Date-Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Refined Sugar-Free)
Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these refined sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookies are sweetened with dates and maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 10 medjool dates (~ 6 oz) pitted and soaked in hot water
- 1/2 cup butter softened (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Soak the dates in hot water for 10-20 minutes.
- Rough chop the softened dates, transfer to a food processor, and blend until they resemble a thick paste. If the dates are still hard and clumpy, try adding 1 tbsp of the soaking water to help the mixture along.
- Add softened butter to the food processor and pulse until dates and butter are combined, being careful to not overwhip the butter (this will add too much air to your cookie dough and result in a cakier cookie).
- Transfer the date butter to a stand mixer or large mixing bowl and add vanilla extract and maple syrup. Stir until just combined.
- Add egg and continue mixing until just combined.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and oats and stir until the dough comes together, again being careful not to overwork the mixture.
- Fold in the raisins.
- Drop by generous rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, then gently flatten each cookie using your index finger or the back of the spoon.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and tops are dry and semi-set to the touch.
Notes
It's crucial that all ingredients be at room temperature for this recipe. These cookies don't spread as much as a normal chocolate chip cookie, so the butter needs to already be quite soft in order to get maximum spread during the short bake time.