These tasty oatmeal date cookies use the natural sweetness of dates rather than any added sugar to make a relatively healthy, easy and delicious treat.
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For a long time my son didn't have a particularly sweet tooth, other than fruit. Unlike quite a few kids, 'cookie' and 'cake' were not words early on in his language development. In fact he wouldn't even try his own cake on his second birthday. I have to admit being pretty glad, but also knew that realistically that would change, even with parents who are not hugely sweet-toothed.
And true enough, it now has. There's one coffee shop that I go to where he almost immediately asks "cookie?" and starts pointing at various things he would like. While I don't mind now and then, I would prefer it to not be too much of a habit.
In preparation of that becoming more common, I wanted to make cookies that didn't have too much, or any, sugar in them to feel better about the times he does have them. But for both him and me, they still need to taste good. After all, it's still being sold as a treat. And these tasty bites most certainly fit the bill.
Using natural sweeteners
Natural sweeteners are a great way to make some sweet treats that bit healthier. Honey is one option, but you can also use various fruits like apple (often in the form of applesauce) or banana. In this case, the sweetness comes from dates.
Top tip: use soft dates
I use either medjool dates or dates that are semi-hydrated (often labelled as "soft and juicy"). While both do tend to be a little more expensive, they blend a lot easier without needing to soak the dates first.
With soaking, you have the chance that you lose flavor if you drain them, or accidentally make the mixture too soft from additional water in the mix.
You may look at the recipe and say 'what, half an egg?' I know, it's a bit odd, but I prefer to make smaller quantities as we don't get through cookies all that quickly. Feel free, of course, to just double the recipe.
Flavor variations
Here I have added oats for a bit of texture and a little cinnamon for flavor. Both are pretty natural partners to dates and work well. I debated adding vanilla and didn't, but I think I might try it next time as I am pretty sure it would also be good.
You can also think of these as a bit of a base cookie to add to, as well - I know some readers have added chocolate chips which work well. You could also add eg some dried cranberries or chopped nuts.
These cookies hardly melt and expand in the oven. As a result, I recommend you flatten them a bit before baking. On the up-side, you don't need to worry about leaving too much space between them.
These oatmeal date cookies are soft, flavorful and so tasty. They're not chewy or crunchy, so I guess it's almost verging into scone territory. But they look like and are sold as cookies in my house, and get both kid and grown up thumbs up. And that's good enough for me.
Try these other healthier cookies:
- Spiced maple oatmeal cookies (GF, vegan)
- Maple chestnut cookies (GF, vegan)
- Healthy apple oatmeal cookies
- Healthy cranberry apricot cookies (GF, vegan)
- Plus get more sweet and savory snack recipes in the archives.
Sugar-free oatmeal date cookies
Ingredients
- 4 oz medjool dates pitted weight - 4oz = around ½ cup, well packed (see notes re alternative)
- 2 oz unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into chunks
- ½ egg beaten
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour plain flour
- ½ cup oats old fashioned rather than quick
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
- Roughly chop the dates and blend with the butter and egg (food processor works well).
- Add the remaining ingredients and either pulse a few times if using a food processor or stir until combined. If using food processor, you may need to stir at the end to get everything well-mixed.
- Take spoonfuls and roll slightly in your hand then put on a baking tray and flatten slightly.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes until starting to brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Ayla says
They are a bit dry and I don’t REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like them but their ok i guess
Caroline says
Either using more moist dates or maybe cooking them slightly less can help them be a little less dry, but sounds like they're maybe just not to your taste in general.
earlinehava says
Can flax seed replace dates
Caroline says
Not really, they are quite different - flax seeds act as a binder so help keep the mixture together, but they add almost no flavor and no sweetness, while dates add both. So the cookies will be very lacking without the dates. You'd have to adjust and add other things which would make them quite different cookies.
William Johnson says
With trepidation, I tried the recipe as written with the addition of raisins. They were fabulous. Chewy, not dry. Now I'm wondering what else I can sweeten with dates.
Caroline says
So glad you enjoyed them, and indeed dates are a great sweetener! I like them in muffins as well.
Lyn says
These were very good . Will make again .
Caroline says
Glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Veronica says
I’ve made it like 10 times my daughter loves it and it’s the only cookie I love making for her. I usually double the recipe = 1 egg. Today I X4. 🙂
Caroline says
Oh that's so great to hear!
Lyn says
this was a good recipe. Will make again.
Caroline says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Vasudha Varadarajan says
Can I use milk instead of egg?
Caroline says
While both are liquids, egg is also a binder and adds some texture, and milk just doesn't work in the same way. So, they can't really be swapped - I'd suggest maybe an egg replacer instead if you can't eat egg.
Willow Johnston says
Why on earth would you make a recipe using half an egg? Once you open your egg, you are going to measure out half of it? I am distressed by this idea.
Caroline says
I understand it can seem a little strange - with "regular" cookies, I would always use the full egg as the sugar preserves the cookies and so they can last longer. But these don't last quite as long and so personally, I prefer a smaller batch. You can of course easily make a double batch by selecting the 2x button and it will multiple everything and that would use a whole egg. But if you use half, then sometimes it's easy enough to use the other half eg add it in to an omelette, use it for egg wash for something else, as it keeps a day in the fridge. To divide, you simple beat it first to combine the white and yolk then measure out between two small bowls.
Carol L says
This recipe is really fabulous. I made a few changes, I used oat flour minus 2 Tbl and subbed in 2 Tbl of mesquite flour. I used 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ginger. Also I added a handful each of chocolate chips, grated coconut and some chopped pistachios nuts. After removing from oven I sprinkled with a bit of flaked sea salt. My cookies were all between 20-22 grams and were done at 12 mnutes.
Thank you Caroline for such a delicious,sugar free and adaptable recipe.
Caroline says
So glad you enjoyed them, and indeed I love how adaptable they are. Haven't baked with mesquite flour, may have to try that some time!
Brenda DePaula says
I made this recipe and the cookies were very dry. Any way to make them more moist?
Caroline says
So I'd say first thing would be the dates you used - were they soft and moist? As if not, I'd suggest maybe soaking in boiling water for a minute or two before using in these. The next is maybe cook for a slightly shorter time - you want them cooked but you may be able to bake slightly less than you did which would make them softer. Last thing is maybe swap some of the butter for oil, or add in a little as extra. I prefer butter for flavor but oil can help them be a little softer.
Maria Rossi says
The only problem with this cookie is portion control.
As you say it is a versatile recipe - I had to substitute avocado oil for butter.
Thanks again!
Caroline says
Glad you enjoyed them! I assume by portion control challenges you mean they are all too easy to eat a few 😉
Maria Rossi says
Exactly - I can't eat just one!
Cathy says
I made a few changes and they still came out perfectly. I used half cup whole wheat flour and 3 tbsp almond flour. I also substituted 4 tbsp avocado oil for butter and added 1tsp vanilla. I've save the recipe and will make again. Perfect "not too sweet" treat that doesn't spike blood sugar. Thank you for sharing!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed them! And yes they are definitely a bit flexible eg between butter/oil, using some wholewheat flour.
Sabrina Shaw says
I had been looking for a dessert that my stomach would be happy with, as I am gluten and dairy free, also a lot of refined sugar seems to bother me. These are perfect! I made a full batch and froze them. I added vanilla and they were fantastic. I used a scoop and didn't flatten them, and they were awesome! As you said, similar to a scone, which is perfect with tea. I'm kind of obsessed with tea! Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them and they work well for you diet-wise!
Hannah says
These are great my toddler loves them!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
Patrícia says
Hi,
Just did this recipe.
I was very curious about it because it's is pretty simple and all the ingredients are safe for my 1h old baby.
I just tell you, moma and dada almost finished the cookies!!
They are delicious
Tks so much for the recipe
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Tibbs says
Not really sugar free, as there is plenty of natural sugar in the dried dates. Sugar is sugar regardless the type/source. More accurately...this recipe should be titled "no refined sugar added".
Caroline's Cooking says
Technically yes dates do contain natural sugars and so yes the name could be more specific. However, the post does describe a bit more and most people would interpret the name as meaning no added sugars.
Alf says
Adding some info here. Sugar is not sugar regardless of type. Dates are lower glycemic than refined sugar, which is super important for my wife who is diabetic. If you take your argument to its logical conclusion, then you'd have to include flour which your body turns into glucose same as sugar. The recipe name worked perfectly for me since it says, "...Date..."
Alf says
These cookies are so delicious. How delicious? Glad you asked. I made them with steel-cut oats, vegan butter, and something called a "vegan egg"—which I’m pretty sure is just ground-up optimism. By all logic, they should have tasted like a feed store, but they were amazing. I made a double batch last night and I think my kitchen got raided by a pack of THC-infused raccoons with no sense of portion control because this morning all that was left were a few crumbs and a whiff of guilt.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks for making me smile - both in enjoying them and how you described it!
Jenny says
I’ve made these a couple of times and they’ve turned out great. Thank you.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
Melisende says
Delicious. My butter wasn't softened when I started but I kept processing it witht he dates until it all smooshed together. My cookies must have been a lot bigger because I doubled the recipe (too tricky to use 1/2 egg) and ended up with about 15 cookies. Maybe I snacked on the dough too much, LOL.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed them! Yes, I do tend to make them relatively small (not that that stops us getting through them pretty quickly!), but larger does work too.
Mary Lynn says
I loved this recipe! It is just slightly sweet and a nice chewy cookie 🙂
I can’t wait to try other versions with peanut butter or cocoa. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Tara says
I used about 3/4 cup of a thick store bought date paste, 1 tbsp of maple syrup & 1 tsp vanilla. Instead of 1/3 cup flour, I added 1/6 cup flour & 2tbsp cocoa powder + a pinch of espresso powder.
Baked for exactly 15 minutes. The cookies were fab & enjoyed by my family. Will definitely make them again.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them, and using date paste sounds like a nice speeding up option (afraid not something I can get here). And slightly chocolatey sounds yummy, too.
Erika says
These cookies are perfect!! Thank you 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Maggie McTabish says
Should this recipe call for tablespoons of butter rather than ounces? Two ounces of butter equals 1/2 stick. Cookies are excellent, just seemed like too much butter. I am used to measuring butter by the tablespoon rather than by the ounce.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed them! I and many others have found the amount as written works well. That's a relatively typical ratio of butter to the fry ingredients, flour and oats, but you can of course reduce to taste if you like.
Michelle S says
I made and they were delicious. I def one full egg by accident and used quick oats and it all still worked. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed! Yes there's definitely no "harm" in using either a bit more egg (just makes more cake-y) or quick oats (just slightly less textured).
Jean says
These are amazing! Trying to prep for my pregnancy with these date cookies. Will try my next batch with walnuts and a little bit of brown sugar.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them! (and good luck with all the prep and everything else ahead!)
Stef says
Love those so much! I was wondering if I can add protein powder. How do you suggest adding that if so?
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed. I imagine you could, I would just blend some in with the other ingredients.
Reidy says
Doubled up the recipie and added some chopped apricots and sultanas and some xylitol to sweeten it up a bit more so still sugar free also melted the butter with the dates and popped them in the blender to break it all down which worked well. excellent recipie will bake them again!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed!
Alexis Ann says
These are delicious! I’ve tried a lot of healthy cookie recipes and these were great, would make again!! I made them without a food processor just chopped with a knife and mixed with spoon . Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them - these still pass the test with my older kid years after he first had them (who is otherwise now much less into "healthy" cookies) so that says something!
Jaafar says
How do I triple the recipe
Caroline's Cooking says
So normally, if you click on the number in the servings then a slider appears and it will then multiply up the ingredients, but I see since it's set as the number of cookies here it only lets you in effect double the recipe (so going from 15 to 30). But it's a straight multiply everything up evenly to make larger quantities.
Barb says
Made these tonight used whole wheat pastry flour I am prediabetic was trying to find something without sugar or what I call fake sugar these were so good will definitely make again
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed and will make again!