Date & Oat Cookies

Refined sugar-free, gluten free goodness is real in these Date & Oat Cookies! Don’t believe me? See for yourself! ❤

You know how I love healthifying (even as I write this, my proof-reader self cringes at the use of this word) classic recipes. You’ve seen me do it before with this spectacular Banana Bread recipe and this stunning Sugar-free Date & Walnut Cake too. I love the process of taking something well-loved, and working on a healthy alternative.

Never during the process do I promise myself that I’ll never make the recipe in all its rich, original glory again. But I like to have a healthier option on hand, for those times when I feel the need to put something nutritious in my body, but still want to indulge my sweet tooth. Cheeky, right? 😛

Quite a few years ago, a client of the magazine I then wrote for brought me a box of the most wonderful Date & Oat Cookies made by the chef of the hotel she worked at. They were uber buttery, the perfect mix of crispy and gooey and bejeweled with fleshy, sweet dates. There were six cookies in the box, and I made a mental note to bring them to my mum for a tea-time treat.

When I got home, I only had one remaining cookie to give mum. They were so good, I couldn’t resist eating the rest! My, did I struggle to leave the one for her! 😛 The flavour of those cookies has stuck with me throughout, but I’ve always been wary about making a batch for the fear of hogging it all up myself.

So, when I came across a recipe for healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies by Anshula Kapoor in Pooja Dhingra’s cookbook, The Wholesome Kitchen, I knew I had to adapt it in some way to recreate those Date & Oat Cookies from all those years ago.

This recipe makes 14 cookies. Here’s what you need:

• Unsalted Butter – 100 g, at room temperature
• Maple Syrup – 1 tbsp
• Egg – 1
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
• Ground Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp
• Oat Flour – 175 g (ground gluten-free rolled oats)
• Gluten-free Rolled Oats – 50 g
• Pinch of salt
• Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
• Dates – 100g, pitted and chopped
• Dark Chocolate Chips – 50 g

Here’s how you make these fabulous Date & Oat Cookies:

• Preheat the oven to 175 ºC / 350 ºF.
• Make the Cookie Dough: Beat unsalted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon till pale and combined. Add oat flour, rolled oats, salt and baking soda and beat till well incorporated. Toss in the chopped dates and dark chocolate chips and mix to distribute through the dough. Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies: Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon out leveled scoops of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave 1 inch space between each cookie. Press down slightly on each scoop of cookie dough to flatten it out. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottom edges of the cookies are golden.
• Store: Leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

If you’re iffy about a healthy-fied cookie recipe, I don’t blame you. After all, we’ve come across a tonne of healthier cookies on our grocery runs, which come with tall claims but almost always taste like cardboard. But trust me, these homemade baked goodies will not disappoint.

As I write this, I’m dealing with a flu situation. And I’m glad I’ve got these wholesome Date & Oat Cookies to keep me company. Open the tin holding these bites and instantly the aromas of cinnamon, oat and date make way through my stuffy nose to bring me all the warm, cozy feels I crave.

There’s so much to love about these cookies…

Super Simple

Making these Date & Oat Cookies is one of the easiest baking experiences I’ve had. Few pantry essentials come together quickly to make these chewy bites. This is a one-bowl recipe with zero fuss involved, just perfect for a busy bee.

Match made in Heaven!

Combining oats, dates and cinnamon isn’t the new thing on the block. It’s been around forever and this flavour profile of earthy, warm, moreish notes works time and time again; never disappointing! What I also love about offsetting dates with oats is the variety of texture. Oats are nutty, grainy and chewy, while the dates are plump and fleshy, making for little sweet pockets to sink your teeth into. Blissful!

Goodbye Gluten

The use of gluten-free oats to make the ‘oat flour’ that goes into these cookies, make them perfect for those who are gluten intolerant. Another great gluten-free alternative to use instead of oat-flour is almond powder. The flavour and texture will differ, however.

If you’d like to make these cookies the old-school non-gluten-free way, you could always substitute oat flour with all purpose flour, for a crisper top and more chewy crumb.

A Vegan Version

For a vegan version, substitute unsalted butter with coconut oil and the egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp flax seed powder + 3 tbsp water). Voila!

Chocolate makes everything better!

I added dark chocolate chips to the cookies, because I wanted to. Mind you, this makes these cookies not completely refined-sugar free. But hey, they’re totally optional. Let me just say that they offer a bit of crunch, and lush, dark creaminess when bitten into. Divine!

I love a super healthy snack that is good for every one. And these Date & Oat Cookies are just that. These guilt-free treats are perfect for a quick munch at the office, to carry while traveling and to gift your friends and neighbours! Everyone will LOVE them!

Want to Pin This recipe for later? Here you go…

Psst… If you’d like to, you could come check me out on Pinterest! I pin a tonne of fun stuff – chocolate, lots of dessert, easy weeknight recipes; and home decor (The fiancé and I are curating ideas and little knick knacks for our new home. You can see what we’re looking at on Pinterest.) 🙂

Also, for regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤

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