These deliciously simple no bake chocolate chip cookies are my copycat version of the delicious Heavenly Hunks recipe.
As I’m writing this, we’re in the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and it’s safe to say that at one point or another over the last several weeks, you have gone to the store and not been able to find something you normally buy. Or, like me you’re avoiding certain stores because they’re just SO crowded all the time. I used to go to Costco at least once each week, and would always by those Heavenly Hunks cookies that come in the bag and taste AMAZING! Well, I’m not about to step foot in the Costco closest to me anytime soon (word on the street is ours has had a 2 hour line out the door each day at opening), and we are missing those cookies! Keep reading for my homemade attempt at the Heavenly Hunks recipe. I think I did pretty good if I do say so myself!
Why I love the Heavenly Hunks oatmeal dark chocolate cookies
Now, while I will be making this copycat recipe on repeat until this pandemic is over, you better believe the next time I step foot in a Costco, I’m grabbing a bag of these. I love their cookies because of the simple nutrient dense ingredients they use. There’s no unnecessary ingredients, just the things needed to make a quality cookie. I also really like the smaller size. Just enough to satisfy that sweet tooth and let you move on with your day.
Tips for making this Heavenly Hunks copycat recipe
As I was trying to come up with this recipe, I went down the ingredient list on the bag and included the ingredients I know most people have on hand. The following ingredients are ones I subbed out for other things:
- Sorghum flour: while some people may have this, it’s not common in most pantries. I used oat flour (just ground up oats) instead in my copycat version.
- Brown rice syrup: You can actually find brown rice syrup at most grocery stores, but there’s also a number of other liquid sweeteners you can use (I list those below).
- Palm oil: I subbed unrefined coconut oil, but you can also use refined coconut oil. You’ll just have a richer coconut taste with the unrefined.
- Potato starch: I omitted this.
- Cane sugar: I just left it out.
Keep the following things in mind too when you read through my version of copycat oatmeal cookie Heavenly Hunks recipe:
- If you don’t have tapioca flour/starch, you can also sub in arrowroot starch or corn starch, but will then need to bake them as arrowroot starch and cornstarch should not be consumed raw.
- If you want to cut the sugar or sweetness level down some, just omit the brown sugar.
- For the coconut oil, don’t try to sub in any oil that is liquid at room temperature. They won’t hold together well. I haven’t tested this, but I bet you could sub in peanut butter (or another nut butter) here and they’d work just fine too! And have another added flavor!
- Liquid sweetener: there are so many options here… brown rice syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup. I tested this recipe (tough work , I know) with all of these and the best was the corn syrup. (Remember corn syrup, I buy this one, is completely different than high fructose corn syrup.) Agave nectar turned out well too, but you need to add 2 Tbsp more of tapioca flour because of the texture difference. While delicious, maple syrup has a strong flavor so they tasted good but not like the original Heavenly Hunks cookies I love so much.
Also, if you’re interested in any of my other no bake cookie-type recipes, make sure to check out my Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites and my Low Sugar No Bake Brownie Bites!
And if you have zero interest in making my version of these cookies, you can also order Heavenly Hunks straight from their website too!
Copycat Heavenly Hunks Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- stand mixer
- loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups rolled oats divided
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup or brown rice syrup* See notes above about other sweeteners you can use
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips mini-size chips work better but any kind will do
Instructions
- In a small coffee grinder or food processor, grind 1/3 cup of your oats into a fine powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ground oats with the remaining oats, coconut flakes, tapioca flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using the whisk attachment, mix the ingredients together for 15-20 seconds.
- Next, mix in the melted coconut oil and the corn syrup (can sub agave nectar) until fully combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Now, you can either roll the batter into balls and refrigerate, or press the batter into a parchment lined loaf pan (like the kind you bake a loaf of bread in) and freeze it for 1-2 hours. I like the cube shape, so I freeze mine and then cut them. After you’ve cut them, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
69 Responses
I noticed you didn’t list honey in the liquid sweeteners section. Is there any reason you avoid honey?
Hi Rebecca,
You could definitely use honey in this recipe. It will change the taste slightly (like maple syrup) but should work just fine. It just slipped my mind to list it! I hope you enjoy them!
Hi i want to make these for my mum who is diabetic but i don’t have tapioca flour, what can i sub with? Also i have rice malt syrup is that better than honey or maple syrup for diabetics? Thanks so much
Hi there! You can sub corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot starch.
I absolutely love this recipe!
I make it with 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter and it is delicious.
I am however hoping to tweak the recipe slightly to make them into a lactation supplement, do you think I could add flax meal a brewers yeast to this recipe and if so how much do you think I should increase the oil and PB to make sure its not too dry. Im thinking about adding about 1/2 cup of Flax meal and 3 tbs. of brewers yeast.
So glad you love the recipe and love the idea to make them into lactation cookies. I would actually just cut the oats back to 1 3/4 cup total (and skip the step about grinding that extra 1/3 cup oats into a flour). And then add in the quantities of flax and brewers yeast you mentioned. Let me know how it goes!
Hello!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I am crazy for those Heavenly Hunks! ?
I have a question though: you state put the dough into a loaf pan like a bread loaf pan. My bread loaf pan is a stabdard1-lb loaf pan… if I press the dough into that one then maybe I get like 12-16 pieces of cookies at the end. What size of loaf pan do you use to get 32 pieces of cookies please?
Hi Viktoria! Yes, a standard 1lb loaf pan will work great. These come out slightly smaller than the Heavenly Hunks, though they’re pretty close. I think you’ll be surprised when you cut them how many a loaf pan can fit!
Mary, thank you so much for your super-fast response! ? I will be making these today then! ? I am trying to bake the Almond-butter chocolate chip edition of the Heavenly Hunks… I see you didn’t add almond butter.. we don’t need to? Would you?
These are a simple oatmeal chocolate chip flavor. I don’t think I’ve tried an almond butter flavor, but that sounds delicious!
We just bought the almond butter flavor to try. They are just as good as the original. They have a slight almond flavor and milk chocolate chips, coconut shreds, then pretty much the same ingredients as the original. Thank you for the recipe! I will give it a try, since Costco seems to run out of these often.
My finished product seemed very oily. Do you measure the coconut oil before or after melting? (I measured it melted.) I also didn’t have the tapioca flour so I used a 1/3rd cup of ground almond flour. Still…so delicious!!!
Hi Kristen,
I’m glad you loved the taste! I’m guessing they turned out oily because of the switch from tapioca to almond flour. Almond flour doesn’t absorb as much liquid as tapioca flour can. And I measure the coconut oil before melting. I’ll make a note in the recipe to make that more clear!
Mine turned out very oily as well. I measured the coconut oil liquid. I will try adding more flours to even it out. I also added a dash of vanilla for that classic taste.
Mary,
I JUST HAD TO come back and leave a comment. I just made these delicacies for the 3rd time and words can’t even express how delicious they are! My kids and husband ALL said they now prefer these over the original Heavenly Hunks! ??
When I made the first batch I gave a half to everyone and then also a half of the original Heavenly Hunks without telling them which one was which- just out of pure curiosity, nothing else. EVERYONE said this version was WAY more delicious! ??
I completley omit the flour for starch and I also add 2 Tbsp of almond butter and almond extract. It is HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! THANK YOU SO-SO MUCH!!! ???
This makes me so happy to hear and I love the little tweaks you made! Sounds delicious!
“store up to 2 weeks” is a joke right?!
These are amazing!!!! Big win at my house. I bought more oats today so we can make more soon! Thanks for the recipe!
haha! They’ve never made it 2 weeks in our house either! I’m so glad you like them!
I never tried the heavenly hunk cookies but these are OMG AWESOME! These are a definite must try!
Hi, I was SO excited to come across this recipe as I love heavenly hunks too but have a hard time limiting myself haha. These were exactly what I was craving!! They are so perfect thank you! I feel better about eating them. I added some cinnamon and almond extract and will absolutely keep this on hand as a go-to 🙂
Oooo, cinnamon and almond extract are great ideas! I may try that too next time I make these!
Hi Mary. Yesterday, I had my first taste of heavenly hunks from Costco and it was delisious. Now, discovered your recipe online and I’m so excited to make it today, but, what could I substitute for coconut flakes? Thanks, Jean
Hi Jean! I’ve never tried a sub for the coconut so I can’t say for sure… but you might be able to sub an equal amount of additional oats, or possibly something like flax seeds or hemp seeds!
I’ve already made these two times in the past three days. My family has been devouring them. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad to hear you’re enjoying them!!
I am so excited to try these! My Costco has been out of these for about 6 weeks. I was so desperate that I called them and asked to know about restocking and the man told me that the only Costco currently carrying Heavenly Hunks is Alaska!!! At the time, there weren’t any copycat recipes out. I am ever so happy to find this to try!
Glad you found this recipe! I hope you enjoy them!! I decided to attempt my own recipe after our Costco was out for a long time too!
I enjoyed these. Just ran out of the heavenly hunks image from Costco and was looking for a DIY version and this delivered. Not a dead ringer (I’m wondering if theirs are baked based on the pictures on their website) but I’d argue even more delicious. I used corn syrup (the high fructose stuff because that’s all I had) and substituted Bob’s GF 1-1 flour and a TBSP of corn starch for the tapioca starch. I pulsed everything together in my blender, adding the chocolate chips at the very end.
So glad you liked them! I agree, I do think theirs are baked for some amount of time. I love no-bake recipes so I opted for that but I bet if you bake them they’d taste even better like you said!
Um, thank you for doing this! I can’t wait to try this recipe because I’m so addicted to these bites! This recipe sounds perfect and I like the idea of excluding palm oil for a healthier option. 🙂
Omg the flavor is SPOT ON! I love Heavenly Hunks so much, and finding this recipe is going to save me LOTS of money on our Costco bill 🙂
I added a dash of cocoa powder, which was delicious! I think next time I’m going to blitz all of the oats to give it a more homogeneous texture. Also, I’ll try replacing the brown sugar with dates or figs.
Thanks again!
Do you recommend the Old Fashioned pats or minute oats?
I have only used old fashioned (or rolled) oats, but quick oats *should* also work fine ?
Love these. I use 1/4 c honey, 1/4 c maple syrup, 1/4 c coconut oil, and 1/4 nut butter. AMAZING! I find the nut butter helps minimize oiliness. Without nut butter, these melt fast outside of the refrigerator, but with nut butter, they maintain their shape for hours stashed in my pack on a run. Next, I may figure out how to incorporate some whey powder to increase protein.
I’m thrilled to find this recipe! I had the Heavenly Hunks in my hand the other day and put them back because of the sugar content. I find most American snacks too sweet (I’m Australian, but just moved here from Germany).
Two questions- I read above about tapioca flour, and how you said it reduces the oiliness. Is it a must? I don’t have any and I don’t like to buy products excessively and I have a pretty extensive baking kit already.
And two- someone mentioned baking the “bars”, and I saw your replied with your love of no bake snacks. I like the idea of using these as hiking snacks so they need to have a decent/solid form to them. Do you think baking for 10-15 mins would make them “stronger”?
Thanks in advance,
Jo
Hi Jo- Glad to hear you’re excited about the recipe! You can definitely sub cornstarch or arrowroot powder for the tapioca flour if you have those on hand. And, I agree that baking them might help them hold together even better… especially if you think they might get knocked around in your backpack some. I hope you enjoy them!
Thank you for this recipe! I modified it quite a bit making it low sugar/ nearly sugar-free, I used golden Monk fruit sub instead of brown sugar, I used the whole half cup of coconut oil with arrow root powder and 1/3 cup almond butter. I used 2tb Maple flavored liquid Monk fruit instead of corn syrup, and about 2 tablespoons molasses. I added a dash of vanilla. I use mini chocolate chips sweetened with Stevia. This is my second time making the recipe, the first time I only added the molasses and dash of honey as well as some xylitol granules. I don’t like recipes very sweet, and while I really enjoyed original heavenly hunks, they are ultimately too sweet and too sugary for my palate. I preferred the mild sweetness the first time I made this versus the heavy sweetness of this second time, but I would say this second time I made it the sweetness was more resemblant of the original heavenly hunks. The first time they crumbled quite a bit and it was more like eating granola chunks. I have not cut into the loaf pan yet for the second batch prior to making this comment, but I’m hoping the almond butter will give them extra holding power. I’m excited to make the recipe a third time with the Monk fruit but go half the amount. I think the dash of molasses really adds a nice mild flavor. Thank you for providing this great recipe for us all!
So happy I found this, thank you! If I were to use sorghum, would it be equal replacement to the ground oatmeal? Thank you!
Hi there! It should, yes, but I’ve never tested it in this version.
My family loves them. My daughter loves the Costco hunks but I could not keep buying after reading all the ingredients that are not so healthy. Also, they’re too sweet. I found your recipe looking for a healthier version and this is it. I made it once and my husband and daughter absolutely loved it. I made two batches and in one substitute the chocolate chips for cacao nibs. Deliciousness! I skipped the sugar altogether and it was still sweet enough. Used agave following your suggestion of adding the two table spoons of tapioca flour and that worked perfectly. The recipe still says 1/2 of coconut oil melted and that is what I did, but just saw a review where you clarified it should be 1/2 before it’s melted. Will try that next time. Just finished making the second round of two batches and can’t wait. Thank you for coming up with this amazing recipe!
can I sub tapioca flour for whole wheat flour and bake it?
The tapioca acts as a binder, so I’m not sure subbing in whole wheat and baking would have the same effect.You could try corn starch or arrowroot starch.
Love this! I did make it birthday cake flavor by omitting the choc. chips and adding birthday cake flavor and sprinkles, then I baked it at 300f for 12-15 mins until it was almost set. Cut and cooled, then refridgerated. It takes away the “raw” flavor, but is more like choc. chip cookie dough that is barely baked, but still chewy.
You must not be posting any poor ratings because I found this recipe to be far too sweet and tasted nothing like heavenly hunks.
Hi is Tapioca Starch safe to eat uncooked? I want to make this for my 2 year old. Can I just add in more oat flour or does it have to be Tapioca Starch? This recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Commercially processed tapioca flour is typically considered safe to consume raw. But, poorly processed cassava (the plant that tapioca comes from) can have negative health effects. The tapioca flour you buy in your grocery store is safe to consume raw, but if it concerns you, you can absolutely use another flour to replace it like oat flour.
Hi! I’m going to use Bob’s Red Mill gf high fiber coconut flour. Would that change the recipe at all?? The type of oil I use??
Hi Teresa, coconut flour is very different from all other flours and I do not recommend substituting it into this recipe. It absorbs more liquid than others and will result in a much drier cookie.
I’ve made these copy-cat Heavenly Hunks several times now and I actually think they are better than the original. I’ve used both corn and agave syrups with equally good results. Thanks so much for coming up with this recipe. It’s a winner!
I just bought heavenly hunks yesterday and for a store bought cookie, they are divine. The texture is distinctive so I am wondering if your iteration captures it. I notice you are not using cocoa butter or shortening. I can’t figure out what the texture is – it’s kind of grainy or sandy. Absolutely wonderful.
Hi I can’t have any time of oil or butter. Is there a way to make these without that?
I’m going to use sorghum flour. Would I use the same amount as you used with your diy oat flour?
Yes!
I plan to make these for diabetic husband subbing monk fruit and liquid stevia with Lily chocolate chips. Do you think oat fiber would work in place of the oat flour?
They can have different textures so I would use oat flour or ground up oats.
Wow you nailed this recipe. Made these today tried rolling out 32 pieces & couldn’t get 32 then rolled them in a rectangular log & cut that way (will freeze first next time first). Mine were very oily when shaping but were fine after freezing & storing in the fridge. So happy with this recipe. Wanted to make my own & happy they are slightly less calories. Thank you.
Do you have a recipe yet for the cranberry white chocolate ones. Those are my fav.
I don’t, but that’s a great idea!
I tried these yesterday
Made two versions one with chocolate chips and one with walnuts and cranberries.
I also added ground flax seed.
I used a lower in saturated fat stick margarine and found them a bit crumbly.
Taste was great with both versions
Just need ideas for binding together better???
I would love to try this as I love heavenly hunks. I noticed with coconut oil it doubles the saturated fat content. Can you please recommend another oil you think might work as a substitute?
Thank you!
You could try your favorite nut butter!
Hi there! I want to make these but need to use corn starch. How long do you suggest baking for?
You can bake these for ~10 minutes if you want a fluffier/softer end result.
I lovvvvve me some heavenly hunks. I feel like the tapioca starch flavor is essential in these. These are such a good copy recipe! I’m going to cut down the coconut oil in my next batch though, as mine turned out just a bit wet. But absolutely still fabulous though! ALSO!! I tossed them in a tablespoon of tapioca starch to replicate that dusting/coating that they have. Ughhhh YES. Haha. Thank you for creating this recipe I appreciate you.
I didn’t have any liquid sweeteners and used 1/2 C vanilla coffee syrup. Fantastic!!
Mine came out super oily! There are pools of oil on the top of the bars I e pressed into the pan…it’s like it won’t incorporate! Any guesses on what went wrong?
The ONLY thing I had to change was using about 1/4 c honey in place of corn syrup (I only had about 1/4c of corn syrup left in my cupboard).
Hmmmm. I’ve not had that happen before, but my first thought would be subbing honey shouldn’t cause that. It could be that your oats did not absorb as much of the coconut oil as intended. My next step if you want tot ry agin would be cut back on the coconut oil if you’re using the same oats.
Could I make a big batch and freeze them? How long would they last in the freezer? They’re so good, and it’s definitely easier to double or triple the recipe than it is to haul all of the ingredients out every week.
If frozen in a sealed container, they should maintain freshness for about 3 months.