Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates (Easy, Gluten-free)

These healthy no-bake chocolate chip cookies are so quick and easy to make and resemble the ‘classic chocolate cookie’ taste! These delicious gluten-free cookies are naturally sweetened with dates and made without sugar, flour and an oven!   

Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies - Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free

These no-bake chocolate chip cookies will be your new favourite healthy sweet snack! Every single bite is filled with that classic cookie taste.

In fact, these cookies resemble the delicious chewy milk chocolate chip cookies I remember having in my childhood. As a child I remember grabbing the packet of cookies from the local grocery store – back in the ‘bakery’ section.

I’ve been craving that taste – but without all that sugar (have you seen the amount of refined sugar they put in store-bought cookies?!)

… If only healthy, tasty cookies could exist… 

On that note, I am so thrilled to share this recipe with you – I could not have imagined a cookie could exist with such an incredible taste with NO sugar or oven needed!

These chocolatey fudgy cookies are naturally sweetened with dates and made using raw cashew nuts. These cookies are made with healthy ingredients and are unbelievably tasty. I love that I can easily whip these up in less than 10 minutes and have a healthy, tasty snack – and you will love these too! 

Why You'll Love these No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Healthy – made with fresh ingredients including cashew nuts, naturally sweetened with dates... plus no butter, flour or oil is needed in this recipe! 
2. Delicious – after one bite you’ll see how scrumptious these cookies are.
3. Handful of ingredients – just six ingredients required to make these sensational cookies.
4. Quick to make – these cookies can be made within minutes .
5. Easy and straightforward to make – not much is needed except a food processor and a bowl.
6. No oven required – this saves time and money! 
7. Great for dietary requirements – these cookies are vegan (if using non-dairy milk e.g. soy/coconut milk), gluten-free and sugar-free!

Notes on Recipe Ingredients

• Cashew nuts: use unroasted, unsalted cashew nuts. In this recipe, the cashew nuts are finely ground using a food processor (this forms the base of the cookie).
• Dates: dates are a source of fibre and added to sweeten the cookies. Make sure dates are pitted (which means the pit/seed are removed before using them) (see below ‘Tips for making the perfect no-bake chocolate chip cookies’ section for more information).
• Tahini: tahini is a sesame seed paste and adds a wonderful, unique flavour. The combination of tahini, dates, nuts and milk create a beautiful depth of flavour resembling a nutty and subtle caramel taste. I recommend using tahini for this unique taste. I recommend the Achva brand of tahini (if you are in the UK). You can substitute for the same quantity of another nut butter (e.g. almond/peanut/cashew butter) however this will adjust the taste. 
• Milk: any milk of choice. I recommend dairy semi-skimmed/2% milk. For a vegan cookie you can use oat/almond milk.
• Pure vanilla extract – a small amount is added to enhance the flavour of the cookie, look for vanilla extract without added sugar. (If you are in the UK - Taylor & Colledge have a vanilla extract without sugar).
• Chocolate chips (sugar-free): it wouldn’t be a cookie without chocolate chips! You can use either semi-sweet or sweet sugar-free chocolate chips for that delicious chocolatey flavour in the cookie! I recommend the Mrs Keto brand (which is sugar free and vegan). 

How to Make These No-Bake Cookies Using a Food Processor

1. To make these no-bake cookies, start by pulsing the cashew nuts in a large food processor (fitted with an “S” blade), until finely ground. This should take 60 seconds. Once ground into a fine meal, add the pitted dates and blitz for another 60 seconds so the dates are mixed with the cashew nuts 
2. Add the tahini, milk, vanilla and blitz until slightly crumbly, sticky and uniform (as image 2). This is the cookie dough base. 
3. Add a tablespoon of chocolate chips and blitz for 30 seconds. This step is optional but I highly recommend for that delicious chocolatey taste you get in cookies – this step gives the cookies a few very small chocolate bits which combine very well with the other ingredients (particularly the tahini) in the cookie dough and enhance the chocolate taste in the dough) 
4. Add chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the remaining chocolate chips and mix into the dough using your hands (as image 5)
5. Roll into cookies. Once the cookie dough is formed and chocolate chips are incorporate into the dough, roll into balls and flatten for form cookies
6. Serve and enjoy! Line a tray or container with baking/parchment paper and transfer each cookie onto the tray. Serve straight away or store in the refrigerator to enjoy later!

Tips for Making Perfect No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Dates: as dates have pits (seeds), it is important to make sure the dates are pitted (which means the pit/seed are removed) before using them, you can either buy pitted dates or pit the dates yourself. To pit the dates – use your thumbs and index fingers to gently pinch the sides of the date (lengthwise) – once you see the pit (seed), remove and set aside. Continue with remaining dates. 
• Dry food processor and blade: before adding the cashew nuts into the food processor, ensure the entire food processor (including blade and lid) is clean and dry. 
• Tahini: stir the tahini before using and make sure it is runny before measuring. When measuring the tahini, pour into the spoon. Tahini is typically runny however can often be solid towards the bottom of the container – this recipe calls for runny tahini.

Storage tips

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can these cookies be frozen? 

Yes – these can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To serve from frozen, allow cookies to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. 

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Healthy no-bake chocolate chip cookies with dates (easy, gluten-free)

Sonia

These healthy no-bake chocolate chip cookies are so quick and easy to make and resemble the ‘classic chocolate cookie’ taste! These delicious gluten-free cookies are naturally sweetened with dates and made without sugar, flour and an oven!   

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine western

Servings 10 small cookies

Calories 133 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup Cashew nuts (unsalted and unroasted) (140g)
• ▢ 55 g Dates (pitted) (approx. 6)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Tahini runny,
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Milk (dairy or non-dairy) (almond or soy milk can be used)
• ▢ ¼ cup, (more if desired) chocolate chips (sugar-free) (can use a mixture of semi-sweet dark chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips)

Instructions

 

• In a food processor (fitted with an “S” blade), blitz the cashew nuts until finely ground, for approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute.
• Once ground, add the pitted dates and blitz for another minute, until the dates are incorporated with the cashew nuts.
• Add the tahini, milk, vanilla and blitz until slightly crumbly, sticky and uniform.
• Add a tablespoon of chocolate chips and blitz for 30 seconds. (Optional but highly recommended)
• Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the remaining chocolate chips and mix into the dough using your hands.
• Once the cookie dough is formed, roll into balls and flatten to form cookies. Place onto a lined tray, serve and enjoy or refrigerate for 5-10 minutes before serving (for firmer cookies).

Notes

1. Dates – Check the dates are pitted (pits/seeds removed) before using them in this recipe. To pit the dates – use your thumbs and index fingers to gently pinch the sides of the date (lengthwise) – once you see the pit (seed) remove and set aside. Continue with remaining dates. This recipe uses 55g of pitted dates (dates with pit/seed removed), so if your dates are not pitted, remove pits before weighing the dates.
2. Tahini – use runny tahini for this recipe, stir the tahini jar before using and measuring out.
3. Storage – these cookies can be served at room temperature, to store, transfer into a lined airtight container and store in fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0.03mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 136mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 11mgFolate: 7µgIron: 1mgZinc: 1mg

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