Cookie dough is pretty much the best part of making cookies, right? If you agree, then you'll love these healthy no-bake pumpkin cookie dough bars! Made with whole food simple ingredients, they're also a great midday snack, or dessert. Plus, I love how easy they are to make too. Simply, throw all the ingredients into your food processor (or a blender works too) and voila - cookie dough bars! Topping them with melted chocolate and flaky salt makes these a little more sophisticated. But you can leave the flaky salt off if you don't have a salty tooth like me. And although it may seem strange to make cookie dough with chickpeas, it works. No matter who I gave these to over the holidays, nobody suspected chickpeas in the dough. So it can be our little secret...
As if I need to explain why no bake desserts are amazing, they just are, right?! But for anyone that is somewhat new to the wonderful world of no bake desserts, allow me to fill you in.
They’re Easy to Make: No real baking required, all you need are measured out ingredients and something to store your dessert in.
They Store Well: I love how you can keep them in the freezer (sealed) for months (if they last that long!). But anytime, you want a little something sweet, pull out one of your no-bake creations and boom- instant dessert.
No Fuss: Other than measuring your ingredients, no-bake desserts (and raw desserts) are packed with flavour without any fuss. I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m not a baker. But, these types of easy desserts, they’re MY THING.
I do love my no-bake recipes. If you're curious to try some of my other no-bake goodies, check them out below!
I kept the ingredient list fairly short for these healthy pumpkin bars, as you only need 10 ingredients! And the chocolate topping is only 2 ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need to make them.
Obviously, this is one of the main ingredients in a chickpea cookie dough, so you’re gonna need a can. Simply drain and give them a rinse. Tip - save the liquid from the can of chickpeas (it's called aquafaba) and you can use it to replace egg whites in a cocktail/mocktail. It's amazing!
I always buy this brand of chickpeas, because they’re organic, and made with kombu, a sea vegetable that helps with digestion and it’s BPA free.
Personally, I like using cashew butter for these. But, almond butter or peanut butter will also work. Peanut butter will be a stronger flavour. Or go nut free and use SunButter instead.
Pure vanilla extract gives these a delicious flavour and aroma. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not the imitation stuff.
This just makes it taste more like cookie dough, even though you’re not actually baking it.
Chocolate chips also work, but there is something about using dark chocolate and chopping it into irregular chunks that I love. It adds a nice contrast to the no bake pumpkin cookie dough bars. Stick to around 70% dark chocolate, and use a vegan one if needed to avoid any dairy.
This is the brand I use and love.
The rolled oats add to the texture and offer some nutritional benefits as well. They’re high in fibre (just like the chickpeas) and you won’t taste them much at all.
I always use this brand of rolled oats, make sure they’re gluten free if you need them to be.
I like using maple syrup as the sweetener of choice because it tastes great, it’s readily available and it offers some nutritional benefits as well. You could sub this for another sweetener if you want.
In addition to the fat from the cashew butter, coconut oil helps to really smooth this out. Start with 1 tbsp and work up to what you need to get a smooth consistency. I used about 2 tbsp in mine! Plus, you’ll also use some for the chocolate topping as well.
This is the brand of coconut oil I use and love.
A little pumpkin pie spice will bring out the pumpkin flavour more. If you don't have any, you can easily make it yourself at home with a mix of spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
You only need 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree for this recipe, so save the rest for smoothies, soups or other baked goods.
These are pretty much foolproof and so EASY to make.
All you need to do is add all of the chickpea cookie dough ingredients (except the chocolate chunks/chips) into a food processor. A blender will also work, but you'll need to stop several times to scrape things down and it may become overheated as a result. I prefer making these in my food processor.
Once it is all blended, go ahead and add in the pumpkin pie spice and some of the chopped chocolate and give that a quick mix.
Layer it into a prepared 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper. Place it in the freezer while you make the chocolate topping.
For the chocolate topping, simply melt your chopped chocolate (or chips) and some coconut oil. Then pour this on top of the chickpea cookie dough bars.
If you want to make some pretty swooshes with the chocolate, let it harden just a little and then use the back of a spoon to make the swooshes. Then top with some flaky salt and place it back in the freezer to harden. This will take about two hours.
After the no bake pumpkin cookie dough bars have hardened completely in the freezer, remove them, slice into 12 bars and serve them.
Or slice them up and store them in your freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them. When you want one, let it come to room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes.
To store them, simply slice them and keep them in a sealed container (or freezer bags).
If you make these no bake cookie dough bars, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to tag me on Instagram, and/or leave a comment, rating or review below.
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These no bake pumpkin spice cookie dough bars combine all the best flavours of raw cookie dough with a little pumpkin. They're easy to make and perfect for a healthy dessert or snack!
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