Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Orange Zest (Gluten-Free, Naturally Sweetened)

These Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies are gluten-free and naturally sweetened with the use of dates and a touch of maple syrup. I also further enhanced the flavour with a touch of orange zest because tahini + chocolate + dates + orange is such an awesome flavour combo – at least in my humble opinion! 

That said, feel free to also omit the orange zest if that’s not your jam but I think it brightens up the flavour of the cookie and adds another layer of complexity.

These also have a deliciously soft and gooey centre and this is largely because of the dates which we use as the main sweetener in this recipe so if you are a fan of soft-baked cookies then these are for you!

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Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Pitted Dates 135g, ~9 Medjool dates

• 1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk 80g

• 1/2 cup Tahini 125g

• 1/8 cup Maple Syrup 40 g

• 1 Egg

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 cup Almond Flour 120g

• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt

• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips 90g, or roughly chopped dark chocolate plus extra for topping

• 2 tsps Orange Zest ~1 orange

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, add the pitted medjool dates and almond milk. Process until a date paste forms. Then add the tahini, egg, and vanilla extract. Process everything until a smooth paste forms (a few chunks are fine).

3. Transfer the date mixture from the food processor into a bowl and stir in the almond flour, salt, and baking soda.

4. Fold in the orange zest and chocolate. Be careful not to over mix otherwise the cookies can turn gummy in texture.

5. Scoop the batter into heaps onto a lined baking sheet (do not flatten), leave room for them to spread. Add a few extra chocolate chips on top.

6. Bake 11-12 minutes at 350°F.

7. Cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Dates: please note that you must use fresh, soft dates in order to create a nice and smooth date paste. If your dates have hardened, you can soak them in boiled hot water for 10 minutes until softened.