The last four recipes that I have posted on this blog have featured oatmeal. I am a huge oatmeal fanatic, so I don’t think I could EVER get tired of it. My suitemates have probably had enough of the oatmeal overload though, so I decided to leave oats out of my baked treats this time. 🙂
Although I have cut out added sugar from my diet, I can still enjoy foods that are naturally sweet. I’ve been cooking bananas into my oatmeal, munching on frozen grapes (SO GOOD!), and eating a TON of fresh fruit at every meal to please my sugar-crazy palate.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling super lazy and want something sweet to eat, I just pop a couple of dates in my mouth. I have a huge container of dates handy in the fridge for whenever a sugar craving strikes. 🙂
The cookies that I made last night use dates for sweetness (brilliant!), and also include cinnamon (my latest obsession!), pecans (love the crunch!), and chocolate (one of my favorite foods!). Can you tell that I’m pretty much in love with these cookies? 🙂
This is by far the best sugar-free recipe that I have tried so far. These cookies are moist, chewy, and SO delicious!They also completely oil-free, and made with whole wheat flour, so they are a great healthy indulgence. I’m definitely going to be making these A LOT over the next few weeks.
Even though these cocoa date cookies are pretty spectacular, I’d give anything to sink my teeth into one of these right now. 🙂
Cocoa Date Cookies
Source: adapted from Food.com
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup pitted dates, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pecans. Set aside.
3. Place dates, eggs, water, and vanilla in a food processor. Process until combined, then blend in cocoa powder. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with a water glass.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Blissful Baking 
Those look so chewy! If I made a batch I’d never stop eating them
I’ve never baked with dates, you make it look so easy. And chewy cookies are my absolute weakness.
what a fun idea for cookies- those look great!
Sounds fantastic! I need to buy some dates at the grocery store in a few days. I’d love to try these! 🙂
These look super tasty!
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…so is it milk (ingredients list) or water (directions)? Thanks.
Hi Carol,
You can use either. I made these with milk, but water works too. Sorry for the confusion!
Ok, so last January, I made your Date squares and LOVED them. This January (I’m doing a no-sugar challenge) I thought I’d try something different…I tried these and didn’t get very good results. The texture was like a super dry muffin. Nothing close to a cookie. I noticed there is no fat in this (in normal cookies it’s butter). I’m wondering if adding some coconut oil would make it less muffin like and more cookie like?! Or maybe less eggs (according to packaged brownie recipes you add an additional egg for a more “cake” like brownie, and just one for a chewier brownie). Just some observations.
I’m sorry these cookies didn’t turn out for you! I haven’t made them in a while, but I do remember them being fairly moist, dense, and chewy – not like a traditional cookie, but definitely not like a dry muffin. I do think adding a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil would definitely help with the dryness issue.