Nursery Shenanigans
One fateful night, I laid my Cashew Cookie Truffles in their playpen next to the dark chocolate bars.
But something happened while I slept… come morning, the bouncing babies were gone! I didn’t have to look far to find them, though:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies
As children, how many of you ate way more than your fair share of the raw dough when making chocolate chip cookies?
(Wait a second: “As children” implies that we don’t do it anymore. Come on!) And how many of your salmonella-fearing, health-conscious mommies—like mine—reprimanded you for this? Well there’s no need to hide your sticky fingers any more! It is now possible to eat raw cookie dough without feeling the wrath of Mom. How? By whipping up a batch (or two or three) of these little fellas:
Cookie Dough Babies
(a.k.a. Raw Cookie Dough Balls)
- 80g pitted dates (scant 2/3 cup)
- handful of chocolate chips or Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
- 30g cashews (1/4 cup) (Or another nut. Try almonds!)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- tiny pinch of salt (can be omitted)
Blend the dates, cashews, salt, and vanilla. (I like SunMaid dates–found in regular grocery stores–because they’re very soft, so my Magic Bullet blender is happy. But other dates work, too!) You can either blend the chocolate with the other ingredients or chop it separately, then mix the pieces into the dough. Make bars, balls, or shapes of whatever size you want.
Cookie Dough Truffles:
Try covering these in Healthy Chocolate Sauce.
Cookie Dough Mania!
For a list of all flavors, see: Homemade Larabar Flavors.
Get those fingers dirty; Momma won’t mind. Heck, when she hears how healthy this dough is, she may even join you! So perhaps you shouldn’t let her in on the secret…
{ 127 comments… read them below or add one }
They look so good! I am craving chocolate now at 10am!
Your treats always look amazing!
Again,you’re killing me.I need to get some cashews and make this asap!!
I love those Lindt 90% chocolate bars, and I really need to make CD some babies soon…um, edible babies that is.
LOL Your turning into a cannibal eating your babies ! So yummy looking though. I need to conquer the fear and make my own dough babies. I’m on a cupcake kick though that can’t be matched.
You know I already made these and gobbled them down! They’re my favorite variation so far (and my husband’s too!) I just bought some peanuts so I can try the PB chocolate babies
I just finally made myself the original fudge babies and the cashew cookie bars, but what could be better than the addition of CHOCOLATE? My food processor will be running out of power before I know it. Hahah.
Who doesn’t love cookie dough?
Yum! I think this is my favorite combo so far!
MMMmmm…looks delicious! I cant resist cookie dough!=)
those look sooooo good! chocolate chip cooke dough is my fAV!
oh honey, your babies are prettier than Angie and Brad’s
Those look so good.
Easy to make too. Perfect!
I hadn’t even seen this post when I replied to your email…ah-hah, now it makes more sense what you had written to which I replied before seeing this post.
The cookie dough babies look awesome as do the oatmeal babies…you know I’ve been rocking out the raw vegan cookie dough and oatmeal raisin cookies lately so it’s cool to see you make Fudge Baby versions in keeping w/ the Baby Family Theme
Thanks for the shout out too
Yummy, now this flavor sounds heavenly. I love cookie dough, yum, yum, yum!
i used to hate cashews ( i know I know.. caraaazy)
but they have grown on me.
YUM
T_T. I’m jealous.
It’s decided: For Christmas, I’m gonna ask for a Magic bullet, Vitamix or any kind of food processor.
It’s killing me!
I want my fudge babiiiiiiieeeeeeessssss!!
Swoon, just the words “cookie dough” do tend to make my eyes glaze over. Yum.
Now I want “cookie dough” for lunch!
I’ve made a Cinnamon Raisin version before using almond butter, and it’s my favorite around the holidays… maybe I’ll convert some family and friends this year with a variety of “babies” at the table!!
You and Averie are KILLING me with all these yummy treats! LOL
And you write in such a fun way. Love the pics, too.
So cool, Katie. You’re the bestest!!!
*smiles*
Michele
mmm those look delicious!
The new cookie “babies” look oohey gooey and yummy!
Yum, that looks delicious!
If only I bought dates at the store! This is the first flavor I’m trying out. You know I love me some Lindt dark chocolate!
larabar should hire you to make some new flav’s!! this one is out of this world delicious looking!
and my mom used to buy the big tub of cookie dough and freeze it just to have on hand, yeah my bro and I would have our way with that tub quite often!!!
Sadly, I never ate raw cookie dough when I was little… mostly because we never made cookies. *sigh* Of course, all that will change when I make this recipe with high quality dark chocolate… yummm. No danger except the threat of eating the whole thing.
Sweet chocolaty, cashew goodness: I need a food processor. Stat. This is, by far, my favorite interpretation, and my blender just couldn’t handle all the awesome ingredients.
Oh we love cookie dough, especially more now that is all raw and safe for us to eat : ) Love it!
Katie–stop the baby making, your making me droooool! I love RAW cookie dough, but this would be a nice(healthier)alternative
I love love love Lindt’s 90% dark chocolate. Have you tried their Touch of Salt version? it’s a lower % dark chocolate but it’s a yummy sweet/salty combo.
I wish i could make these cookie dough babies but sadly i am without a food processor… i did enter your giveaway though!! Crossing my fingers!!
Kate G.
i can’t get enough of your fudge baby yummies, Katie – and i’m especially looking forward to your running & kabocha post! i just had my first kabocha last week – i roasted it up and served it over millet- it magical and oh-so deeeelicious. i ate a ton of chocolate chip cookie dough when i was wee – i loved the dough pre-chocolate chips, too. mmmmmmm! think i’m gonna toss some oats in your cookie dough babies – what a super tasty idea!
mmmm cookie dough
<3 jess
yummy!!! you’re still are my number one chef katie
One of the many reason I love vegan baking–I can eat all the dough/batter I want without any fears of getting food-borne illness…well unless a tummy ache from too much sugar counts:)
Quick Q: it looks like from your pics that you use raw cashews–is this true? Have you ever tried it with roasted nuts? Just curious!
I think your charity idea is awesome and I can’t wait to make something from your blog and link back to it!
So there I was, minding my own business, listenin’ to some groovin’ baby makin’ (chocolate cookie dough fudge babies that is) when all of the sudden! The motor on the food processor died. So tragic!! I had some fudge babies that, albiet chunky, tasty absolutely fantastic. Excellent recipe Katie! (Unfortunately I am going to have to wait until Christmas for Santa to bring a Magic Bullet or something of the sort)
music!! I forgot that very important word xD baby making MUSIC! lol please excuse me… xD xD
ooh, another winner
We lived on the edge back in my childhood – mom had no issues with us eating the raw cookie dough. And I’ll still do it, with no shame whatsoever
I just made these with toasted cashews & sunflower seeds, vanilla, raw cacao nibs, 4 dates and a touch of honey. OMG! Had to immediately pack them up in my hubby’s lunch, gave to my daughter for breakfast and am taking the rest to the gym to give away so I don’t eat them all!
These look amazing! If I win the vita-mix I’ll have to try my hand at making a batch in there… after I make butternut squash soup, of course!
Oooooh these babies are so good! I’m munching a batch of them right now. You know what would make them even better? … If I could eat them with a bowl of fruit ice cream that I just whipped up in my brand new Vita-Mix! If only there was a way to make that happen…
My main reason to get a VitaMix would actually be to make a bunch of your recipes, especially all your oatmeal ones! They always look amazing but my lack-of-Vitamix makes it hard to replicate them!
If I had a VitaMix, the first thing I would make in it would be a wonderful Green Smoothie with tons of spinach, blueberries, banana, almond milk and flax meal!
i would make nut butters with the vitamix!
If i had a vita mix i would be making banana “ice cream” like there is no tomorrow! this stuff is too good and i’m sure a blender like this would make the job muuuch easier.
Mmmm…chocolate chip cookie dough, what’s better than that?!
The first thing I’d make with the vita mix is green smoothie and one of Gena’s blended salads (the harvest soup).
I would make banana ice cream for sure in the vitamix!!!
The first thing I would make if I got my hands on a Vitamix is banana “ice cream”. In the emulsion blender its yummy so i’m sure a blender like this would make it divine!
i would DEFINITELY make these in a vitamix first, considering i have yet to try any!
There is nothing like comfort food and remembering good times with girlfriends than bonding over raw cookie dough! Makes me smile and want to call some old buddies…and of course make these! LOL!
The first thing I would make in a Vita-Mix is a smoothie… raspberries, banana, milk, almond butter and spinach… yum!
I would make one of your delicious blended soups!
I would make your peachy green ice cream!
These babies look amazing!! I cant resist anything to do with cookies. Im not sure if I could control myself around these guys! The first thing I would make in my vitamix would be my own chocolate flavored nut butter. Everything just tastes better with chocolate. I would DIE to win one of these as my own, ancient, verrrrrrry cheap blender is on its last legs and I’m desperate to try out all your great recipes
I would make raw soups every day with my new Vita-Mix ANDD I would my own nutmilks (my current blender can NOT handle dates, which are in majority of the recipes I’ve come across)
Thanks!
I would make lots of stuff in a Vita-Mix, but the one I would be most excited about are smoothies. My blender does not like frozen fruit!
If I had a Vita-Mix, I would first make a green smoothie with lots of kale! My dinky blender can hardly handle it, so I would be super excited to make one in a Vita-Mix.
I would make chocolate chip cookie dough babies of course!!
I get the feeling that I’m the only male visitor on this particular page. No matter. I’ll admit, the recipe sounded a little strange to me at first, but I was hooked from bite one.
With a Vita-Mix, I’d be remiss to make anything BUT chocolate chip fudge children (er, babies), but I suppose a nicely blended (and heated!) split pea soup would be first on the menu.
These look delicious!
If I had a Vitamix, I’d probably make a smoothie first. Then hummus. Then soup.
mmmmmm… looks good. love cookie dough. if I won a vitamix I would make smoothies and ice cream. no more lumpy smoothies or hauling out the ice cream maker. thanks Sarah
Oh my…these look absolutely delicious…will make these with or without a new VitaMix!
Thanks for a great recipe, Mads
These ingredients would DEFINITELY be going into my new Vitamix! My kids would adore the end product. I’d also love to make more smoothies with “tougher” ingredients that my current blender just can’t handle.
Mmmmm this sounds delicious! I’d definitly make these with (or without) a Vitamix!
This is my first choice for a new vitamix, although it was so hard to choose! I just love chocolate chip cookie dough!
i hardly use my blog at the moment, so i’m going to enter the vitamix giveaway as if i don’t have one, hope you don’t mind! i love chocolate chip cookie dough, so naturally these are my faves. i can always count on your recipes being quick and easy, and because they’re vegan i don’t need to worry about making myself sick with raw egg! hooray! with my vitamix, the first thing i would make is a killer smoothie. i only have a tiny hamilton beach mini smoothie blender, and i’m embarassed to say that it can’t really handle…ice. i know. it’s shameful. i hope i get the vitamix!
I adore raw cookie dough and immediately upon seeing this recipe knew it would be delicious.
The first thing I would make in the Vita Mix would be some kind of soup. Because soup in a blender.. that’s just crazy!
These chocolate chip cookie dough babies look absolutely delightful. And so tasty too!
The first thing I would make if I got a Vita-mix is chickpea flour for making all kinds of vegan baked goodies!
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies sounds delicious! I would probably make some raw banana ice cream in the Vita-Mix.
Mmmmm these chocolate chip cookie dough babies are callin my name!
i would make a smoothie!! not original, but tasty nonetheless.
I would love to make these fudge babies – but I would probably first make a green smoothie with the vita mix!
Love these babies! And in keeping with the theme, I’d love to use my VitaMix to make healthy homemade baby food!
mmmm cookie dough! my absolute favourite hands down.
This would be the first thing I make with a VitaMix. I have a craving for chocolate chip cookies but mainly want the dough. These look so yummy.
Hey….I made a new version of these only by adding one ingredient: peppermint extract (or oil). So now they’re Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies……just like mint choc. chip ice cream
This looks so0o0 tasty….I’d have to use almonds though because cashews do NOT agree with my stomach
I’m dying for a Vitamix, but it’s a long way off for me at the moment.. I use my blender for everything, so it’s hard to answer this question, but I think the first thing I would make in a vitamix would probably be a big batch of some kind of nut butter.
I don’t have access to any nut butters here in Japan, and generally end up dedicating 30-60 minutes out of every week trying to coax my broken down old blender into making me enough of the various nut butters I need to keep me going. Since I have to do it in so many tiny batches and pay such close attention to the blender it ends up being very, very time consuming, and I’m sure I’m very close to blowing out the motor entirely!
I’d follow that up with energy balls, which are pretty much just nuttier versions of your fudge babies.. and either a nice big smoothie, or frozen banana ice cream!
Once again, delicious. My hamster Xenophon loves them too (I left the chocolate out of his though)
Hey Katie,
)
Just thought you’d want to know that the Larabar people are reading your blog! Hahaha maybe not really, but guess what new flavors they’re coming out with……
Chocolate chip cookie dough!
And also Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Brownie, and…
Carrot Cake! (See, they really DO read your blog
Anyway, I thought of you as soon as I read their new flavors, since you make the yummiest “better-than-Larabars” around! Next I bet they’ll be coming out with Tiramisu, right?
OMG!!! Just made the chocolate-chip-ccokie-dough babies and covered them in cocoa powder… I think I died and went to heaven or something, ’cause they taste too good to be true
I’ll never eat a store bought chocolate truffle ever again, these are sooo much better! thanx for sharing!
Aww thanks Maya! And I’m so glad you left a comment; I just made a batch too, but I never thought to cover them in cocoa powder! I’m going to try your idea!!
me making your cake batter milkshake has opened a HUGE door… I’m slowly cooking (well, mixing, really) my way through your recipes and I’m a girl obsessed.
I didn’t believe that dates + nuts = cookie dough but these are SO GOOD! can’t wait to make the cookie dough milkshake with them!
Aw yay! I’m so honored you’re trying my ideas, Laura. Truly, it makes me so happy!
OK, this is too funny! We recently discovered Lindt 90% chocolate and when I ate it, I couldn’t help but think of you and your love for bitter chocolate. I meant to tell you about it, but now I see from that last picture that it is old news for you! Figures.
It’s also uncanny that just three days ago I also made some raw cookie dough balls, but I didn’t have a recipe. I used part dates to sweeten, part brown sugar, and I did put in as much oats as nuts (I used half cashews, half almonds). They were good, but not exactly perfect, and I think it was that I used roasted, salted cashews (the almonds were raw). I think the raw cashews are much better for baby-making. Lesson learned! Have you ever had any baby making flops?
Haha sure I have! I can’t think of any particular flops off the top of my head… maybe because they were so awful I’ve blocked them out?
Oh my goodness gracious me – I can’t believe I waited so long to make these ones! Just finished whipping a batch up (a double batch at our place or they’re gone before you can say yum lol) and popped one in my mouth as I was putting them in the fridge to chill a little ready to snack on later. Heaven! Soooo yummy that I am actually seriously debating letting my kids have one each (since they helped me make them so I can’t completely cut them out of the eating part) and then hiding the plate so I don’t have to share with anyone else! Which is really kind of mean and evil of me but I’m oh so tempted and I just might do it lol. I did ours with the chocolate in the mixer and they’re a lovely chocolatey cookie tasting ball of deliciousness!
I’m so honored you tried them! And lol they AARE addictive… especially early in the morning when I’m trying to get to class or out for a run. I just seem to keep popping more into my mouth. It’s worth the risk of being late for class
.
Hi!!! I may have missed this somewhere, but do you have to refrigerate leftover babies –that is if they last that long!
Thanks,
Stephanie
Nope! No need to refrigerate
.
Hi Katie!
I recently discovered your blog (and Heather’s) and just love all your recipes! I’m going to post the link to this recipe on my facebook page as when I mentioned making them I had multiple requests for the recipe
Aww Donna, that means so much to me! I’m so glad you found me!
I’ve have cookie dough balls in my freezer that I can’t stop eating!! I like your healthier/flour-less version – I need to try!!
FYI – made the cookie dough ones with half-cashew & half-pistachioes – AMAZING!!
I’m making these tommorow! I have all the ingredients, yay!
Yummo! Can we use pistacios for the recipe (i love pistacios) and do you have the nutritional infornation?
Thank you!
Hey Bella, I heard one commenter say she used 1/2 pistachios. It will definitely work, texture-wise. And if you like the taste of pistachios, it’ll probably be really yummy
.
I don;t have nutritional stats for these, specifically. However, I do have stats for the samoas larabars, and I guess these would be similar: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/04/11/girl-scout-samoas-in-larabar-form/
I made these yesterday without the vanilla (didn’t realize it was in the recipe) and they were great! You are amazing!
Awww I’m so excited you liked them!!
Wowza! Just made these! I had no idea dates could be so delish!
Great Recipe!
Ok, I finally made these today! Thankfully (I suppose), I only had a few dates in my pantry so I had to cut the recipe in half….and….I’ve already eaten all but two babies! Oops!!! Haha!! Such a yummy recipe, Katie!!
Hahaha baby eater!
I just made these (minus the chocolate chips, as I had none), and OH MY WORD, they were good! Now I see what all the fuss is about
Can’t wait to try all the other flavours!
I just made these with prunes and sunflower seeds instead of dates and nuts. My dad (who hates when something is even a little healthy) has already had 3!
Oh wow, I’m so glad to know they work with sunflower seeds! I might have to try that too!
Hi Katie,
I’ve just tried your Cookie dough babies recipe.
Mmmm Thank you very much for this beautiful idea! : )
I am so so happy you liked them!
Hi CCK! I recently bought “Lets do organic Creamed Coconut”
http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LDOCRC
and I was wondering if you think that I could sub it in place of the Artisana coconut oil that you use in your Fudge babies?
Please let me know what you think if you have time!
thanks–ps i just made your vanilla ice cream—so so SO delicious
Sorry, I really have no idea. But if you try it, let me know what you think!
Just made these and OMG they are AMAZING! I need to hide them away or i will eat them all by myself
Oh My God ! Katie !! These were delish ! I made them with almonds and I can’t stop eating them
A.mazing! Love them!
I just made cookie dough babies for the first time
used this recipe as a guide rather than following it exactly. I used almonds as well as cashews, & processed them with some Medjool dates and half a banana. Mixed in some dark vegan chocolate chips. As I was forming them into balls, I noticed it was just so super sticky (probably the banana’s fault) but they were sill easy to roll. The stickiness bothered me so I rolled the cookie dough balls in some sweetened shredded coconut ! SNOWBALL BABIES ANYONE?:D
Oh my goodness! Why did I wait so long to make these?!? Dates have always scared me for some reason but I had some that my parents gave me and decided tonight was the night to make your raw cookie dough bites. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
I love chocolate chip cookie dough. I love Larabars. But nothing prepared me for how much I would LOVE these! When I first tasted the dough, I couldn’t believe how incredibly yummy it was! Just bought a whole bunch of cashews and dates… can’t wait to make them again this weekend!
SO good!!! I added a handful of oatmeal and really liked it. But, I just like the flavor of oats in almost anything. I blended the chocolate together and it almost tasted like a no-bake. I want to to try it again to see if I like it better that way or with the chocolate chips separate. Thanks so much for this!
i just bought dates for the first time ever to give these a try… i couldn’t even find them at the grocery store for a LONG time. apparently michigan does not believe in sunmaid dates, so i will be trying my luck with “sun dates.” clever huh.
I love your recipies every one I have tried I like I am so glad toy were on channel 8 I would of never known of you it is neat how you figured out beans could substitued for flour our family is on a low carb diet thanks to you it doesn’t have hum drum keep up the good work
Thank you, thank you! You have cured my unhealthy craving for cookie dough! These are beyond wonderful!
these taste awesome! only thing is that mine didn’t stick together to form balls…? anything I can add to make them stick more?
thanks!
I made something similar today that was a yummy success. Handful of salted cashews, handful of walnuts, about 1/4c of rolled oats, Tbs honey, about 8-10 sundries apricots, Tbs coconut butter, tsp vanilla whirred in food processor til very well incorporated. Then a quick pulse with finely chopped dark chocolate bar (1.5 oz roughly) then rolled into balls. Oh my they taste just like raw cookie dough! Thanks for all your yummy ideas! You inspire me to be a better eater.
Would raisins work as I don’t have any dates?
I think so, but I haven’t tried it. However, if you have raisins, I think it’ll work because they work in this similar recipe: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/08/24/peanut-butter-cookie-dough-cookies/
I just realized that these are kosher for passover and got really excited! and my friend who is paleo can eat them too. Thanks!
So interesting! And so yummy! I feel good giving them to my 21mo old. Continued thanks!
I will have to try the PB ones next
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