The next time you are craving a healthy dessert without the guilt, turn to this easy recipe. This no bake recipe is as ideal both for grownups looking for a healthy vegan no bake cookies to satisfy their sweet tooth and for after school snacks and lunchbox treats. They were one of the first desserts I ever learned to make, a lesson imparted by a neighbor friend’s mother, no doubt to keep us from using the oven unsupervised after she’d gone to bed.
Her original no bake cookie recipe involved two cups of sugar and a full stick of butter, a lofty undertaking for two small girls to devour in a single evening, but we persevered. For today’s recipe, I kept the classic no bake cookie ingredients—peanut butter, chocolate, and oatmeal—but made a few key changes to create a healthy no bake cookie recipe that would still score full marks at any sleepover. While you’ll find chocolate and peanut butter aplenty, these healthy no bakes are made without sugar. You’ll find just 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the whole batch! All you need is a pot, a spatula, and a fork for mashing the banana. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, cocoa powder, milk, and salt. Heat and stir until the ingredients are well combined.
The mixture may look a little gritty at this point, which is OK. Add the mashed banana and honey. Press the chocolate pieces onto the top. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. In a small bowl, mash your banana until as smooth as possible. 3 cup, but don’t stress if it isn’t exact. In a medium saucepan place the peanut butter, milk, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and salt.
Heat over medium, until the peanut butter and coconut oil melt and are easy to whisk. The mixture may look a little gritty at this point, which is fine. Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the honey, banana, and vanilla extract until smooth and most of the banana lumps have disappeared. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the oats.