Date Sweetened Double Chocolate Cookies
Thick, chewy, fudgy double chocolate cookies sweetened entirely with dates! These cookies are made right in the bowl of a food processor, and take only six minutes to bake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates, pits removed (about 8-10 large dates, tightly packed into measuring cup)
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil at soft room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat or all-purpose flour spelt, einkorn, or whole wheat pastry flour would all work interchangeably in this recipe
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Put dates and coconut oil into the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender and puree until fully combined. A few small chunks of unblended dates are fine.
- Add egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and process again to fully combine with the date mixture. Finally, add cocoa powder and flour and pulse just to combine.
- Remove the blade from the food processor and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chunks, using this opportunity to scrape down to the bottom of the food processor and ensure that everything is fully mixed.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the sheet pan using a large cookie scoop (~3T each) to yield 10 total cookies. Slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough, since these will barely spread in the oven.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are slightly puffed up and just barely cooked through. Do not overbake these cookies or they take on a very dry, cake-like consistency. I recommend baking for 8 minutes exactly, and only adding an extra 1-2 minutes if absolutely needed.
- Sprinkle cookies with flaky salt as soon as they come out of the oven (if using) and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Leftovers can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Notes
Be sure you're choosing dates that are large, plump, and sticky. I prefer to buy Medjool dates with the pit still in them, and remove the pits myself, as they tend to stay fresher longer that way. If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before using.
If your coconut oil is solid/hard at room temperature, either run the sealed jar under hot tap water for a minute or two, or pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it up a bit before using.
To make this recipe without a food processor: First, soften the dates by microwaving them in a bowl for 30 seconds (or soaking in boiling water for 10 minutes). Then add them to a mixing bowl and use a fork to fully mash them until there are no chunks remaining. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the dates with the fork, then add the egg and switch to a whisk, whisking vigorously until the three are combined. This will take a while, but eventually it will form a mostly homogenous mixture. Finally, add in all remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Scoop + bake as directed above.