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5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies – vegan, gluten free, so easy, and so delicious. Sounds too good to be true, right? These cookies are made with creamy almond butter and blended together with dates. Then they’re baked up to create a sweet, chewy, almond butter cookie that everyone just loves. A drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt makes perfection in every chewy bite. They’re a little like magic, such an awesome surprise!
Did I think they’d turn out when I started making them? I had high hopes, but honestly I wasn’t that sure. I mean, 5 ingredients, no processed sugar, no egg? It seemed like a recipe for disaster, but dates are a very unique ingredient and they really pull through in these cookies. Just like that little intro above says, these really are a bit like magic.
The two pickiest critics in the family, Asher and my mom, loved these. Especially my mom. Chewy, sweet, and heavy on the chocolate. My mom is a no sugar, dessert lover, which doesn’t always go hand-in-hand, but with these cookies, it does.
In terms of desserts, making them wholesome can be tricky. But there are a handful of ingredients I always turn to when I’m looking to experiment. Nuts butters always add flavor, they’re creaminess is delicious when baked into sweets.
But dates are something that really don’t get enough credit. They’re nature’s candy. Naturally sweet, naturally chewy, and completely on their own delicious.
I’ve used dates before to sweeten and bind recipes so I was hoping they’d do the same for these cookies. And they did not disappoint!
The details
The process couldn’t be simpler, but you do need a food processor or blender to make these. I’d recommend a food processor over a blender. It will give your cookies a better texture.
Take the almond butter, the dates, the vanilla, and baking soda and add everything to the food processor. Blend until the dates are super finely ground. If the mix is a little crumbly, add a splash or so of water until the dough can form a ball in your first. I usually use about 2-3 tablespoons, but it can vary depended on how plump your dates are.
Roll the dough into balls, then gently flatten them down with your hand. I love to create a cross hatch patter on top with a fork.
When the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool on the pan. Then, I’d recommend placing them in the freezer to make dipping easier.
Once they’re cold, dip or drizzle each cookie with chocolate.
Great for anyone looking for a gluten-free cookie, but also just delicious for everyone involved.
Don’t be skeptical promise, it’s going to be great.
Looking for other healthier dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make these 5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
Servings: 16 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 194 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 ounces melted dark chocolate
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a food processor, combine the almond butter, dates, vanilla, and baking soda. Pulse until combined and until no large chunks of dates remain. If the dough is dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to moisten. 3. Roll the dough into 16-17 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, gently flatten with your hand. Using a fork, press down on each dough ball to create a crosshatch pattern. Bake for 9-10 minutes. 4. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool. To make dipping easier, freeze the cookies for 10-15 minutes. Then drizzle or dip the cookies in chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Eat, or let the chocolate harden. Store in a cool place or the fridge.
WOW. who would have thought such a simple recipe would be so good? Great for those with dietary restrictions. Some of my pickiest friends (husband included) loved them, and even went for seconds. 100% recommend.
Hey Catherine,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xxT
Learned about you from a sports segment on the news. Your brother gave you a shout out. Once I got over my ageism ? — I made this cookies. Oh my goodness — they are delicious. I actually don’t even feel guilty eating them. You are amazing.
these cookies. Sorry.
Hey Patti,
Lol thanks so much for your kind message! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxTieghan
These cookies are delicious and couldn’t be easier.
I made the recipe as written except I used my smallest cookie scoop (yield 22) and added a pinch of salt to the batter. I’m not sure the salt was needed as the cookies are finished with salt, but what can I say, I like salt. I used almond butter from Costco and didn’t add any extra liquid, because it didn’t seem necessary, but next time I might add a tbs or two because my cookies didn’t soften as much in the oven as those in the pictures.
I had a little bit of a hard time deciding when to take them out of the oven, as they get softer, if anything, and don’t firm up until they cool. If you smell that toasty almond butter smell, they are getting close!
These cookies have a stick-to-the-roof of your mouth nut butter goodness and the texture is more like a melt-away than a traditional cookie. I think they taste best stored in the fridge, so if you really want them to be beautiful the chocolate drizzle must be tempered, but this is a minor complaint.
I will definitely make these again. My husband has a sweet tooth and isn’t always a fan of no-sugar-added desserts, but he loves these.
Hey Nicole,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Thanks so much for sharing your notes! xxTieghan
Would love to try this as I have dates that are being neglected (whoops) —
Can I sub regular butter (salted, unsalted?) for the almond butter?
Or maybe peanut butter would work better?
Definitely!!
Hi there,
Sorry, I wouldn’t recommend that, I would just use any other nut butter than you enjoy. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
i loved making these, the dough was so tasty!! however when i took them out of the oven they broke apart. i did end up leaving them in there for a couple mins longer. i will remake them and hope they turn out better. i do love the simplicity of this recipe.
thank you!
Hey Andrea,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear they broke apart, allow them to cool on the baking sheet first, that should help! Have a great day:) xxT
These are quite delicious and healthy for a cookie! Mine too also had a bit of a crumbly texture, but it didn’t impact the taste. I suspect the difference is that my almond butter is just almonds and salt. The link of almond butter you referenced has Palm Oil in it which definitely emulsifies everything. Palm oil is what makes things smooth and creamy. Unfortunately besides it’s horrible environmental impact there may be health concerns. https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/10/fatty-acid-found-in-palm-oil-linked-to-spread-of-cancer
Anyways the cookies are great, and I will make again. Thanks!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT
These cookies totally fell apart on me after I took them out to cool for a bit…..I had a good consistency, so not sure why that happened.
Hey Holly,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, these are delicate cookies because of the limited amount of ingredients. xTieghan
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! These cookies are delicious! I have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and I have been trying all sorts of recipes, this has been my favourite so far. I didn’t add the chocolate drizzle but the cookies were fantastic without it as well. I would compare the texture of the cookies to a soft gingerbread cookie. I agree with you that using dates in baking is truly an amazing addition as a sweetener especially if you are trying to avoid using chemical sweeteners. Thanks again!
Hi Dawn,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
When they came out of the oven, I was a little disappointed as they tasted too almondy. Then I decided to freeze them and BAM! Delicious!!! The best frozen treat and they don’t get too hard for your teeth because the date keeps the texture soft and chewy. Great recipe and the sea salt tops it off nicely
Hey Stephie,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
These came together quick and baked up nicely. They had great flavor. They are a touch crumbly, but I suspect how moist your nut butter is and your dates are, and also how oily your nut butter is all plays a part in outcomes on texture. They were exactly what I suspected a cookie with only two main ingredients! Very delicious!
Hey Gina,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious. I adore the fact that you use dates!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
I hope you love the recipe!!
Yummm these were amazing! I’m typically not a huge fan of dates, but always in for cookies that don’t have cane sugar. I used Base Culture almond butter, and added ground flax (2 tsp) and cinnamon (1/4 tsp), and 4 tablespoons of water. Scooped using a cookie scoop, baked for 9 minutes. Chocolate drizzle and Maldon sea salt added = perfection. Thank you for the delicious recipe!!
Hey Jacqueline,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
I was excited to make these cookies. It was a total fail. I ended up with a crumbly, soft mess, and I even tried cooking them longer?
Needless to say I didn’t drizzle any chocolate over them
Hi Terri,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe or is there anyway that I can help? Let me know!! xTieghan
A delicious vegan cookie treat!!
Hi Linda,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
I’ve been doing clean eating and no sugar for a while and was really craving dessert. These looked so good and they are! I was kind of surprised to be honest. The almond butter I used was really oily, but they still baked up nicely. I might try a different one next time just to see the difference, but I will definitely be making these again!
Hey Jody,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT