These no-bake chocolate cookies are gluten-free and vegan, but even better, they are ridiculously easy to make. A treat that tastes like an indulgence!
No-bake chocolate cookies are quite possibly one of the best inventions ever. Getting my chocolate fix without even turning on the oven? Sign me up! One of the things I really love about these cookies is that you store them in the freezer, which gives them an awesome texture and means you can keep them on hand for whenever a craving strikes.
Why You’ll Love These No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
- So very decadent. These cookies remind me of little pieces of chocolate fudge, but with a softer, cookie-like feel. The chocolate and coconut flavors both come through, along with a hint of almond, and since there’s only a little bit of sweetener, they’re ultra dark and intense.
- Easy to make. You just need a small saucepan, a baking sheet, and a cookie scoop. Stir everything together in the pot, drop it onto your sheet and pop them in the freezer to chill. Simple as that.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Coconut oil – A key ingredient in these no-bake chocolate cookies because it solidifies at room temperature. It’s what gives these cookies their fudgy texture.
- Maple syrup – Or another liquid sweetener you like.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Almond butter – Or another nut or seed butter. (You can also use homemade nut butter.)
- Cooked quinoa – Here’s how to cook quinoa.
- Quinoa flakes
- Coconut flakes
- Coarse sea salt – Optional, but I love how it balances the sweetness and richness of these no-bake cookies.
How to Make No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
- Heat the wet ingredients. Warm the coconut oil, syrup and cocoa powder in a pan over medium heat, whisking until combined. Stir in the almond butter.
- Add the solid ingredients. Remove the pan from heat and fold in the quinoa, quinoa flakes, and coconut flakes.
- Form the cookies. Use a cookie scoop to drop the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Freeze. Place the no-bake chocolate cookies in the freezer to set for about 30 minutes.
Tips and Variations
- Adjust sweetness to taste. If you prefer your cookies a bit sweeter, you can increase the amount of maple syrup.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Try mixing in additional ingredients like chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or cacao nibs for more texture.
- Work quickly. After you remove the saucepan from the heat, try to work quickly to form the cookies, as the mixture will start to set once it begins to cool.
- Make them nut-free. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of almond butter to make no-bake chocolate cookies without nut butter.
- Give them a drizzle or dip. For a little extra decadence, drizzle or dip the chilled cookies in melted dark chocolate.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: These no-bake chocolate cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, but they will be softer than if stored in the freezer.
- Freezer: For longer storage, keep these no-bake chocolate cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can eat them straight out of the freezer or let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
More No-Bake Recipes To Try
No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
These no-bake chocolate cookies are gluten-free, vegan, and even better, they are SO easy to make. An easy recipe that tastes like a treat!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup almond butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup quinoa flakes
- ½ cup coconut flakes
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling optional, but recommended!
Instructions
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan over medium, melt together coconut oil, syrup and cocoa powder. Whisk until combined. Add the almond butter and stir again until smooth.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and fold in the quinoa, quinoa flakes and coconut flakes.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, shaping slightly with your hands if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the freezer to set for about 30 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for best results, but can also be stored in the fridge (they'll just be a lot softer!).
Video
Notes
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Quinoa flakes are really hard. I can’t imagine this tasting good without soaking or cooking them first. Perhaps there are different types of quinoa flakes. But mine are far too hard to eat straight out of the packet.
Do you eat them frozen?
What can I sub for coconut oil
Any ideas for an oil free version?
These are fabulous cookies! I just made them for the second time and absolutely LOVE them! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I just tried these last night and they are amazing! I used a walnut and cashew butter combo instead of almond, and added cacao nibs for some crunch and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I love them! I substituted peanut butter instead of the almond butter because I prefer the taste and I had several one 1 cups measured of quinoa in the freezer so I just got out a couple of them before I actually read the recipe because I can find all kinds of things to do with cooked quinoa! And I wanted to share some with my daughter who is also diabetic like me.
What can I substitute for the maple syrup since I am a cancer survivor I cannot have sugar..?
sugar-free maple syrup might work for you
Real ground stevia powder. It’s green not white, but it’s hard to find; I order it online but a natural foods/co-op type shop might have the real deal. Or liquid stevia drops are available in many stores.
This recipe is AWESOME!!!!! I used GF oatmeal (rolled oats) rather than the quinoa flakes just cause I love rolled oats. I have been eating these every day for a couple weeks now. They are not sweet so they really satisfy. This is one of the tastiest,, easiest no bake recipes and super healthy too. I am going to try with the quinoa flakes next time and maybe even do a mix of quinoa flakes and hemp seeds cause I love me some hemp seeds. Thank you for an amazing recipe!!!!
Awww yay!! I’m so so glad 🙂 thank you for sharing, Cammy!!! xox
DELICIOUS! I forgot the coconut milk and my quinoa flakes were spoiled, so I used all cooked quinoa. I pressed them into an 8×8 Pyrex instead of making cookies. If you do this, don’t freeze them or they don’t come out of the pan easily! YUM!
Awesome!!!
Wow! These are amazing. Subbed oats for the quinoa flakes, used dark cocoa powder and doubled the recipe….I had 1 cup of leftover quinoa from another recipe that I usually end up throwing away. What a great use for it!
Amazing!! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Alyssa,
I just tried these tonight and they were INCREDIBLE!!!!! I accredited you on my blog post about my experience making them.
Thanks for the recipe, it was a hit with my family!
Livvy
OMG yassss! This is awesome 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them! xox
Made these, added some pure vanilla extract and some liquid stevia for added sweetness, loved them!
So glad you liked them! xox
What can I use to substitute for the coconut flakes?
I think you could try chopped nuts or seeds!
Hey, if you want these cookies to hold together without the freezer business do this: make sure you let the melted mixture come to a rolling boil for no less than 2 minutes and no more than 2 and 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Then add in the nut butter etc. Then once all the goodies are in there stir vigorously till it’s starting to look dull. Then scoop them out. Leave them right on the counter top to harden up. The regular old school oats version of this recipe has been in my family for years. This is the trick to make them stick!
Awesome, thank you so much!
These are wonderful
So glad you enjoyed them, Sandy! xo
These are Great!!! I really don’t like the flavor of dark amber maple syrup, so I use the light amber which has a very subtle maple flavor. My brothers made me drink a concoction of maple syrup, worcestershire sauce, etc., and have hated dark amber maple syrup ever since. BUT fabulous cookie with light amber!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’ve got a raspberry version up my sleeve for next month 😉
I’ve never heard of quinoa flakes. Can I put something else in?
You could swap in quick cooking oats 🙂
Thanks! That’s what I was about to use. About to make these for kiddos treat after a rainy day of school.
Can’t wait to hear what you think! xo
Try Bulk Barn
Sounds yummy crunchiness!!!
You commented about your chipped nail polish, I may have a solution for you. If you are up for it. 🙂 Have you heard of Jamberry wraps? The wraps last up to 2 weeks on your fingers and 6 on your toes. It really is incredible! I can hook you up with some samples if you would like to try it out. Just contact me! 😀 email, or go to my FB page: www.facebook.com/camdeninman.jamberrynails/
Also, THANKS FOR THE RECIPE!!! I an BEYOND excited to try it out. My husband LOVES quinoa and no-bake cookies so this looks like the perfect treat for him. ^_^
These are soooo good! I’ll be making them again.
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
These really are so good! I made my own roasted almond butter too. Definitely a nice treat to keep in the freezer for when company comes over.
Oh yum! I love the idea of the roasted almond butter 🙂
Can real butter be substituted? Some of the people I know are allergic to almonds.
I haven’t tested it with real butter, but I think you could try! You’ll definitely want to keep them in the fridge I think since they’ll probably get pretty soft with the warm weather 🙂
Quinoa flakes?
What are quinoa flakes? Is this uncooked quinoa?
Quinoa flakes are the rolled oat version of quinoa — the whole quinoa seeds that have been put through a grain flaker 🙂 If you can’t find them you can just use quick cooking oats in their place!
is it ok to eat quinoa flakes uncooked? stragiht from the packet?
Yep!
Those chocolate blobs of goodness look delicious!