Vegan Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies

Amazing chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies without eggs and butter? Oh yeah! These tasty treats are sure to satisfy anyone’s craving for a decadent treat. They will never know that they are actually good for you!

The key to getting the right texture and hold without eggs is in using ground flax whipped into water. It becomes thick and gelatinous, similar to egg yolks. And you get the added bonus of all the health benefits of flax seeds. They are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, fiber and antioxidants.

These cookies, when they are baked according to the instructions below, are crisp on the outside yet moist and chewy on the inside. Just the way my cookie monster husband likes them!

Vegan Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed*
6 Tbs. water
1 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat or barley flour*
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup nuts of your choice, chopped (optional)
3 cups rolled oats
1 to 1 ½ cups non-dairy chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two cookie sheets by spraying them with non-stick spray or lining them with parchment paper (definitely my choice!).

Place the flax seed and water in a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium with a hand mixer until it becomes gelatinous and thick. Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla and cream together until it is well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients minus the rolled oats and mix well.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until it is well blended and smooth. Stir in the nuts (optional), rolled oats and then the chocolate chips.

Using a 1 ½ Tbs. cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop mix and place about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten dough slightly, then place in oven and bake for 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool or enjoy them while they are warm and gooey!

*A note about flax seed and other grains and nuts: Whenever a recipe calls for ground seeds, nuts or grains (flour), you will get the most nutritional value out of them if you grind them fresh just as you need them. So I keep a coffee grinder just for flaxseed so I can quickly grind as much as I need. I use my Vita-Mix to grind fresh whole wheat, almond, rice barley or oat flours. It’s amazing the difference in moisture and flavor when you use freshly ground!