First, make the chia jam. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries, maple syrup, and chia seeds. Stir about and squish the berries until you have a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Scrape the jam into a bowl and place the it in the freezer to chill down for about 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, pulse the rolled oats until you have a coarse meal. Then, add the pitted dates, nut/seed butter, vanilla powder, and salt. Pulse until the dates are mostly chopped up. Then run the motor on high until you have a dough-like consistency. Pour some plant-based milk into the feed tube if necessary.
Lay out a large piece of parchment paper and dump the cookie dough mixture out onto it. Place another sheet of parchment on top of your mound of dough and roll the dough out to to an even 1/2 inch thickness with a rolling pin. By carefully lifting a corner of the parchment, transfer the rolled out dough to a large sheet pan, and then slide that sheet pan into the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to firm up.
For the cream, whisk together the coconut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Set aside.
Retrieve the rolled out cookie dough from the freezer and cut it with a round cookie cutter--either a 1 1/4 inch one for smaller cookies or a 2-ish inch one for bigger portions. Re-gather and re-roll the scraps. Place cut out cookies back on the parchment on the sheet pan. Slide the tray back in the freezer.
Fix yourself up a double boiler with a medium saucepan and a non-reactive bowl. Place the vegan chocolate chips and tablespoon of coconut oil in the bowl. Once the water in the saucepan is simmering, stir the chocolate and oil with a spatula until you have a totally smooth/melted chocolate. Remove from the heat.
Get out your cookies and chia jam from the freezer, and place them on the counter. Place 6 (or 12 if you made smaller ones) of the cookies on a wire rack over some parchment/newspaper. Divide the coconut butter cream amongst the 6 cookies. Pat it out with your fingers so that it evenly covers the surface of the cookie. Try to make a little depression in the middle of the cream for the jam. Drop about 1 heaped tablespoon of jam onto the center of the cream. Place another cookie on top of the jam and press lightly to squish the cookie down a bit. Spoon the melted chocolate over the wagon wheels, trying to drip it over the sides as well. Store the finished wagon wheels in the fridge.
Equipment
Food Processor
Recipe Notes
Coconut butter is a product that has the coconut flesh AND oil all smoothed out into a luscious butter-like substance. I buy Nutiva's Coconut Manna.
The dates I used were quite moist. If yours are on the dry side, I would soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes, and then drain them before mixing into the cookie mixture.
Rich and delicious vegan wagon wheels made with chia berry jam, coconut butter, oat and date cookies, and covered in chocolate.