Date-Sweetened Vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (Lower Sugar + Whole Wheat)
If you’re craving a cookie that’s both wholesome and irresistible, these Vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Date Walnut Cookies strike the perfect balance. Naturally sweetened with soft, caramel-like dates and just a touch of added sugar, these cookies offer a lighter, healthier twist on classic chocolate chip cookies. Whole wheat flour adds hearty texture and extra nutrients, while rich dark chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts create a cookie that’s full of flavor, satisfying, and completely plant-based. Whether you’re baking for parties or holidays, meal prepping snacks, or simply wanting a more nutrient-dense treat, these date-sweetened vegan cookies are a delicious way to enjoy a sweet indulgence with a wholesome upgrade.
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.
Watch me make this recipe here.Here’s all you need to make this recipe. (Note: I used flavored vanilla, but you can use plain vanilla too.)Print
Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates and Walnuts
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)
Mix together margarine, vanilla, agave nectar, and plant-based milk in a small bowl with a fork or pastry blender (it will be slightly lumpy).
Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, egg replacer, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture and mix gently to form a soft dough. Do not overmix.
Stir in the walnuts, dates, and chocolate chips. You can use your hands to mix the dough in order to make a cohesive mixture.
Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands, a spoon, or a cookie scooper and place about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten down slightly.
Bake for 8-12 minutes until tender and golden.
Notes
*Ener-G is a commonly used egg replacer made from potato starch and tapioca flour.
These cookies store very well in an airtight container in the freezer.
I love how the dates add sweetness to these healthy cookies!