This vegan cookie dough is made with oats instead of regular flour and no eggs, of course! So it's edible and safe to eat without cooking. Enjoy the cookie dough bites plain, crumbled and added to ice cream, or dipped in chocolate.
Vegan cookie dough is gluten-free, sweet, salty, nutty, and SO delicious!
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Why You'll Love It
Don't you love a rich, two-bite dessert that can be stored in the freezer, conveniently out of sight but ready anytime a craving might strike? If so, these vegan cookie dough bites are right up your alley!
They're wonderfully rich and sweet, made with a combination of vegan butter and nut butter, and studded with mini chocolate chips.
I like to use peanut butter in my vegan cookie dough because, well, chocolate and peanut butter being a "match made in heaven" and all that. If you're not a fan of peanut butter they're just as delicious with sunbutter or cashew butter.
The other cool thing about these sweet treats is that you can dress them up with chocolate and/or sprinkles if you like, or just enjoy them plain.
They also look really elegant with a simple dusting of cacao powder, sort of like chocolate truffles with a surprise filling.
Is it safe to eat raw oats?
While you might think of rolled oats as "raw," technically they are a cooked food. They're safe to eat straight from the package (or bulk bin) because they have been heated and steamed during processing.
This is why it's safe to make overnight oats, for example, or to add oats to smoothies.
For this cookie dough recipe we're blending oats into flour and using that as a replacement for wheat flour, which isn't safe to eat raw.
Keep in mind that other types of oats, like steel cut, do need to be cooked to make them digestible.
Ingredient Notes
- rolled oats - I like to blend the oats into flour myself; you could possibly use store-bought oat flour, but it's difficult to find conclusive information about whether those products are safe to eat without cooking.
- vegan butter - I used Miyoko's cultured European-style butter to replace the dairy, because flavor-wise I think it's the best out there. Any other vegan butter you like and have access to is also fine. Coconut butter is another option.
- nut butter - try peanut, almond, or cashew butter; sunflower seed butter is a great nut-free option.
- sugar - for the most authentic cookie dough flavor we're using light brown sugar.
- mini chocolate chips - the company Enjoy Life makes allergy-friendly/vegan mini chips, and they're usually easy to find in stores and online.
How to Make Edible Vegan Cookie Dough
As you'll see in the process photos below, these cookie dough bites couldn't be easier! You have the option of using either an electric mixer (handheld works best) OR a food processor to make the cookie dough mixture.
1 & 2 - In a blender or food processor, blend the oats into a flour consistency.
3 & 4 - Using a handheld mixer (preferred method), or a food processor, cream together the peanut butter, butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Stir in the oat flour, and fold in the chocolate chips.
Now it's time to form the cookie dough into balls...
5 - Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop up the dough, and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball. Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then place the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
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How to Decorate Cookie Dough Bites
At this point you may decide to stick with the plain cookie dough bites, in which case you can transfer them to a storage container and return them to the freezer.
Another option is to add some raw cacao powder to a bowl. Gently roll the balls of cookie dough in cacao and shake off the excess.
Or if you're feelin' fancy and want to coat them in chocolate, simply melt some good quality, dairy-free chocolate, either in the microwave or using a double boiler. I like to chop the chocolate into small pieces, add it to a bowl, and microwave it in 20 seconds intervals, stirring in between. Quick and easy.
Drop the cold cookie dough balls one at a time into the melted chocolate. I find it helpful to use a spoon to make sure they're thoroughly coated, then use a fork to lift them out. Let the excess chocolate drip off, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Tip for Rolling in Sprinkles
The chocolate will begin to set almost immediately, so if you want to decorate some of the cookie dough bites with sprinkles (like the ones pictured above), you'll need to have a bowl of sprinkles ready to go.
As soon as you lift each one out of the melted chocolate, gently place it into the bowl of sprinkles. Add more sprinkles on top, and gently roll the ball around so that the entire surface is coated.
This can be a bit tricky, but if you're careful it shouldn't make too much of a mess!
Once all of the cookie dough bites are decorated, return the baking sheet to the freezer for a few minutes.
Now for the final step! If you'd like to add the extra drizzle of lighter-colored chocolate, whisk some peanut putter and/or coconut butter into the leftover melted chocolate.
You can also add a bit of powdered sugar to achieve a lighter color. Then, remove the cookie dough from the freezer, and use a spoon to artfully drizzle a zig zag design on top. Easy as that!
Recipe FAQs
Classic cookie dough contains eggs and all-purpose flour, neither of which are safe to eat raw. Since this cookie dough is vegan it doesn't use eggs. And oats, which have been heat-treated, replace wheat flour.
Store cookie dough bites in the freezer for up to 1 month. For a softer consistency, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The recipe is specifically designed to be eaten as dough, uncooked, so I don't recommend using it to bake cookies. It's a better idea to use a baked cookie recipe.
Final Notes
I found vegan chocolate sprinkles at Whole Foods. Their 365 brand are the only chocolate ones I've been able to easily find that are vegan.
For the melting chocolate, go with a good quality bar you would enjoy eating by itself. I love dark chocolate so I went with one that's 70% cacao.
If you have questions about ethical chocolate manufacturers, I recommend checking Food Empowerment Project's chocolate list.
During recipe testing I tried a new chocolate I hadn't seen before, Tony's Chocolonely. They're a Dutch company that has recently expanded to the US and other countries. Their mission is to create a world where all chocolate is slave free.
You can read more about Chocolonely's vision and learn where to find their chocolates via their website. Note: not all of the Tony's products are vegan, so be sure to check the ingredient lists.
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Recipe
Vegan Cookie Dough Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter or sunflower seed butter (if salted, omit salt listed below) - Stir well so it's not overly oily.
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plant milk of choice
- ⅓ cup vegan mini chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon salt, omit if using salted nut butter
Decorations, as pictured (see Notes below):
- raw cacao powder, optional
- 7 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- chocolate sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the oats until they're the texture of coarse flour. Set aside.
- Using a food processor or an electric hand mixer (preferred method), in a large bowl cream together the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla, milk, salt, if using, and mix again. Stir in approx. 1 ¼ cups oat flour. If the dough seems too sticky add more oat flour.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop approximately 2 tablespoon of dough at a time, and use your hands to roll into a smooth ball. Place cookie dough balls on lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a storage container and return to the freezer. They can also be rolled in cacao powder at this stage.
Optional chocolate coating:
- Melt the dark chocolate by adding it to a bowl and microwaving in 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring in between. Once the cookie dough is cold, dip the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, spooning chocolate over top until thoroughly coated. Use a fork to lift out of the bowl, allowing excess chocolate to drain. *If using sprinkles, roll the balls in a bowlful of sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.
- Place coated truffles on the parchment-lined pan. Once all the truffles are dipped, return the baking sheet to the freezer for a few minutes to help the chocolate set.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Rosalie says
Love your recipes, especially pecan pie. I also love what I learn from you. I was hoping for 20 balls of your cookie dough but only ended up with 13 and I used a small cookie scoop. Oh well, appreciate your creative cooking skills!
Lori says
Thank you for the kind words, Rosalie. I'm so happy you enjoy the recipe posts! Hmm I wonder if I made a mistake when measuring the cookie dough bites. A slight difference adds up, I suppose!