And the cravings don’t go away just because you’ve decided to dedicate yourself to healthy eating. After drooling over a package of premade dough in the supermarket, I finally decided that enough was enough. It was time to figure out a way to healthify cookie dough.
This simple recipe delivers in all ways. Not only are these cookie dough bites gluten-free and Paleo-friendly, but they’re also totally vegan. That’s right—no dairy or eggs here!
Why leave out the eggs? Swapping in coconut oil means that this cookie dough is totally safe to eat raw, and it keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. That means both kids and grown-ups can safely indulge without worrying about salmonella.
Organic coconut oil also adds a hearty dose of healthy fats to these chocolate-covered treats. Plus, using almond flour instead of regular wheat flour packs in tons of protein and fiber. You might feel like you’re indulging in a decadent dessert, but the truth is, these bites are nutritious enough to eat as an energizing snack.
I love making this recipe, too—it’s just so much fun! If you have children at home, get them involved. Little ones will love rolling the dough into balls, and older kids can help you melt the dark chocolate to pour over the top. If a few bites disappear before they make it into the fridge, that’s okay—hey, that’s why we’re making this cookie dough in the first place, right?
The best part about these cookie dough bites? They’re one guilty pleasure that I never feel bad about indulging in. Full of healthy fats and fiber, and free of refined sugars, gluten, and dairy, these treats are truly healthy. So go ahead and enjoy one or two (or four)—there’s no reason not to!
Photo Credit: Paul Delmont
Ingredients
- For the bites
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup melted organic virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups paleo-friendly dark chocolate, chopped
- For the topping
- 12 ounces paleo-friendly dark chocolate
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour and sea salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined, then stir in chopped chocolate.
- Roll batter into 1 1/2-inch balls, place them on lined baking sheet, and set them in fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl over a pot of water, melt the chocolate for the topping. Take off heat and let cool slightly.
- Remove cookie dough bites from fridge and pour chocolate over each bite to cover. Let cool. Store in fridge.
When I started trying Paleo recipes to find a supply that I liked, I quickly ran out of my double vanilla extract. In an effort to find the best, purest ingredients possible, I came across ground vanilla (beans). I love using this instead of extract – there’s no sugar or alcohol. But I wondered if the fact that it’s a dry ingredient instead of wet changes anything.
What do you consider Paleo friendly dark chocolate?
I enjoy finding new recipes to add to my recipe box and eating plan. I wondered if there is something I can use to substitute for the maple syrup as I would rather not use sweeteners that will raise my glucose level. If the syrup was just left out, would I need to add a bit more liquid? Thanks you.
What kind of maple syrup is best? I know a lot are made with refined sugar.
Pure maple syrup is not made with sugar, just maple sap. Other strops are refined sugars with maple flavour.
Thanks Jess these cookies look great and I am eager to try these for our Grand-daughters. Regards Jan
Would the balls hold together if I added two scoops of organic protein powder?
Probably not, protein powder is often made of whey, if I recall…a milk product. (Which actually makes me sick). There is a lot of protein in these already, since they are made from nut flour.
It’s not clear how much cut chocolate goes into recipe dough and how much is preserved for coating at the end. Can you elaborate?
Good for 5 days!? Who are you kidding? These things don’t NEED a shelf life-we ate them within 24 hrs! Ok-well we made a half batch because we had our doubts-no more doubts!
And we kind of liked them frozen! BTW they freeze very firm-not hard-although the chocolate chips do get crunchy!
We are moving into creative mode-how about cashew meal instead of almond meal? Making those as we speak….
Thanks Jess-you are our Paleo Dessert Hero!
How did the cashew ones turn out? We have an almond and hazelnut allergy in the house and I’m not sure what other flour would be a good alternative.
Do you make your own cashew flour? I would love to know how this recipe turned out using the cashew flour instead of almond meal.
Thanks!
Hi Jess! My daughter has a nut and legume allergy. Would a half and half substitute of coconut flour and tapioca flour work?
These are TO DIE FOR. The end.
My kids don’t like nuts or dark chocolate but go crazy for these bites! I don’t bother dipping them in chocolate. I blitz raw almonds in my NutriBullet instead of buying almond flour and they taste fantastic. Can’t wait to try it with cashews next! Thanks for this fantastic recipe.
Great idea to use raw almonds, especially when you don’t have almond flour on hand. And cashews should also work great. Glad you and your kids enjoy the recipe!
Love love LOVE this recipe!!!! However I am not a fan of chocolate. I know weird and yes I am a woman. So I have adjusted it slightly for my preference. Maybe you will like it too. So one way I fix these is to put 2 dark chocolate chips in the cener like a small surprise. Another way is to melt a little extra coconut oil and drizzle it over each bite. Very similar to a donut glaze in a way. The other is to dust them with roasted carob powder. Or better yet put 2 dark chocolate chips in the center then drizzle warm coconut oil then dust with carob powder while still wet. Also I use a melon baller and they are flat on the bottom. Remember to put them in the fridge to harden up. I make these weekly they are my go to paleo, keto, fodmap sweets.