Made without any refined flours or sugars, loaded with whole grain oats and heart-healthy nuts, and studded with melty pieces of dark chocolate and chewy dates, these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies are the make-ahead morning treat that’s worth getting out of bed for. Best of all, you only need 10 ingredients and 15 minutes to make these delicious cookies!
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Do healthy cookies sound like a cruel joke? I thought so too, until I devised these tasty little morsels. My naturally gluten-free almond flour chocolate chip cookies have zero refined flour or dairy, are naturally sweetened with honey & maple syrup, and get an extra kick of chocolatey goodness with the addition of chocolate hazelnut spread.
To add some textural interest, I include toothsome old-fashioned oats, chocolate chunks, and nature’s candy, also known as chewy, sweet dates. All I can say about this chocolate chocolate chip cookies easy recipe is YUM!
These chocolatey date oatmeal cookies aren’t just guilt-free, they are also a snap to make. All you need is 10 easy-to-find ingredients and all of 15 minutes to knock out this simple cookies-for-breakfast recipe. Who knew meal-prepping could be so easy? Or that dessert could be good for you?!? Now, let’s get to it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you don’t need a long grocery list to make these healthy oatmeal date cookies. Here’s the simple ingredients you'll need:
- Rolled Oats - Also called old-fashioned oats, these give the cookies a lovely chew and a healthy dose of fiber. While you technically can swap in quick-cooking or instant oats, I don’t recommend it.
- Almond Flour - Any nut flour will work here. No need to splurge for blanched oat flour like in my many recipes for French macarons; these chocolate chip date cookies are intended to be craggy and rustic.
- Baking Soda - Not to be confused with baking powder!
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread - My homemade recipe made with a food processor calls for just 4 ingredients, no added sugar, and best of all, no palm oil! That said, you can feel free to replace with your favorite store-bought brand; just be sure to check your label and ensure if there’s any palm oil it is certified sustainable.
- Pure Maple Syrup & Honey - I love the nuanced flavors that both of these liquid sweeteners bring to the table. Feel free to swap in one or the other, or opt for a different sweetener like date syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla paste or powder will also work!
- Dates - Dried, pitted dates bring a big hit of chewy sweetness. I suggest using drier deglet noor or thoory varieties for easier chopping, but sticky medjools will also do the trick.
- Dark Chocolate - The darker, the better, especially against the sweetness of the dates. I suggest reaching for 70% or higher, and the best quality that you can get. Guittard, Callebaut, Ghiradelli, or Chocolove are all good options!
- Flaky Salt - I love the gorgeous pyramid shape of Maldon, but feel free to swap in your favorite.
Equipment
Making my chocolate oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is a simple task requiring just the most basic kitchen wares. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bowl & Spatula - Surprise! There’s no creaming of butter or sugar for these healthy breakfast cookies. You can make the entire batch by hand, no mixer needed.
- Tablespoon or Medium Cookie Scoop - If you have one, a cookie scoop will make your life much, much easier and will yield perfectly sized treats. If not, feel free to measure by tablespoon and roll them with your (damp) hands.
- Baking or Cookie Sheet - I highly recommend every home baker invest in a set of good, sturdy, unwarped baking sheets. They’ll make your life better!
How To Make Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
These almond flour chocolate cookies come together in a flash. Here’s how they’re made:
Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats, hazelnut flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Wet Ingredients. Add the tahini, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 4: Wet + Dry. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix to form a rather thick dough.
Step 5: Add-Ins. Fold in the chopped dates and chopped dark chocolate.
Make-Ahead Tip: Dough can be made to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month.
Step 6: Scoop. Scoop the dough into balls or roll by hand. Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing two inches between each cookie and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Pro Tip: If using clean hands, get them slightly wet so that the sticky dough doesn't stick as easily! For a flatter, less tall cookie shape press the dough down gently before baking.
Step 7: Bake for 10 minutes, watching for the edge to start to brown.
Step 8: Cool & Enjoy. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
Optional Variations
These date chocolate chip cookies are pretty much my ideal breakfast (especially when served with a Rose Milk Chai Latte or Sparkling Iced Coffee), but there’s always room for customization. Here are some easy variations to try:
- Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. The original recipe calls for both maple syrup and honey, but you can easily swap out the honey for more maple or any other liquid sweetener you prefer.
- Add-Ins. Consider chunking up these healthy oatmeal date cookies with even more goodies like chopped, toasted nuts, other kinds of dried fruits, or different dark chocolate chips. Next time, you can also opt to add a little caffeine to the mix by adding in a few teaspoons of instant espresso powder!
- Different Nut Butter. Not a fan of Nutella? No worries! Swap in any other creamy nut butter you prefer like tahini, cashew butter, peanut butter, or almond butter. Feel free to use chocolate-flavored varieties to keep the double chocolate status.
Expert Tips
- Chill the cookie dough - Chilling the dough in the fridge before rolling it into balls makes it easier to work with. It also helps deepen the flavors and improves the consistency so you always end up with thick and fudgy cookies.
- Making cookie dough ahead of time - You can make the cookie dough 1 or 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until it’s time to bake. I actually recommend making the dough at least a few hours in advance of baking in order to ensure proper rehydration of the oats and almond flour, which leads to a super luscious consistency.
- Freezing cookie dough - To extend the shelf-life of your goodies, wrap the dough tightly in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let it thaw in the fridge before rolling out and baking.
- Roll with wet hands - If you don’t have a cookie scoop, wet your hands a bit first so the dough doesn’t stick to as much.
- Certify your treats - If you’re gluten-sensitive, make sure you’re reaching for certified gluten-free oats as many can be produced in facilities that also process wheat. When possible and/or applicable, I also encourage you to purchase certified fair-trade chocolate and certified sustainable palm oil products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chocoholics love chocolate? Are puppies adorable? YES! Yes, 1000 times, yes! These bad boys (and my deliciously simple tahini date cookies) are particularly well-suited to the task because they’re free of refined grains and refined sugar and are chock-full of whole grains, nuts, and fruit for a perfect morning boost, delicious breakfast option or school snack!
You can store baked breakfast cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 6 days. To keep them longer, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 1 to 2 months.
I personally feel like “healthy” is a loaded, often subjective term, so I’m going to tread lightly here, especially since I’m not a certified nutritionist. That said, these breakfast cookies are something that I’d consider rather nutritious and wholesome.
They have no refined sugars or flours, are loaded with nuts and whole grains, deep dark chocolate, and dried fruits. I’m not qualified to give any advice, but I’ll tell you one thing: I’ll happily eat these quick grab cookies for breakfast any day of the week.
More Healthy-ish Treats Recipes
More Cookie Recipes
- Small-Batch Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies with Dates, please leave a review or share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (With Dates)
Equipment
- Bowl
- Spatula
- Tablespoon or Medium Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cups (81 g) rolled oats
- ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 g) chocolate hazelnut butter, nutella in a pinch!
- 2 Tablespoons (40 g) maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons (42 g) honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (125 g) dates, pitted & roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (23 g) extra dark chocolate, 85% or higher, roughly chopped
- flakey salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats, almond flour, baking soda, and salt.1 cups rolled oats, ½ cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the chocolate hazelnut butter, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.½ cup chocolate hazelnut butter, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour over the dry ingredients and mix to form a rather thick dough.
- Fold in the chopped dates and chopped dark chocolate.½ cup dates, ¼ cup extra dark chocolate, 85% or higher
- Scoop the dough into balls or roll by hand. If using clean hands, get them slightly wet so that the dough doesn't stick as easily!
- Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing two inches between each cookie and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. For a flatter, less tall cookie press the dough down gently before baking.flakey salt
- Bake for 10 minutes, watching for the edge to start to brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
- Are cookies good for breakfast? Do chocoholics love chocolate? Are puppies adorable? YES! Yes, 1000 times, yes! These bad boys (and my deliciously simple tahini date cookies) are particularly well-suited to the task because they’re free of refined grains and refined sugar and are chock-full of whole grains, nuts, and fruit for a perfect morning boost, delicious breakfast option or school snack!
- What’s the best way to store chocolate oatmeal date breakfast cookies? You can store baked breakfast cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 6 days. To keep them longer, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 1 to 2 months.
- Are these chocolate oatmeal date cookies healthy? I personally feel like “healthy” is a loaded, often subjective term, so I’m going to tread lightly here, especially since I’m not a certified nutritionist. That said, these breakfast cookies are something that I’d consider rather nutritious and wholesome. They have no refined sugars or flours, are loaded with nuts and whole grains, deep dark chocolate, and dried fruits. I’m not qualified to give any advice, but I’ll tell you one thing: I’ll happily eat these quick grab cookies for breakfast any day of the week.
Leave a Reply