Easy gluten-free vegan cookies with no added sugar

I like to have little treats that keep well at home, to serve as dessert, or to accompany tea. These mini date cookies are very satisfying, and are like a mini energy bar. What’s even better is that they have no added sugar – quite a few of my guests are trying to eliminate added sugar altogether. 

I make mine with whole organic medjool dates, which are a staple in my home; they’re soft and sweet, taste like toffee, and have a pleasantly buttery mouthfeel – a healthy indulgence. Removing the pit and processing them into a paste is quick and easy if you have a food processor. To make things easier you can buy chopped dates, or baking dates, which are already pitted and made into a paste.

You needn’t be precise with this recipe, and feel free to replace the hazelnuts with the nut or nut combination of your choice (almonds, pistachios, pine nuts and pecans are great too), same with the spices

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups medjool dates, pitted and processed into a rough paste

• ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

• Seeds from 12 green cardamom pods, ground in a mortar and pestle

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cacao nibs

• Zest from one lemon

• Unsweetened coconut flakes, for rolling (optional)

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix the dates, hazelnut, cardamom, cinnamon, cacao nibs and lemon zest. You can also do this in a food processor (pulse until mixed) or a stand mixer.

Shape half the mixture into a dense log, rolling it on your work surface until it’s nice and even.

Spread some coconut flakes on your work surface and roll your log in the flakes to give it a nice coating.

Wrap the log in cling wrap or parchment paper.

Repeat for the other half of the date mix.

Place the logs in the freezer. They can stay in the freezer until you want to serve the cookies, or you can take them out after 20 minus, cut them into disks, and place those disks in an airtight container. The date roll will keep well in the freezer for many months, and at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. The cookie can be serves frozen or thawed -- it tastes great in both consistencies.

Enjoy!

Dr. Ayala