Tart Cherry Chocolate-Covered Vegan Cookie Dough Bites

Summary

Total Time: 30 Minutes
Prep: 20 Minutes
Cook: 10 Minutes (freezer to set)
Yield: 18-20 bites
Level: null

Ingredients

  • Heaping 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or 1/2 cup oat flour)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup runny tahini
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup dried Montmorency tart cherries, chopped
  • Optional mix-ins of choice (e.g. chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chocolate chips, etc.)
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Directions

  1. Cookie dough ball prep: 
    1. Line a quarter baking sheet or a large plate with parchment paper. Set aside.
    2. Make the oat flour: Add the old fashioned oats to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until the oats are broken down into a fine, flour-like consistency. Set aside.
    3. Measure the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
  2. Mix the “cookie dough”: Add the oat flour, unsweetened coconut, tahini, pure maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, & kosher salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until combined & well incorporated into a smooth cookie dough. Add in the dried Montmorency tart cherries & any other mix-ins, as desired. Stir until the mix-ins are evenly dispersed throughout the cookie dough. (I like to use my stand mixer for this step, though it’s totally not necessary. A wooden spoon & some elbow grease will do the trick!)
  3. Roll out the cookie dough bites: Portion the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. The dough may be soft at this point – that’s totally fine! Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheet. Once all the cookie dough bites are rolled, pop the baking sheet in the freezer to set for 5-10 minutes.
  4. Make the dark chocolate coating: Meanwhile, as the cookie dough bites set in the freezer, prep the dark chocolate coating. Add the roughly chopped dark chocolate & coconut oil to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well between intervals, until the chocolate is completely melted & the mixture is smooth.
  5. Coat the cookie dough bites in chocolate: Remove the cookie dough bites from the freezer. (If your dough was a little soft when you rolled it out, now’s a great time to roll them into nicely-shaped balls, as desired.) Working one by one, add a cookie dough bite into the prepared dark chocolate coating. Coat the cookie dough bite, shaking off any excess chocolate, & transfer back to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough balls. Once complete, pop the baking sheet in the freezer to let the chocolate set for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Recipe courtesy of Jess Larson, Plays Well with Butter