Vegan, date-sweetened chocolate chip cookies

Soft and made with whole wheat flour! Ready in 15 minutes.

Yield: About 15 smallish cookies, 2 inches in diameter.

Time: 7-10 minute prep + ~15 minutes in the oven

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup flax meal (if you don’t have flax meal, just add an additional 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1/4 cup vegan “butter”, softened

• 1/3 cup homemade date paste (made with about 6-7 dried and pitted Deglet dates or 4 dried and pitted Medjool dates with 1/3 cup water)

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips e.g. a 100% chocolate ones or Choc Zero chocolate chips (we don’t receive any commission. We love Choc Zero because their products don’t contain sugar and sugar alcohols).

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Make the date paste by placing 6-7 dried pitted Deglet dates - use fewer if you want it less sweet or are using Medjool dates, which are larger - with about 1/3 cup water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Mash the hot dates with a fork to make a paste. Set aside to cool down a bit.

3. Mix flour, flax and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl.

4. Add oil, vanilla extract, softened vegan butter, chocolate chips and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredient and mix.

5. Form cookies into discs about 2 inches in diameter (or any size you prefer) and place on an oiled baking sheet.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are browned.

7. Let cool before eating.