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These Healthy Cookies are about to be your new favorite cookie recipe! They are made with 100% whole food ingredients: no flour, no added oil, and no added sugar. And oddly enough, they remind me of the popular “soft batch” cookies I used to eat when I was growing up.
Why You’ll Love Them
This recipe is what I consider the “healthiest cookies ever.” They are made with ingredients that you may already have in your pantry, and because they’re flourless, they’re naturally gluten-free, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Walnuts: Walnuts are a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically the essential fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Research shows that eating ALA may help to lower your risk of heart disease. The polyphenols found in walnuts may also help to fight inflammation.
- Dates: Dates are loaded with fiber and may be beneficial for controlling your blood sugar. Dates are considered a low-glycemic food, and have a high antioxidant content that may help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of diabetes.
- Flax Seeds: Ground flax seeds may help to lower cholesterol and they may help to lower blood pressure, too. Eating ground flax seeds regularly may even help to expedite weight loss, as well!
- Baking Soda + Vinegar. This combination helps them rise, without using eggs.
- Vanilla + Salt. Contributes to the classic cookie flavor you love.
- Dark Chocolate Chips. Or, you can use cacao nibs, raisins, or extra nuts as a sugar-free mix-in.
I use the flax seeds as an egg substitute in this recipe, and I think it keeps them a nice and soft in the center– which I love. If you would rather use a real egg, you can replace the flax seeds and water with one for a little more protein in this recipe.
Substitution note: I’ll often use pecans when I don’t have walnuts on hand, and the results are just as delicious! I think that buttery nuts work best in this recipe, so macadamia nuts would probably work well, too.
How to Make Them
- Grind the nuts. Add the walnuts to a food processor, and process briefly until they have a coarse, crumbly texture.
- Make the cookie dough. Add in the dates, salt, baking soda, vanilla, flax seeds, water, and vinegar (which reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise) and process again, until a sticky cookie dough is formed. Add in the chocolate chips, and process again briefly to mix them in.
- Scoop. Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet.
- Bake. The cookies will bake for 12 minutes or so, at 350ºF.
- Enjoy! Let the cookies cool completely on the pan. They are fragile when they are warm, but they firm up as they cool.
These healthy cookies have a soft and tender texture that reminds me of my childhood favorite “soft batch” cookies. If you prefer a firmer cookie, simply store them in the fridge or freezer, and serve them cold!
How to Store Them
These grain-free cookies will become softer if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend storing them in the fridge or freezer and serving them cold after the first 24 hours.
(They usually sit out just fine at room temperature for the first day!)
More Healthy Cookie Recipes
If you have other ingredients on hand and are craving a cookie, you might also enjoy these healthy recipes:
- Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Frosting (sweetened with dates!)
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Buckwheat Cookies
- Almond Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies (also date-sweetened!)
- Coconut Flour Cookies
I hope you’ll enjoy these cookies whenever your sweet tooth strikes! Because they are made with nutrient-rich ingredients, I find that they leave me feeling satisfied much longer than a traditional cookie recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw walnuts
- 1 tightly packed cup medjool dates , pitted (8 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, briefly process the walnuts into a crumbly texture.
- Add in the dates, salt, baking soda, vanilla, flax, water, and vinegar. Process again, until the batter looks relatively smooth and sticky.
- Add in the chocolate chips, or any other mix-ins you like, and process briefly to mix them in. Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the dough.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet, and use your fingers to flatten and shape the cookies. (They don't spread much on their own.) I usually get about 16 to 18 small cookies from this batch.
- Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. While the cookies are still warm, you can add a few more chocolate chips on top (if there are any spots that look bare). Let them cool completely on the pan, as they will be fragile while they are still warm. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, and serve cold for the most firm texture.
Video
Notes
- I love the buttery flavor of these cookies when made with walnuts, but I have a feeling that pecans or almonds would work well, too.
- If you don’t have access to dates, raisins can be substituted in most cases, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- If you don’t want to use a flax egg, one chicken egg can be used instead.
- Optional add-ins that are free of added sugar include: cacao nibs, raisins, shredded coconut, chopped nuts
Nutrition
If you try these healthy cookies, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them!
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Reader Feedback: What other date-sweetened desserts would you like to see in the future?
Hmmm I’m salivating at my laptop screen. I cannot wait til the weekend to try these babies.
And will also be using the date and walnut blend for pie bases too :O) such a nice combination xx
I have just made these and have to just say a huge thank you!!! I have been eating clean for a year now and done a lot of experimenting with clean baking, these have to be one of my new faves :O)
How about if I soak the walnuts before ? I wonder if the texture will be different…
Hmm… I have no idea! It might make the batter too wet, but I wouldn’t know without trying it myself. Please let us know if you have any success!
I’m going to make these for sure! But as to soaking the walnuts, this is what I do: rinse them soak them, then dry them in a very low-heat oven. I can’t eat gluten so I tend to rinse and soak all nuts I’m going to use in baking.
Yes these are great with soaked/sprouted nuts! I made them with a mix of walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews I soaked for 18 hours and then dried in the oven at 170F. I also added cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny hint of anise; I also used a real egg. My batter was pretty coarse and I enjoyed them immensely.
Would these work with cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips?
Yep!
What’s your favorite healthy dessert? Forgot to answer your question. I have always loved any desserts but have tried to go to more healthier desserts. Your recipes really satisfy my sweet tooth (& hubby’s) & I don’t feel guilty eating them either since you use such quality ingredients. So my answer is your desserts!! I like variety – sometimes cookies, sometimes ice cream, sometimes cakes or breads like zucchini, etc. – mainly texture thing. Always enjoy something “crunchy”. Hope that helps.
“These cookies should last a week in the fridge, and a month or more in the freezer.” I really have a problem with this statement! 🙂 If they taste as good as they look……….they won’t last more than a couple days in this household!! 🙂 And I know how well your other recipes taste!! Thanks again, Megan, for another terrific recipe. We just need your cookbook to come out sooner. 😉
I know, I hate the wait on the cookbook!! I did just see the cover photo last week, so it’s making progress… however slow it may be.
Hope you enjoy the cookies!!
Hi!
Can I use an egg instead of “chia egg or flax egg” in this recipe? I don’t have an allergy to eggs and I’m not a vegan.
Thank you!
Antje Lennon
Looks great! Any suggestion for a nut-free option?
Making these tonight! I was looking for something sweet for my hubby who has an egg allergy…perfect.