These No Bake Chocolate Oat Quinoa Cookies are loaded with nutrition, yet rich and satisfying, the ultimate sweet treat! If your sweet tooth is anything like mine, stopping at one might be a bit of a challenge!

It’s Monday afternoon and I’m sitting at the old pine table in our dining room. Addie on one side, Brighton on the other. She’s slowly ~~playing with~~ eating her lunch. While he’s practicing writing the word “Lightning” in a workbook from his preschool class. Poor guy had a head cold last week and missed both days. 👎🏼 Thankfully, aside from a lingering cough, he’s feeling much better this week. Of course as sickness seems to do, the cold has passed on to his sister.

Which means I get the fun job of trying to keep big brother, now feeling back to normal (normal = loves to pick on sister) away from little sister who isn’t feeling well and even more sensitive than usual. Who knew that was possible? While also trying to get him caught up on some of the things he missed and trying to write a post that makes some sort of of sense. 🤪

It definitely feels like a Monday. And I can’t help but wish we had some of these No Bake Chocolate Oat Quinoa Cookies left…😂

These easy no bake cookies check all the boxes. They’re ready in less than 30 minutes, made with real food, SUPER yummy, and have little added sugar. Zero added sugar if you opt to skip the chocolate chips. Though I’ll admit the chocolate chips definitely add to their richness.

It’s my little ones that are so often the inspiration of the foods and recipes I create and share here. I’m constantly asking myself what I can make using wholesome ingredients, that will nourish and fuel my little ones, without causing a food battle. And when it comes to sweet treats, let’s be real, these often become a reward for eating the other things. I’m not in any way above bribery with my kids. Most nights, I hear myself saying “if you eat __X__, you can have __Y__”. OR, more likely, “if you don’t finish your __X__, there will be no __Y__”.

X = actual meal, typically full of fiber + protein + vitamins

Y = fun treat, usually healthy, but sometimes just total pure yummy fun

You get the point.

Reasons To Love These No Bake Chocolate Oat Quinoa Cookies:

Made with whole Foods
Ready in 30 minutes
Good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants
Kid-Friendly
Gluten-Free
Vegan
Low Added Sugar
SO STINKIN GOOD!

The ingredients are fairly simple – but let’s quickly talk through each one and possible substitutions if needed.

Natural Peanut Butter: I haven’t tested this with other nut butters, but if you’re allergic to peanuts, I think cashew butter and almond butter would be great swaps.

Refined Coconut Oil: Using refined coconut oil in these cookies keeps them from having a strong coconut flavor. If you prefer extra virgin coconut oil and don’t mind the flavor, you can absolutely use that instead.

Pure Maple Syrup: Maple Syrup provides a natural sweetener to these cookies while keeping them Vegan, if Vegan isn’t a concern and you want the added benefit of local honey for allergies, you can definitely make the swap!

Cacao powder: I love cacao powder and it’s rich intense flavor, but unsweetened cocoa powder will definitely work if you don’t have the cacao powder. Cacao beans and derived products are a great source of antioxidants along with heart-protective and anti-cancer properties. It also contains iron that is readily absorbed by your body.

Toasted Quinoa Flakes: I love the added health benefits of the quinoa flakes (protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals) along with the slightly more interesting texture they give the cookies. BUT, if you don’t have toasted quinoa flakes or can’t find them in your local store (check the hot cereal section), you can just double the amount of rolled oats and skip the quinoa flakes altogether.

Rolled oats: I just use simple organic rolled oats. If you don’t use the quinoa flakes and decide to double the rolled oats, you may consider roughly chopping in a food processor half of the oats while leaving the others whole to give more of the texture of the oats + quinoa flakes.

Peanut Butter Powder: I haven’t tested this, but if you have a peanut allergy, you could try swapping this for your favorite protein powder, perhaps pea protein (my fav!)

Dark Chocolate Chips: Use store-bought dairy-free if needed or try these Homemade Dairy-Free Chips. You can also just skip these altogether if you want to keep the added sugar content to zero, but they definitely add to the richness of these no-bake cookies. 😋

And if you enjoyed this recipe, check out these Vegan Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Bars!