This week I had a request from a local customer who wanted to purchase vegan oatmeal cookies. He said that he has been looking for a vegan oatmeal cookie that would obtain the approval of his children.
The only specification was that they could not have chocolate chips which is normally how his kids prefer oatmeal raisin cookies.
Not wanting to crush his dreams and tell him I actually didn’t have a vegan oatmeal cookie recipe in my ‘baking holster’, I smiled and said, ‘Of course I can make you some oatmeal raisins cookies. No problem!’
I knew I had some work to do. *gulp.
Batch #1 was an excellent attempt, but not quite there yet.
Batch #2 had me hook, line, and sinker.
That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
The Ultimate Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Inspired by Salt Kissed Chunky PB Chocolate Chip Cookies & Vegetarian Times.
Ingredients:
- 1 & 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted
- 2 cups regular oats, divided
- 3/4 cup white Kamut flour (other flours probably work!)
- 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 3.5 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a baking sheet. Place 1.75 cups of walnuts on the baking sheet. Toast walnuts in oven for about 10-12 minutes, until golden in colour. Watch carefully so as not to burn. When walnuts are toasted remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Dump walnuts into food processor and process until just finely ground, no more. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and Sucanat (or brown sugar). Now add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process for about 20-30 seconds until mixed. In a small bowl add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds to soften (if necessary). In the same bowl, stir in the maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla, and pour into food processor. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from processor and dump contents into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of oats by stirring or with hands. Fold in the 2/3 cup of raisins. Take about 2 tbsp of dough, make a ball, and then flatten with fingers. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F and no longer. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 16 large cookies.
This was my first time baking with Kamut flour!
Kamut (pronounced ka-moot) is an ancient whole grain cultivated by the Egyptians in 8,000 B.C.
Like spelt, it may be a healthy alternative for people who are sensitive to wheat products. The benefit of Kamut over spelt flour is that Kamut is much lighter than spelt and won’t weigh the baked goods down. I have been excited to try it out ever since my friend Heather told me about it!
I bought some white Kamut flour and some whole grain Kamut flour. I started with the white Kamut flour first to ‘test the waters’.
After grinding the toasted walnuts and then processing with the dry ingredients…
Next, I processed in the wet ingredients and then folded in the oats and raisins…
=> the most delicious & rich & buttery cookie dough in the world.
Baking for just 10 minutes (not a second longer!) at 350F.
Damn.
The result was the most delicious oatmeal raisin cookie I think I have ever tasted. The toasted walnuts were magnificent and I am so glad I toasted them. The recipe is slightly ‘fussy’ but well worth the effort and it still didn’t take longer than about 35-40 minutes or so.
I have a feeling my customer’s kids will love these cookies.
Eric was silent for a while as he ate one and his eyes went into a far off daze. After snapping him out of it, he said, ‘These are incredible…mmmm…..’ and then he went back into a daze as he ate them.
He hasn’t been the same since.
I’m going to give my customer this batch on the house so he can test them out and see how they all like them.
I also made some mini cookies- just 1 inch in diameter (but they look much bigger in this deceiving picture!)
Mini cookies are fun for lunches when you want just a little something sweet.
Or you can go big or go home. ;)
Food for thought: If you could have one recipe made healthier and/or vegan what would it be?
This looks incredible! I’ve never tried Kamut flour before, but I have had Kamut puff cakes before from Whole Foods and they’re really yummy.
I definitely want to make this recipe now!
I really want to learn how to make healthy lemon bars (usually require sticks of butter) and cinnamon rolls. Please show me the way! :)
Angela those look delicious!!!
I would love to see a healthy version of Banana Cream Pie — but a healthy version that tastes good. :) Or how about a Vegan Better Than Sex Chocolate PB Cake? :)
Angela, those look INCREDIBLE! I made your Pumpkin Scones this week and the famous Carrot Cake Scuffins these evening. Loved them both and I will make them both again :D Although boyfriend said that the Scuffins weren’t sweet enough. He’s a fool!
I would love a healthier creme brulee! It would be so fun to eat for breakfast.
Ohhhhh Angela, my favorite cookie ever! They sound incredible – already have it bookmarked! :)
Martha better watch her back because you are awesome!!! :-) Those cookies look yummy!
I’d love to find a healthier recipe for a really yummy ceasar salad dressing. Crazy, I know!
I just bought spelt flour inspired by your scones this past week, now I shall have to look for Kamut flour too! These look ah-mayyyy-zing.
Oh goodness, these look fabulous. I hope they will work with whole wheat flour!
The one recipe that I would like made healthier (or even vegan, although I am not a vegan) is coconut cream pie. It is seriously one of my favorite treats, but I rarely have it because of how unhealthy most are!
Look delicious like any one of your other cookies!
Lasagna!!! There is a really healthy version in Terry Walter’s Clean Food cookbook, made with (****GASP****) tofu and kale. I have made it and it is DELICIOUS and not weird at all!
Awesome job!
Hmm..I’ve never seen a healthified vegan version of those chocolate dessert/cakes, where they look like cake but when you cut them in half, all sauce and goo comes out :)
Wow those cookies look amazing! I made oatmeal choc-nut cookies yesterday (but not vegan ones just plain ole veggie ones!). I will be trying these at some point for sure!
I have tried to “healthify” brownies, eg subbing the butter for apple sauce and using less sugar, but I find it hard still keeping the balance of liquid and dry ingredients.
:)
Those cookies look amazing!
There’s just no stopping you in the kitchen! ;)
This look awesome! You sure do know how to make a cookie ;)
I love vegan cookies. It gives me an excuse to eat dessert. Its healthy, duh!
These look fantastic and my husband LOVES oatmeal cookies so I’ll have to make these tonight. Looks like you left the raisins out of the recipe. Is there a specific amount I should toss in or is it just to taste?
They do look delicious but do you ever have concerns about posting these recipes online? I mean, you said you were going to give the customer this batch for free, but surely now he can make them himself anyways!?
– CJ
Not really :) I find that most of my customers want the convenience of being able to purchase their baked goods due to their busy lifestyles.
Wow those look gorgeous!! If I could make 1 recipie healthier and vegan it would definately be baklava. My grandma always makes it, but its loaded with butter. Oh how I miss it so :-(
Looks yummy….
What would be another substitute for Oats? I have allergies and on the band list is gluten and that includes oats.