Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars

Easy, no-bake chocolate chip cookie dough bars, made in a muffin tin! They are also gluten-free.

It wasn’t until the summer after my junior year in college that I became aware that cookie dough was a thing.

Sure, my mom made homemade cookies, and I was the child who pilfered the most dough from the bowl when my the coast was clear. But up until that summer, I was unaware that cookie dough was considered a food possibility in and of itself. Apparently, I had led a sheltered childhood.

My friend Darah set about enlightening me. We were both attending a summer program at the University of Chicago and the temperatures ranged from sweltering to insufferable. We were staying at the International House where there was zero air conditioning. Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream, eaten late at night while dunking our feet in the courtyard fountain, soon became our only relief.

I don’t eat Ben & Jerry’sthese days, but I am still a sucker for cookie dough, hence these super-easy, no-bake, high-protein chocolate chip cookie dough power pucks.

I ate one just before teaching my spin class tonight. I am a better woman for it 🙂 They are equally good as dessert, too. I’ve tried. Either way, the ingredients will empower you, even if the only feat for the day is surviving the summer heat. Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars

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• Author: Camilla
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Easy, no-bake chocolate chip cookie dough bars, made in a muffin tin! They are also gluten-free.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 6 whole pitted Medjool dates
• 1 15-oz can white beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern beans)
• 3/4 cup vanilla rice protein powder
• 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted or softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional; it adds a distinctive cookie dough flavor)
• 2–3 packets organic stevia (optional, to taste)
• 2 tablespoon miniature semisweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
2. In a small bowl, cover dates with enough hot (not boiling) water to cover; let soak 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup soaking water.
3. In a food processor process the dates and beans until blended. Add the protein powder, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and salt, Process until blended, stopping and scraping down sides of bowl 1-2 times, and adding a few tablespoons reserved water as needed until mixture is light and smooth, but not loose. Taste for sweetness; if desired, add additional stevia to taste.
4. Scoop about about 3 tablespoons batter for each puck (it will be fluffy, but still easy to handle, like a soft clay); shape into a ball, then flat slightly into a puck shape. Place in prepared cups. If desired, sprinkle with sprinkle. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 6 months.

Variation: An equal amount of coconut butter (not oil) can be used in place of the nut or seed butter.

• Category: Protein Bars, Snack

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 puck
• Calories: 114
• Sugar: 5.3 g
• Sodium: 65 mg
• Fat: 4.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 12.1 g
• Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 8.7 g