Rich, chewy healthy chocolate cookies that are made with just 2 ingredients. These cookies don’t contain any flour, refined sugar, butter, or eggs. You can bake them or leave them unbaked! They are perfect for when you are craving something sweet and chocolatey.
I love chocolate and rarely go a day without eating it. What I love about these cookies is that they have such a rich and intense chocolate flavor but are also healthier than regular chocolate cookies. Their chewy texture also makes them taste like brownie cookies.
They are also versatile. You can make them as no-bake cookies or you can bake them. The texture will be different depending on which you choose. I like them both ways.
Ingredients
- Medjool Dates
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
Ingredient Details
Medjool Dates
Dates are very sweet which is why they are a great way to naturally sweeten baked goods and desserts. In order for these cookies to work, you need to form a date paste which is why medjool dates are specified. Medjool dates are the very large dates that can be found at grocery stores (I buy mine at Costco). They have more flesh than skin and that is what you need to form a thick date paste. This recipe won’t work with smaller date varieties because they don’t have enough flesh.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Both natural or dutch process cocoa powder will work but I prefer dutch process. The quality tends to be better, it has a richer flavor and smoother and less acidic taste. Dutch process cocoa powder can be a little harder to find. Most grocery stores only carry natural cocoa powder but you can find dutch process online on Amazon. For in-store, I’ve purchased it from Whole Foods and Costco.
Recipe Steps
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Soak the dates in warm water for 10-15 minutes or until they are softened. Drain then and then blend them in a food processer until they are processed into a paste.
Add the cocoa powder and pulse again until a dough ball forms and cocoa powder is evenly mixed in. Taste the mixture – if you want it more chocolaty you can add up to one more tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Adding more cocoa powder will make the chocolate flavor richer but also a little more bitter. It will be closer to a dark chocolate flavor.
After you’ve added the cocoa powder, if your dough is too dry or too firm, add a little more water and pulse again to combine.
To form the cookies, scoop one tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place them on a prepared baking sheet. Flatten the balls until they are ¼” thick.
No Bake versus Baked
You can leave these cookies unbaked or you can bake them. I tested both and enjoy both, though I prefer the no bake version because they are softer and I don’t have to wait for them to bake!
No Bake
The no bake version produces soft and chewy cookies. You can eat them as soon as you are done making the dough or you can refrigerate them for about 1 hour, which will make them slightly firmer and the surface will be less sticky, making the cookies easier to hold.
Baked
The baked version has a firmer texture. The cookies also come out a little sweeter because the baking allows the flavors to develop more. If you do plan on baking, the cookies should be baked as soon as the dough is finished. You do not want to refrigerate the dough or save it for later because the dough will lose some moisture when it is stored and be too dry for baking.
Toppings
These cookies taste great on their own but you can definitely create variations with different toppings. Some suggestions are:
- mixing in chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- mixing in chopped nuts
- sprinkling sea salt on top
- drizzling melted chocolate over the cookies
More Tips
• These cookies are very rich so sometimes I make them smaller with just one tablespoon of dough.
• I haven’t tested substitutes for either the dates or the cocoa powder for this recipe. Also, don’t forget to remove the pits from the dates.
• The no-bake cookies are the ones in the photos. The baked ones will have a drier appearance.
More Easy Healthy Cookie Recipes
- 2 Ingredient Banana Bread Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies
2 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 medjool dates approx 149 grams, pitted
- 3-4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, soak dates in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Then drain from water.
- Place dates into a food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Add in 3 tbsp of cocoa powder. Pulse again until a dough ball forms and cocoa powder is evenly mixed in. Taste and decide if you want to add an additional 1 tbsp of cocoa powder. Adding more cocoa powder will make the chocolate flavor richer but also a little more bitter. It will be closer to a dark chocolate flavor. If you add the additional cocoa powder, pulse again until evenly mixed. If your dough appears to be too dry or too firm, add ½-1 tbsp of water and pulse again.
- Scoop 1 tbsp dough balls. Place onto prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Using the palm of your hand or the back of a spoon, flatten the dough balls into round disks about ¼ inch thick.
- No Bake version: You can eat the cookies as is, or you can place them into the refrigerator for about one hour. Placing them in the fridge will let them firm up a little more and dry the surface, making them easier to hold.
- Baked version: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will not change much during baking. The purpose of the baking is just to let the flavors develop better and make them firmer.
Notes
- These cookies are very rich so you can make them smaller as well. I've made them with just 1 tbsp of dough per cookie, which also cuts down on the sugar.
- I do not have substitute ingredients for either the dates or the cocoa powder for this recipe. If you have other questions about the dates or cocoa powder, please see the ingredient section of the post where I discuss the ingredients in more detail including where to buy them.
- The cookies in the photos are the no bake version. The baked version will have a drier appearance.
- The recipe calls for pitted dates. That means you do need to remove the seed before placing them in the food processor.
- You do need a food processor to turn the dates into a date paste.
- The estimated nutrition uses 4 tbsp of cocoa powder.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
These cookies look too good I think they will be hard to resist just one
They are hard to resist!
They are ok. I’ll have to try it again but they are good. Just feel like something was missing. Maybe I’ll add some nuts or other stuff to it. But it is super easy to make!
Let us know what you try!
A billion stars to you!!!!! My hypertensive insulin resistant 8yr old, 188lb, yes those numbers are correct, thinks he just ate the most DELECTABLE chocolate cookies he ever had. I had to use a little powdered sugar to handle and shape them and I did use the Dutch process cocoa powder and wow, just WOW! I made your 2 ingredient banana bread cookies too, next is the banana bread bars, I’m going too add shredded coconut. God bless you for making it safe to satisfy a sweet tooth and allowing me to let my son enjoy the goodies without hurting his body.
I’m so glad your child was able to enjoy these and some of my other recipes!
have to try them
Hope you liked them!
Can I use blender in place of food processor
Yes that should work as long as your blender is strong enough to break down the dates
Cookies for breakfast, I’m all in. These do sound quite lovely! Love all your to-go breakfasts! We all need them. Thanks
Hope you enjoy!
This is a very easy receipts for quick snacks looking forward for more receipts
Glad you enjoyed!