Turn to dates to naturally sweeten these rich vegan dark chocolate chip cookies. Just mixing in moist, delicious chopped dates amplifies the natural caramel flavors of your baked goods, as well as the natural sugars, fibers, and phytochemicals. That means less refined sugars and more nutrition in every bite!
I am a huge fan of cooking with dates, because these plant-based fruits come from my bioregion in Southern California. Within the desert of Indio, California, you’ll find an oasis of date palms that has supplied most of the dates in the United States for the past century. I can find dates at my local farmers markets year round that harken from this famous date-growing region. I borrow the natural sweetness of these dates, along with the rich flavors of walnuts and dark chocolate, to flavor these healthier, lighter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates and Walnuts.
These easy chocolate chip walnut cookies also contain whole grain flours to up your whole grain intake for the day. I love to include these date cookies on cookie trays at holiday time, pack them in lunch boxes or picnic baskets, tote them along to parties and potlucks, and serve them with fresh fruit or sorbet when I host dinner guests. They keep really well in the freezer, and these vegan cookies can be made gluten free by a simple switch of flours.
Turn to dates to offer natural sweetening power to these healthier vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates and Walnuts, which are easy as can be to bake up.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 cup soft dairy-free margarine spread, at room temperature (i.e., Earth Balance)