Gluten Free Sugar Free Pistachio Date Cookie Slices Recipe
Updated Apr 24, 2020, Published Jul 19, 2011
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
I am so in love with this particular gluten-free recipe right now. First of all, it is a gluten-free cookie that is also sugar free. How much do we love that? It can also very easily become dairy-free and by doing so it becomes vegan!
Secondly it is simple! I have been working on cutting back on the number of various flours and starches I use in gluten-free baking. The goal of course is to still have pastry-quality dough with fewer ingredients. This recipe uses one flour, one starch and one gum. Simple! To make it even simpler, just use whatever gluten-free flour you like or have on hand as long it contains some xanthan or guar gum. Also the food processor does almost all the work. I really love that!
But most importantly, it makes scrumptious, just sweet enough, sophisticated yet fun, nutritious cookies. Yes, nutritious, sugar free cookies! Packed with heart-healthy pistachios, and mineral and fiber rich naturally sweet dates, these Pistachio Date Cookie Slices are just what I want in a cookie these days – guilt free!
The cookies are not too sweet which I like but if you have more of a sweet tooth add two tablespoons of honey to the filling along with the pistachios and brush the top of the cookie slices with another tablespoon of honey while the cookies cool. For a sweeter recipe that is still vegan use agave nectar instead of honey.
Can you see why I just love this recipe?
Gluten Free Sugar Free Pistachio Date Cookie Slices Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dates, - chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2/3 cup roasted, - salted pistachios, chopped
- 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar , - optional
- 1 1/3 cups superfine brown or white rice flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
- ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter or dairy free butter substitute, - cut into small pieces
- 4– 8 tablespoons cold water
- 1– 2 teaspoons milk, (dairy free is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Combine the dates, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the pistachios and, if you want a sweeter cookie, 2 tablespoons of honey or agave. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture cool while preparing the dough.
- Combine the flour, tapioca starch, xanthan or guar gum, salt and butter (or butter substitute) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the machine running, add cold water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together in a soft but not sticky dough. (If dough gets too sticky just dust it with a little more rice flour.) Cut the dough into two even pieces and roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into 12 by 8 inch rectangles. Place one on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the pistachio date mixture to within ½ inch of the dough edges. Brush the edges with water and top with the remaining sheet of dough. Press to seal the edges. Score the top into 12 even slices with a knife and glaze the top with milk. Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, brush the top with a tablespoon of honey or agave. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers’ samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.
These look great Carol. I love how they’re cute little pockets. And I love pistachios. Win-win!
Man, these look FANTASTIC!!!!! I’ll have to give them a try and then try them using dried figs instead of dates since I seem to have a lot of those.
Thanks!
These look amazing! I especially love that they are not only gluten-free, but sugar-free also. Love your work Carol :-)
They do look both scrumptious and sophisticated, Carol! :-)
xo,
Shirley
We have a biscuit that are friut pillow and they look very similar to these. So exciting to have some gluten free ones for me to try!
Thanks, I think they could be filled with all sorts of things. Love to hear what you come up with!
This looks so good. I want to figure out how to make it for me!
It’s the rice right? Can you do millet or sorghum? That should work.
these look fantastic, i love how they are cut into long strips… it looks so elegant!
It looks like a have a gigantic [gluten&sugar free] pop tart in the oven! hah!
These look amazing. What happens if the xanthan or guar gum is omitted? I’m not familiar with butter substitute products: would something like applesauce and flaxseed be good enough? I feel like I’m learning in chemistry class all over again.
I know what you mean! In this dough and the way the recipe is prepared, I am afraid the the dough might fall apart without any gum however if you feel like expiramenting then I decrease the rice flour to one cup and double the amount of tapioca starch, that should do it. It is also a very simple dough – not sure if it would work properly with applesauce and flax but again, you could try. Earth Balance is the butter substitute I prefer, I get the soyfree kind. It is available at most natural foods stores and now it is even in my regular grocery store. Let me know if you try any of these alterations and if so how they turn out. xo, c
Thank you so much for this info. Once I was diagnosed by my rheumatologist and then put on this diet by my pain management doctor, I felt like I had been dropped on another planet. I really appreciate how you make this all so accessible.
Ah, that’s so niice. I wish you all the luck with the transition and hope you reap the rewards of better health!