Yummy Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies TERRIFIC!

I made another of Chandra's cookie recipes tonight! This recipe is from her book,  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. Check it out, if you haven't already. It rocks!

I used 50/50 whole wheat and unbleached flours. And I used vanilla flavored almond milk for the nondairy milk. Finally, since I was out of dried fruit (drats!), I didn't add the cherries. All else was the same as the recipe below, however.

The result? A sweet treat!

Fresh out of the oven, very cake-like in the center and crispy on the edges. Several hours later, more cake like. The oats give it a heavier, chewy feel (like oatmeal raisin cookies).

Totally will bake them again!!!

CHOCOLATE FUDGY OATMEAL COOKIES

Add oatmeal to almost anything and suddenly it's healthy! These cookies are chocolaty and fudgy, yet seem a perfectly acceptable afternoon pick-me-up with a dose of everybody's favorite whole grain. Dried cherries or raisins give them a grown-up touch, but if you're serving dried-fruit-a-phobes, they're just as good without.

Ingredients

2 cups quick-cooking oats 

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 

2/3 cup cocoa powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 

2/3 cup nondairy milk 

2/3 cup canola oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

3/4 cup chocolate chips 

1 cup dried cherries, chopped, or raisins (optional) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, flax seeds, and nondairy milk until smooth. Add the oil and the vanilla and almond extract and beat until well mixed. Fold in half of the flour mixture to moisten, then fold in the remaining half. Just before the mixture is completely combined, fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries or raisins, if desired.

For each cookie drop 2 generous tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. If desired, flatten slightly with moistened fingers or the moistened back of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are firm and risen. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to complete cooling. Store in a tightly covered container.

Chef Suggestions

Leave the dough unflattened for more chewy cookies or flatten a bit for a firmer texture.

             Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies ~ Vegan Style 

It's so exciting when you find that eggs and dairy are unnecessary to happy, healthy, delicious living! We've been duped for so many years to think otherwise!

These cookies are so tasty! And... there's enough GOOD FOR YOU ingredients in them to make you feel a little better about enjoying more than one! (In fact, good luck to those of you who think you can stop at just one!)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup turbinado sugar/unrefined sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup almond milk (or soy or rice)
4 tsp ground flax seeds
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

3) Beat together "wet ingredients", then add dry ingredients and stir well.

4) Roll teaspoon fulls of dough and press with fork 2" apart on cookie pan, and bake 12-14 minutes until slightly browned at edges. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to complete cooling.

Store loosely covered.

NOTE: When I made these, I didn't "let them rest" for the 5 minutes, as I needed the pans to continue baking more. I let them cool, however, before eating. VERY tasty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!