CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES (NO BAKE)

Most no-bake cookie recipes, while they're easy to prepare, rely heavily on the use of butter or margarine. These dairy-free cookies are just as easy to prepare, but, instead of using a lot of butter or margarine, they use moist dates, finely ground nuts and dairy-free dark chocolate chips to give the cookies sweetness and richness. Essentally, these cookies keep all of the good stuff and get rid of all the rest!

Makes about 30-40 cookies


Prep Time: 10 minutes


Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup finely chopped fresh dates, packed
¼ cup finely ground cashews or almonds
¼ cup soymilk powder
1 T. cocoa powder
1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
1 T. maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Place a large baking sheet lined with parchment in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the oats, dates, ground cashews, soymilk powder and cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. In a double-boiler or a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over (but not touching) several inches of boiling water, melt the chocolate chips until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.

4. Using a wooden spoon, mix the oat mixture into the melted chocolate, stirring until well combined. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and, using a small ice cream scoop or melon baller, drop the mixture onto the parchment, about 2 T. at a time, until all of the mixture is used. Place the sheet in the refrigerator until cookies are set, about 1-2 hours.

5. Serve cold or at room temperature.