Vegan Skillet Cookie (Healthy)

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by Alena Schowalter
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This delicious vegan cookie is the perfect combination of a moist cookie and a scrumptious, slightly sweet cake that can be topped to your liking! Try this protein-packed 30-minute dessert.

Do you love chocolate chip cookies as much as we do? If so, you need to try this vegan skillet cookie that’s soft, chewy, naturally sweetened and undetectably good for you.

It’s a gluten-free, dairy-free, and high-protein dessert recipe that’s crowd-pleasing, simple to make and delicious year-round.

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Prepare it during fall or winter for a cozy treat, dress it up with coconut whipped cream to make a birthday cake or serve it with a dollop of vegan ice cream during Christmas breakfast!

Thanks to the wholesome high-protein cookie dough which you can enjoy by the spoonful before even baking your vegan skillet cookie, this nutritious dessert can be enjoyed on a regular basis without any problems.

This recipe is also featured in our protein-packed chocolate mousse cake!

baking pan with warm vegan cookie cake and coconut ice cream

Recipe overview

  • Soft, chewy & not too sweet
  • Ready to serve in just 30 minutes
  • Little kitchen skills or tools needed
  • Studded with melted chocolate chunks
  • Dairy-free, sugar-free & gluten-free
  • Rich in plant-based protein & fiber
  • Undetectably vegan & wfpb
  • Crowd-pleasing & kid-friendly

We love eating this vegan skillet cookie fresh from the oven as it is but you can also dress it up to become a beautiful holiday-appropriate dessert.

food processor with chickpeas, flour, dates and peanut butter

Ingredients needed

  • Chickpeas — our protein- and fiber-rich secret ingredient that’ll be overpowered in terms of taste by our delicious add-ins.
  • Dates — the best natural sweetener to add to any dessert recipe!
  • Almond flour — can be made by blending whole or slivered almonds for a few seconds in your blender.
  • Oat flour — same as above, plus it allows for the vegan cookie cake to be naturally gluten-free and more allergen-friendly.
  • Almond butter — adding some richness without using vegan butter or oil!
  • Chocolate — we love going for dark chocolate chunks that are roughly chopped but vegan chocolate chips work just as well.

Just a pinch of baking powder, salt and some vanilla extract to support the sweetness and your vegan cookie batter can bake to perfection within 20 minutes!

bowl on a table in which chopped chocolate is being mixed into protein cookie dough with a spoon

All you need to make this vegan skillet cookie is a food processor, skillet and measuring equipment. Start by gathering your ingredients and preheat your oven to 345° F (175° C).

Create the batter

Make the first part of your cookie batter by placing the dates, almond butter and vanilla extract into a food processor jar and pulse to obtain a puree.

If the mixture is too dry and won’t come together, add a splash of water or soy milk.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients except for the chopped dark chocolate: your drained chickpeas, almond flour, oat flour and baking powder. You may also add a pinch of salt at this point.

Process everything to obtain a thick, smooth and creamy batter. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed, then get a spoon and make a quick taste test to see whether you want the batter to be any sweeter or make other adjustments.

Add the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and fold them in with a spoon.

woman in white apron putting cookie dough into baking pan with a spoon

Put in skillet & bake

Transfer the cookie batter in a cast-iron skillet or round baking pan measuring 10-12 inches in diameter, making sure it reaches all of the edges by pressing the mixture down with your wetted fingers.

You can also use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to do so. Once the batter is evenly distributed, put the skillet or baking pan into the preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes.

You can check to see whether your vegan skillet cookie is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the center — if it comes out clean, you can take it out of the oven.

Let it cool slightly before slicing and serving warm!

hand holding a towel and cast iron skillet with freshly baked vegan chocolate chip cookie cake

Serving suggestions

This vegan skillet cookie is super versatile! You can enjoy it on its own with a cup of vegan hot chocolate, oat milk, or almond milk latte. We’ve also tried it with vegan vanilla custard or date caramel sauce!

Take it a step further by adding a scoop of vegan ice cream on top or decorating with vegan cashew frosting and some vegan whipped cream.

By the way, you can just eat this chickpea cookie dough raw as a high-protein snack without baking it into a cookie!

cast iron skillet with homemade vegan cookie cake and ice cream on a table with a spoon

Storage & Prepping

You can make the vegan cookie dough for up to 2 days in advance and store it in a sealed container in the fridge before baking it into a cookie.

If you want to store any leftovers, let it first cool completely before transferring it to a sealed container. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months.

Adjustments ideas

For a thicker cookie, simply double all of the ingredients. If the sweetness of the dates isn’t enough for you, simply add some maple syrup or brown sugar to adjust to your taste preferences.

Here are some more adjustments you can make!

  • Grain-free: swap the oat flour for more almond flour and you’re good to go
  • Almond butter: cashew butter works just as well!
  • Lower fat: decrease chocolate chips and replace almond butter with apple sauce
  • Dates: use around 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup and slightly increase the amount of nut butter
  • Spices: use bourbon vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract, add a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa powder to the batter if you like.
vegan high protein chocolate mousse cake on a plate being decorated by a hand with crushed pistachios

More vegan desserts

We love creating healthy versions of our favorite desserts! See how we like to replace eggs, dairy, oil and sugar when baking and try these whole food plant-based recipes next.

Did you try our healthy vegan skillet cookie and like it? Share with us in the comments below and be sure to leave a rating. You can also Pin the recipe here!

Best Vegan Skillet Cookie (Healthy)

by Alena Schowalter
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
This healthy vegan skillet cookie is like a giant soft-baked chocolate chip cookie but based on whole food ingredients! It’s sugar-free and secretly protein-packed — a flavorful comfort food gone healthy. Serve on its own, with some vegan ice cream or simple frosting! 
Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 6 dates pitted (60 g)
  • 4 tbsp almond butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 15- oz can chickpeas drained (240 g)
  • ½ cup almond flour 56 g
  • 2 tbsp oat flour 16 g
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt optional
  • cup chopped dark chocolate 60 g

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 345° F (175° C) and prepare a cast iron skillet for your cookie.
  • To create the batter, start by placing the dates, almond butter and vanilla extract into a food processor jar and pulse to obtain a puree.
  • Next, add the chickpeas, almond flour, oat flour, baking powder and a sprinkle of salt if you like. Process again to obtain a thick, smooth and creamy batter. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
  • Get a spoon and make a quick taste test to see whether you want to make any adjustments.
  • Transfer the batter into a bowl, add the chopped chocolate and use a spoon to fold it in. 
  • Add the mixture into a cast-iron skillet and evenly flatten with the back of a spoon or wetted fingers.
  • Put the skillet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the center is cooked through. You can check it by inserting a toothpick — if it comes out clean, the skillet cookie is done.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm as it is or with a dollop of vegan ice cream!

Notes

  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure the cookie has completely cooled before doing so.
  • If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a 10-12-inches round baking pan or similar-sized sheet pan to make this skillet cookie.
  • Feel free to add some maple syrup or other vegan sweetener if you want it to be sweeter.
  • See the article for more ingredient swap and serving ideas.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Nutrition Facts
Best Vegan Skillet Cookie (Healthy)
Amount per Serving
Calories
213
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
10
g
15
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Sodium
 
211
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
 
25
g
8
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Hi, I'm Alena Schowalter — a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with my husband, I founded nutriciously in 2015 and have been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages toward a healthy plant-based diet. I enjoy discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature, and creating new recipes. Read more about us here.

18 Comments

  1. Hi! About the chickpeas… the recipe says “cooked and drained” but you don’t explain how to cook them. Can I use them just drained from the can, if not, how should I cook them?
    Thank You!

    Reply
    • thanks for your questions, you’re right! I batch cook beans at home in my pressure cooker so I always have some on hand but this recipe works with just canned, drained & well-rinsed chickpeas :) let us know how you like it!

      Reply
  2. I followed the recipe pretty faithfully, and it was very easy. I did have to add a little water to the date paste and subbed the chocolate with Lily’s chocolate salted caramel chips (Omg!!). Also, I didn’t have a small skillet so I baked it in a 9-inch pie plate, and it took 35 minutes to brown. Delicious and filling result! I would say more like 8 servings given how dense it is. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
    • sounds wonderful, great that you adapted the recipe to your needs! yup, it’s really filling indeed — I just adjusted the serving sizes ;) so happy you like the recipe!

      Reply
  3. I’ve never made a cookie cake before and this looks delicious! I don’t have a food processor, can I soak the dates in hot water, drain it, and mash everything with a fork? Or can I make this with a hand mixer? Thanks so much in advance :)

    Reply
    • Hey Meg, thanks so much for your comment! There are many ways you can create a date puree, definitely soak them first in hot water and then either mash it with a fork or use an immersion blender if you have one, anything that would create a smooth texture will do :)
      Let us know how the cake turns out!
      Warm wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  4. Alena, do you think I can substitute the almond flour with oat or sprouted whole wheat flour?
    Can’t wait to make this! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hey Roz,
      sure you can use only oat flour for this recipe but in this case, I’d add 1 tbsp more almond butter to get a similar result due to the lower fat in the oat flour compared to almond flour. Hope this makes sense! Let us know how you like it :)
      Best wishes

      Reply
  5. Hi, could do you think I could substitute all or some of the chocolate chips for pieces of apple? My family loves apple cake! Thanks you so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  6. Can you use a different legume than chickpeas – say a white bean – navy or lima? I’ve been following the blood type B diet and chickpeas are an avoid food.
    Thanks for all the wonderful content!

    Reply
  7. can I use any other nut besides almonds?
    Tested and the worst:
    wheat (am NOT Celiac)
    dairy
    eggs
    almonds
    ALL on a scale of 0 to 4 were found to be a 3
    Thanks so much

    Reply
4.74 from 23 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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