It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so I couldn’t resist sharing another healthier dessert. You in?
This 7-ingredient recipe starts with blended nuts and is sweetened with dates! Coconut oil adds a little more moisture and “crunch” when chilled, and salt balances everything out. Oh, and don’t forget the cacao powder for that quintessential chocolate flavor. Swoon.
Once you have your “dough,” it’s time to roll it out and cut it into shapes. You can go for big circles, little circles, or squares. I even include a lazy hack if you don’t feel like cutting out actual cookies.
Not to worry – whatever form your “cookies” take, they’re going to be delicious.
The easy filling is simply coconut butter! I love coconut butter in all forms, including straight from the jar. It’s the perfect creamy, naturally sweet center for your cookies.
Once chilled, they’re ready to enjoy! I hope you all LOVE these cookies! They’re:
Rich
Chocolaty
Coconutty
Naturally sweet
Indulgent
Surprisingly healthy
& Super tasty
These would make the perfect healthier dessert to make for Valentine’s Day – or really any day. I highly recommend popping a batch in the freezer and nibbling on them throughout the week when cravings hit.
For more healthy-dessert inspiration, be sure to check out our 5-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Bars, Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Grain-Free Berry Crisp, White Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs, and Healthy Vegan Fudge and Peanut Butter Fudge!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Raw Oreo Cookies
7-ingredient, raw vegan Oreo-inspired cookies that are refined-sugar-free, loaded with wholesome ingredients, and insanely satisfying! Entirely gluten-free, and so delicious.
Ingredients
FILLING
- ~1 cup coconut butter
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- organic powdered sweetener (optional // to taste // e.g. stevia or organic powdered sugar - NOTE: wet sweeteners cause the mixture to seize)
COOKIE
- 1 1/2 cups raw almonds or walnuts (I mixed both)
- 6-7 whole medjool or deglet nour dates (pitted // if dates are dry, soak in warm water for 10 minutes then drain)
- 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (or sub cacao powder)
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
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First, prepare coconut butter and add vanilla and sweetener to taste (optional). Remove from food processor and set aside.
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Add nuts to the food processor and pulse until small bits remain. Then add dates, coconut oil, maple syrup (optional), cocoa powder, and salt and mix again until well incorporated (see photo). At the end, you should have a doughy texture that stays together when pressed between your fingers.
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Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cocoa powder for chocolate flavor, dates (or maple syrup) for sweetness, or salt for saltiness.
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Line a flat surface or large cutting board with parchment or wax paper and place the dough in the center. Form into a 1-inch disc with hands and then top with another piece of parchment or wax paper.
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Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an even, roughly 1/4-inch-thick rectangle (see photo). Then remove the top layer of wax or parchment paper and use a small circular cookie cutter (like these) to cut out as many cookies as you can - I got roughly 70 (as recipe is written). Just make sure you have an even number. (You could also press half of the dough into a parchment-lined 8x8 baking dish, top with coconut butter, chill, and then top with remaining dough to enjoy them as “Oreo Bars" instead!)
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Use a spatula to gently transfer the cookies onto a flat serving platter or plate. Reform any remaining dough and cut out more cookies. Then transfer the serving platter or plate to the freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes or until slightly hardened.
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Top half of the cookies with roughly 1 tsp coconut butter. Then pop back in the freezer to chill for just a few minutes until the coconut butter is no longer runny. Then remove from freezer and top with the other half of the cookies, pressing down slightly to adhere.
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Enjoy as is or transfer back to the freezer or refrigerator to chill (they tend to soften when at room temperature more than 30 minutes). Cookies will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer (my preference) up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate (as the recipe is written) for 1 of 35 cookies calculated with 7 dates, with the oil, and without maple syrup or other added sweeteners.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 35 Cookies)
- Calories: 88
- Fat: 7.9g
- Saturated fat: 5g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Carbohydrates: 4.4g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Protein: 1.7g
As a family we are eating too many sweets and processed foods. I decided If we are going to eat sweets, we will eat less and they will be more healthy, if we make them! My 11 year old daughter and I made these this morning and had a great time. I love that there aren’t too many ingredients and it was super doable. Love the videos and too be honest wouldn’t have made them if I hasn’t been inspired by the video. Most importantly we have a delicious dessert I feel good about my family eating.
So glad you and your family enjoy these, Catherine! Thanks for sharing! xo
Hi Dana ? are the dates used for texture and sweetener or just for the purpose of being a sweetner? I asked because I am currently on a keto diet, but these seem like a great treat.
The dates are used for both sweetener as well as texture, so I wouldn’t recommend leaving them out.
Hi Dana, we made these and I had the idea to sub the coconut butter with your coconut whipped cream (which I love dolloped with my cup of hot cacao BTW) for the filling. They are A-MAZ-ING! Me and my mum are addicted to your blog and funky short-but-sweet YouTube videos. Thanks to you, I get to eat treats that are real deal healthy vs downright poison xxx budding foodie Kahero aged 6
Super yummy!! These are definitely going into regular treat rotation. I subbed in raw cashews and used stevia powder to sweeten the dough and filling. I also added a tsp of vanilla to the coconut butter; it came out great. I chose to make about 17 jumbo size cookies, since that was a more realistic serving size for me (who am I kidding). The cookie assembly process was pretty clunky, and I had irritation-inducing issues with finicky dough consistency and the coconut butter cooling down and getting stiff too quickly, but the end result was so damn tasty that I got over it. And they were really cute and oreolicious to behold. But to make it easier, next time I’m just going to cut to the chase and try the bar method. I wrapped my cookies individually in foil and stored them in the freezer. They make a really satisfying snack <3
I had been so pumped to try this recipe since it was posted and unfortunately it was a dud….the coconut butter took much longer to make than anticipated and tasted only ok. Then the dough was really time intensive to cut individually and freeze and top; it kept tearing and sticking. We use only organic high quality ingredients and didn’t want to toss it in the trash so wound up making one giant “Oreo” in a pie plate- actually, my husband made it after I threw my arms up in frustration several hours prior. He was a legit raw vegan years ago and happily made it work. Great idea in theory but just way too time consuming and tedious.
We’re sorry to hear this recipe wasn’t a favorite, Grace. Better luck next time, and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!
I’d been wanting to try this recipe and finally did so visiting my daughter when she bought her first home.
Without my usual kitchen supplies & gadgets I had to improvise quite a bit with preparation. The cookie flavor is delicious (I used special dark cacao and raw almonds) but without my Vita-Mix there were some bigger chunks than I would have liked. And without a Trader Joe’s around I had to use sweetened flake coconut…never achieved a creamy ‘filling’, but a textured pasty spreadable topping. No rolling pin, etc., we ended up with (and ate within24 hours) what we called “open-faced almond joys”! They’re pretty heavy, but a delicious treat.
I am excited to try it again once I return to my own kitchen in California. ?
HI there, in the picture of all the ingredients it looks like desiccated coconut but there is no mention of it in the recipe, where does it come in please?
For the filling! Have a watch of the video to see!
I noticed that too. They made coconut butter from the actual coconut flakes. I was confused for a second bc I bought coconut butter. Glad I did bc it seems people had trouble getting the creamy consistency.
Well it was fun to make the coconut butter from scratch in my new processor, but yuck! My taste buds do not like it, in the trash it goes. Luckily I only made one “Oreo” to test it. I think I’ll buy a nut butter to make the Oreo bars instead. Also used cacao powder for the cookie part, I love the bitterness it brings.
Is there an alternative to coconut butter for the filling…my husband is allergic to coconut
These were so amazing and everyone loved them!! Spot on Dana. Plus very easy to make. You make magick with simple ingredients!
Looks delicious! How many calories does it contain (blush)
Hi Carmen! You can find the nutritional info if you scroll down just below the recipe and directions. Cheers
OMG ! I’ve made them with little changes but anyway they were AMAZING ! I love your posts and instagram <3
I decided to whip this up on Valentine’s day since I had ask the ingredients and I was surprised how easy and delicious they were. The chocolate cookie was my favorite part. I did add a couple more dates and stevia for more sweetness and to make it stick together better. Next time I’ll experiment adding mint to the filling.
Amazing! I plan to try these at home this weekend:)
I used cashews and peanuts as my wife is tree nut allergic. Came out terrific. I also made my own coconut butter with a food processor and coconut flakes. Patience is the key there.
I’ve tried to make it but:
1. The coconut cream didn’t work out, not with Vitamix and not with food processor (tried for about 30 minutes)
2. The “dough” mixture didn’t hold when I tried to pick it up with the spatula.
3. I realized I follow the video, and it is not exactly similiar to the text :/
Oren, sorry you had issues there! The coconut butter can be finicky for some people. Perhaps with the coconut butter the volume you were trying to process was too little for your food processor? (i.e. it was too large and the coconut flakes couldn’t churn?)
As for the dough it is a little gentle and to help this along you can chill it for 5 minutes before scooping with a spatula. Also realize that while the videos demonstrate how it’s made and what it should look like, it’s always best to pay more attention to the step-by-step instructions in the recipe.
Hi Dana! Looks incredible. I only have Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder in my pantry right now – do you think this will work fine or would they come out too bitter? (which I actually don’t mind – but in terms of serving to non-vegan guests lol) Thank you!
That should work!
For the 1 cup of coconut butter what could I use as a substitute that is suitable? I have food allergies to coconuts. Would vegan butter be a fine substitute or a plant based milk?
I made the homemade coconut butter (so easy and delish) and then made the bar version in an 8 inch baking pan. SO much better than Oreos and it’s the perfect after dinner treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. Thanks so much!
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Hi Dana,
These look amazing, what would you suggest as an alternative for nuts?
See above!
Hi!
What non-nut substitute could I use for the nuts without changing flavor?
Can’t wait to try!!
Hmm, well you could try doing something like oat flour + dates + cocoa powder?
Is it okay to soak nuts before using in the cookie part of recipe? :)
Hmm, it may make them more tender. But if you give it a try let us know!
Couldn’t resist trying these right away! I didn’t have coconut butter, so I used almond butter for the filling thinking it would be kind of like a peanut-butter chocolate cookie but healthier. Tasty!
I did not find the dough to be Oreo-esque, however we only made a 1/2 batch because we didn’t want 35 cookies so maybe that’s why. Our 1/2 batch yielded 9 heart-shaped sandwich cookies (about 2″ x 2.5″) and it took about 1/2 the time to make it.
Thanks Liz! Yeah, the cookie isn’t a “spot on” oreo match, but rather a raw inspiration. Glad you still enjoyed it!
Oh my!! Delicious and Vitamix coconut cream is awesome! I love your recipes. Thanks and lots of LOVE to you and yours.
The timing on this recipe could not have been better!! My daughter is heading to Denmark tomorrow to meet up with my two sons. I had planned on baking tonight so she could bring along some goodies and then this recipe appeared in my email. I just made them and will be so happy to send them over there where I know they will make them very happy too! Thanks Dana for yet another winner!!
So great! Thanks for sharing!
I just wanted to say, I think r-Oreos would be a great name for these!
lol, thought about it.
How does the texture compare? Based on the ingredients, I would think it is similar to a Larabar in flavor and texture, no? I’m still intrigued!
Yeah, a little bit more cookie-like. Hope you enjoy them!
It would be SO hard for me to NOT eat all of these raw Oreos. They look absolutely divine!! Would this recipe also work if you used pecans instead of almonds or walnuts?
I think so!
These photos are very Wes Anderson and I am in love. I can’t wait to try the recipe. I’ve just recently started using dates and they’re amazing!!
So kind!
This looks like a great recipe, Dana! I’m going to try it this weekend.
Thanks for all of the hard work and creativity you put into your recipes. :)
Thanks so much Kelly!
Just made these for my partner for Valentines Day! He’s a hyuuuuuge fan of Oreos (but we never buy them because I generally shy away from processed, pre-packaged junk food), so I couldn’t resist giving them a go. I figured they would be Oreo-esque, but the flavour has really knocked it out of the park! The ‘dough’ is so deep and chocolatey (without being too cloying, as I find some recipes with dates sadly are), and the coconut butter is divine! I added a smidge extra vanilla and a 1/2 tsp or so of powdered sugar to really drive home the Oreo bit for my guy (his request, not mine, I love the butter without anything added!), but other than that I followed this to a T and it is perfection. Thank you for this recipe!! Now he gets Oreos and I get to stick to my raw, made-by-hand preferences, win-win :).
Thanks for sharing!
Your FAQ list doesn’t have a substitute for dates. I need a non-fruit replacement for them, as I can’t tolerate most fruits. The rest of the recipe looks great. Many thanks!
Hmm, perhaps try a mixture of oat / almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup!
Rice syrup!
These look great…is there a way to make these with a “prepared” nut butter? I cannot have nut pieces but can have creamy nut butters without pieces of nut in them. Sigh…I used to be able to eat ANYTHING! Thank you!!
If you’re looking to replace the nut flours in the recipe, you can try using a smooth nut butter (1/2 cup) plus unsweetened shredded coconut (1.5 cups) to go with the dates in the food processor. Works great if you can tolerate coconut and it should still give you the malleable consistency to roll the dough out between parchment. If is seems a little dry for some reason, you can either use a tiny bit of water, pulse that into dough while it’s still in the processor bowl.
Can you use different nuts like cashews instead of almonds and walnuts? My husband has an allergy to most nuts but seems to tolerate cashews
Yes!
Can you please mention other alternatives to coconut butter or coco butter i don’t have any? Thank you
If you can find coconut flakes you can make it, which I prefer. See the video above!
What can you sub the coconut oil for in the cookie part for those of us that are oil free?
I’d suggest omitting it.
Coconut water!
I made a thick cashew cream with soaked cashews, dates, water, and vanilla in the blender (instead of the oil/butter). The less water, the thicker the cashew cream! (Fwiw I also put unsweetened coconut flakes into the cookie part – extra crunch!)
Haha nvmd totally misread that. I was talking about a sub for the coconut butter. ?
Oh, cashew cream would be awesome in these!
Dana… Could you substitute Coconut Oil for the Coconut Butter in FILLING? These look delicious!! I’ve never seen Coconut Butter at our Sprouts in Yuma, AZ so I’m not sure, but I’ll go up today and look. I’m making these this morning for tonight’s Small Group Bible Study and tomorrow nights Youth Valentine’s Party at Church.
If you have a food processor or Vitamix you can easily make coconut butter by processing/blending dried, unsweetened coconut flakes for a few minutes! It’s much cheaper than buying the jarred version, too.
This is brilliant! I had no idea and way cheaper. Thanks for sharing.
Susan, it is best to make it fresh! See the video above for instructions on how to do so.