Innocent Pecan Pie Cookies

Ingredients

Filling

• 1/3 cup pitted and chopped dates
• 1 cup hot black tea
• 5 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Cookie Base

• 2 1/4 cup gently packed almond flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 5 tbsp coconut oil (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1-2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Filling

Soak dates in hot black tea for at least 10 minutes. While they're soaking, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the coconut oil just melts and then remove from heat.

Then drain and discard the black tea from the dates. In a blender, blend the soaked dates and contents from the saucepan until smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan and then stir in the sea salt and chopped pecans and set aside for now.

Cookie Bases

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then whisk in the coconut oil until the dough has the consistence of course crumbs.

Then stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Start with stirring in 1 tbsp almond milk, and add another if the dough needs it to stick together.

For the cookies - take about 1 1/2 tbsp dough each and roll it into a ball, place on the cookie sheet, and then make a crater in the middle of the cookie with your thumb.

Next fill the crater generously with the pecan pie filling. Then bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookie bases are golden brown. After they've baked, let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet or else they'll fall apart! Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allergy Free Alaska