Vegan Tahini Date Cookies
on Nov 03, 2020, Updated Nov 05, 2025
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These vegan tahini date cookies are easy to make in 20 minutes with just 3 ingredients: oats, dates and tahini!
Featured 5-Star Review
These are crave worthy!!!! The tahini and the dates work so well together. Just yum! Thank you for such a unique cookie recipe.
Sherry
Why You’ll Love Tahini Date Cookies
There’s not much to these cookies but the combination of tahini, dates and oats is to-die-for. They’re soft, buttery and just so yummy. Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Quick and easy to make with just 3 simple ingredients.
- Minimal prep and 10 minutes to bake.
- Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and no added sugar.
- They taste like caramel (even better if you add chocolate chips!).
- They make the perfect healthier dessert or snack.
- You can leave them raw or bake them.
- You can customize with extras like chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts.
For a similar cookie made with maple syrup instead of dates, check out my 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies (No Banana) or try these Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies made with nut butter, oats and banana.
If you’re new to using tahini in sweet recipes, these Vegan Tahini Sesame Cookies, Vegan Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and Tahini Hemp Seed Bars are all delicious too.
Ingredient Notes
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Oats: You can use rolled oats, large flake oats or quick oats. Even minute oats would work since we’re just blending them up anyways.
- Dates: Any variety works as long as they’re soft, moist and not dry. I like medjool dates, sayer dates or deglect noor. If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well before using.
- Tahini: Use creamy, drippy tahini. Good tahini should be completely smooth, slightly sweet and not overly bitter. I like Arz Fine Foods or Soom tahini. You can also use almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter in this recipe as long as they’re not dry (texture should be nearly pourable).
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations & Additions
- The dough makes a great base for chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans, sesame seeds, coconut, pumpkin seeds, cranberries or chocolate chips. Add up to 1/2 cup of your choice of add-in.
- For flavour enhancement, you can add a pinch of salt and up to 1 tsp of vanilla extract and/or cinnamon.
- 1-2 tsp of espresso powder is yummy to make them coffee-flavoured!
- Other flavours that are nice in these cookies are orange, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg.
- For an extra treat, try melted some dairy-free chocolate and dipping the top or half of each cookie into the chocolate then firming on a pan in the fridge. So good!
How to Make Tahini Date Cookies
Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a large food processor and mix into a thick, crumbly dough. You should easily be able to press the dough together between your fingers.
If the dough is too crumbly to press together, which can happen if your dates and/or tahini is too dry, add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 2: Shape the dough into 12 cookies and place on a parchment or silicon mat-lined baking tray.
Quick Note: The cookies will not change shape at all during baking so be sure to shape them into the cookie shape you want before hand. You can make them thin or leave them on the thicker side, up to you!
The cookies have a soft, dense texture kind of like baked oatmeal. They get a bit brown and crisped on the outside but the inside will stay dense and soft. For a somewhat crisper outside, shape them on the thinner side.
Step 3: Bake for 10 minutes then let cool on the pan for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
These cookies have a soft, dense texture and are not like a traditional cookie. They get a bit browned and crisp on the outside but the inside will be dense and soft.
No. You can substitute the tahini with any other nut or seed butter such as almond butter, peanut butter, or for another nut-free option, sunflower seed butter as long as it’s creamy and drippy.
Deryn’s Notes
- Dates: It’s important to use soft, moist, sweet and squishy dates like medjool or sayer dates. If your dates are overly dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
- For best results, use an inexpensive kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This is not totally necessary but I always recommend following my exact measurements if you can! Plus it makes baking super easy because you can just add the ingredients straight into the bowl to the specified weight.
Storage Instructions
- Let cool completely before storing.
- Room Temperature: In an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: In an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: In an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
If you try these Tahini Date Cookies or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
Vegan Tahini Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup oats, 150 g
- 1/2 cup drippy tahini, 140 g
- 1 1/2 cup lightly packed, soft and moist pitted dates, 260 g
- optional: 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- If your dates are dry, soak them in boiled water for 10-15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it forms a thick dough you can easily press together between your fingers. If you want to add any extras like chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts, add up to 1/2 cup and pulse a few times to mix them in.1 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup drippy tahini, 1 1/2 cup lightly packed, soft and moist pitted dates, optional: 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Shape the cookie dough into 12 cookies and place on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet. The cookies will not change shape during baking so be sure to shape them into cookies beforehand.
- Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on the pan for 15 minutes before handling.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on October 25, 2017.
Superb. I added a little cinnamon and the seeds if a few green cardamom for an evening more Middle Eastern flavour. I cooked then for a little longer to get them chewy
Thank you! Sounds great with cardamom.
These cookies were just as described, quick, easy and delicious.
Thank you for trying them!
Thank you!! The cookies are delicious and SO easy to make. They freeze well too 😋
These are so tasty!! Easy to make too. Thank you!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!