Dad Does Dessert: A Recipe for Nuttiness

Rolled OatsI like dessert. Especially if it’s quick and easy and healthy… We don’t eat it every day, but some days just call for dessert.

This recipe is an all-time favorite at our house, and it has many variations, depending on what ingredients we have. It’s great for the summer, because it doesn’t require cooking and won’t heat up your kitchen. It also makes awesome travel, backpacking, or biking food, kinda like a home-made energy bar.

The Uncookie Dough

Ingredients:

  • one and a half cups of almond butter
  • one half cup of honey
  • one cup of rolled oats
  • two tablespoons of ground cardamom
  • a pinch of salt

Mix all of the ingredients together and form into balls with your hands and put them in the refrigerator until firm. If you really want to go for it, throw in some chocolate chips.

You’ll have to ration them, they’re so good.

We get fresh-ground almond butter straight from the grinder at our local co-op, but it can get expensive if you get hooked on these treats. Substituting peanut butter will bring the cost down.

I’ve learned to use quick oats and not regular or thick, because these aren’t cooked and can be a bit gassy for some people. You can also just sub any flake for the oats. I like Mesa Sunrise cereal by Nature’s Path, made from flax, corn, and amaranth.

You can substitute maple syrup for the honey to make the recipe vegan, but I would start with less and then add to taste.

If you roll the balls in shredded coconut or hulled hemp seed they can pass for a gourmet dessert (and they won’t stick to your hands). These get rave reviews at parties and potluck dinners, and disappear quickly.

To be honest, when the kids are in bed, we just break out two spoons and eat it straight from the bowl…

This recipe is adapted from my friend’s creation that he calls “naughty” balls (naughty ’cause you can’t stop eating them). Thanks, Tex

More healthy desserts:

Image from Wikipedia as Public Domain

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One Comment

  1. I cannot believe you posted this recipe it’s one my favorites from childhood. We used to have so much fun making it and we didn’t need any help (well cleaning maybe). Thank you, I think I’d forgotten about it.

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