This is a healthier homemade option to the popular Girl Scout cookies. They get their sweetness and fiber boost from dates. The coconut oil isn’t absolutely necessary but it will help your chocolate to harden after cooling.

Coconut Chocolate Cookies

(about 12 cookies)

• 1 cup (95 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted
• Optional: 3-4 drops of pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (75 g) dark chocolate chips
• ½ tsp coconut oil

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the shredded coconut, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.  Remove from the heat. Place the toasted coconut, dates, and optional vanilla into a food processor and pulse until combined. Continue to process until a dough begins to form. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls and place it on the prepared sheet. When all are formed, press the balls with the back of a glass to form a flat cookie. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to become firm. In the meantime, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. Remove the cookies from the freezer and dip them into the chocolate to fully coat the bottom. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the top. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens. These will keep for a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator (if they last that long).