About a week after I turned 10, my family packed up our entire two-story cookie-cutter subdivision house to move across down. My parents bought an older yet larger sprawling one-story home, built in 1955, with nearly an acre of land split between the front and back yards.
I can only remember a few brief glimpses from our first house: climbing the tall tree in the backyard, picking jasmine off of the trellis, sitting on the roof of my toddler-sized plastic play structure… And most importantly, “helping” Mom make chocolate chip cookies.
She started by pulling out the same large metallic bowl and hand mixer from their spots in the cupboard, then reached for the sugars, flour, butter, and vanilla. Mom followed the directions on the back of the Tollhouse bag, although she usually snuck in extra chocolate chips if we asked nicely!
After she dropped the cookie dough into mounds on the stained metal baking sheets, she offered both my brother and me a beater, and we were allowed to split the remaining cookie dough stuck to the bowl too. I’d draw a line straight down the center with my finger, but as the big sister, I usually tried to steal the side with more chocolate chips.
Once we finished licking every last speck, Mom scrubbed the bowl with warm soapy water, and we’d wait for the cookies to cool long enough so we wouldn’t burn our tongues.
But right now, we’re currently experiencing another huge heat wave in my town, with no end in sight. Much too hot to turn on the oven (well, if I want to pretend I’m sane!), I opted for the next best thing… Cookie dough!
After reading about my friend Dorothy’s new dessert mash-up cookbook coming out this fall, I decided to do something similar and combine two iconic cookie flavors into one sweet treat: Chocolate Chip Funfetti Cookie Dough Bites! Sweet and buttery, these soft little bites contain absolutely no eggs, so they’re 100% safe to eat raw. But be warned… They’re kind of addictive!
This no-bake cookie dough differs from regular cookie dough in two ways…
1) No baking powder. Baking powder and baking soda, the two most common leavening agents, can sometimes give raw cookie dough a metallic taste. Since this one is meant to be eaten raw—not baked!—I completely left it out, so you’ll only taste purely sweet vanilla dough.
2) Applesauce. Instead of eggs, I substituted unsweetened applesauce. It achieves the same consistency while making them safe to eat raw, and no—they don’t taste fruity at all! Although I haven’t tried either, you could possibly substitute yogurt or about half the amount of milk in place of the applesauce. Use your best judgment; you want the cookie dough to be slightly sticky but not too liquidy.
The dough is initially fairly tacky, so stick it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to help it firm up. This way, it doesn’t stick to your hands as much when you roll it into balls! Place the little bits on wax paper (or directly into Tupperware). Because of the applesauce, it’s best to store them in the fridge, and you also won’t be quite so tempted to sneak one every time you walk through the kitchen!
Familiar yet fun, these healthier Chocolate Chip Funfetti Cookie Dough Bites taste just like regular cookie dough, just without the eggs! They’re perfect for when you’re craving cookies but don’t want to turn on the oven…
Which is basically every single day during the summer for me!
If you like this recipe, then be sure to follow my Healthy Cookies, Brownies & Bars board on Pinterest!
This eggless no-bake cookie dough is meant to be eaten raw! With lots of chocolate chips and cute rainbow sprinkles, these skinny sweets are sure to please kids and adults alike. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- In a small bowl, stir together the butter, applesauce, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the brown sugar, smearing out any clumps along the side of the bowl. Add in the flour, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap, and chill for 30-60 minutes.
- Line a large plate with wax paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator, and roll into 32 balls. Place on the wax paper, and chill for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly firmer. Place in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.
Note: If the cookie dough is still sticky when you try rolling it into balls, run your hands under the tap in the sink for a second to moisten them. That little bit of water will help the cookie dough from sticking quite so much to your palms.
Mary Frances says...
I will never be too old to stick my fingers in the cookie dough bowl 🙂 Now there is absolutely no shame! The applesauce is a great idea, I’ve only done milk, but I’m going to give that a try next time. YES, so excited about Dorothy’s cookbook! You definitely combined two iconic flavors in this recipe. Funfetti and chocolate chips for life!
Amy says...
Me either — NO cookie dough will ever be safe from me. But at least if I’m the one mixing it up, I get to decide how much I “leave” in the bowl to eat while the rest goes in the oven. 😉 I hope you like the applesauce twist Mary Frances!
Kimberly says...
Amy
These are AMAZING ! I received this recipe in my inbox on 8/4 which happened to be our son’s 11 th birthday. He also has an egg allergy so this was an instant must do item for his party. They were G O N E in minutes !
Trust me… it’s difficult to impress a group of 10/11 year old boys but your name is now golden to them.
Since calories don’t count on birthday or at birthday parties at our house…I did add 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips : )
A million thank you’s !!!!
Kimberly says...
Sorry Amy…. typo – feel free to edit my comment. I received the recipe on 8/5 …maybe I’m still on a sugar high !
Kimberly
Amy says...
I’m so happy to hear you, your son, and his friends all enjoyed the cookie dough bites! I wish every day was my birthday so I could eat that many chocolate chips too. 😉 That’s the biggest compliment that the boys finished them in minutes. I remember how picky I was as a kid, so I’m really touched by that Kimberly!
Julia says...
My sister always makes cookie dough just to eat. But she eats them with eggs in them! Haha. I like this eggless idea, and good thinking on the applesauce! I figured without eggs they wouldn’t be the right texture. Thanks for the recipe!
Amy says...
I’ve definitely made cookie dough just to eat too, but it’s nice not worrying about the eggs. Most of the time I have no problem sneaking a spoonful before I bake a batch of regular cookies, but it’s probably better not to tempt fate! 😉
Chelsie says...
Do you know how many calories are in each? (serving or bite) I’m on a low calorie diet and I’m always looking for little treats I can sneak in. These look great!
Amy says...
Thanks Chelsie! There’s a link to the Nutrition Information underneath the recipe. Hope that helps! 🙂
Fran says...
I can’t wait to try these but I haven’t got any apple sauce in, do you think I could just add milk to the right consistency?
Amy says...
Milk should work fine Fran! You’ll need a lot less milk than applesauce though, probably closer to half or even less. Yogurt would work as a great substitute too. (Greek is my favorite, but any other variety would be fine.) I hope you enjoy the cookie dough bites!
Fran says...
Ah great thanks! Going to make tomorrow or later this week!
Amy says...
You’re welcome Fran! Enjoy!
theresa krier says...
there was 9 kids in my family, if my mom walked away from a bowl of cookie dough, it was gone, to this day i prefer the cookie dough, lol
Amy says...
Oh my goodness, I can’t even imagine Theresa! It was hard enough with just me and my one brother fighting over the cookie dough… And truth be told, I often prefer the dough to the cookies too. 😉