I have a friend who always asks, rather profoundly I might add, “Why would you ruin perfectly good cookie dough by baking it?” That is the real question that always surrounds really good chocolate chip cookie dough, isn’t it? To bake or not to bake…
Luckily, you won’t have to tackle any hard questions like that here today. I’m an equal opportunist and have a foot firmly in both camps. I admit that my freshman roommate and I DID keep a giant tub of cookie dough in our fridge for optimal, late night snacking. But, the pure joy elicited by the first bite of a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven with its crunchy, buttery shell + nuggets of melting milk chocolate is pretty unreal.
We can all agree that chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie dough are perfect. They’re like Joanna Gaines or Beyonce – everyone likes them. But, they aren’t exactly the type of food that I love to serve my husband (or myself) every day. They tend to be a bit higher in saturated fat and sugar then I’d like. And while sometimes a real deal cookie is the only thing that will do, most other days, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites will scratch the same itch – only with a much higher nutritional payoff!
These balls of bliss are made with only 7 ingredients (including the pinch of sea salt), and they’re real, whole food ingredients. Simply throw them into a food processor or blender, pulse together, and you’ve got a healthy, filling, and DELICIOUS snack that’s perfect for on-the-go. I love to put a few into my husband’s lunch box as a little dessert.
The base of these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites is really simple: dates, almonds, and oats. Dates give these bites their sweet taste, but they also bring a dose of fiber and antioxidants to the table, which regular, white sugar just can’t do. Next, we add almonds for some healthy fats, plant protein, and Vitamin E. To complete this power trio, we add in some oats.
Now, hear me, I LOVE oats. I ate oatmeal nearly every morning for 3 years. But due to some of my autoimmune symptoms, I’ve since adopted a paleo-based diet, which sadly doesn’t include oats. However, if they don’t bother you or your family, they’re a beneficial food to incorporate into any well rounded diet. You are more than welcome to choose gluten-free oats if that’s important for you. (Grain free-ers, don’t fret! There is an oat free version of this recipe on its way.)
To finish off these glorious bites, simply stir in some ground flax seed (hello omega 3), a splash of vanilla, some sea salt + allllllll of the chocolate chips because #balance. My personal motto regarding chocolate is the darker the better, but my husband prefers milk. Choose whichever chocolate you like, there really isn’t a wrong one.
And similarly to the baking conundrum that surrounds regular cookie dough, the hardest part of this recipe is rolling it into little balls rather than just eating it by the spoonful (which, I promise I wouldn’t judge you for).
If you need any more convincing, my husband claims that they taste just like the cookie dough out of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream. No joke. If that doesn’t tempt you to try these, I’m not sure what will! Guys, it really can be this simple and this quick to create something that tastes this good and is good for you.
So, go on! Give these a try! And if you do make yourself some of my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below or tag me in your photos on Instagram.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup oats
- 2 tbs ground flaxseed (this is optional, but adds some great omega 3, healthy fats!)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1-2 scoops collagen peptides ((optional – adds extra protein))
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over the dates and allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes.
- While your dates soak, place your almonds + oats in either a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse until the almonds + oats are a fine flour consistency. (Leave them a bit chunkier if you want a bit of texture!)
- Add your dates, flaxseed, salt and vanilla to your blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a dough ball – scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Spoon your mixture into a bowl and mix in your chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. (I prefer dark, but use whatever you like: milk, white, dark, a mix?!)
- Place your dough into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll into balls.
- Using either a spoon, tablespoon, or cookie scoop, spoon out roughly tablespoon sized balls. Roll the ball between your hands until the shape is smooth.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week (but I doubt they’ll last that long!).
