I absolutely LOVE oatmeal raisin cookie dough. It’s the only cookie dough that I’ll actually eat. Other doughs just don’t compare.  There’s something about the texture of the oats mixed with brown sugar and a hint of salt that makes me swoon. Yesterday I was sitting on my couch flipping through this Raw Energy Cookbook I picked up at the library and the teaser on this recipe said that it tastes just like chilled oatmeal raisin cookie dough. SOLD! I immediately sprung into the kitchen to test it out.

After quickly blending a few ingredients in the food processor I was blown away; it totally DOES taste like oatmeal raisin cookie dough! You won’t find eggs, butter, flour or refined sugar in this mixture YET it totally tastes like dough. Weird. Crazy. Amazing! One of these Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares pairs perfectly with a glass of milk/soymilk. I bet they’d also be great with a scoop of ice cream on top. The trick is to keep the squares in the freezer so they remain chewy. At room temperature they tend to be super gooey; they’re raw! With that said, I have a strong feeling these might not last very long in my freezer this week.

And we’re off!

Gather your ingredients.

Chop up the dates.

Add the dates, cashews, oats & cinnamon to a food processor.

Add in the maple syrup & a heavy pinch of sea salt.

PROCESS!! This is what it looks like after 30 seconds.

Put the mixture into a baking pan that has been greased with coconut oil.

Push down with your hands until the surface is flat and even.

Place a little parchment on top and pop the dough into the freezer.

Carefully cut your pieces. Use a spatula to pick them out.

Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares!!

It’s like you’re eating dough, but not!

Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares

Makes 16 squares

(recipe slightly adapted from Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes, by Stephanie Tourles)

• 10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup raw oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• heavy pinch sea salt
• coconut oil for the pan

Place the dates, cashews, oats, maple syrup, cinnamon and a heavy pinch of sea salt in the food processor. Process for about 30 seconds until you have a dough that resembles oatmeal raisin cookie dough. Coat the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with coconut oil. Place the oat mixture in the pan, and spread evening with your hands. Pat the mixture down evenly and then cover. Put the baking sheet in a freezer for at least 4 hours. When relatively firm, remove from the freezer and cut into 2 inch squares.

Store the squares in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 months. If they are served at room temperature, the squares will be too soft and sticky. They remain chewy when they eaten right out of the freezer.

Shutterbean Notes-

-If you don’t have coconut oil, line the bottom with parchment paper. It will help you get the squares out of the baking pan.