Vegan Tahini Date Cookies

4.85 from 58 votes

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These vegan tahini date cookies are easy to make in 20 minutes with just 3 ingredients: oats, dates and tahini!

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

About the Recipe

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.
  • 3 simple ingredients.
  • Minimal prep and 10 minutes to bake.
  • Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and no added sugar.
  • Taste like caramel!
  • Make the perfect healthier dessert or snack.
  • You can leave them raw or bake them.
  • Can add ingredients like chocolate chips 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

Oats, dates and tahini in bowls. Text overlay labels each ingredient.
  • 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 and not overly dry. I like medjool dates, sayer dates or deglect noor. If your dates are very dry, you can soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well before using.
  • Tahini: Use creamy, drippy tahini for best results. Good tahini should be completely smooth 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.

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 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!

Step-by-Step Instructions

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.

Oats, dates and tahini in a food processor.

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.

Bowl of cookie dough beside a baking tray of cookies.

Step 3: Bake for 10 minutes then let cool on the pan for 15 minutes and enjoy!

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

Recipe FAQs

What is the texture of tahini date cookies?

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.

Do I have to use tahini?

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.

Recipe Notes

  • 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.
  • 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.
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.
Stack of 4 tahini oat cookies on a plate. 2 cookies rest beside the stack on the plate.
4.85 from 58 votes

Vegan Tahini Date Cookies

By: Deryn Macey
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!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

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

Instructions 

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on the pan for 15 minutes before handling.

Video

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: 1cookie, Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 6g, Sodium: 5mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Originally published on October 25, 2017.

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164 Comments

  1. I’m thinking of making these with added vanilla, chocolate chips, and maybe baking soda??. Then rolling the cookie in coconut before baking. Have you tried adding baking soda or rolling in coconut?

    1. 5 stars
      I made them adding 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 cup almond milk and 1/4 cup reduced fat coconut flakes. I then rolled the cookies in additional coconut flakes. They are delicious. These are so versatile. I love that you can do all sorts of variations.

  2. 2 stars
    Truly awful cookies. Dry and bland, they really miss the other ingredients. Maybe a banana or some vanilla.

    1. I would make the dough in 3 batches because it tripling it will be too big for a food processor. You can bake each batch separately or all together.

  3. These were good. Mine were a bit crumbly and will add some water next time. The ones that I made thinner came crispier and a bit more like a cookie.

    They remind me of a sesame cookie which I love.ย 
    Honestly the cookies were sweet enough and I will make them again as they were so easy to whip up.ย 

  4. 5 stars
    I expected these cookies to fall apart, based on how dry the dough was, but they were great! I used almond butter and added sugar free chocolate chips. Delicious!

  5. 5 stars
    AMAZING! So easy, simple, healthy and absolutely delicious. I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract and dipped half the cookies in dark chocolate. These cookies are just the right amount of sweet. They are dense and chewy. It’s a must try and keep recipe.

  6. Super easy and quick to make!ย 
    Standard food processor – blitzed my oats first – then added the wet stuff and a splash of water.ย 
    Add a dash of almond extract (as I used almond butter) and some dried cherries!ย 

    10 mins later yummy cookies – sweet enough and enough of a hint of almond! A great alternative to sugar filled treats!ย 

    Thank you!ย 

  7. I have to say, this recipe followed by your instructions doesnโ€™t work with the average food processor. Totally frustrated. You might want to add into the recipe that the dates should be pre-soaked regardless. I did read your whole blurb.

    1. Thanks for the feedback. I have an average-sized Ninja food processor and I make this recipe often with no issues, without soaking the dates. Maybe yours is on the smaller side? I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you!

  8. Appreciate the recipe but with all due respect these were a huge disappointment. Not a cookie not a biscuit. Just a dense unsweet wannabe that was a waste of good ingredients. Sorry but thats how I feel. Had to smother them in chocolate to be somewhat edible and even that was a struggle.ย 

  9. Merci pour cette recette toute simple de dรฉlicieux biscuits.
    Recette facile ร  faire, pas trop sucrรฉe et ร  laquelle jโ€™ai ajoutรฉ 1/4 tasse de graines de citrouille.

    1. Just a translation for any non French-speaking bakers…

      Thank you for this very easy delicious cookie recipe. The recipe is easy to make and not too sweet and to which I added 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds.