Let’s just get this out of the way right up front. Sorry! I know I’ve been neglecting you all. I’ve been just a wee bit distracted with this and this and, oh yah, this.
One would think that with all the flurry of concern over chemical exposure and carcinogens and the like, that I’d have some uber-healthy veggie-filled delight to share with you. One would be wrong. One would not know me very well.
If you know me at all, you know what to expect here. Cookies.
Okay, these are grain-free, vegan, date-sweetened, refined-sugar-free cookies. And they’re filled with carob, the Sweet or Savory Kitchen Challenge Ingredient of the month. That almost counts as veggie-filled, right?
Carob Yum in the Sun (in the contaminated backyard)
Carob Cookies
1/2 cup (74g) pitted dates
1/4 cup (56g) coconut oil
1 T. ground flax seed + 3 T hot water
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup (56g) carob powder
1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350°. In the bowl of a food processor blend the dates until finely chopped. Add the coconut oil and blend until fluffy. Add the flax egg and vanilla. Pulse until incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth. (You will probably need to scrape the food processor bowl once or twice during all of this.)
Scoop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
Sadly, the kiddo has declared carob a “nasty” ingredient.
Oh well. More for me.
For more slightly indulgent treats, check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. For more gluten-free goodies, check out Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
The Mommy Bowl 
Well, they look absolutely delicious to me, Deanna! I love your love of cookies! 😉
Shirley
“Nasty?!” NEVER! Ah well, maybe carob is an acquired taste… like fine wine! 🙂
These look absolutely delectable, Deanna. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Desi. Considering this is a kid that actually requests Indian food, I guess I’ll cut him some slack on not liking carob. (You know, thinking about it, it might be the dates he doesn’t like. Hm… I might have to experiment….)
They look great to me, too! I think when people expect chocolate and get carob instead, they’re disappointed. . . but carob is its own self. And I can’t believe what you’ve been dealing with–poor you!! How did it turn out? Is everything okay?
Thanks Ricki, I’m not sure if the kiddo expected chocolate or not. He doesn’t like the smell. I guess it is an acquired taste, eh?
They re-test in 3 months. I’ll know more then, hopefully.
Sorry, I didn’t comment on your current environmental concerns, Deanna. I tend to comment quickly from work. 😦 That’s very scary. Like Ricki, I hope all is or will be okay.
Shirley
Thanks Shirley. I didn’t really expect everyone to read all the links – it’s an ongoing thing and will be for a long time to come and occasionally it just “flares up” and becomes a “big deal” for a while. *sigh*
These cookies look great! I absolutely love carob, but it’s very expensive in my area.
Hope everything turns out alright for you!
Thanks Lauren! Carob powder is available here in the bulk section of our natural foods store and isn’t very expensive at all. Bummer that it’s expensive where you are!
Hi Deanna – wow really scary stuff you’re dealing with. I can imagine how time consuming this must be – but so important to make sure everyone stays safe.
Your cookies look fab! I just got my carob — decided to get the “raw” kind. I’ve never tried carob before – crossing my fingers that my taste buds love it.
Haha, the kid is not too far off. I used to loathe carob but I am going to give it another try. I have an idea to get him to eat the cookies: dip them in chocolate sauce! 🙂
Bitt, you crack me up.
Maybe I should crumble them up in some ice cream. That might work.
Yes, you are known for cookies and that’s just why I stopped by! These do look yummy. So sorry to hear what you’re going through – just peeked at the links – hope it gets cleared up before too long.
Thanks Kathryn, If I get my butt in gear, I should have another recipe to post tonight. Just have to take pics (quick – before I eat them all!).
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Hi, What could I use in place of Almond meal? I allergic to tree nuts and most seeds,thanks.
Hi Sahirah – you could probably use an equal amount (by weight) of an all purpose GF flour mix (assuming you need gluten-free). I haven’t tried it like that, but it would probably work. Let me know if you do. (Otherwise, I’d go with sorghum flour and adjust the amount until you have a cookie-type dough. It should hold together fairly well, but still be pretty sticky.)
Thanks for this recipe. One question about the coconut oil – did you melt it first before adding it to the dates? I’m never sure how to measure coconut oil – in its hard state or to soften it in the microwave first.
I passed this recipe on to a friend and she made them for her kids and they loved them (she substituted cocoa powder).
Feel better!
I always measure coconut oil by weight – because trying to soften it to measure it by volume is a total pain in the rear end. 🙂 I didn’t melt it first. I typically don’t unless I’m making something like a quick bread or muffins and using it where I would otherwise use a liquid oil. For cookies, I always start with it solid. It will soften quite a bit in the food processor just from the heat of the food processor, though.
Hope that helps! I’m glad your friend liked the recipe. 🙂
Ooh I love carob, and mixed with dates and almonds… even better I say! Yum.
Thanks Emma. You know, if I left out the baking soda, I think I could do a raw version of these…..