Irresistible Chocolate-Dipped Chewy Cashew Butter Cookies
Vegan / Gluten-Free / Refined Sugar Free
These chocolate dipped, chewy cookies are such a fun little treat!
They have a moist, chewy bite with just the slightest little crisp around the edge to sink your teeth into. Think of the texture of a chewy peanut butter cookie, and that’s pretty much what we have here. Then you dip the whole thing in chocolate. Or give it a good drizzle. Or both 😀
I also threw in a little cinnamon and vanilla bean (regular vanilla is also fine) for all those delightful vanilla-spice undertones that make everything nut-based just that much more irresistible.
As decadent as they look though, these cookies are actually 1. extremely simple with only 8 ingredients and 2. healthier than your average energy bar. I love them as little mid-day treats on busy days or after a workout. They’re sweetened entirely with dates (no sugar, syrups, or honey) which means that you’re getting all the fiber and nutrients of a whole fruit instead of just refined sugar. Dates also make these cookies extra moist and chewy while lending a lovely caramel flavor that really plays well with the cinnamon, vanilla, and toasted nuts in these cookies.
The other main ingredients in these chewy chocolate-dipped cookies are cashew butter and oat flour. You can, of course, buy these ingredients (a totally fine option). But you can also easily make them yourself if you’re so inclined.
How to Make Your Own Oat Flour (optional)Any blender can make oat flour so I’d definitely recommend making your own as it tastes better, is far cheaper, and takes way less time than running to the store. To make 1/2 cup of oat flour as this recipe calls for, just dump a heaping 1/2 cup of oats into the blender and blend for about a minute or until it’s fine like flour. Remember to measure it out afterwards to ensure you have the right amount. You can save any extra bits to add to your morning oats for extra creaminess.
Now, if you want to make your own cashew butter, you’ll need either a decent food processor or a really good blender like a Vitamix (which is how I make mine). But if you do have the right equipment, making your own cashew butter can be done in 20 minutes and tastes wonderful. It’s awesome stuff to have around too as it has a more neutral flavor than peanut butter and is richer and smoother than almond butter.
To make cashew butter, roast 4 cups of cashews for about 10 minutes (watch carefully to be sure they don’t burn) at 325 F. Then wait for them to cool, add them to the blender/food processor and process until oils are released and the butter becomes smooth (which should take several minutes). Start on a very low speed and increase the speed gradually, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. If the blender starts skipping, you’ve increased the speed too much. Turn it off and start over at a low speed. (Note that 4 cups of cashews is far more than you need for this recipe. However, you do need to make a full batch in order for a normal sized blender/processor to be able to process effectively.)
Back to The Cookies!
Now, all that’s left is to mix up your cookie dough, bake for 10 minutes, and dip ‘em in chocolate for that festive flair! (If you want of course—they’re also good without the chocolate!)
You could use any chocolate you like or have on hand. I’ve been using a stevia-sweetened 85% dark chocolate for these to keep them super wholesome and snack-able, but Eitan says they aren’t very sweet that way, so you may want to go with something sweeter depending on how sweet you want them. If you’re making these for others/family etc., you may want to use a sweeter chocolate.
If you like, you could also add some chopped hazelnuts, toasted pepitas, or a little shredded coconut on top before the chocolate hardens. I didn’t expect adding nuts and seeds on top would make me like these cookies any more than I already did (which is a lot!), but the crunch kind of took me by surprise with how good it was. You could always try both ways and see what you think 🙂
Chocolate-Dipped Chewy Cashew Butter Cookies
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F, and line a baking dish with parchment. Then, if blending your own oat flour / making cashew butter at home, do that now (see the description in the post above for a "how-to").
Combine pitted dates and 1/4 cup water in a microwavable bowl. Heat them for 40-60 seconds in the microwave so the dates become warm and very soft so they'll be easier to blend.
Add the dates and warm date-infused water to the blender along with the cashew butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Add the oat flour to the blender. Blend briefly just until everything is combined.
Form the dough into balls roughly 12 grams each and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Note: I use a ceramic baking dish rather than a regular tin one since I have a very small oven with the rack right above the flame (so if you're in the same boat, I recommend this over a traditional baking tray so your cookies cook evenly and don't burn).
Leave a couple inches between the cookies. Press down with a clean fork to create a criss-cross pattern on each cookie. If you press down a lot, you'll get thinner, drier cookies. If you press down just enough to create the criss cross, you'll get chewier, more moist cookies. The ones pictured are the chewy, moist variety (which we prefer).
Bake for 9-11 minutes. For me, 10 minutes is perfect, but each oven is a little different. Watch closely. They should seem a little underbaked when you take them out. DO NOT OVER-BAKE. If you do, you'll end up with hockey pucks. When I make a new recipe, I always do a "test" with just one cookie before I cook the whole batch just to find what works for my oven.
Let the cookies firm up for a few minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cookie rack for another 20 minutes. If dipping in chocolate, place the cookies in the freezer for a few minutes to make them easier to dip. Then heat the chocolate in 10 second increments in the microwave until it is smooth, and dip and drizzle to your heart's content 🙂 Add the nuts or seeds before the chocolate hardens if you want a little crunch. Let them cool a bit so the chocolate hardens if you can. Or don't bother!
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 chocolate dipped cookie
Servings 10
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 286
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 13g20%
- Potassium 251mg8%
- Total Carbohydrate 39g13%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 25g
- Protein 4g8%
- Vitamin A 1%
- Calcium 16%
- Iron 14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F, and line a baking dish with parchment. Then, if blending your own oat flour / making cashew butter at home, do that now (see the description in the post above for a "how-to").
Combine pitted dates and 1/4 cup water in a microwavable bowl. Heat them for 40-60 seconds in the microwave so the dates become warm and very soft so they'll be easier to blend.
Add the dates and warm date-infused water to the blender along with the cashew butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Add the oat flour to the blender. Blend briefly just until everything is combined.
Form the dough into balls roughly 12 grams each and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Note: I use a ceramic baking dish rather than a regular tin one since I have a very small oven with the rack right above the flame (so if you're in the same boat, I recommend this over a traditional baking tray so your cookies cook evenly and don't burn).
Leave a couple inches between the cookies. Press down with a clean fork to create a criss-cross pattern on each cookie. If you press down a lot, you'll get thinner, drier cookies. If you press down just enough to create the criss cross, you'll get chewier, more moist cookies. The ones pictured are the chewy, moist variety (which we prefer).
Bake for 9-11 minutes. For me, 10 minutes is perfect, but each oven is a little different. Watch closely. They should seem a little underbaked when you take them out. DO NOT OVER-BAKE. If you do, you'll end up with hockey pucks. When I make a new recipe, I always do a "test" with just one cookie before I cook the whole batch just to find what works for my oven.
Let the cookies firm up for a few minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cookie rack for another 20 minutes. If dipping in chocolate, place the cookies in the freezer for a few minutes to make them easier to dip. Then heat the chocolate in 10 second increments in the microwave until it is smooth, and dip and drizzle to your heart's content 🙂 Add the nuts or seeds before the chocolate hardens if you want a little crunch. Let them cool a bit so the chocolate hardens if you can. Or don't bother!
