Apparently Tuesday was national peanut butter day. WHY DON’T PEOPLE TELL ME THESE THINGS IN ADVANCE? Also, more importantly, who is out there submitting paperwork on capitol hill getting national food holidays approved? Is that how these things work? Are food holidays legit holidays or is my entire life a lie?
Also, can we get the people behind all these food holidays to band together to help pass some effective legislation? I’m thinking peanut butter is great but affordable health care would be even better. Just saying…
As a food blogger and life-long lover of cooking, I sometimes find myself waist-deep in recipes I want to make with no clear indication of when, if ever, I will have time to try them all out. To keep my ideas organized, I take screenshots of the recipes I’m inspired by, and they all just go into a folder on my iPad. Some days I find myself scrolling back through the hundreds of screenshots, looking for inspiration.
Saturday was one of those days, and Ashlae’s no-bake cookie recipe called to me from the depths of my screenshot folder. I had taken the screenshot the day she posted them (which, by the way, was the day after my wedding!), and somehow it doesn’t seem like over six months have passed since I first told myself you need these no-bake cookies in your life right now. 
I set out to follow Ashlae’s recipe exactly as written, and didn’t plan to post it here at all. I even had a block of cacao butter languishing in the back of my pantry waiting for the day I finally made her recipe. And yet, somehow, I found myself adding a pinch of this, swapping a spoonful of that, completely ignoring my cacao butter, and transforming these cookies into a recipe decidedly my own. 
To make these simple, nutrient-dense cookie bites, you’ll start by melting unsweetened (or very dark) chocolate with maple syrup, peanut butter, and coconut oil. Cocoa powder, oats, and toasted coconut flakes get stirred in with a splash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a hearty sprinkle of cinnamon. The batter is scooped into balls, flattened with your fingers, and drizzled with a little extra melted chocolate. I topped mine with extra leftover toasted coconut and flaky salt; that just felt like the right thing to do as I sat outside in a tee-shirt taking pictures of these cookies before sunset. 
At room temperature these no-bake cookies have the flavor and texture of chocolate peanut butter cookie dough; when chilled the cookies solidify and taste like a peanut butter-infused brownie. In both scenarios, you’re left with smooth, creamy dark chocolate, rich peanut butter, and toasted, crunchy coconut flakes in every bite. 
If you’re in the market for a rich, satisfying dessert that’s quick and easy to make, these no-bake cookies are going to be your new faves. When you try them out, let me know! Leave a comment below, or take a picture and share it with me on Instagram or Facebook. Happy Friday, friends!
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate or any chocolate of choice, like dark or semisweet
- 6 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- big pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate to drizzle on top
- extra toasted coconut and flaky salt to top
Instructions
- 1. Toast coconut in a pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until starting to turn golden brown.
- 2. While coconut is toasting, put chocolate, maple syrup, peanut butter, and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted. Alternately, this can be done over low heat on the stove.
- 3. Add all remaining ingredients to the melted chocolate mixture, including toasted coconut, and stir well to combine.
- 4. Scoop cookies onto a parchment-lined pan, flatten gently with your fingers, and transfer to the fridge to chill. At this point the cookies are done, but you can continue on to step 5 for an even more decadent cookie.
- 5. Melt remaining 2 T chocolate in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, and drizzle over cookies. Top with extra toasted coconut and a sprinkle of salt, if using. Store cookies in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Cookies are great either at room temperature or cold straight from the fridge.
Notes