Eat With The Espinelis | 002

Kid Friendly Date Cookies

If you missed the first installment of this series, check it out here. I introduced a bit about how we view ingredients, the sacred space that the kitchen is for me, and where this series is headed as we continue along. Today, we’re sharing a very simple cookie recipe that is perfect for kiddos as it has minimal ingredients with a very special natural sugar source: dates.

One of my favourite ways to naturally sweeten baked goods is by using dates. These sticky, dried fruits have a unique, caramel flavour, are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, provide natural energy, and are a wonderful sugar replacement. Admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get used to dates on their own. While I was shoveling them down in the weeks leading up to labour with our daughter (they’re known to have many benefits surrounding labour and I highly recommend joining in on the date shoveling if you’re preparing for a little one), I began smearing a bit of peanut butter on top of them to help make them more enticing and as time went on, I loved them more and more. 

These no-fuss goodies brings those two delicious components together into a very simple cookie that kiddos will be able to enjoy as well (and help make!). I love to make little treats for the kids that I know are also beneficial for them and contain natural sweetness. This recipe can also be adjusted to suit your needs. I know that peanuts are a main food allergy so I’d recommend using your favourite replacement such as a seed butter, soy butter, or even cookie butter. Same thing as the egg, which can be replaced with things such as a chia seed “egg,” or applesauce. I’ve also put the various toppings in as optional because after the base of the cookie is made, it’s entirely up to you what you’d like to do from there. Rolling them in the cinnamon sugar transforms them into a bit of a snickerdoodle hybrid which we love, but you can skip that part if you would like to keep the dates as the only sugar source.

We use peanut butter that has one, maybe two ingredients: peanuts (and possibly salt). Often, peanut butter is full of added sugar or additional oils that we like to avoid if possible. If your peanut butter has no salt, you may want to add a bit.

Let us know if you try these out!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

▢ 1 cup packed mejdool dates (about 10) 

▢ 1 cup (290 g) peanut butter

▢ ½ tablespoon vanilla 

▢ 1 egg

▢ ¼ cup (50 g) coconut sugar or other granulated sugar 

▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional toppings:

▢ ½ cup (60 g) dark chocolate (or whichever chocolate you prefer or have on hand) melted 

▢ Handful of chopped pecans or other nuts 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the peanut butter, dates, vanilla, and egg into a food processor (blender will work as well). Pulse until the mixture comes together into a solid dough. The goal is no large chunks of dates remaining, but if you’re using a blender and it’s not quite blending them fully, it’s perfectly fine and they will still turn out! 

3. Roll the dough into about 16 balls. Mix the sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and roll the dough balls lightly through the mixture and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a fork, gently press down on each dough ball to flatten, creating a crosshatch pattern. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

4. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool. Eat as is or move onto the toppings. 

5. For the chocolate topping, melt your preferred chocolate, and put in a bowl. You can dip your cookies in halfway (gently as they are fragile), drizzle the chocolate over top, put a dollop right in the center, or whatever suits your fancy! Top with the chopped pecans or other nuts. Enjoy! 

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31