Since having a baby, I have been craving chocolate and oats. The first two weeks I was home from the hospital I am pretty sure I survived on Quaker Oats chocolate chip granola bars.

And since then I have made chocolate chip oatmeal banana bread and a couple batches of no-bake cookies (so much for getting the baby weight off quickly).

Anyway this is my favorite version of no-bakes. It is delicious! I use old fashion oats instead of the instant kind for a lot more fiber. And the coconut oil in place of the butter makes it a much healthier version.

The Ultimate No-Bake Cookies

makes 16

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 heaping tbsp Hershey’s Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups old fashion oats
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Nutella or similar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• optional: handful of chopped nuts, peanuts or almonds

In a saucepan, bring the sugar, cocoa, oil, and half and half to a rapid boil for 60 seconds. Remove from heat and add the oats, coconut, nut butters and vanilla. Combine thoroughly.

Place spoonfuls onto wax paper using an ice cream scoop and let cool completely.

Tip: Melt the coconut oil in a liquid measuring cup before adding it to the recipe. Then use the same cup to measure out the nut butters. The butters will slide right out of the cup when it time to add them to the sugar mixture.