Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (Chocolate Chip or Raisin)
I took a poll last week on Instagram and asked everyone whether they wanted oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookies. Although chocolate chip won by a whopping 74% (no surprise there), I was craving oatmeal raisin.
So, I spent a few days in my kitchen whipping up the perfect recipe that would cater to both sides. The cookie dough base is made with 7 wholesome ingredients, and 1-2 additional ingredients when you customize your cookies with chocolate chips, or raisins and cinnamon.
What’s Inside?
Almond Butter (or Applesauce) – This is my choice of a healthy fat source as opposed to using processed oil. Nutty fats keep the cookies crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can also use a neutral-flavored nut butter, such as cashew or sunflower. Applesauce is a low-fat alternative.
Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener adds moisture to the recipe. I love using maple syrup as a healthy replacement for refined-sugar because it contains important minerals including zinc, manganese, potassium, and calcium. You can substitute with a liquid sweetener such as agave or date syrup, although I haven’t tried it myself.
Vanilla Extract – A tiny ingredient that makes a huge difference in the taste of the cookies. I’ve tested a batch of chocolate chip cookies with almond extract too…just trust me on this.
Sea Salt – Just a little pinch of sea salt adds a balancing and enriching flavor.
Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats provides a hearty texture. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
Oat Flour – This is my preferred choice when it comes to gluten-free baking. You don’t need to buy fancy packaged oat flour. To make your own flour, add oats to a blender or food processor and blitz until you have a fine powder (about 15 seconds). Be careful not to over-blend as the oats will get moist and clumpy.
Chocolate Chips – I like Enjoy Life vegan dark morsels, but I can’t find them stocked in stores right now, so I used their semi-sweet mini chips instead. If you’re looking for a refined sugar-free brand, Lily’s offers a vegan dark chocolate option that’s fair-trade and sweetened with stevia. I stopped using it because there is erythritol in it, which I’m fine with, but it upsets Dakota’s stomach.
Raisins – A healthy option if you want to make 100% refined sugar-free cookies.
Cinnamon – I prefer ceylon cinnamon because it has a delicate and slightly sweet taste, but you can use whatever cinnamon you have on hand.
Are You #TeamCrunchy or #TeamChewy?
Aside from the chocolate or cinnamon raisin variations, you can also choose between a crunchy or chewy cookie texture.
Almond butter = crunchy cookie. The runnier the almond butter, the crunchier your edges will be. I like to pull them out of the oven around 9 minutes as I like them slightly chewy on the inside, but you can bake them for the full 12 minutes if you want an extra crispy cookie. These taste the best on the first day and soften up just right on the second day.
Applesauce = chewy cookie. This is a low-fat option for those of you who crave a soft interior. The cookies lose their contrast on the next day, so they are best enjoyed on the first day.
Before you slap on your apron, here are a few pro tips for baking the perfect cookies:
Your almond butter needs to be runny. Do not, I repeat, do NOT use chunky hard butter from the bottom of the jar.
Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper for easy clean-up and evenly-baked cookies.
These cookies aren’t super sweet as the chocolate chips/raisins add sweetness. I fully support your decision to add extra maple syrup, chocolate chips, or raisins to your liking.
So what’s it going to be? Chocolate chips or raisins? Crunchy or chewy?
VEGAN OATMEAL COOKIES (CHOCOLATE CHIP OR RAISIN)
Ingredients
1/2 cup (130g) almond butter (unsalted) *see notes for substitutes
1/4 cup (95g) pure maple syrup
1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
1 tsp (7g) baking soda
1 tsp (3g) cinnamon (only if making cinnamon raisin flavor)
1 pinch (1g) sea salt
3/4 cup (80g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (60g) oat flour
1/4 cup (40g) vegan chocolate chips or raisins
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the almond butter (or applesauce), maple syrup, vanilla, sea salt, and baking soda until smooth. If you're making cinnamon raisin cookies, add cinnamon.
Add the oats and oat flour. Using a spatula, fold to combine, and make sure oats are evenly coated in mixture.
Fold in the chocolate chips or raisins.
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Press lightly to flatten and mold them into a circular shape (they won't spread too much when baking).
Bake for 8-12 minutes, until tops are golden brown and edges look slightly crisp. When in doubt, take them out of the oven early as they will continue to bake for a few minutes afterwards. Cool for 10 minutes before eating.
Recipe Notes
*For a low-fat variation, substitute the almond butter with 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce and add an extra 1/2 cup (60g) oat flour (for a total of 1 cup/120g oat flour in the entire recipe).
*Substitute almond butter with any other nut or seed butter.
Recipe is inspired by Rip and Jane Esselstyn’s Engine 2 Cookbook.
Ingrédients
130 g de beurre d'amande *consultez les notes pour les remplaçants
95 ml de sirop d'érable pur
1 c. à c. (5g) d’extrait de vanille
1 c. à c. (7g) de bicarbonate de soude
1 c. à c. (3g) de cannelle en poudre (seulement pour les cookies aux raisins sec)
1 pincée de sel de mer
80 g de flocons d'avoine
60 g de farine d'avoine **
40 g de végétaliens pépites de chocolat ou raisins sec
Instructions
Préchauffez le four à 180°C.
Mélangez le beurre d’amande, le sirop d'érable pur, l’extrait de vanille, le bicarbonate de soude, et le sel de mer. Si vous faites les cookies aux raisins sec, ajoutez la cannelle en poudre. *Note importante : utilisez un beurre d'amande qui possède une texture trés coulante !
Ajoutez les flocons d’avoine et la farine d’avoine. Mélangez bien le tout pour obtenir une pâte épaisse.
Ajoutez ensuite les pépites ou les raisins sec.
Faites des petites boules de pâte et disposez les sur une plaque de cuisson recouverte de tapis de cuisson en silicone ou papier sulfurisé. Légèrement avec les mains pour les aplatir (ils ne se répandront pas assez dans la poêle lorsque vous les ferez cuire).
Enfournez 8-12 minutes environ, pas plus, car ils continuent de cuire à la sortie du four. Refroidir 10 minutes avant de manger.
Notes de recette
*Pour un choix à faible teneur en gras, vous pouvez remplacer le beurre d’amande par 60g de compote de pommes et ajoutez 60g de farine d’avoine (pour un total de 120g de farine d’avoine dans la recette compléte).
*Vous pouvez utiliser vos beurre de noix ou de graines préférés.
**Comment faire de la farine d’avoine : « La procédure est d’une grande simplicité. Il vous suffit de moudre les grains dans votre mixeur. Mixez par périodes de trente secondes afin de ne pas dénaturer votre produit. »