Vegan Tahini Date Cookies (nut free)

Vegan tahini date cookies (nut free).

These cookies are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut free, refined sugar free, eggless and dairy free! These vegan tahini date (nut free) cookies were created for those of you that want a healthy cookie, but can’t have nuts.

I shouldn’t really be calling these cookies, as they are a take on the classic Cliff Kid’s ZBAR, so they’re more of an energy bar in cookie form. The texture is soft and a bit chewy. Steve powers up on 2 of these cookies before a workout, and the kids love snacking on these when they come home from practice. I honestly can’t keep these cookies past 2 days in my house, so I think that’s saying something.

The batter is super yummy as well, so if you’re into eating cookie batter, then go for it.  As I said above this batter is egg-free, so you won’t have to worry about getting sick from eating raw eggs.

I’m trying to get away from using refined sugar, so for those of you that are worried about the natural sugar in dates, I thought I would give you some nutritional info below on dates, to ease your guilt a bit.

Nutritional highlights of Medjool dates:  Medjool dates are an excellent source of fiber (8 grams per 3 ½ ounces). Dates are carbohydrates that are made up mostly of simple sugars. These simple sugars are easily converted into glucose for our cells to use as energy, so eating dates before and after exercise, will help fortify and replenish energy levels. They’re also rich in B vitamins and minerals copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. They’re a good source of folic acid and trace minerals, zinc and selenium (by the way, selenium is great for the thyroid). They also provide more potassium than oranges and bananas. Dates are also rich in antioxidants and anticancer compounds; so overall dates are better sweetener to choose than refined sugar.

Vegan tahini date cookies with cacao.

Vegan Tahini Date Cookies (nut free)

makes 18 cookies depending on the cookie scoop you use – I used OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoopir?t=marmamcoo 20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000CDVD2

Note: We personally love using the raw cacao wafers because they melt like chocolate chips, but make the cookies less sweet. The dates sweeten the cookie enough, so the cacao gives them the texture and bittersweet flavor of chocolate chips, but they’re naturally sugar free, and loaded with tons of antioxidants. They make this cookie a true powerhouse cookie, but if you’re trying to get away from refined sugar, then stick with using bittersweet chips to start, as the raw cacao may taste too bitter.

Note: If you don’t have a nut allergy and you’re not a fan of Tahini, feel free to substitute the tahini for peanut butter or almond butter. 

Note: I’ve also added a scoop of collagen protein to these cookies, so feel free to do that. I add it along with the ground flaxseed and baking soda.

prep time 10 min / cook time 10 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned GF oats, also called rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 medjool dates, pitted –If you have hard dates, soak the pitted dates in hot water for about five minutes. Once the dates have soaked, drain the water and press the dates with your hands, removing as much water as possible.
  • 1/2 cup well stirred tahini, or pumpkin seed butterI love this tahini from SoCo, use code mmcooks15 for 15% off – This tahini is super smooth and not clumpy. I also used SoCo’s tahini with dates in this recipe as well, and it was awesome! 
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, or almond milk – I love Native Forest Simple, as it has no guar or gums and comes in BPA free cans – make sure to shake the can, and get the one where you can hear the milk swishing around, as it will be easier to work with
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 
  • 1/2 cup raw cacao wafers or bittersweet chocolate chips, or chunks – I used raw cacao wafters, and I love these ones from Imlak’esh because they melt and resemble chips when baked. I also used Hu Kitchen’s dark chocolate gems, another time and they were great too!

Ingredients for vegan tahini date cookies.

Directions: I’ve posted a video (under 1 minute) of the steps to help you all! 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust the oven rack (or racks if you have 2 ovens) to the middle position. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, process the oats into a fine powder (about 20 seconds).

Add the 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the processed oats, and pulse to combine.

Add the dates to the processor bowl, and process until the dates are very finely chopped (about 20-25 seconds).

Add in the 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup coconut milk and the 1 teaspoon vanilla, and pulse to combine, using a spatula to scrape down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup raw cacao wafters (or chocolate chips). Make sure to combine everything together well, so that the coconut and chocolate chips get fully incorporated into the batter. You want a flavor bite of coconut and chocolate in each bite. The batter is super yummy, so if you’re into eating cookie batter, then go for it.

Using a cookie/ice cream scooper, evenly scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them roughly 2 inches apart. I got about 10 on a tray. You don’t have to space them too far apart as they don’t spread too far. Also, if you find you have run out of chocolate for the last few scoops, add in a few more chips. It’s always nice to have a taste of chocolate in each cookie.

Dip the tines of a fork into water and gently flatten each cookie.  Don’t make them too flat, but just press down lightly in the cookie ball with the fork.

Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown.  I baked mine for exactly 10 minutes, and they were perfect.  The cookies will not look entirely done, but they will firm up as they sit, so don’t fret. I found that baking them for 11 minutes or past 11 minutes made my cookies a tiny bit drier after they sat for a few hours.

Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely The cookies taste better as they sit and firm up a bit. 

Storage:  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and then move them to the fridge (mine don’t make it past day 2). You They honestly taste great in the fridge or on the counter, it’s all personal preference. I usually keep half the cookies the counter and then half in the fridge. 

Looking for more healthy cookies? Then try the best healthy chocolate chip cookies. 

The best healthy chocolate chip cookies.

We also love these gluten-free healthy cookie bites. 

Gluten free healthy cookie bites

With love Jackie

Vegan Tahini Date Cookies (nut free)

5.0 from 4 votes
Recipe by Jackie
Servings

18

cookies
Prep time

10

minutes
Baking Time

10

minutes

    I shouldn’t really be calling these cookies, as they are a take on the classic Cliff Kid’s ZBAR, so they’re more of an energy bar in cookie form. The texture is soft and a bit chewy. Steve powers up on 2 of these cookies before a workout, and the kids love snacking on these when they come home from practice. I honestly can't keep these cookies past 2 days in my house, so I think that's saying something. 

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup old-fashioned GF oats, also called rolled oats

    • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 

    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    • 8 medjool dates, pitted -If you have hard dates, soak the pitted dates in hot water for about five minutes. Once the dates have soaked, drain the water and press the dates with your hands, removing as much water as possible.

    • 1/2 cup well stirred tahini, or pumpkin seed butter – I love this tahini from SoCo, use code mmcooks15 for 15% off – This tahini is super smooth and not clumpy. I also used SoCo’s tahini with dates in this recipe as well, and it was awesome!

    • 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, or almond milk – I love Native Forest Simple, as it has no guar or gums and comes in BPA free cans – make sure to shake the can, and get the one where you can hear the milk swishing around, as it will be easier to work with

    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • 1/2 cup raw cacao wafers or bittersweet chocolate chips, or chunks – I used raw cacao wafters, and I love these ones from Imlak’esh because they melt and resemble chips when baked. I also used Hu Kitchen’s dark chocolate gems, another time and they were great too! 

    Directions

    • I've posted a quick video in the above post incase you want to see the whole process. It's under 1 minute. 

    • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust the oven rack (or racks if you have 2 ovens) to the middle position. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

    • In a food processor, process the oats into a fine powder (about 20 seconds).

    • Add the 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the processed oats, and pulse to combine.

    • Add the dates to the processor bowl, and process until the dates are very finely chopped (about 20-25 seconds).

    • Add in the 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup coconut milk and the 1 teaspoon vanilla, and pulse to combine, using a spatula to scrape down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is well blended.

    • Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup raw cacao wafters (or chocolate chips). Make sure to combine everything together well, so that the coconut and chocolate chips get fully incorporated into the batter. You want a flavor bite of coconut and chocolate in each bite.

    • Using a cookie/ice cream scooper, evenly scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them roughly 2 inches apart. I got about 10 on a tray. You don’t have to space them too far apart as they don’t spread too far. Also, if you find you have run out of chocolate for the last few scoops, add in a few more chips. It's always nice to have a taste of chocolate in each cookie. The batter is super yummy, so if you’re into eating cookie batter, then go for it.

    • Dip the tines of a fork into water and gently flatten each cookie.  Don’t make them too flat, but just press down lightly in the cookie ball with the fork.

    • Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown.  I baked mine for exactly 10 minutes, and they were perfect.  The cookies will not look entirely done, but they will firm up as they sit, so don't fret. I found that baking them for 11 minutes or past 11 minutes made my cookies a tiny bit drier after they sat for a few hours. 

      Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies taste better as they sit and firm up a bit. 

    • Storage:  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and then move them to the fridge (mine don't make it past day 2). They honestly taste great in the fridge or on the counter, it's all personal preference. I usually keep half the cookies the counter and then half in the fridge. 

    • We personally love using the raw cacao wafers because they melt like chocolate chips, but make the cookies less sweet. The dates sweeten the cookie enough, so the cacao gives them the texture and bittersweet flavor of chocolate chips, but they're naturally sugar free, and loaded with tons of antioxidants. They make this cookie a true powerhouse cookie, but if you're trying to get away from refined sugar, then stick with using bittersweet chips to start, as the raw cacao may taste too bitter. 
    • Note: If you don't have a nut allergy and you're not a fan of Tahini, feel free to substitute the tahini for peanut butter or almond butter. 
    • I've also added a scoop of collagen protein to these cookies, so feel free to do that. I add it along with the ground flaxseed and baking soda.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @marinmamacooks on Instagram and hashtag it #MarinMamaCooks

    Like this recipe?

    Follow us @marinmama on Pinterest

    Did you make this recipe?

    Follow us on Facebook

    Nourish your inbox!

    More to explore

    2 thoughts on “Vegan Tahini Date Cookies (nut free)”

    1. I am wondering about the tahini in this and other recipes. I have never used tahini and am worried it will make the cookies or other recipes taste bad/wierd. Would you please explaine why you choose this ingredient and how it makes recipes taste?

      Thank you

      1. Hi Grace. First off, I was never a big tahini fan until I tried SoCo tahini, which is the tahini I recommend in this recipe. It’s smooth and creamy and has a great taste. You can even use the one with dates, as it’s a bit sweeter.

        I did use a regular store bought raw tahini in this recipe as well, and it was still awesome. The taste of tahini is slightly sweet, salty & nutty.

        I used tahini in this particular recipe as I have a lot of readers that can’t tolerate nuts of any kind and most healthy cookies use nuts as a base. If you’re not excited to try tahini, then you can use 1/2 cup peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter etc. xoxo, Jackie

    Leave a Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Scroll to Top