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Home » Recipes » Dessert

Cookie Dough Bites (Easy, Vegan!)

Oct 14, 2024 by Kaitlin · 4 Comments

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A healthier Cookie Dough Bites recipe you can make with or without chocolate chips! They're sweet and delicious, plus ready in just 10 minutes. Great for a quick snack, energy boost, or dessert! (Vegan, gluten-free, no added oil.)

Small bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough bites with a bite taken out of one

These easy cookie dough balls are sweet and delicious! They can help satisfy a chocolate chip cookie craving in a quicker (and healthier) way.

Best of all, they're made with just a few simple ingredients. (No raw eggs, butter, or refined sugar included!)

The texture is so light and fluffy, and they're full of classic cookie dough taste. Plus no special equipment is required - just a bowl, spoon, and your hands!

They're great for a quick treat, packed lunches, midday energy boost, or even dessert.

Peanut butter, oat flour, maple syrup, chocolate chips, milk, vanilla, and seasoning ingredients laid out on a metal tray

Ingredients for Cookie Dough Bites

For this recipe, you'll stir together in a medium mixing bowl:

  • Oat flour: I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour. But you could also make your own by grinding oats in a food processor until a fine powder forms. I haven't tried almond flour but that might work as well.
  • Peanut butter: I use unsalted creamy and natural peanut butter. It's best to use soft, drippy peanut butter so it mixes better. I'm guessing any nut butter or seed butter would work just fine. So you could try it with almond butter, cashew butter, or sun butter as well. (Be aware this will change the flavor however.)
  • Pure maple syrup: I use this for a refined-free natural sweetener because I enjoy the rich flavor and it's simple to work with.
  • Plant milk: You'll need just one tablespoon milk (any dairy-free variety), or you can substitute water if needed.
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Almond extract
  • Salt: You'll need just a small pinch of salt, and I use fine-grain for this recipe.
  • Vegan mini chocolate chips: These are optional if you'd like chocolate chip cookie dough bites! Either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips work. But they taste great without them too.
Four steps showing the cookie dough bites batter preparation in a large glass mixing bowl

Tips

Chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips work best in this recipe. However regular chocolate chips can work too if that's all you have. Just be sure to add them after the individual cookie dough bites are rolled, and press them into the balls instead. (If you add regular-sized chips to the dough mixture, I find the balls are much harder to roll and don't stick together.)

Oil-free option: There's no added oil in this recipe. So if you want to keep it oil-free, don't use the optional chocolate chips or find ones without added oil. (Some contain refined oils or cocoa butter.)

Customizing

Chocolate coating: Instead of the chocolate chips, these balls could also be dipped in melted chocolate for a hard shell coating. Melt your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, dip the balls, then set them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Then place in the fridge or freezer to help set and harden the chocolate.

Overhead view of vegan cookie dough bites batter mixed together with mini chocolate chips in a large bowl

Storing

Fridge: I store ours in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and find they keep for at least a week. (Storing in the fridge will make them last longer, but they do slightly harden and dry out this way.)

Room temperature: You could also store them at room temp in a sealed container, but be sure to enjoy within 2-3 days.

Vegan cookie dough bites with chocolate chips piled together in a small white bowl

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan dessert recipes.

Small bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough bites with a bite taken out of one

Cookie Dough Bites (Easy, Vegan!)

These sweet and delicious cookie dough bites are ready in just 10 minutes! Plus you can make them with or without the chocolate chips.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings: 12 small balls

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup oat flour*
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy, natural)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. dairy-free milk
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

Optional:

  • 2 Tbsp. vegan mini chocolate chips**

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Stir well to combine into an even mixture.
  • Then add oat flour and stir well. Continue stirring until a solid, non-sticky dough ball forms. Towards the end, I use my hands to help combine. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little more flour until a workable dough forms.
  • Add the mini chocolate chips (if using), and work them into the dough with your hands until evenly dispersed.
  • Roll the dough into small, individual balls with your hands. (I form mine about 1.5 inches wide, which creates 12 balls. But make yours as big or small as you'd like.)
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

*For gluten-free: Ensure your oat flour is GF. (I use Bob's Red Mill oat flour.)
**Chocolate chips: If using regular-sized chocolate chips, gently press them into the individual balls after forming and rolling them. If they're added to the original dough mixture, rolling the balls is difficult and they tend to fall apart.
For oil-free: There's no added oil in this recipe. So ensure your chocolate chips don't contain oil, or simply omit them.
Nutrition: The estimated nutritional content includes the optional chocolate chips.
Yield: Recipe makes 12 balls (1.5-inches wide).
Recipe originally published September 2012. Updated October 2024.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Cookie Dough Bites (Easy, Vegan!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
121
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Potassium
 
85
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
15
g
5
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
8
g
9
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
5
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
24
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you're enjoying this vegan Cookie Dough Bites recipe, also check out:

  • Chocolate Banana Popsicle
  • Healthy Vegan Chocolate Milkshake
  • Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
  • Peanut Butter Granola

Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, X (Twitter), or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating:




  1. Jackie says

    February 28, 2022 at 3:49 pm

    5 stars
    So good! Love them both with and without the chocolate chips!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      February 28, 2022 at 5:05 pm

      Wonderful to hear, Jackie!

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    July 02, 2014 at 10:20 pm

    These are amazing! I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking they may not taste like cookie dough. I am pleasantly surprised. Easy to make, satisfies my sweet tooth and definitely a healthy alternative to candy, granola, and other sweets. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      July 03, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

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