cookie dough bites

i've got to say, if my love of animals and my desire to live a compassionate life wasn't enough reason to embrace veganism, these cookie dough bites might just put me over the edge.

these bites are nutrient dense and free of refined sugars, as they're sweetened with dates and raw agave nectar.  oh, and they're super cute too!

{yummy cookie dough bites}

one of the joys of a vegan diet is that you can eat all the raw cookie dough in the world without worry of raw eggs - eww.  you might get a belly ache if you polish off the entire batch in one go, but you definitely won't end up with salmonella.  :)

raw cookie dough bites
makes 16 balls
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp organic whole spelt flour
pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 pitted dates (about 6)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 cup carob chips

{cashews & oats, ground}

{ready to roll}

in a food processor, grind the cashews & oats to a fine meal, the add the flour and salt and pulse to blend.  give the dates a rough chop to make sure that there are no bits of pit remaining and add these in along with the vanilla, agave and half of the carob chips.  process until the dough naturally forms a ball.  at this point stir in the the remaining chips, this way you get both little bits and big bits of chocolately (well, carobby) goodness.  then push up your sleeves and get rollin'!  i like mine kept in the freezer, but they'd do alright in the fridge too.

all of you gluten-free lovelies out there, this recipe could easily accommodate - just change up the flour with either buckwheat or coconut flour and of course be certain that your oats aren't contaminated.  giddy up!

{bowl of bites}

ps - note to self: for the love of kale, please iron your tablecloth.