Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies

These cookies tick all the check boxes – they are gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan and can even be grain-free if you use coconut flour. Everyone who tasted them say they are amazing to say the least. If you enjoy the Chocolate Date Cookies at Crumbs or have tried making them yourself then you will love these! They are soft and chewy, not the crispy type, and sweet but not too sweet. They are perfect for a quick breakfast with a cup of coffee, a post-workout snack or an afternoon pick-me-up.

You can definitely switch things up a bit:

by adding a different nut instead of the chopped almonds (like I’ve done with pine nuts in the picture below).
add some dried cranberries instead of the dark chocolate.
replace the cardamom with some cinnamon or orange zest.

A few important points on the recipe:

You can use either almond flour or ground almonds.
These cookies are very moist and last a good 4-5 days if stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. They can also be stored in the freezer.
If your dates are not soft, make sure to soak them in advance.
I tried the recipe using Bob Red Mill’s Gluten-Free Flour and using coconut flour and it worked both times. Since it’s a small amount I would expect it to work with other gluten-free flours such as buckwheat, oat or rice flour.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies

Cook Time: 0min

|prep Time: 0min

| total Time: 0min

| servings: 0

Makes 16-18 Cookies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flaxseeds
1/2 cup water
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup gluten-free flour (or 1 tablespoon coconut flour)
1 cup pitted dates, soaked if needed
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped 70% chocolate or dairy-free chocolate chips
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat.
Place the flaxseeds in the spice grinder and grind until a powder forms. Add the water and process until the mixture is well combined and slightly thick. Set aside to thicken a little more. You can also do this in a small bowl and whisk well by hand.
Place the walnuts into the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for about 2 minutes until the walnuts start to look like walnut butter but still a bit dry. Add the almond flour and pulse a few times to combine the two ingredients. Add the remaining dry ingredients – the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom and flour. Pulse just to combine. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl. Wipe the food processor but don’t wash.
Place the pitted dates (drain if soaked) into the food processor and pulse until they are almost like a paste. Next, add the vanilla along with the reserved dry mixture to the date mixture in the food processor. Pulse for just a few turns to combine. At this point, add the flax and water mixture to the food processor and process just to combine, do not over-mix. Scrape the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Add the almonds and chocolate and fold to mix through.
Let the mixture sit for a few minutes before forming.
To bake the cookies, roll into round balls and then flatten — the cookies will not spread out during baking.
Place the cookies into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, the cookies should hold together, yet still be moist in the middle.
Let cool for a few minutes on the baking tray and then carefully remove them and let them cool on a cooling rack.