Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites

Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites

Today we are making a healthy treat: Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites! Butter pecan in the form of a bite-able snack! I am a HUGE FAN of anything butter pecan. Butter pecan ice cream? Yes. Butter pecan tarts? Yes. I actually have recreated BOTH of these in earlier recipes on Peanut Palate, and I thought it fitting to try this flavor in a raw ball form. Also, who wants to be turning on the oven, making pastry dough, butter tart filling, and everything else that goes into an actual butter tart?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m a bit tired from constantly baking during the beginning of quarantine, and I think my oven could use the break. For the last few recipes (and for current future ones), I’ve tried to make no-bake or cooking only recipes, to save both our time!

For this recipe, I toasted the pecans to get that buttery pecan flavor, then blended them with dates as a “caramel” like filling, somewhat substituting for the corn-syrup laden filling that usually goes into butter tarts. I pulsed in raisins at the end, again similar to how some butter tarts would have raisins studded throughout the filling.

Why You’ll Love These Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites

Raw & Wholesome: These energy bites are an awesome recipe inspired by butter pecan tarts, but also reminding me of the butter pecan sandies that I used to love growing up. If you’re unfamiliar, these tasty treats are known as sandies. They consist of butter, all purpose flour, sugar and pecans. They melt in your mouth as you take each bite, and are popular around the holiday time as Christmas cookies!

I decided to then take my ideas of a raw butter pecan tart bite, as well as these cookies, and get inspired to make these into no bake cookies bites. But unlike traditional cookies, these have no raw flour, refined sugars or raw eggs. Instead, they use dates and raisins pulsed in to bind the pecans together into the perfect sweet treat!

The end result is a chewy ball, similar to a raw healthy cookie dough but studded with raisin pieces! You can then add in dark chocolate chips or other add-ins to your liking.

An added bonus to making this recipe is that pecans are a great way for getting in healthy fats, and dates contain a ton of nutrients (some even say they’re a superfood)! Raisins are dried grapes, so they also contain their own range of vitamins and minerals.

I like to make a double batch of this recipe to avoid picking up junk food at the grocery store, but rather having a healthy snack available at home when I want it!

Substitutions

Medjool Dates: Use Medjool dates for best results. These are large, chewy and blend the best in energy balls. If your dates are not soft, then soak them in boiling water for thirty minutes, patting the excess water out, before using. Do not substitute with anything else. You can find them in the dried fruit section of the grocery store.

Black Raisins: Use plump black raisins here. Do not substitute. Other raw recipes may use raw maple syrup or agave to bind the dough, but the raisins are pulsed in to create a chewy texture as well as for a binder.

Pecans: Butter pecan cookies contain pecans, so this is a must! Do not substitute other nut flours, like almond flour. Make sure to use raw, unsalted and unroasted pecans, since the pecans will be toasted in the recipe card steps.

Vanilla Extract: I use an alcohol-free vanilla flavor with minimal ingredients. No dyes, caramel colors or other additives. The taste is much stronger and the texture is thicker than a diluted, cheaper version of vanilla. Although, the type I use from Simply Organics doesn’t contain any alcohol so it can’t be deemed vanilla extract. Instead, the alcohol-free options legally must be called vanilla flavor. I love vanilla flavors in all my recipes, but this can also be omitted.

Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites Recipe Notes

• Use coconut flakes (with no added sugar) or raw cacao nibs to roll these bites are in (or to add some into the dough itself)!

More Raw Vegan Recipes You’ll Love

Matcha Chocolate Coconut Bites

Nutella Energy Bites

Toasted Hazelnut & Fig Balls

Raw Butter Pecan Tarts

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies Bites

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

Raw Gingerbread Cookies

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

If you make these Raw Vegan Butter Pecan Cookie Bites, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!