Vegan Almond Date Cookies
These vegan almond date cookies are made with dates, almonds, oats and coconut milk. They’re naturally gluten-free, have no added sugar, have a soft, buttery texture and taste like caramel.
These sweet treats call for just a few simple ingredients that combine to make a beautifully soft and comforting cookie with hints of caramel and almond.
They’re rich, buttery, soft, warming and totally satisfying! The recipe has no added sugar and is naturally sweetened with dates and is also gluten-free and rich in fiber. Enjoy them anytime for a snack or dessert.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
- Dates. You’ll need soft, fresh dates for this recipe. If you only have dry dates, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain before using.
- Almonds. Raw almonds are blended into a course meal to act as the “flour” in this recipe.
- Oats. Some of the rolled oats will be blended up as oat flour and some will remain whole to help add some texture to the cookies.
- Coconut milk. You’ll need full-fat, canned coconut milk for this recipe.
- Coconut oil. Coconut oil adds wonderful, buttery texture to this cookies. I’ve tested them without oil and they’re not the same.
Method
Add the almonds to a food processor and blend into a grainy flour. Add the oats and continue mixing until you have a mixture of almond and oat flour. It doesn’t have to be super fine, if there are some larger pieces of almond left behind, that’s ok.
Add the dates to the food processor and blend into a crumbly dough, then transfer to mixture to a bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Place the entire bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the dough to firm up a bit.
Finally, shape the dough into 12 cookies and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on the pan then enjoy!
Storing
- Let cool completely before storing.
- Room Temperature: Sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Sealed container for up to 1 weeks.
- Freezer: Sealed container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
- Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Tahini Date Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
- Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Click here to leave a review!
PrintVegan Almond Date Cookies
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Prep Time: 30 mins
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Cook Time: 15 min
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Total Time: 45 minutes
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Yield: 12 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Baking
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Cuisine: Vegan
These cookies pack a ton of nutrition into one little delicious bite, plus with no added sugar they make a much healthier snack and treat option to be enjoyed anytime of day.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed, soft, pitted dates (115 g)
- 3/4 cup raw almonds (125 g)
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats (150 g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (30 mL)
Instructions
- Add the almonds to a food processor and blend into a grainy flour. Add the oats and continue mixing until you have a mixture of almond and oat flour. It doesn’t have to be super fine, if there are some larger pieces of almond left behind, that’s ok.
- Add the dates to the food processor and blend into a crumbly dough.
- Dump the food processor mixture into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut oil. Mix to combine.
- Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes. This will help it firm up a bit as the coconut oil starts to solidify.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Press the dough into 12 cookie shapes and place on a baking tray. The cookies will not flatten or change shape as they bake, so press them into the shape you want before baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely before handling. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
Keywords: flourless, no added sugar, sugar-free, almond cookies, date cookies, plant-based
Originally published August 19, 2013. Updated September 2019 with new photos and text.
Thanks for adding also grams next to the ingredients, it really makes the process faster for me 🙂
★★★★★
You’re welcome! Glad it’s helpful. Let me know how the cookies turn out!
Do I really need to add that oil to these cookies?
I try to avoid all oils.
I’ve tested these without the oil and you don’t get the same texture. The recipe will work but they’ll be a bit dry. You could maybe try almond butter or any other nut or seed butter instead of oil. You may prefer my tahini date cookies, carrot walnut cookies or 3-ingredient cookies for oil-free options.
Can I use store-bought almond flour instead of raw almonds?
You probably can but it almond flour is much finer and more absorbent than ground almonds so you’ll need to use less. I haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour though so I’m not sure the exact amount needed or what the final result will be. Let me know if you try it!
It’s baking powder. I updated this recipe recently and missed that bit! Enjoy!
These are amazing! They do taste like caramel and the coconut oil makes them so buttery. Thanks!
★★★★★
Really good recipe. To address brittleness, my sister said that she used chia seeds soaked in coconut milk as a binding agent which solved the issue.
★★★★★
I’m really sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you. Did you follow the recipe exactly and measure accurately? I’ve made them a number of times with no problem so I’m not sure what went wrong for you. Sorry for the wasted ingredients.
Taste good but my dough was a little crumbly, making it difficult to form balls, and the cookies also are crumbly. Any suggestions?
★★★★
Shoot, so sorry they didn’t work out for you! Did you measure everything exactly? Another reason would be the dates you used. I used very fresh, soft dates that help to hold the dough together. I will update that in the recipe. If your dates were very dry that could have had something to do with it.
I LOVE this recipe! It is simple, especially is you have a blender or small food processor to make it go even faster. I’ve become a proud vegan and these cookies have become my favorite go to baked good. I’ve made them 6 times in 5″6 months now. I love that there is no added sugar, just wholesome good quality ingredients. They are perfect for breakfast or as a snack or dessert. I can’t recommend these enough!
P.S. I didn’t have any vegan condensed milk so I just used my coconut milk straight from the fridge…didn’t make any difference ?
Thanks so much, Eileen! I’m so glad you like them. I was just looking at this recipe the other day, I need to make them again!! Thanks for the feedback.
I’m sorry the texture didn’t work out for you. 1. I’m not really sure, both should work ok. 2. I know I measured them before putting them in the food processor. 3. I can’t say how it would out with almond flour, it’s A LOT finer than ground whole almonds though. 4. Shake the can well before using, so you’re using all of the coconut milk, not just the fatty part. 5. I believe putting it in the fridge just allows you to handle the dough better. Sorry, I haven’t made this recipe in a few years so I’d have to make it again to double check the process. I hope that helps!
Love the idea of using no sugar! Definitely going to give these a try!
These turned out delicious! I went and added a tablespoon of Blackstrap Molasses and some Allspice and Ground ginger. I’ll be making these again. Thanks!!
Ooo, that sounds so yummy!! I forgot about these cookies – I need to make them again too!
can you use the non-canned coconut milk or does it have to be canned?
Hmm, I’m not sure how that would work. I would probably stick to canned coconut milk since it’s a much different consistency and has a higher fat content than milk from a carton.
I think it’s the dates that give these an awesome caramel flavour! So good! Enjoy 🙂
I have been in the same boat Deryn. I am looking forward to having this upcoming weekend at home, and I will definitely be making these cookies! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Oh, me too! I can’t wait to spend this weekend at home. Then again, there is so much I want to do around Vancouver this weekend we’ll see how much I actually get done at home 🙂
Enjoy the cookies if you make them!
These look fantastic! I love how there is no added sweetener. Bookmarked 🙂
Thanks Gabby!! Let me know how they turn out if you make them!