I don't think it's possible to do something like on iOS, because you can't write to executable pages (IIRC making a page executable requires the "dynamic_codesign" entitlement, which some Apple apps have).
Bingo. You need the get-task-allow entitlement (which Xcode will automatically inject in your debug builds, but will not allow you to submit to the App Store with), and have had ptrace called on you–either through the debugger, or if you ptrace yourself with PTRACE_TRACEME.