These vegan gluten-free Maamoul are one of my favourite things to eat! They have no added sugar and naturally sweetened only with whole dates. Packed with aromatic flavours like cardamom and cinnamon - if you're never tried Maamoul before, this is your sign to make them!
Start by making the filling – add the dates and water to a pan and cook over a low/medium heat whilst mashing the dates with the back of a wooden spoon. You're looking for a smooth paste that you can roll into balls.
Fold in the sesame seeds, spices and salt, then allow to cool down completely.
In the meantime make the dough by mixing the flour, ground almonds and salt in a large bowl.
Add the coconut oil and milk and mix to form a dough. Divide into 13-14 balls (depending on the side of your Ma'amoul mould).
Divide the date mixture into smaller balls compared to the dough balls, so there's enough of the dough to fold around the date mixture.
Take each dough ball, flatten, place a date ball in the middle, then wrap the dough around the filling.
Press gently into a Maamoul mould, then invert and tap the front edge of the mould onto a hard surface like a kitchen counter to get the cookie out.
If you don't have a mould, simply press down the date filled dough slightly.
Arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
* You can use other types of soft dates. If your dates are on the drier side, you may need to add more water while cooking. ** You can also use plain flour. I haven't tried any other types of flour to make this recipe, so I can't say for sure if any other substitutions will work.