Chunky Monkey Cookies, Vegan and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Instructions
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1Place the dates into a small, heat proof bowl and pour hot purified water over them, then leave to soak for 10 minutes. Place the flax/chia meal into another small bowl and add 6 tablespoons purified water. Whisk to combine and let sit to gel for 15 minutes.
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2Preheat oven to 350° F(180° C). Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, mix well.
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3Combine the nut butter, coconut oil, drained soaked dates and the gelled flax/chia in a bowl of a food processor fit with an S blade. Process until smooth. Add the mixture into the bowl with the oats and flours, and stir to combine. The mixture will be stiff and sticky. Fold in the chocolate, walnuts and banana.
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4Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper. Measure about 4 tablespoons of batter at a time and form a ball with oiled hands. Place each dough ball on the baking sheet and flatten it with oiled hands or a spoon into a cookie shape. Leave about 1 inch in between the cookies. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the outside is dry to the touch. Let the cookies cool for about 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. You will probably need to bake the cookies in 2 batches.
This post was created in partnership with Nuts.com.
If chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and banana bread all (somehow?) had a love child, these gluten-free, vegan, and date-sweetened Chunky Monkey Cookies would be it. Combining all those flavors might sound over the top or unnecessary, but I promise it’s not, and the final product is one of the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had. You need these in your life :)
If you look at our recipe index, you’ll notice that there aren’t too many cookies in the Dessert section. That’s because cookie recipes are really, really hard for me to do. I can develop endless cakes, pies, bars, and mousse, but something about the cookie format is forever mysterious and difficult for me to grasp. These Chunky Monkey ones were no exception. I had the idea and really wanted to execute it, but it took me so many tries, that I was wishing I never got myself into this whole mess by the third batch or so. The thing with being that deep into any project is that you’ve already put so much time into it, that you have to persevere. I’m so glad I persevered, guys. These babies are so good that they’ve become an instant classic in our family. I’ll be baking another batch no later than this weekend due to popular demand.
Have you ever baked with sprouted flour? I’m a big fan. Sprouting does so many great things to grains (and nuts, seeds, beans, etc.). It literally awakens the life within them, making them more bioavailable, easier to digest, and better for you in every way. I once read somewhere that sprouted flour digests like a vegetable rather than a starch, which seems to makes sense since vegetables do begin with a sprouted seed, but don’t quote me on that :) In any case, sprouted flours rule. They taste better in my opinion, too. Nuts.com, our awesome partner, offers this amazing item called the Sprouted Super Flour, which is a blend of sprouted buckwheat and sprouted almond flours, as well as mesquite and chia. You don’t have to make these cookies with that flour (I offer alternatives in the recipe), but it is a genius gluten-free mix that’s really worth a try. Nuts.com also offers lots of other sprouted items, like sprouted pumpkin seeds, granola and quinoa. All the ingredients for these cookies (besides the bananas) come from them as well. It’s such a candy shop for anyone who likes to cook/eat!
Hope you give these a try and enjoy :)
- ½ packed cup pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons flax/chia meal (aka ground flax/chia)
- 1 cup old-fashioned gf rolled oats
- 1 cup sprouted super-flour OR ½ cup ground walnuts/almond meal + ½ cup buckwheat flour or ground oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of sea salt - to taste
- 1 cup nut butter like almond, cashew, peanut, sunflower or tahini
- ¼ cup melted neutral coconut oil
- scant 1 cup chopped dairy-free dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 large ripe banana - chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Place the dates into a small, heat proof bowl and pour hot purified water over them, then leave to soak for 10 minutes. Place the flax/chia meal into another small bowl and add 6 tablespoons purified water. Whisk to combine and let sit to gel for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F(180° C). Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, mix well.
- Combine the nut butter, coconut oil, drained soaked dates and the gelled flax/chia in a bowl of a food processor fit with an S blade. Process until smooth. Add the mixture into the bowl with the oats and flours, and stir to combine. The mixture will be stiff and sticky. Fold in the chocolate, walnuts and banana.
- Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper. Measure about 4 tablespoons of batter at a time and form a ball with oiled hands. Place each dough ball on the baking sheet and flatten it with oiled hands or a spoon into a cookie shape. Leave about 1 inch in between the cookies. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the outside is dry to the touch. Let the cookies cool for about 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. You will probably need to bake the cookies in 2 batches.
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