These date sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free chocolate peanut butter cookies are made with just 6 total ingredients – peanut butter, cocoa, dates, and a couple extras for flavour. Super fudgy and very much like brownie cookies, even total sugar lovers have scarfed these down. Everyone loves a classic chocolate and peanut butter combo.
For the past couple of years I’ve been making my gluten-free peanut butter cookies more often but I love that these chocolate cookies are made with dates instead of maple syrup, and every once in a while you just need LOTS of chocolate, you know?
The term ‘guilt-free’ isn’t my favourite, and I know a lot of people would describe these cookies that way, but I think it’s healthier to thing of the good things you’re getting from the foods you eat. These are high in protein, magnesium, iron, and fibre, while being quite low in sugar (only dates).
If you get cravings, especially during your period, these are the types of sweets you can turn to. Magnesium helps to alleviate PMS symptoms – you won’t have a sugar crash or headaches from these little cookies, they’ll keep your energy levels high, and still satisfy a chocolate craving.
For more gluten-free cookies, try my chocolate tahini cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, or double chocolate chickpea flour cookies.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Dates: any type of soft dates. If yours are a little dry, soak them in very hot water for at least half an hour before mixing.
- Coconut oil: use refined coconut oil to avoid any slight coconut flavour. I think a good (vegan) butter can also be used but I haven’t tested this.
- Peanut butter: unsweetened, with no oil added. Look for a type with just peanuts, or at most salt, in the ingredient list. Try with almond or hazelnut butter, or use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version (add an extra date to counteract the bitterness of the seeds).
- Cocoa: any type of baking cocoa, it doesn’t matter (not drinking cocoa). Raw cocoa does tend to make these slightly bitter.
Step by Step
You will need a food processor to make these, but otherwise it’s an easy, super quick recipe. It might be possible to mash the dates by hand if you’re willing to get an arm workout!
1. Prep: Add all ingredients but cocoa and water to a food processor.
2. Blend: mix on high speed until a crumbly dough forms. It will look seized, this is normal.
3. Add remaining ingredients: add the cocoa and salt, then blend again.
4. Roll and flatten: form the dough into balls and flatten into a crosshatch pattern with a fork before baking.
Recipe Notes
Try making these into energy balls or raw cookies instead of baking them (especially during the height of summer) for a chewy chocolate peanut butter ball, or bake them as instructed for a fudge-like, dark chocolate cookie.
The added oil makes it possible to effectively roll the cookies and gives them a much better texture and flavour. I don’t recommend omitting it.
Cool the cookies fully before dipping in chocolate if you want to. I usually freeze them for at least ten minutes before dipping so that it sets quickly.
How to Store
Storage: these will keep for a couple days on the counter, but are best refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week.
Freezing: place cooled cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to six months.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Use runny nut butter: the dry peanut butter from the bottom of the jar will make for dry, unpalatable cookies. Mix well and use a fresh jar if needed.
- Add water if needed: the dough might be too dry for two reasons: either the peanut butter was too hard, or the dates were dry. Either way, an extra splash of water (don’t add too much) will make the dough roll-able.
- Reduce the salt: if your peanut butter has salt added, reduce the amount of salt by half or omit altogether if you’re sensitive to salt. Keep in mind that sea salt is less salty than other types like kosher salt.
More Gluten-Free Chocolate Desserts
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Balls
Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
If you make these Flourless Brownie Cookies or any other dairy-free cookie recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Gluten-free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 100 grams soft dates packed
- 160 grams natural peanut butter*
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk or water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 20 grams cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt**
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the dates, peanut butter, milk, and coconut oil to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.100 grams soft dates, 160 grams natural peanut butter*, 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Mix on high for a minute or two, or until the dates have broken down. The dough will likely have seized up but that's good.
- Add the cocoa powder and salt, and mix again until fully combined.20 grams cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt**
- Form small balls of dough, about a tablespoon each, using your hands. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet with some space in between and press with a fork to make a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing and cooling fully on a wire rack.
- Drizzle or dip in melted dark chocolate if desired, and store the cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in March 2018. It has been updated with some very minor changes to the recipe as of January 2023.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Vanessa, they should keep for about a week.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy a treat while staying gluten free!
Lora says
Do,you,think,powdered peanut butter would work??
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Lora, the peanut butter is one of the main ingredients, so I wouldn’t switch it for powdered.
Yasmeen says
I just made these yesterday and to be honest I didn’t like them at all.
I substitutes hazelnut butter(unsalted) for the peanut butter, but other than that used the same weight of everything.
While making them I kept thinking that the cocoa and salt were too much but decided to stick to the recipe.
I found the cookies bitter and salty, if I were to try it again I’ll cut the cocoa powder by half and use just a pinch of salt.
Instead of wasting the resulting cookies , I used them as the bottom layer and added honey sweetened yogurt then fruit on top.
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Sorry to hear that, Yasmeen! Of course individual tastes vary and ingredients like salt should always be adjusted to personal preference if you find standard salt amounts to be too much. Bitterness varies so much between cocoa, as well. I don’t recommend reducing the quantity of cocoa unless you plan on adding another dry element like a touch of coconut flour.
Alexandra Daum says
Yay! I really like them cold, I hope you do too 🙂 Thanks Yvonne!
Yvonne says
I made these yesterday – with peanut butter – and I liked them! It is like a brownie in cookie form so I really liked a glass of (non dairy) milk with them. I keep the rest of the cookies in the refrigerator and will find out today how they taste cold. Love the look of that beautiful challah you posted today!
Alexandra Daum says
I think water would work okay. Even if you have a can of coconut milk around, that's good to use, but I'm sure water will be fine!
Leona Konkel says
These look delicious! I don't keep nondairy milk in my house. If I wanted to substitute something for it, and didn't want to use regular milk so that I could keep them vegan, would you recommend just using water?
Alexandra Daum says
These are pretty chocolatey, but you can definitely taste the peanut butter – I have already had several readers write me to say that they've been making them with different combinations of nut and seed butters (like almond butter and tahini) instead of peanut butter, so that might be a route you want to take! I don't find the peanut butter overwhelming but I also eat it right out of the jar with a spoon, hah.
Alexandra Daum says
So happy to hear that, Nicky!
Yvonne says
I am not that addicted to peanut butter as most people are, in fact I only like it sometimes in recipes (some peanut butter cookies, some peanut sauces). But I keep trying recipes with the nut butter because I am always curious why people like it so much. I have made your grain free peanut butter cookies but at that moment I didn't have time to make the chocolate coating and without it they weren't my favorite (too peanut buttery?) – do you think this recipe will be better for peanut butter skeptics like me ? : )
Nicky Hawthorne says
Made these tonight. They’re FANTASTIC. Thank you ??