Caramel No Bake Cookies

These Caramel No Bake Cookies with chocolate chunks couldn’t be easier to make, and everyone absolutely loves them! They’re the perfect allergy-friendly treat to make for pretty much every occasion. And even better, you can make them ahead, and freeze them as well. This recipe is based on the classic no-bake cookies my mom made, but I’ve remade it with healthier ingredients. The ‘caramel’ flavor of these cookies comes from coconut sugar as a natural sweetener.

Oh wow! That was what I heard after a friend took her first bite of these cookies. So if find yourself in need of a ‘go-to’ dessert this is a good one. It’s a really allergy-friendly recipe, (since it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, paleo & vegan).

But you’re not going to feel like these are a ‘health food dessert’ if you know what I mean. In fact, fights have actually been known to break out over these cookies in our house! Friendly fights of course, but nonetheless you’ve been warned, these will go fast. And everyone will probably beg you to make some more.

Recipe Inspiration: When I made my Healthier No-Bake Cookies, I wondered what would happened if I left out the cocoa powder and turned them to a caramel version. So… here we are with a caramel version! And (dare I say it?) are better than the originals because chocolate + caramel = better than just chocolate!

Ingredients for Caramel No Bake Cookies

• Coconut sugar – is the perfect natural sweetener for these cookies because it tastes like caramel when it’s boiled together with coconut oil and coconut milk.
• Coconut oil – is my preferred dairy-free substitute for the butter called for in the classic recipe. But you can definitely use butter as well, (see substitutions below).
• Sea salt – Just a touch of sea salt is so important to the flavor of the caramel base of these cookies. And if you want to go one step further, try a sprinkling of flaked sea salt over the tops of these cookies!
• Coconut milk – is my favorite milk to use in these cookies. I use coconut milk from the can for the richest flavor. But you can also use coconut milk or almond milk from the carton as well as regular milk.
• Vanilla – just rounds out the caramel flavor and enhances the whole cookie!
• Big flake coconut – Both coconuts used in this recipe are unsweetened. This is important since we’re folding the coconut flakes into caramel. Sweetened coconut would be way too sweet! I use a bit of big flake coconut to add a nice texture to these cookies, but you can use just fine shred as well.
• Fine shred coconut – unsweetened finely shredded coconut is what makes up the bulk of these cookies. It takes the place of oats from the classic recipe, and it’s what makes these cookies grain-free and paleo. However, feel free to use the optional oats instead. Or you can use a mixture of both if you’d like!
• Oats – if you don’t use the coconut flakes for grain-free cookies, use rolled oats, and be sure to look for a gluten-free label if you’re gluten-free. We love Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats for these cookies.
• Chocolate chunks – for the chocolate chunks you can roughly chop up a chocolate bar. Or I’ve been using the chocolate chunks from Enjoy Life and it’s what you see pictured below. Be sure to check the labels on whatever you choose to use for chocolate if you have dietary concerns. Not all chocolate is dairy-free, nut-free, or vegan.
• Nut butter or chopped nuts – These are entirely optional, and honestly most times I leave them out. But once in a while we really enjoy adding a few chopped roasted pecans, walnuts, or cashews. Also, any kind of nut butter is delicious in these cookies, but my favorites are cashew butter followed by almond butter. I have tried peanut butter in these, but the flavor overwhelms the caramel in my opinion. That’s why we choose to go nut-free with these cookies most of the time – more caramel flavor!

questions & substitutions

1. What can I use if I’m allergic to coconut? You can make this recipe just like a classic no-bake cookie recipe using the milk of your choice, butter, and brown sugar. Then use the oats listed as an option in the recipe in place of the coconut flakes. That way there’s no coconut at all!
2. Can I use a different kind of milk? Yes for sure, I know that regular milk and almond milk work.
3. What if I don’t like coconut? I would follow the instructions for how to make this if you’re allergic to coconut, (see above). But I would recommend using coconut sugar if you’re not allergic because it gives the best caramel flavor to these cookies. These do taste like coconut as written. So if you’re not a fan, I would recommend using the milk of your choice, coconut sugar, butter subbed in for the coconut oil, and oats in place of the coconut flakes.

Let’s make this recipe step by step

Steps 1 & 2: We’re going to start by measuring out all the ingredients.

Next, we’ll boil the sugar, coconut oil, and coconut milk together to form a caramel base.

Steps 3 & 4: Once the caramel mixture has boiled for 2 minutes, add the coconut flakes or rolled oats. Mix to combine over low heat and allow the caramel to absorb.

Finally, add the chocolate chunks and mix just to combine. You don’t want to over mix or the chocolate chunks won’t remain separate. Then portion the cookies out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and allow them to set up for 3-4 hours.

And I sure hope you enjoy these Caramel No Bake Cookies. If you do get a chance to make them, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here!

This post was originally published on October 25, 2013 and was updated in 2021 with more information, nutritional facts, and new photos.