These much-loved, vegan tahini date cookies are easy to make with just 3 ingredients: oats, dates and tahini! You will love these popular, healthy treats.

Stack of 4 tahini date cookies sitting on a cooling rack.

Features

  • quick and easy to make
  • just 3 ingredients, minimal prep time and 10 minutes of baking time needed
  • vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, no added sugar
  • taste like caramel!
  • make the perfect healthier dessert or snack

Ingredient Notes

Oats, dates and tahini in bowls. Text overlay labels each ingredient.

Complete list of ingredients with amounts and instructions is located in the recipe card below.

  • oats – rolled, large flake and quick oats all work
  • dates – any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist
  • tahini – use creamy, drippy tahini for best results, good tahini should be smooth and not overly bitter

For a similar cookie made with maple syrup instead of dates, check out my 3-ingredient oatmeal cookies or try these flourless oatmeal cookies made with nut butter, oats and banana.

How to Make these Cookies

Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and mix into a thick, crumbly dough. You should easily be able to press the dough together between your fingers.

Oats, dates and tahini in a food processor.

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!

Bowl of cookie dough beside a baking tray of cookies.

Bake for 10 minutes then let cool on the pan for 15 minutes. Enjoy while warm!

4 oat date cookies stacked on a plate. More cookies sit around the stack.

Notes and Tips

  • Dates: This recipe works best with soft, moist dates. If your dates are overly dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
  • Tahini: Can be substituted with any other nut or seed butter as long as it’s not too dry.
  • Additions: Easy to customize with add-ins of your choice. Try up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecan, chocolate chips or cacao nibs and/or up to 1 tsp of cinnamon.
  • 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.
  • Texture: 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.
Cookie broken in half to show inside. Cookie rests on a white dish towel.

Storing

  • 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.

For more simple desserts, you might enjoy these healthy baked pears or stuffed apples.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.

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Stack of 4 tahini oat cookies on a plate. 2 cookies rest beside the stack on the plate.

Vegan Tahini Date Cookies

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Snack, Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

These vegan tahini date cookies are perfectly sweet with hints of caramel thanks to naturally sweet dates. If you love tahini or even if you’ve never tried it, you’ll love these simple, healthy cookies!

★★★★★

5 from 45 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup (150 g) oats
  • 1/2 cup (140 g) tahini
  • 1 1/2 cup lightly packed (260 g) soft pitted dates
  • optional: 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it forms a thick dough you can easily press together between your fingers.
  3. Shape 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.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on the pan for 15 minutes before handling.

Notes

These 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.

For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.

Tahini can be substituted with any other nut or seed butter as long as it’s not too dry.

Additions: Try up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips or cacao nibs and/or up to 1 tsp of cinnamon.

Dates: It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are overly dry, soak in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.

Storing: Let cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 224
  • Sugar: 13 g
  • Sodium: 5 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 6 g

Keywords: easy, 3-ingredient, simple, healthy

Originally published on October 25, 2017. Updated with new text and photos on November 2, 2020.