously magic ingredient that I buy in bulk! It works wonders in both sweet and savory recipes to perfectly balance flavors and add just a bit of sweetness.

More Vegan No-Bake Desserts

• Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
• No-Bake Almond Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars
• Creamy Chocolate Fudgesicles (vegan + gluten-free + nut-free)
• Easy 5-Ingredient Vegan Peppermint Patties (gluten-free + paleo)
• Chocolate Coated Almond Butter Crunch Balls (vegan + gluten-free)
• No-Bake Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cheesecake (Paleo + Refined Sugar-Free)
• The Best Vegan Ice Cream Cake (paleo + gluten-free + refined sugar-free)
• No-Bake Fudgy Hemp Bites (vegan + refined sugar-free + gluten-free)
• Easy No-Bake Frosted Vegan Rice Crispy Treats (refined sugar-free)
• No-Cook, No-Avocado Vegan Chocolate Pudding (refined sugar free + gluten free + nut free)