Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed meal with water to make the flax egg and let it sit for about 10 minutes to thicken. Place the pitted dates in hot water and let them soak for 1 hour; this will soften them for the caramel sauce later. I always like to get these simple preparations done first, it makes the recipe flow more smoothly.

In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, baking soda, apple pie spice mix, and sea salt. Mix well and set the bowl aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the plant-based unsalted butter and monkfruit sweetener with a hand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the protein shake and the thickened flax egg (from Step 1) to the bowl, stirring well to combine.

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture (from Step 2) to the wet ingredients (from Step 3), mixing gently with a silicone spatula until just combined. Fold in the crushed dried apple chips, saving a few tablespoons for later topping. I love using my hands at this point to ensure the dough isn’t over-mixed and stays tender.

Scoop out 2 tablespoons of cookie dough at a time and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing each mound about 2 inches apart. Gently press each dough ball flat with the back of a glass. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 14 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown and the cookies are set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Drain the soaked dates (from Step 1) and add them to a high-speed blender. Add maple syrup, coconut milk beverage, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. For a richer flavor, I sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon too.

Drizzle the freshly blended caramel sauce (from Step 6) over the cooled cookies (from Step 5) and sprinkle with the reserved crushed apple chips. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for later. These are especially delicious the day they’re made—the apple chips stay nice and crisp.