These raw cookies with peanut butter and chocolate chips are a such a healthy and delicious no-bake sweet treat! Naturally sweetened with dates and made without flour, these no bake cookies are loaded with goodness and are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth with no oven required! {Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free & no added sugar}
Peanut Butter Date Cookies – No Baking Required!
In our house, we’re all about the quick and easy no bake treats, so that’s why we’ve been loving these raw cookies!
Made with dates, oats, peanut butter and chocolate chips, these healthy no bake oatmeal cookies are a great option if you’re looking for a tasty, yet nutritious treat.
As an added bonus, there’s absolutely no cooking involved. Just mix everything together in a food processor and you’re good to go!
So next time you’re looking for the perfect sweet treat but want to stay on track, these raw peanut butter cookies are sure to tick all the right boxes.
Whip up a double batch to store in the fridge or freezer for healthy snacks or tasty treats throughout the week!
If you’re a fan of healthy edible cookie dough, be sure to try my Protein Cookie Dough Balls and Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites too!
Why We Love These Healthy Date Cookies
- Make ahead: These raw vegan cookies have a good shelf life and can be frozen for longer storage too. Plus, they’re portable, portion-controlled and make the perfect grab and go snack!
- Quick and easy: The eggless cookie dough can be whipped together and formed into cookies in less than 20 minutes. Such an easy recipe with simple ingredients… and super delicious too!
- Nutritious: Made from scratch with wholesome ingredients, this is one cookie recipe you can feel great about serving the family. They’re packed with fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants for a healthy treat that will keep you feeling nourished and satisfied.
Ingredient notes
- Dates: Dates are a great way to naturally sweeten up these raw cookies. Use soft pitted dates for the best results.
- Peanut butter: Use natural peanut butter with no added salt or sugar for the healthiest option. You can also sub in almond butter if desired.
- Oats: Quick oats replace the flour in this recipe for a tasty fibre-packed option.
- Peanuts: Use unsalted peanuts. If you only have salted on hand, then skip the added salt.
- Pure vanilla extract and salt: For additional flavour and sweetness.
- Chocolate chips: No cookies are complete without chocolate chips! I like to use 50-70% dark chocolate chips for extra antioxidants.
How to Make Raw Vegan Cookies – Step by Step Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, process the dates until they’re broken down and form a paste-like consistency. Stop the processor a few times to scrape down the sides.
- Add the peanut butter, oats, peanuts, salt and vanilla to the food processor. Process until well combined. If the dough seems too crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoon of water at a time, blending after each addition, until the mixture is sticky enough to form into balls without crumbling apart (I added 2 tablespoons of water).
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to break down and combine. Place mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly.
- Roll the dough into 12 bite-sized balls. Next, flatten each with a fork or the palm of your hand, fixing any larger cracks along the edges with your fingers.
- Top with additional finely chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to allow the cookies to firm up.
Recipe Tips for the Best Vegan Cookie Dough
- Use soft dates: I prefer to use soft dates for this recipe. If your dates seem extra hard, soak them in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes to soften them and make them easier to blend.
- For stickier dough: Once you’ve combined the ingredients in the food processor, it should form a big ball of sticky dough. If your mixture still seems too crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, processing after each addition, until the mixture is sticky enough to form into cookies.
- Allow them to sit: The cookies might seem a bit oily at first, but the oats will absorb most of the oil after the cookies have been sitting for about an hour or so in the fridge.
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: Store in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezer: You can freeze these raw cookies on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container to store for up to 2 months. They won’t freeze solid so they can be enjoyed straight from the freezer.
Recipe FAQs
Regular cookie dough often contains uncooked flour and raw eggs, so it should not be eaten raw due to the risk of E. coli and salmonella. Read more about the potential risks here. Unlike traditional cookies, these raw chocolate chip cookies don’t contain raw flour or eggs, so it’s perfectly safe to eat them without baking.
Yes! If you store them in the freezer, they don’t freeze solid, so you can serve them up straight from the freezer. Such a refreshing treat!
If the mixture is too crumbly when you try to form the cookies, you probably haven’t added enough water to help the mixture bind together. Add an extra tablespoon or so of water until the mixture is sticky enough to form into cookies.
Optional Add-ins
These chocolate cookies are pretty delicious as they are, but they’re easy to adapt to suit your own tastes.
Try adding in:
- Shredded coconut
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Cacao nibs
- Cocoa powder
- Hemp hearts
Recipe Variations
- Switch out the nuts: Try raw cashews, almonds, walnuts, or pecans instead of peanuts.
- To make nut-free: Use Wow, sunflower or pumpkin seed butter instead of peanut butter and hemp hearts or sunflower seeds instead of peanuts.
- Make raw cookie dough balls: Rather than doing no-bake cookies, you can also roll the edible dough into little cookie dough bites.
More tasty cookie recipes
- Heart Cookies with Jam
- Vegan Lemon Cookies
- Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
- Healthy Thumbprint Cookies
- Healthy Banana Cookies
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies {Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates packed
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup peanuts unsalted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (plus a few extra for topping)
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, process the dates until they’re broken down and form a paste-like consistency. Stop the processor a few times to scrape down the sides.
- Add the peanut butter, oats, peanuts, salt and vanilla to the food processor. Process until well combined. If the dough seems too crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoon of water at a time, blending after each addition, until the mixture is sticky enough to form into balls without crumbling apart (I added 2 tablespoons).
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to break down and combine. Place dough mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly.
- Roll the dough into 12 bite-sized balls. Next, flatten each with a fork or the palm of your hand, fixing any larger cracks along the edges with your fingers.
- Top with additional finely chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to allow the cookies to firm up.
Notes
- Use soft dates: I prefer to use soft dates for this recipe. If your dates seem extra hard, soak them in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes to soften them and make them easier to blend.
- For stickier dough: Once you’ve combined the ingredients in the food processor, it should form a big ball of sticky dough. If your mixture still seems too crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, processing after each addition, until the mixture is sticky enough to form into cookies.
- Allow them to sit: The cookies might seem a bit oily at first, but the oats will absorb most of the oil after the cookies have been sitting for about an hour or so in the fridge.
Natasha says
Made these this evening and they are to die for. My 5 year old loves them. I did walnuts since I didn’t have peanuts and omg they were divine. No more store bought cookies for us.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Yes!! Aren’t they amazing?! I bet they were delicious with walnuts too! Glad you found a tasty alternative to store-bought cookies :)
Cathy says
Love these cookies! You can feel good about having this treat…they are super yummy! I really enjoy all your recipes Elysia! Thanks so much!
Elysia Cartlidge says
So glad you enjoyed the cookies and I’m happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the other recipes as well! Thanks so much for the feedback :)