Recently, I had an intense craving for the classic no bake cookies. Chocolate, peanut butter, oats….yum! However, I wanted to see if I could give the recipe a little makeover, to make it a tiny bit healthier. I was able to reduce the sugar, sub out the butter for healthier fats and still have the delicious flavor I remember. I love when my ‘experiments’ work out! Of course, don’t get me wrong, this is still a treat and not a health food, but with all those oats and protein from the peanut butter…I just might have justified eating them for breakfast. Okay, I totally ate them for breakfast!
No Bake Cookies – ‘Healthified’
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar*
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup peanut butter*
- 3 cups old fashioned oats*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- *Notes – I used ½ cup sugar and ½ cup Stevia in the Raw – just depends on your preference. Any nut butter or peanut butter replacement, such as WowButter or SunButter could be used in the place of peanut butter. A combination of quick cooking and old fashioned oats, or all quick cooking can be used if you prefer.
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, coconut oil, and cocoa.
- Bring to a boil, and cook for about a minute.
- Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.
- Place in fridge to cool and set.
- {store in refrigerator since coconut oil melts above 76 degrees F}
KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. For more recipes, check out her blog Makin’ it Mo’Betta, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!
When did coconut oil become healthier than butter? I thought coconut was on the list of bad for you oils. Educate me please. Thanks.
At one time, coconut oil was considered bad for you due to the saturated fat content. Current research has found that not all saturated fats are the same, nor do they have the same effects in the body. Coconut oil has fatty acids that actually help boost good cholesterol, unlike butter. However, even though most of what I’ve read has been positive, and the general consensus is that coconut oil is better for you than butter – it’s still not better than olive oil. Dr. Oz and Oprah have given it a thumbs up *wink*…but actual medical organizations like the American Heart Association are still saying use in moderation until more research is in. Here are a few sources if you’d like to read about it in more detail…
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health, http://www.dietriffic.com/2012/07/26/is-coconut-oil-healthy/, http://www.apccsec.org/document/EXPERT_FINDINGS.pdf, http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/the_health_benefits_of_olive_oil_coconut_oil_and_other_popular_kitchen_oils.php
(Please keep in mind that I am not a nutritionist or a physician, and this recipe is still a treat and not a health food.) Hope this helps!
Thank you! Thank you! I love the ‘subs’ you’ve made in this special treat. Using coconut oil is just brilliant. I AM making these soon!
Hey, I just made these are they’re delicious. I added my leftover shredded coconut and it tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for letting us know! I’m glad you liked them…they are one of my favorites!
Can use one cup of the stevia and leave out the white sugar all together?
Yes, you could replace all of the sugar with a sugar substitute but in my experience, different brands of stevia vary in sweetness, so you may have to adjust the amounts a little.
I can’t get the print button to work but really wanna make these cookies! Any chance you can investigate and possibly send me the recipe? Thanks in advance!
Kelly, I’ve contacted easy recipe, who does the plugin for the printable recipes. They are having a glitch with the print button. You can copy/paste the recipe into a word doc though.
Every time I make these they are still sticking what am I doing wrong
Do you think you can replace milk with almond milk? Just wondering?
I think that would work, but I haven’t tried it myself.
I can’t get the recipe to come up! Where did it go? I was hoping to make these today.