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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free. These bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and with it comes being bombarded by ALL THE SWEETS. I whole heartedly believe in enjoying a sweet treat with your sweetie on the holiday, but you can definitely do it in more healthful way with my naturally sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites. Not only do these 5 ingredient (plus salt) cookie “dough” balls taste like Chewy Chips Ahoy (YES,) but they’re naturally sweetened with dates!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com

Here’s the scoop: raw cashews are combined with sticky-sweet Medjool dates, vanilla extract, almond meal, and chocolate chips, then rolled into balls which not only look but taste like raw cookie dough. I mean it’s unreal, and they come together in just 10 minutes! Lincoln’s developed a taste for these “sweet meatballs” and I feel zero guilt about him occasionally eating one vs something that’s loaded with refined sugar. Healthier but still very decadent-tasting. I could not love them more.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com

How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites:

As I mentioned, these cookie dough bites are sweetened and held together with Medjool dates. Medjool dates are super sweet and sticky, and can usually be found in the produce section of the grocery store.

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Medjool dates are occasionally sold in the bulk bins but if you’re gluten-free you’ll want to avoid those because of cross contamination issues, plus the dates can become dry and hard in the bins and they need to remain really soft to hold the bites together.

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Add 6 Medjool dates to the bowl of a food processor along with 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt, then process until the mixture is smooth and starts to come together into a batter.

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The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed, like this!

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Dump the mixture into a big bowl then sprinkle in 1/4 cup finely ground almond meal and mix with your hands to combine.

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Next add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and mix with your hands to combine.

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Last step is to roll the mixture into 10 balls then enjoy right away (dare you not to!) or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Let the bites sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes after being refrigerated to regain that chewy texture that you’re going to flip for!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

dairy freegluten freeveganvegetarian15 minute meal

Description

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free. These bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth!

Ingredients

makes 10 bites

  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • 6 Medjool dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup finely ground almond flour
  • 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Add cashews, dates, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a food processor then process until smooth and mixture just starts to come together into a sticky batter. Pour into a large bowl then sprinkle in almond flour and mix with your hands to combine. If mixture is too sticky, add a little more almond flour. Add chocolate chips then mix until combined. Roll into 10 balls then store in the refrigerator.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com

I can’t wait for you to try these healthier sweet treats this Valentine’s Day, or any time of the year!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are little bites of Heaven - naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, these bites are the perfect cure for a sweet tooth! | iowagirleats.com