Maple + Almond No-Bake Cookies

I was craving cookies something fierce the other day, but have been trying to keep my snacking healthy-ish and also wanted something quick, that didn’t require firing up the oven. Enter these quick and incredibly delicious no-bake treats, loaded with almond butter, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

These cookies are definitely indulgent, but I didn’t feel nearly as guilty about having one too many since they’re free from the massive amounts of butter, white sugar, eggs, salt, and other ingredients that usually go into such a sweet treat.

Maple + Almond No-Bake Cookies

Makes 10 large cookies or 24 mini cookies | Original recipe via Texanerin Baking

Ingredients

3 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup natural, unsalted almond butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup roasted chopped almonds (optional)
1/4 cup cinnamon baking chips (optional)

Directions

Melt the coconut oil over low heat in a medium sized saucepan.
Once the oil has melted, add in the almond butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt, stirring until well combined.
Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly, bringing the mixture to a boil.
Let boil for 2 minutes (don’t stop stirring!) until the mixture thickens slightly. Be careful not to boil it longer than 2 minutes, as it may separate.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and oats until well combined.
If using almonds, stir them in now.
Use a spoon to drop the mixture into mounds onto a piece of parchment paper. Let cool slightly before sprinkling with cinnamon chips (if using.) You can also place the chips in a small bowl and roll the tops of the cookies in the chips or let the mixture cool even more and stir the chips straight into the mixture (note that this will cause them to melt and blend in with the almond butter slightly.)

These really don’t take long to set up, especially if you pop them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. And I must admit that the “batter” – the little bits leftover in the saucepan after you scoop them onto cookie sheet – is just as tasty as the finished product.