Oreos, meet your match. We’re all over this raw, vegan version from kitchen queen, Pamela Salzman, who never fails us with healthy recipes we actually crave. In this classic cookie re-boot, almonds and hazelnuts offer protein and healthy fats, and our fave almond milk cream cheese makes a luscious dairy-free filling. Best of all, there’s no refined sugar or dubious baking process to hold us back from snack perfection…
These no-bake sandwich cookies are as cute as they are fun to make! The best part is that they are made with all natural ingredients and adaptable for almost any diet. I used almond milk cream cheese here for a tangy, lightly sweetened filling. You could also swirl some raspberry chia jam in there as well or a sweetened raw cashew butter instead. They make the perfect snack when you want something sweet that won’t wreck your day.
RAW HAZELNUT SANDWICH COOKIES
Makes about 12 cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 ½ cups raw almonds or toasted, skinned hazelnuts
1 ½ cups pitted dates
¼ cup raw cacao powder
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp sea salt
For the frosting:
8 oz almond milk cream cheese (such as Kite Hill) or regular cream cheese
5 Tbsp pure grade A maple syrup
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
To make the cookies, place all ingredients into a food processor and process until the mixture comes together.
To make the frosting, add all ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip until smooth, about 4-5 minutes.
To assemble, roll the cookies between two pieces of parchment paper to ¼-inch thickness or until desired thickness is reached. Using a round cookie cutter (I used a 1 ¾-inch round), cut rounds and place on a cookie sheet or platter and place in the refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes. You can repeat with any remaining scraps, continuing to roll and cut rounds until all of the dough is used up.
Once the cookies have chilled, remove from the fridge and place a dollop of frosting in the center of one cookie round (about ½ tablespoon) and place the other cookie on top, pushing down evenly until the frosting begins to seep out all sides. Using a clean finger, wipe off the excess frosting around the perimeter and place the finished cookie back in the fridge while you make the others.
Keep cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container where they will last for up to one week.
