No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (Vegan and Gluten-free)

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No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (Vegan and Gluten-free)

So yeh, that name is definitely a mouthful, but I promise you, it is a very tasty mouthful! I have been craving a little something sweet for the last day or two, but for the last two weeks I have been laying off sugar, caffeine, dairy and all that stuff, attempting to give my digestion a bit of a break.

Today marks two weeks, I have no more pains, I feel less bloated, I am full of energy and I have dropped about 10lbs! I am attributing most of this to removing dairy from my diet, since that is what I believe to have caused the upset in the first place. So for now, I am continuing on this path of no dairy! I am actually quite excited about this discovery and revelation, I think my body has probably been trying to tell me this for sometime now. I really wasn’t consuming much dairy before all of this, but probably when I did have even the littlest amount, it was just too much for me. Ironically this month also marks the 7-year anniversary since I went gluten-free, so I suppose it is fitting that I make another huge dietary change. Why not, right?

So I decided as a little treat to myself to celebrate the two weeks and my new discovery and as a treat to my amazing hubby, Mark, who has been a trooper though all of this, we needed a healthy mid-day energy-boosting sweet. Who wouldn’t love that?

Since I have avoided chocolate for the last two weeks to give my tummy a break (caffeine is a stimulant and can be a bit rough on an already upset digestive tract), I wanted just the littlest taste today! I didn’t wanna go hog wild and get myself sick, so I thought adding them to a cookie ball like this, in the smallest amount possible, would be perfect. I have made many versions of these cookie balls, but I rarely measure and I usually just make do with what ingredients I have in the pantry and go with what I am craving. Since I knew I wanted to feature this recipe, I decided to measure this time. However, I still find that with a recipe like this, it is best to eye-ball it and go with texture. Some dates can be a bit drier than others, so you may have to soak yours first or add some water to get the consistency just right. I added about 2 tablespoons of water to my dough since I didn’t soak mine, but I could tell when the texture was just right for rolling. If you are ever unsure, just take a glob of the dough in your hands and feel it. You will know if it is too crumbly and dry or if it is too wet and goopy. Adjust your ingredients accordingly.

I added in chia seeds this time, but you could certainly leave them out if you don’t have them or don’t want them. I like the crunchiness that they bring and I also love that chia is a power-food known for being high in fiber and great for digestion. Chia seeds also increase your energy levels, so these cookie bites are the perfect afternoon pick me up. I love that these little treats are naturally vegan and sugar-free, they are gluten-free if you make sure to use gluten-free rolled oats and they are the perfect treat to get you through the middle of the day! Have fun with this recipe, I have made these with raisins or dried cranberries before, you can add banana and peanut butter, cocoa power, nuts, coconut, etc. These have become my go to treat when I want something sweet but I don’t want sugar and other junk.

What is your favorite mid-day snack?

 

No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (Vegan and Gluten-free)
[print_this]No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (Vegan and Gluten-free)
makes about 15 cookie balls

1/3 cup Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (about 5 dates – soak if they are very dry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats (you can use regular rolled oats if you aren’t gluten intolerant)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 – 2 tablespoons water (you could need more, you could need less, just go by how your dough feels)
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Add the medjool dates and vanilla to a food processor or high powered blender (like a Vitamix). Process until a thick paste forms, you may want to add some water here if it is too dry. You will also want to take a spatula and scrape down the edges. Add in 1 cup of the rolled oats and the chia seeds, process until the oats are no longer whole and it all comes together into a thick dough. Again, add water if it is super dry (just don’t add too much water). Add in the remaining 1/4 cup of oats and the chocolate chips and pulse just a few times to bring it all together. Take a small amount of the dough into your hands to make sure it will roll and stay together. If the dough is crumbling a bit, add more water, if it is too goopy and wet, add more oats.

Taking 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time, roll the dough, in the palm of your hands, into about 15 balls. Set on a plate and place it into the fridge for about 15 minutes to all them to chill. Then enjoy!

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This recipe is featured in the Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.

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23 Responses

  1. Lisa says:

    These look so delicious. YUM. I can’t wait to make these.
    I think my favorite mid-day snack is either a handful of unsalted nuts or a light smoothie.

  2. Mmm, these look so good. I love little treats like these! Lately I’ve been loving an apple with peanut butter for a snack but I wouldn’t say no to these 😀

  3. Julia says:

    I can’t wait to try these! I’ve been eating similarly the past couple weeks because of my stomach issues too. My tummy feels tons better, but I would like the occasional sweet. These look like the perfect solution!

  4. Lisa says:

    Yum! Perfect for a lunchbox 🙂 Come on over and share at the Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love party: http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-20.html

    See you there!
    Lisa @ Allergy Free Vintage Cookery

  5. I love the new “energy ball” rave. I just posted a recipe on my blog this week that uses bananas and leaves the oats out for those who can’t have it. They were very good and so protein-packed! Thanks for sharing this yummy treat this week at Allergy-Free Wednesdays! We hope you’ll come back again next week to share with us again.
    ~AFW Hostesses

  6. Jennifer says:

    These look great! Love the protein and mineral punch these would provide, but still give a nice bit of chocolate, which I cannot live without. Found this on Allergy Free Wed.

  7. Wow! These look so good. I just may have to make some for my daughter and I today! Saw you on Allergy-Free Lunchbox Love. Thanks!

    • tastyyummies says:

      Thanks Dawn, I hope you enjoy these if you make them. They are so simple and so satisfying. Glad you found me. Thanks for visiting.

  8. Georgina says:

    Hi Beth, I was directed to your recipes by Kalinda and will certainly try some of your recipes which sound yummy. I have been diagnosed with Coeliac disease over 30 years, very sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants which appear in things too. One small point to note is that many people with Coeliac disease still cannot tolerate oats, even if using pure uncontaminated oats. This is because oats contain a substance called Avenin which is a protein similar to gluten and it can mimic the effects of gluten in some Coeliacs. It may be worth adding a little note to this effect to your recipes which include oats.

  9. Lou says:

    Chocolate and chia = joy! I love the whole ‘no bake’ thing…. it’s way too hot where I live to turn on the oven 🙂

  10. Portia says:

    When you say to use Chia Seeds, are you using them as they come or the jelled mixture that results when you mix them in water for an egg substitute?

  11. K. Kalyani says:

    Just made these. WONDERFUL! I love new ways of adding chia to my diet in tasty ways. And the whole thing took me about 10 minutes! Thanks for sharing.

  12. cassie says:

    I have everything to make these but I can’t find medjool dates, can I use regular dates? I saw that you’ve used raisins, was that in place of the dates or just added?

    • tastyyummies says:

      Regular dates should work yeh. I have never used raisins or other dried fruits, but it could work. You just may have to soak them a bit. Let me know how you make out.
      Thanks

  13. Natasha says:

    I just made these for my son for school snacks – he loves them! I only had regular dates so I used about 8 of them. Had to add water but I did so one tablespoon at a time to get the sticky consistency. Next time I’m making a double batch!

  14. […] No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls from Tasty Yummies […]

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  16. Jen says:

    Can I use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the chocolate chips? I love choc. And recently I have gotten my fix from unsweetened cocoa powder which is better and easier on my belly then vegan choc chips. Thanks !

    • tastyyummies says:

      That should work just fine Jen, you may want to add a bit more water to account for the dryness of the cocoa powder. Thanks.

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