Soft, unbaked chocolate chip cookie dough bars… like a warm & gooey chocolate chip cookie, but even better!
In honor of reaching 200,000 followers on Instagram, I wanted to post one of my most popular Instagram recipes – these unbaked cookie dough bars!
My favorite part of Instagram is that it gives followers a chance to go behind the scenes and be first to see all of the not-yet-published recipes I’m currently making. Patience has never been one of my strengths, and when I make a recipe, I immediately want to share it with the world. Especially when said recipe is a giant batch of unbaked cookie dough, covered in melted chocolate and sliced into bars…
That’s pretty much something everyone needs in their lives, right?
@Chocolate Covered Katie – Instagram
I was the child who would always sneak a considerable amount of the unbaked cookie dough every time I “helped” my mother and sister bake cookies. Long before I even knew what a vegan was, my mom came up with the idea of simply replacing the eggs in her traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe with plain water for an “egg free” cookie dough we could eat without baking.
Now, no matter what type of cookies I’m making, I rarely bother to bake any of them – I will form the dough into balls or spread it into a pan and freeze the leftovers for a rainy day. Or a sunny day.
Cookie dough is good on all days.
These cookie dough bars take just 3 easy steps:
STEP ONE – Throw everything into a food processor to make the cookie dough, and process until smooth.
STEP TWO – Spread the dough into an 8×8 pan, and freeze until firm.
STEP THREE – Cover with melted chocolate, slice, and enjoy!
If I’m being honest, I should probably add another step that says, “Go back to the kitchen and make a second batch after the first batch disappears much more quickly than expected.”
Adapted from the famous Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip
Unbaked Cookie Dough Bars
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas or white beans (250g after draining)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp nut butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or additional nut butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey
- 1 1/2 cups rolled or quick oats or flaxmeal
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips, or more if desired
- chocolate coating, listed below
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment or wax paper. Drain and rinse beans very well. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a food processor, and blend until very smooth. (A blender will work if you must, but you should routinely stop the blender and stir to ensure all ingredients blend evenly.) Stir in the chocolate chips. Smooth into the prepared pan. Freeze.Chocolate Coating: Once pan is chilled (3-4 hours), either melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 2 tsp oil to form a thin sauce OR stir together 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder, 2 tbsp melted coconut oil, and 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave to form a sauce. Spread over the bars, then re-freeze to set the chocolate. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in the freezer, and thaw before eating.View Nutrition Facts
Have you made this recipe?
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Louisa Fox says
If these are no bake why is baking soda included in the ingredients?
Bailey says
I’m not Katie, but in her cookie dough dip recipe which is also no-bake she says it is added to enhance the cookie dough flavor.
james says
bc u need it so the dough can rise u d u m b b each
Ana says
It’s obvious that you didn’t read the recipe XD these are not going into the oven.
anna says
Wow they look awesome. Could I use yogurt instead of the pb?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I have not tried it and can’t vouch for it, but you are always free to experiment, and be sure to report back if you do!
Kelli says
Do you think it would work to sub coconut oil for all the nut butter?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I honestly don’t see why this wouldn’t work, and it sounds delicious… If you try it before I do, definitely be sure to report back 🙂
Natasha says
Then why 0 stars???
Kim Phillips says
How many bars does this recipe make please?
Charlie says
20 bars
AZ@...And a Dash of Cinnamon says
congrats on the number of instagram followers! That’s amazing, but not surprising since you make such delicious looking treats!
laura says
Hey Katie, what type of nut butter is best for this recipe?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
It really depends on your personal preference. You can use peanut butter if you want a peanut butter taste, or you can use almond or coconut butter or even cashew butter.
Kath says
A lot of chocolate chips are vegan, actually! I know for sure Enjoy Life is and there are others.
Sandy W. says
Yes, both Trader Joes and Kirkland (Costco) brands are vegan and delicious!
Shannon says
These look so good! I love chickpeas in baking!
Annie says
Made these today and they are so good! I really like the crunchy chocolate topping 🙂
Linda says
I’ve never baked with chickpeas before, but I have all the ingredients in my pantry to make this. Pinned!
Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says
OHMYGOSH. I eat a batch of your cookie dough dip a week but these are game-changers!! I’m totally making these Katie. 🙂 I’ll make two batches like you suggested because these will most DEFINITELY disappear as soon as they’re made. 😉
Aleeha says
These sound so delicious! I love anything cookie dough so these are a winner for me!
Aleeha xXx
http://www.halesaaw.com/
Annalise says
When you say one can of chickpeas… Like how big was your can? 😛 I have a 15.5 oz can..is that going to work?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
15 oz can. Honestly, yours should still be fine.
Milda says
Hello Katie (or anyone else who tried this recipe),
Would it be possible to substitute dates for the liquid sweetener?
Thanks
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’ve never tried it, but be sure to report back if you experiment!
Catherine says
I made these, subbing Coconut Secret in for the sweetener in the bars (I used maple syrup in the topping). They are a family hit! Thanks so much for another great recipe.
Boo says
Just awesome Katie!
They pass the 6-yr old child approval (he loves the dough of your blondes made with chickpeas, so no real surprise). Passing the rest to my book club tonight, I’m sure they will go down well. I used a mix of date syrup, honey and maple syrup as the sweetener, as I was running out of all three! Worked really well.
Lindsey says
OMG thank you for finally posting this! I was one of the harassers on Instagram and FB begging for the recipe. I just put the batter in the freezer and based on the batter I have been scraping out of the processor, IT is AMAZING! I’ve never done a bean-based cookie dough recipe. I just knew it would be good based on that photo you teased. Yay!
Lindsey says
Just ate some with my daughter (9 and 11). They love them and so do I!
Hannah says
Would it be possible to use black beans and add cocoa powder to make brownie fudge?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Now you know I’m going to have to try it and see… 😉
Hannah says
^^ sorry I meant brownie bars
Lauren says
These look great! I need to do more research into baking with chickpeas, what chickpeas are considered and their nutritional value. I have never personally used them but know some that have. Thanks for the recipe!
Diane Kolack says
Can I use PB2 paste to lower the calories? Would that change the whole recipe?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, have never tried. But you can always experiment!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry, I’ve never tried so I really can’t make any recommendations for it.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
As beans make up the bulk of this recipe, I would not recommend subbing them here. But you can always use a different chocolate chip cookie bar recipe, such as the following: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/03/18/chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-bars/
Erica says
I just made these – I was pretty skeptical but they’re AMAZiNG! I didn’t use nut butter because of allergies, substituted it with more coconut oil. So, so good. Thank you!
Darlene Mack says
Looks good I may try it.
Bette says
I made these with sun butter to be nut-free for a school trip. They were a-mazing! My kids asked me to make them again, and they usually never like my gluten-free-vegan anythings.
Yankified says
Im amazed at the ingredients for this recipe. chickpeas?
Mind blown
http://www.yankified.com
victoria says
Is it possible to sub a liquid oil (eg, olive, avocado) for both the nut butter and coconut oil? Thanks
Unofficial CCK Helper says
You can always experiment! Be sure to report back for the rest of us if you do.
Amy says
Never mind I figured it out and fixed it and oh my GOODNESS so wicked good!!!
Unofficial CCK Helper says
You can leave at room temp if you use the melted chocolate chips instead of coconut oil for the topping. Hope that helps!
Tiffany says
I (and all 3 of my girls!) love the cookie dough dip so I knew I’d love this too. But now that I’ve made these and tried them….they’re so Amazing! Totally addicted. I don’t make much for bars, but this recipe is definitely a keeper. Now to see if I can fool my husband into liking something ‘healthy’ (always my goal) 😛
Rene says
Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! My 7-year-old middle child didn’t like these, but my oldest and youngest and I gobbled them up – these are FANTASTIC! The only drawback is waiting for them to thaw to eat!
Kathryn says
I made these bars tonight, and they’re so good! They’re not quite what I was expecting, but that worked out in this case! I made the bars and froze them for three hours, then I topped them with melted chocolate and frozen for another ten minutes. Then I thawed for ten minutes. When I finally bit into one of the bars, it was like eating an ice cream bar, the kind with the thin, crisp coat of chocolate encasing a creamy ice cream middle. The mouth-feel of the chocolate layer cracking beneath my teeth followed by the creamy, slightly frosty chickpea layer…so delightful! I use CCK for nearly all of my baking (and no-bake) needs, but this has to be one of my favorite recipes. Simple process with wonderful results.
By the way, I made the recipe as-written, except that I somehow forgot to add the baking soda–didn’t seem to matter too much. I also used peanut butter as my nut butter, and the flavor was more mildly nutty than peanut-buttery, so if you’re looking for a strong peanut butter (or whatever nut butter) taste, then you might want to add two extra Tbsp nut butter instead of the coconut oil. However, I personally would probably not go this route because I like the consistency that the coconut oil gives the bars.
Nicole says
THESE ARE AMAZING!! seriously the best. while making them, it smelled horrible (the chickpeas probably) and i was a bit worried at first, but after they froze the scent was gone and they’re seriously incredible. we’ve made so many vegan desserts and this is my favourite right now! we made our own chocolate chunks (instead of chocolate chips) made from the same things as the chocolate layer on top (organic cacao powder, organic maple syrup and organic coconut oil.) worked perfectly! i can’t express how good they are. we’ll definitely be re-making them over and over again. THANK YOU! 🙂
Hollie says
Looks amazing I’m going to make them!
Karen says
When your recipes call for coconut oil, do you use virgin or refined? Thank you!
A H says
I use virgin, never had any problems in Katie’s recipes.
Anne says
i am allergic to chickpeas and white beans what can i sub???
Anne says
allegic to white beans and chickpeas what can i sub?
A H says
Katie has many recipes that do not have beans. You may want to try one of these instead.
Jackie says
Hi Katie, these look awesome! Just a quick question; can these be kept in the refrigerator? Just wondering if they would hold up ok (not turn mushy) and then they wouldn’t need to thaw before eating? Thanks!
Martha says
I honestly can’t stop making these and eating these. Is there a version with pumpkin that have similar texture for keeping in the freezer?? I think these are my my new go to cookie dough for the freezer!!!
Karen says
I didn’t think I would like cookie dough. However, Yummm……. easy and quick to make. Sometimes I put jam(sugarless and sweetened with fruit juce).
Geraldine says
I just made a batch of these and they are absolutely top notch! I used PB, subbed oats with buckwheat and added stevia to the coconut oil instead of honey and they almost taste like a Snicker’s bar!
I just love your blog by the way! Lots of love from Malta!
Ellie says
I fed these to my friends. One is a vegan and the other three want almost nothing to do with healthy eating. All of them loved these and even asked me if I could bring more sometime! I told them the secret ingredient after they ate them, and once they got over the fact that they just ate cookie dough bars with beans in them, they still wanted more! They say that this is one of their favorites.
Melissa says
Just made these. They are pretty good, but I think they need to be a little sweeter. I used maple syrup, so maybe next time I’ll use honey.
Kayla Taylor says
Try using some stevia 🙂 I never used any honey, they still turned out great!
Jamie says
Does it have to be coconut oil and can it be vegetable oil or canola oil for the topping?
Amanda says
Oh my gosh…these are delicious! I made them tonight and gave them to my husband and his friend. They knew the ingredients and were hesitant to try. But once they did they asked for seconds and thirds! I added extra chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Amazing!! I just kept chipping away at it. My new favorite recipe!!
Elise says
YUM!!
Just made these – used half the agave (cause it is priceeeeey in Aus), replaced half the oats with chia seeds (only because I love chia seeds), and covered the top with frozen raspberries. Honestly such a moreish snack!! I’d really love to just eat the whole entire tray!
Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe – it’s such a winner!!
Kayla Taylor says
I love these bars. I made mine a little differently. I never included any chocolate chips, and for the topping I used 0% Greek Yogurt, then mixed some cocoa powder in with the yogurt. Spread the Chocolate Greek Yogurt on the mixture, then I refrigerate until the greek yogurt is thick again. then cut them into squares 🙂
Mari says
Wow – another hit! I’m trying to go 100% sugar free (nothing ending in -ose, basically), so I reduced the maple syrup to 1 tbs., and added unsweetened almond-coconut milk until the consistency looked about right. Even with that teeny bit of sweetening, the “batter” is yummy and the consistency is great! I’m posting this while they’re still in the freezer. Will probably adapt the chocolate coating to more of a glaze (sauce?) using just cocoa powder, coconut milk and pure monk fruit powder. If the batter is that good, I bet the finished product will be amazing! Posting now, just because I’m so impressed by your website and all the recipes I’ve tried (or adapted) so far. Thanks!
Mari says
Sorry about the Monkey pic! I thought it would change my profile pic, not post in the comment. 😐
Johanna says
Hi! I really like your recipes! I tried this recipe the other day and loved it! It also made me think that it could be a nice recipe for pie crust, so I had to try! I removed the chocolate and syrup, and replaced the nut butter with coconut oil. I had to add some more oil (I used olive) and some water for consistency. I baked it for 10 minures before I filled it with nice veggies amd mashed tofu, and baked it again, and it turned out to be a really yummy pie!
Ann says
OMG! Really amazing taste. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Hands down best cookie dough bars ever!!! I can recall eating a lot of dough growing up but this tastes better than all of it.
Megan says
These turned out very interesting and not at all what I expected. I do not have a food processor so I used a blender (I use a blender for all of Katie recipes, works great), and I blended the chickpeas with the liquid ingredients (honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract) to make sure everything blended properly. That step went great. The problem arose when I realized I did not have quick oats, so I used flax-meal like the recipe suggests. I believe this substitution changed the flavor A LOT. My final product had a very flax seed like flavor which was pleasant but not at all like cookie dough. I ended up loving these as protein bars when I had to grab something on-the-go. Basically if you want these bars to taste like cookie dough DO NOT substitute flax-meal for quick oats, you’ll end up with a very different product. Still delicious, but more like a protein bar with the addition of flax-meal.
Sarah says
I ran into the same problem. The flax definitely made a difference.
Crystal says
Made this with soaked cashews today instead of the beans and it worked well. I’ve tried it before with the chickpeas too and it was good, but I’m not a huge fan of bean based desserts.
Karen says
Cookie dough bars, healthy cookie dough, dip, raw cookie dough…… they are all similar… Which is the best?????
Gerard says
OMG! I am so making these! Do you think I could mix up PB@ to replace the nut butter or does it need the fat of the butter?
Jason Sanford says
You can always experiment! Be sure to report back if you do.
Gerard says
OOOPES! That should have read PB2
maayan says
i subbed PB for Tahini and it worked great!
FP says
Mine came out tasting very “bean” like and not cookie dough at all. Any recommendations for next time?
Michele says
my granddaughter has peanut allergies, what can I use instead of the nut butter? These look so delicious & good for you!!!
Your Cranberry Orange Bread a favorite in our home.
Jason Sanford says
I’ve made them with almond butter or cashew butter, and I know other readers have used Sunbutter.
Ashley says
Hi Katie! I really want to try this but can I use regular white granulated sugar instead of the maple syrup? I feel like using maple syrup is too expensive so do you think white sugar would work? Please let me know and thanks!! ?
Jason Sanford says
You might have to add liquid some other way, but sweetness wise is should work!
Liz says
Can you use a mix of oats and flax or is best to stick with one or the other. Which do you prefer? Thanks
Jason Sanford says
I’m sure you could!
Laura says
Excellent recipe. We use variations of this recipe to make our weekly protein bars. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah Adams says
As a new addict of your cookie dough dip, I can’t wait to make these!
I have a ton of strawberries I need to get rid of and was planning to do some baking with them this weekend — do you think mixing the chocolate coating with strawberries would make a good chocolate-covered-strawberry bar? Or maybe would that be out of place.
If it wouldn’t work, do you have any of your recipe recommendations to use up some strawberries?
Brooks says
How big of a food processor is needed for this? Mine is pretty small ???
Jason Sanford says
7 cup cuisinart is plenty big!
Meyke says
Made this for my friends Hen party. Nobody tasted the chickpeas. My friend thought they were a little dry (but I think she compared them to regular cookie dough). Maybe an extra spoonful of coconut oil would do the trick. We loved them though! My 4yo said they were scrummylicious!
Gina of MN says
Just mixed my first batch and used honey. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but found this too sweet. I will try using half the sweetener on the next batch and will just use extra dark chocolate on top this batch to knock it back. I may add more vanilla, too.
Love all you do, Katie!
Sonia says
Hi Katie, just a bit if a brain freeze for me, by freezing the bars do you mean putting in the fridge or the freezer? Thank you so much, these bars look delicious!
CAROLYN Walker says
Do u think I could warm it up in the microwave to make it sorta melty?
Bob says
I’m finding that there are spots of green forming with in a day or two of making them. This seem to be happening in the freezer as well. It doesn’t appear to be mold. I’m curious if anyone else has seen this?
Jason Sanford says
Did you use sunflower butter? I’ve heard that baked goods made with sunbutter will turn green!
Fred says
Someone stole your content. See here https://www.reddit.com/r/1500isplenty/comments/etid7g/unbaked_cookie_dough_bars_104_calories_i_put_the/
Jason Sanford says
Hi Fred, thanks so much for letting us know… I wasn’t able to see the original post because it says the poster deleted it, but we honestly are so appreciative to people like you (and the commenters on the thread who I noticed also posted the correct source of the recipe) for correcting things like that and sticking up for someone’s work. Thank you 🙂
Jason (media relations)
Diane says
We’ve made this twice so far and loved it! Thanks for the yummy recipe 🙂
Ana says
For the nutritional info, what is one serving (26g)? Is this equal to 1/20 of the recipe?
Thanks!
Mindy says
Will it taste good if you don’t do the chocolate coating?
Natalia says
These were delicious! So easy with ingredients I have on hand. I used tahini in lieu of nut butter and the coconut oil in the batter, and used just under a half cup of maple syrup. The only problem I found is that I could not have cut them frozen. I had to let them thaw out in the fridge before cutting them. Any advice on what I may have done wrong?
Taylor says
Just made these. They turned out amazing!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it 🙂