Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So I used to be a baker, right? One of the challenges of this new plant-based diet is figuring out how to reconcile my love for eggs and butter via baked goods with the avoidance of animal products. I’m also not a fan of using manufactured substitutes for a quick fix (who wants things to be that easy? Psht.), so I was on the hunt for a good cookie recipe.

Egg substitutes in baking

Fun fact: you can substitute 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal (ground flax seeds) plus 3 tablespoons for each egg in a baked recipe like cookies or muffins– cakes are a bit different. Same goes for half a banana per egg. Not only will you not notice the difference in taste, you won’t kill anyone with salmonella in the event you don’t cook the goody long enough. Bonus!

Milk substitutes in baking

In many circumstances, you can swap one-for-one with a  non-dairy milk for regular old milk when baking, especially for waffles and things of that nature. I’m personally a fan of Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened almond milk, but I’ve had good success with Stop & Shop’s Nature’s Promise soy milk and rice milk. I’m not so much a fan of coconut milk, but many are. (PS- as Ree a.k.a. Pioneer Woman would say on her blog, Blue Diamond and Stop & Shop have no idea who I am. I just dig their products. Over and out. Amen.)

Now down to business.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from this recipe.

• 3 tablespoons (T) flax meal
• 9 T water (plus more if needed)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon (t) baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 cup veggie oil (still working to find the least amount required… can probably do 3/4 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup chocolate chips (use vegan chips if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 325*.
2. In a mug or small bowl, mix flax meal with 9 T water. Set aside. In 5-10 minutes, it will have an almost egg-white texture.
3. Combine sugars, flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl (mine’s 3 quarts and fits just fine).
4. Stir in oil and flax “eggs” until combined.
5. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips. If the oatmeal or chocolate chips aren’t incorporating well, add a little extra water until it comes together, usually a couple tablespoons or so. Eyeball it!
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet with Silpat mat or parchment paper. Don’t have those? Give it a quick spritz with cooking spray so they don’t stick.
7. Bake about 15 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Try not to eat the whole batch off the sheet, but transfer them over to wire racks to cool.
8. Serve to unsuspecting family members and watch their faces when you tell them the cookies are vegan.  Or just tell them you ran out of eggs and butter and whipped these up out of nowhere.

I have my last batch of these bad boys in the oven right now to bring into work tomorrow for the cookout we have planned. We do a “skeleton holiday” schedule so half the staff gets an extra day added to their long weekend, and the other half gets a day added to a different weekend. My boss is out tomorrow, whereas I get an extra day for the 4th of July. Sweet!

About these ads