No-bake Oatmeal “Cookies”

Oh, hey guys.  I totally haven’t been MIA for the last...well, almost 3 weeks.  Nope, that was someone else, not me.  But it’s ok because I’m offering you cookies to make up for it.  But first, let me do a quick recap of the last almost 3 weeks…

It was my birthday the first week of December.  It also happened to coincide with Deb Perelman’s (Smitten Kitchen) book tour.  Since I have the world’s best mom, she took me to see Deb speak, bought me a cookbook, and got an autograph in it for me.  There might have been some gossiping about French onion soup recipes in there.  And it was awesome.

The family menorah.  My grandfather made it.

Then came Chanukah.  And finals.  So I was holed up for a while without any contact with the outside world.  But I totally got to eat some latkas, so it wasn’t all that bad.

And now I find myself with a whole lot of free time that I’m totally not used to so…..I made raw vegan cookies.  Well, first I sat around for a while being lazy and claiming recovery from finals, but then I made raw vegan cookies.  Now, before you turn your head away in disgust, you need to hear me out.  These are clearly not your crispy, baked cookies, but they do pack quite the cookie punch.  

Without any butter, flour, or added sugar, the two bites of each of these loaded cookies is actually exactly what you want from your oatmeal cookie.  It sounds crazy, I know, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. 

No-bake Oatmeal “Cookies”

Adapted from Triumph Wellness, makes about two dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

6 Medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/2 cup craisins

2 Tbsp peanut butter (other nut butters would work as well)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 teaspoons almond milk

Directions:

1.  Put oats in the bowl of a food processor and process into a fine powder.

2.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and process and until fully combined.

3.  Take a small bunch into your hand and roll into a ball.  If the cookie isn’t quite sticking together, add a little more almond milk and process it quickly.

4.  Store cookies in the fridge for up to a week (though they totally won’t last that long).  Serve cold or room temperature.

Enjoy!