Tahini, Date and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Need a healthy snack and decadent treat all in one? Make a batch of these cookies! They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, easy to throw together and super hearty and delicious. Having these cookies made and at the ready is so handy - one of these rich healthy cookies totally satisfies that rising hunger in-between meals when you need something quick.
There’s so much goodness in these cookies! Tahini, dates, hemp hearts, flax meal, cinnamon, dark chocolate, oats! You won’t feel any quilt indulging in one (or two!) of these delicious healthy cookies!
Tahini – toasted sesame seeds that are ground into a paste – contains protein, healthy fat and fiber, is rich in copper, has selenium, phosphorous, zinc, iron and calcium.
Dates are an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antifungal, a source of protein and fiber. They contain natural sugar and hence why they are a wonderful sweetener. They contain B vitamins, vitamin K, iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium and manganese. There are compounds in dates being researched with positive results, thought to help protect and guard the brain due to the anti-inflammatory properties in dates that aid to reduce the oxidative stress in the brain.
Hemp Hearts are a high- quality plant-based protein source, are rich in essential fatty acids, contain VitB, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.
Flax Meal – a powerful antioxidant and high in fiber, flax seeds contain Omega 3 fatty acids which promote heart health and promote lowering cholesterol, keeping arteries healthy and lowering blood pressure. A rich source of lignans – the fiber content – benefits digestion and is a plant-based form of estrogen.
Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, an antibacterial and an anti fungal. It can reduce bad cholesterol (LCL) and triglycerides, balances blood sugar and research is being done to show that cinnamon supports brain health and reduces cognition decline.
Dark Chocolate – an anti-oxidant and a rich source of fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese.
Oats are a nutrient dense, gluten free whole grain, high in fiber and higher amounts of protein than other grains and oats are a rich source of manganese, phosphorous and thiamin (VitB1).
As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Tahini, Date and Chocolate Chunk Cookies goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: ~15 minutes / Makes: ~18 Cookies
Ingredients
1 Cup Quick Oats
¼ Cup Large Flake Oats
½ Cup Oat Flour (simply whirl oats in your food processor for 30 seconds until a flour consistency) (Alternate: GF Flour)
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Ground Flax
1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
2/3 Cup Tahini
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Brown Sugar (Alternate: coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ Cup Chopped Dates
½ Cup Chopped Dark Chocolate Bar (Alternate: chocolate chips)
How It’s Made
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicon baking matt.
Cut the dates into bit sized pieces. If using a dark chocolate bar, prep it now as well by chopping it up.
In a medium bowl, combine the quick oats, the large flake oats and the oat flour, baking powder, ground flax, hemp hearts, cinnamon and the salt. Whisk this dry mixture together.
In a large bowl, add the tahini, maple syrup, brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk to mix the liquid ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon until the mixture is combined.
Add in the chopped dates and chocolate chunks to the batter. Mix to incorporate these into the batter.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of the batter in your hands and place on the baking sheet. With the back of the spoon, flatten the cookie slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes and remove the pan from the oven. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. I have been known to test a cookie while still warm! Yum!
Store the cookies in container, with an air-tight lid, on the counter for up to a week (if they last that long!).
Enjoy!
