I’m five days into no chocolate.

But I’m surviving thanks to these simple sweet little bites.

A few weeks ago, when I was experimenting with my chocolate chip cookie recipe I stumbled upon the natural sweetness of cashew butter and applesauce.

Adding some vanilla extract and salt, I feel like I’m eating sugar cookie dough.

Honestly, I rolled them into bite-sized balls so I’d have built-in portion control.

They’re dropped in cinnamon and finely chopped unsweetened coconut.  Which is good, but the vanilla cookie dough taste is a bit more muted.

O.K…  For all you chocolate lovers out there, you can ditch the coating altogether, and add some chocolate chips and call it a day.  See, I’m still looking out for ya.

Next time, I’ll roll them just in coconut or chopped nuts (toasted walnuts or hazelnuts) to preserve the strong vanilla flavor.  Or I’ll just eat it straight from the jar with a spoon.

Yup, cuz that’s how I roll.

Note: This recipe was shared with the following blog communities: Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Wheat Free Wednesday and Allergy Free Wednesday.

Cashew Buttah Bites

From PartTimeHealthNut.com
Makes: About 12, 1 T bites, Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups raw cashews
• 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 T unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Coconut Cinnamon “Sugar”

• 4 T unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. Add cashews to food processor and blend until it’s butter, about 5 minutes.
2. Scrape down from the sides and add the coconut, applesauce, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend well.
3. For coconut cinnamon “sugar”, grind coconut and cinnamon in nut or seed grinder to create a fine powder.
4. Create dough balls using a tablespoon scooper and rolling dough between palms of your hand.  If dough is too soft to handle, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. Roll balls in coconut and cinnamon mixture. Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition information:

Serving Size: 1 ball, Calories: 115,Carbohydrates: 6.5g, Protein:2.8g, Fat:9.4g, Fiber:0.9g

Please note: Nutritional information is not guaranteed and will vary based on the ingredients used.