Vegan Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cocoa Nib Walnut Cookies

When I was in culinary school, I ate a lot of refined flours and sugars. Croissants. Cakes. Cookies. Bread. Tarts. Pastries galore.

By the time I was through with my first semester, I had gained 10 pounds and I didn’t feel so great.

I decided from that moment on that I was going to try to make vegan gluten free desserts that tasted so great, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them and their dairy and gluten filled affiliates (I also decided to eat healthier too, but that part of the story is for another day). This is not to say that somehow vegan gluten free desserts are healthier – in most cases, they aren’t. I just wanted an alternative to eggs, dairy, gluten, and refined flours and sugars.

With a little help from my BabyCakes cookbook, I created this recipe for vegan, gluten free oatmeal, chocolate chip, cocoa nib and walnut cookies. They haven’t met a taste bud that didn’t love them, so I highly recommend you put them to the test and see for yourself.

Here is what you will need:

1/2-1 cup gluten free oats (err on the side of “more” if you like oats, less if you don’t)
1 1/4 cup vegan sugar
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/4 cup Gluten Free all purpose baking flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons vanilla
7 heaping tablespoons apple sauce
1/2 cup walnuts (halves and pieces)
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F.

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and ground flax meal.
  2. Add in the melted coconut oil, vanilla, and applesauce and mix together with a spatula, making sure it’s all incorporated.
  3. Now add your walnuts, cocoa nibs and chocolate chips, again, mixing it all together with a spatula, ensuring all is incorporated.
  4. Scoop out cookie dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 325F for 8 minutes, and then rotate the cookies in the oven, and bake for another 7-8 minutes or until golden brown along the edges.
  5. Take them out and let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes on the pan. Once they are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 48 cookies.

Enjoy!