Healthy Cookie Dough Bites 3-Ways: Pecan & Raisin, Toasted Coconut & Date, Chocolate Chip
These Cookie Dough Bites were the happiest kitchen creation accident! I was 1 week into my living situation in Arizona (where I escaped to to flee the worst part of Toronto winter and to kick off my first month of full-time self-employment) and while I was soaking up all of the sunshine and quality time with my Dad and Step Mom who I’m staying with while I’m here, I was also feeling super anxious.
As much as the change of moving somewhere else and working solely for myself is exciting, it’s also A LOT of change at once. The first week was a big adjustment and I felt really out of my routine.
We had just finished up dinner one night when I felt the urge to just MIX something together. I hadn’t really been cooking since I arrived as we were going out for more dinners than usual and my Dad was taking the reigns on cooking and while that’s nice, cooking is therapy for me and so I was really missing that. It’s one of the few things that allow me to turn my mind off and allow me to simply “be”.
So one night after dinner, I went in the kitchen and just started mixing things together. I grabbed some almond flour, almond butter and maple syrup and just dumped it into a bowl and mixed it.
To my surprise, it formed a really beautiful cookie dough. I rolled them into balls and stored them in the fridge to have as quick little snacks throughout the week.
Again, to my surprise, I was really enjoying them. My Dad and Step Mom were loving them too, which was a total surprise since I usually get a lot of weird looks from family about my health food creations (haha!). My Step Mom and I started dreaming up how to take them to the next level by adding in some fun ingredients. From that, these Healthy Cookie Dough Bites in 3 super fun flavours – Maple Pecan & Raisin, Toasted Coconut & Date and Chocolate Chip – were born! And oh MAN, are they ever good!
What I love about these Healthy Cookie Dough Bites is that they are loaded with healthy fats and protein from (the almond butter and almond butter) which means they’re actually satiating, while keeping blood sugar balanced. I’m not one to shy away from snacks and treats, but I also have sensitive blood sugar so I need to be mindful of that. It doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes if I over-do it on carbohydrates and sweets, my blood sugar goes super out of whack, which manifests in a drunk-like feeling. Nothing against carbohydrates and sweets whatsoever – heck, I love them both. It just means, through my intuitive eating and living journey, I’ve come to really get to know my body and what makes it feel awesome and what doesn’t and so that’s just something I need to be mindful of.
I wanted to offer up recipes to makes these Healthy Cookie Dough Bites in 3 different flavours to make them as intuitive eating-friendly as possible! The cool thing about intuitive eating is that it allows you to really check in and get clear on what you’re craving or needing so you can really honour it.
When you honour your cravings, you actually feel more satisfied and content after eating. In some cases, you might actually find you eat less of it because you’re just so content from satisfying that cravings.
That might sound funny to you because a lot of people think it’s the opposite – as in, if you honour your cravings, you won’t be able to stop. If you find you can’t stop eating something when you start, there’s a reason for that too and I talk about that in my free guide Satisfying Food Cravings Without The Guilt (which you can download here, or below) and in my Intuitive Way For Eating program.
You can really throw together any ingredients you’d like into these Healthy Cookie Dough Bites, or you can take these recipes for a whirl knowing they are tried and true and ultra delicious!
If you end up making them, I’d love to see them! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram @rachelmmolenda.
Healthy Cookie Dough Bites 3-Ways:
Maple Pecan & Raisin, Toasted Coconut & Date, Chocolate Chip
Makes 21 cookie dough bites.
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup almond butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
Pecan & Raisin
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
Toasted Coconut & Date
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup dates, chopped
Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix together almond flour, almond butter and maple syrup in a mixing bowl.
Divide dough into 3 separate bowls.
In one bowl, add Pecan & Raisin ingredients.
In second bowl, add Toasted Coconut & Date ingredients. To toast the coconut, heat over medium heat in a pan for 4-5 minutes mixing frequently until coconut is browned.
In third bowl, add Chocolate Chip ingredients.
Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls. Store in fridge for up to 7 days.