Coconut Granola No-Bake Cookies

I’m not a very good baker.

There is something very scientific about baking. It’s about chemical reactions and precise measurements, and that’s just not the way my brain works. In fact, when I first started recipe development, it took me a good year to get used to actually measuring ingredients so I could make note of amounts.

While baking does have a creative aspect to it, I find cooking to be a much more artistic way of expressing myself with food. That’s why you don’t see a whole lot of baking recipes around here. And when I do post a baking recipe, I’ve tested it approximately 5,000 times to make sure all the measurements are right. I’m just not very confident when it comes to the oven.

That’s one of the reasons that no-bake cookies are one of my favorite cookies on the planet. (See my No-Bake Clementine and Clove Macaroons for further proof!) No needing to worry about if you put in too much baking soda or not enough flour. No-bake cookies pretty much turn out perfectly every single time. And, considering we’re going through a heatwave right now and baking heats up our house better than our furnace does, I’m a big fan of not turning on the oven.

The traditional no-bake cookie is a chocolate-oat-peanut butter combo that is hard to improve upon, but I went a little bit rogue with this version and used coconut, peanut butter, and this awesome protein-packed granola from Nature Valley™.

I’m a big believer that there is plenty of room in a healthy lifestyle to eat a treat every now and again, but I also believe that if you have the opportunity to make something a little bit better for you, you might as well take every chance you can get. I liked the idea that with these no-bake cookies, not only are you getting a delicious after-dinner treat, but you’re also getting a boost of protein and healthy fiber from the granola. 1/2 cup Nature Valley™ Protein Granola provides 10 grams of protein and 22-26 grams of whole grain per serving.  Considering the recommended daily allowance of whole grain is 48 grams, you can be well on your way to meeting that goal just with one serving of this granola for breakfast!

We’ve been eating this granola on top of some massive yogurt bowls (usually with coconut milk yogurt, fresh peaches, and chia seeds). And I also may have snuck a bowl or two to eat as a midnight snack. I really like the fact that it’s a quick and easy way to get some protein—without having to cook up a steak at 3am. My only wish is that the granola itself was a bit lower in sugar. I’d much prefer to be able to have a less sweet granola, and then add my own sweetener (like honey or maple syrup) when I use it so I can control the sweetness. That isn’t a problem when you’re making cookies, though!

I’m not the only one that thought of cooking with granola. Nature Valley™ has a great section of recipes that all focus on cooking with granola. Many of them are using granola in ways I never thought of (like Granola Crusted Salmon).

Enjoy!