Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

I have a recipe for actual cookies that is very similar in flavor to these little raw cookie dough bites.

And I love that cookie recipe so much because it combines peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips all in one cookie so that I don’t have to choose among three favorite kinds of cookies: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, or Oatmeal Cookies.

It was high time I made cookie dough bites with a similar flavor to those cookies, sans egg, so that I can just eat raw cookie dough at my leisure and not worry about eating raw eggs in raw cookie dough.

And not worry about actually turning on the oven and baking the cookies, either.

Because raw dough is where it’s at for me sometimes.

And these little bites are full of peanut butter cookie dough flavor and incorporate a touch of texture from the oatmeal.

The sweetness from the brown sugar and mini chocolate chips inside the bites is offset by the slight saltiness from the peanut butter.

And everything is better with a melted chocolate drizzle.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (No-Bake, Vegan, Gluten Free)

Makes 20 small balls, 16 medium, or 12 larger (I prefer smaller balls and roll mine smaller which is a bit more tedious but I like one-bite or two-bite balls, not three+ bite balls)

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/8 cup butter, softened (2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup whole rolled old-fashioned oats (quick cook is probably fine)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (use a gluten free flour blend of your choice if keeping gluten free; or grind oats and use exclusively oat flour)

pinch salt, optional

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or regular size chips are fine)

2 tablespoons chocolate chips or baking chocolate bar, melted for final drizzle

In a small bowl, whip the peanut butter and butter until creamy.  I did this by hand but you can do it in a mixer if desired.  Add the sugars and whip until creamy.  Add the vanilla extract, salt, oats, flour (add the flour slowly in case you need slightly less than recipe indicates) and stir until just combined.

The dough should be easy to work with and form into balls at this point, but if the dough is too dry or crumbly and not coming together, add a touch more peanut butter until desired consistency is achieved.  Conversely, it dough is too wet or sticky, add slightly more oats or flour.  Also, chilling the dough in the freezer or refrigerator for 20 minutes prior to shaping it into balls can be helpful if the dough is a little wet or sticky.

After appropriate dough consistency is reached, fold in the chocolate chips and then roll the dough into ball shapes.  After the balls are rolled, if you choose to apply a chocolate drizzle, I recommend chilling the balls in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to drizzling with melted chocolate so it hardens on contact.

Store extras in the refrigerator for weeks or in the freezer for many months. I have successfully stored batches of cookie dough balls for many months in the freezer but do as you see fit and use common sense.

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If you can’t choose between peanut butter, chocolate chip, or oatmeal cookies, I think these will cure your indecisiveness.

Of all three flavors, oatmeal is the least pronounced; rather the oats are used to help bind the dough so it’s not a sticky, gooey, peanut butter mess.

Peanut butter and chocolate are the dominant flavors in these little bites, which is just fine by me.

I’ve been on a cookie, cookie dough ball, candy and truffle making kick lately.

The Pretzel Peanut Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles are great if you’re a fan of salty-and-sweet combination desserts.

And there’s White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies if you prefer actually baking your cookies.

There were Ritz Cracker Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups

What’s your favorite kind of cookie?

Chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodles, ginger, molasses, oatmeal, sugar cookies, or something else?  Do tell.

My baked cookie recipes are here

And I have a post with every single no-bake/raw bite, ball, mini-cookie, or truffle with photos here

Do you prefer raw cookie dough or actually baking the cookies?

There is something so comforting about a warm, gooey cookie with its slightly browned base and top, but raw cookie dough is just so decadent, too.

It depends on my mood but I love them both.

And yes, I’ve eaten my fair share of real raw cookie dough, with raw eggs, and I’ve lived to tell the tale.  Baking with my grandma and mom and licking the bowl and beaters was how I grew up and yes, those ladies cooked with lots of butter, sugar, and eggs.