Recipe: Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Oat Cookies

Gluten-free, Vegan Chocolate Dipped Oat Cookies

Makes 1 dozen cookies

My friend loves a good cookie...and a good bakery. She'll drive from Connecticut to Philly on a whim to satisfy a craving–a real cookie connoisseur. Recently, her travels brought her only a few miles north to my place where the promise of a new cookie I was testing awaited. The boxes I had to check were: gluten-free, low-fat, high-fiber, and vegan, of course. So these gluten-free, vegan, chocolate-dipped oat cookies were born!

Oats, dates, applesauce, almond flour, and a little syrup created something toothsome and satisfying. A little miso rounded out the flavor. And of course, there was chocolate...dark chocolate. Yes, you can omit the chocolate (sad emoji!). Or I suppose, for a lighter touch, you could drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies instead of dipping them in it. But since all the other boxes were checked in this recipe, I felt thoroughly entitled to dip generously. The absence of leaveners like baking powder and baking soda kept them moist and dense.

For goodness sake, make these cookies. You might sprinkle sunflower seeds on a few after dipping in chocolate, or how about sandwiching a melty scoop of vegan ice cream in between two? I won't lie...the cookie connoisseur called them irresistible. I bet you will, too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dates, packed

1/4 cup hot black coffee or water

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup almond flour

2 tablespoons yellow or white miso

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Soak dates in the hot coffee (or water) for 5 minutes while you assemble the ingredients, preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Pulse oats in a food processor for about 30 seconds, until finely ground. Leave some small, craggy pieces in the mix for texture.

3. Add the dates with the soaking liquid and the almond flour to the food processor.

4. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and the dough holds together when pinched.

5. Add the miso, syrup, applesauce, and vanilla.

6. Pulse until well-blended. The dough will be very moist but should still be scoopable.

7. Use a portion scoop or spoon to measure out 2 tablespoons of batter onto the baking tray leaving about 2 inches in between.

8. Moisten a spatula or your fingers and press gently to flatten the cookies to 1/8-inch thickness. Moisten in between as necessary.

9. Bake on the top rack for about 18 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

10. In the microwave or double-boiler, melt the chocolate.

11. Dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate and return to the baking tray. Set the tray in the refrigerator to cool then transfer cookies to a plate to serve.