Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Strawberry Jelly Pie (Grain Free)
August 25, 2015
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October 13, 2015
We’re on holiday in Perth, peeps!!! Ok, I’m also running five Quirky Cooking seminar classes while I’m here, so I’m working as well, but we’re away for nearly a whole month with nearly the whole family, so I’m calling it a holiday!
Me and Zac, soaking up the sunshine!
If you need me, I’ll be here…
We’re staying in a little house right across from the beach, and we’ve had some absolutely gorgeous weather. Loving it.
Yesterday I decided to make the kids a special treat for afternoon tea, because when you’re a GAPS family you can’t really just go buy holiday snacks – it’s make your own, or eat fruit, veggies and nuts, pretty much. All good, I love baking. And I brought my Thermie with me on the plane, of course, so no problem. (See my Thermie travel tips below!)
So I got out the ingredients to make some of our favourite Cinnamon Donut Cupcakes (recipe in my cookbook), but I couldn’t get the little, old oven to work…What to do?? We ‘needed’ a treat!
Lightbulb moment! I remembered the other day when I was making the base for my raw macadamia lime cheesecake that I’d blended it longer than usual and it became a smooth dough that tasted JUST like raw cookie dough!! No oven needed for that! So I dug through my meager holiday food supplies, and came up with this easy and delicious recipe for raw cookie dough balls, and they worked first go. Phew, disaster averted. The kids wandered off to the beach happily munching them, and I had spent all of 10 minutes in the kitchen. Perfect.
Plain cookie dough balls. Try adding some cinnamon, or a few drops of lemon essential oil!
Of course, we all agreed they’d be even better with chocolate chips added, so I made a quick trip to Dynamic Organic the next day looking for dairy free, naturally sweetened chocolate chips. They’re not too easy to find, sadly. I thought about making my own raw, dairy free chocolate and chopping it up into tiny pieces, but I’m on holiday. I’m keeping it simple. So I just bought a block of Loving Earth Coconut Milk Chocolate instead, and chopped some of that up into little bits. That’s probably the easiest way to get dairy free chocolate chips (ok, chunks), that don’t have soy or refined sugar in them.
Collecting shells and lazing on the beach in between classes. I do love working holidays.
So here’s the recipe – a perfect substitute for cake or cookies for when you don’t have an oven (or can’t be bothered baking because you’re on holiday at the beach). They’re also egg free, and can be vegan and dairy free if you use coconut oil. For a nut free version, try using half desiccated coconut and half pepitas.
I’ve included a few other ideas for variations below the recipe, and I’d love to hear what variations you come up with – please share in the comments below!
Cookie dough before adding choc chips – it will look a little crumbly before pressing into balls
Raw Choc Chip Cookie Dough Balls
- 150g blanched almond meal
- 3 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- 2 Tbspns ghee, butter or coconut oil
- 50g dairy free, dark chocolate, chopped into small bits
- Place the almond meal, dates, salt, soda, vanilla, and ghee/butter/coconut oil into the Thermomix bowl and blend 30 sec/speed 9. (Or process until it resembles fine crumbs in a food processor.)
- Add chopped chocolate and mix in for 5 sec/speed 3 (or by hand).
- Press dough together to form 12 walnut sized balls, and set on a plate. Refrigerate until firm.
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- a few drops of lemon essential oil (food grade, eg. DoTERRA)
- a small handful of currants and 1/2 tsp of mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice and 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 Tbspn Dutch cocoa powder and a few drops of peppermint essential oil
- Nut free: use 75g each desiccated coconut and pepitas, mill until fine, then add remaining dough ingredients
I get this questions a lot: “Can you take your Thermomix on the plane with you, as carry on luggage?”
Yes, and no. It depends.
If you have a TM31, you can pop it into the special travel bag, but first you need to remove the blades and put them in your suitcase. Also, take the Varoma out of the back pocket and put that in your suitcase too, or it will be too bulky. (I just pack clothes in and around it in the suitcase.) The carry bag can then fit in the overhead compartment, laying on its’ back. It will weigh nearly 7kg, so it’s just that and a handbag/computer bag for carry on if you do it this way.
If you have a TM5, you’ll need to pack it in its’ original box and foam packaging (I hope you saved it!), mark the box as FRAGILE (and make it clear which way up it should be), then put it through with the suitcases. Don’t forget to add an extra bag to your luggage allowance. It will weigh about 10kg.
Hope that helps!
51 Comments
Can I please ask what the bicarb does? Absolute beginner and I just assumed it was something that aids in the cooking process… but these are raw… thanks 🙂
Just there for the real cookie dough flavour 🙂
Hi Jo, I made the cheesecake last week, it was delicious and I agree, the base would make a tasty snack! Just a quick question, can I leave out the bicarb or is it essential? Thanks xx
you can leave out no problem
I had been craving exactly this, a raw choc chip cookie dough, but could not indulge in a traditional recipe with the raw egg as I am currently avoiding because I am pregnant.
This was delicious! Thanks Jo.
I thought of a naughty but nice addition, add cacao for a double choc chip cookie dough 😉
Hi Jo
You are such a genius… Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. The kids and I are on a no (low) sugar, no wheat diet for a little while (lifelong me hopes) and really wanted them to have a lovey treat. This ticked all the boxes! The first batch is gone already and we all love them so much we may have to make another batch tomorrow! Anita (Thermomix Consultant)
will be making these tomorrow. Looks yum and the kids will love them.
You should head down to Dunsborough. We used to live there. One of the most beautiful places around and lots of good food.
Thanks for all your recipes and the podcast. Your podcast keeps me going during the week.
Fabulous recipe thanks!!
There’s a great shop in here in Perth Jo in Doubleview, 257 Scarborough Beach Rd, called Dunn and Walton for all of your organic goodies!! It’s awesome x
I travel with my TM5 on airplane now and again. I bought $20 blanket queen size at Woolworths and use that by wrapping my TM5 tightly and securing this with packaging tape. I take my clothes as carry on luggage.
It works really well.
Thank you for this. Having changed my way of eating, this looks like it will suit me really well as a ‘sweet’ treat.
Have the best holiday. My folks are on their way to Perth now and I am hoping they will have the great weather you have had.
Love it eye’s reckon look & read’s fantastic have a gluten thing & dairy my other half say’s he is normal um????
I have had these on my mind all day since I saw them (or even a couple of days since I first saw your tease photo). Anyway I had on my meal plan to make apple crumble for my kids lunch boxes tomorrow but I got home really late and needed something no bake – it must have been fate. 🙂
Anyway I had to do the nut free version for the lunch boxes and it was a little green – well for my kids anyway. Solution – double choc – added the cocoa to change the colour and still kept the choc chunks. I may have eaten more than one already and they have only just made it to the fridge to set! Thanks
holy moley… It’s 10pm, just having a wander around. See this and think “I WILL make this… Now! Wasn’t fussed on getting out the big gal, just popped in in the nutribullet. BAM! Done and incredible. Cannot believe you churned this out in the fly. So yummy. Like any walk of life would scoff this down sorta yummy!
Thank you x
Ha ha, I made them at 10pm last night too!! Dangerous… 😀
Hi Joe!
Yum! Thanks for yet another amazing recipe!
Just wondering how long these would keep in the fridge?
Do you think they would be a good one to freeze like your No Bake Choc Cookies?
Thanks
Ann
They keep for ages but I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that. 😉
Yes frozen is great too!
If these are consumed as raw cookie dough bites what is the purpose of the bicarb?
For the authentic cookie dough flavour!
Have you tried using almond-pulp left over from making almond milk in this recipe? I have no idea what to use my pulp for, and have only been game to try recipes that say “wet almond pulp” as not sure how to dry it or store it etc.?
I dehydrate the pulp and then use it in these, but some people have mentioned they’ve used the damp pulp and it’s worked.
Jo, can I ask why blanched almonds? Could I be lazy ????and use my normal almonds, or should I blanch them? Thank you!
It just makes it lighter – use raw if you like 🙂
So good I could kiss you!
Ha ha!!!
Yum – these were great. Instead of dairy free chocolate, I used cacao nibs. The perfect paleo snack!!Thanks!!
Perfect!!
Jo would cacao nibs work instead of the chocolate bits?
Sure! Will just be less sweet. 🙂
Love them!!! The little kids wanted more and the fussy non dieting guest (aka my husband) wanted a batch to take home!
My sister-in-law complied and sent us each home with a bag… she did make us roll the balls 😉
Ha ha!!
So the newer model thermie is too heavy? Or is it too bulky too? We are getting one for Christmas and need to fly to from Australia to our home in Thailand and the baggage handlers in Thailand area renowned for breaking everything so I’m terrified of taking it checked!
It is too bulky for the overhead locker, and a bit heavier than the old one. Best packed in it’s box in all the packaging material.
Hi Quirky Jo, pretty sure I have met you in previous years at demonstrations with Ellen Pezzelato (had my twin boys and other son at a Malanda and Atherton demo).
Am now finally in a position to buy one. There’s a Thermo5 available jn Mareeba (used) or am I better off getting it new one? Have just bought a house in Atherton and will be moving up shortly. Are you the best person to talk to about this? Let me know. Christina (0408531422)
Hi Christina, that’s exciting! I’ll get someone to call you. 🙂
Thanks Jo, another fab. recipe.
I used whole almonds, blitzed them in my thermie to get almond meal. Then followed the directions in your post. My 4 year old has decided that they are exquisite.
Yay!!
These were delicious. I used a mix of almonds (milled first), coconut and pepitas with some cacao. I subbed in dried dates (pre-soaked in warm water) because we had no medjool. My new go to snack. Thanks
Have you ever put your thermomix in a checked suitcase? We have a travel bag that we’ve used in the past as carry on, but our current airport has insane regulations and there is no way in hell we’ll get it on as carry on. We don’t have the original box any more either. We were thinkin of packing it up tight with towels in the travel bag, then packing that bag tightly in a hard cased suitcase… What do you think?
That should work!
[…] made Quirky Jo’s raw chocolate chip cookie dough balls for the first time on the weekend and they are AMAZING. And according to all the oohs and ahs on […]
Hi Jo can you please give me some suggestions on where to purchase dairy free choc chips online (natural sugar) please.
I actually just use a block of Loving Earth chocolate and cut into small pieces 🙂
Wow!!!!! These are soooooo yummy and easy to make. Delicious!!!!
So im thinking chunks of this through home made icecream…. thanks jo…i think ?
oh my ! I made 2 batches this weekend, gone within hours (mostly be me) – soooo very delicious !
Could I substitute the dates?
Yes use any liquid sweetener, same weight or to taste!
For a nut free option blitz 150g of oats instead of almond meal. So very good!!
Yum!!! I had to have three before they hit the fridge too!
Hi Jo, what can I replace the almond flour with? Daughter is allergic to almonds and coconut. Looks delicious. Thanks
Hi Kerrie! Other nuts would work in place of the almond meal such as cashews, walnuts or pecans – just mill down first approx 10 sec speed 8 before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. 🙂