I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “Cookie” I automatically think, “Yes please!”
You say the words “Breakfast Cookie” and I’m even more excited!
If calling it a “Breakfast Cookie” gives me the excuse to eat it before 8am, I’m all in!
These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are perfect at the dawn of the day, as a midday munchie or for a delicious dessert!
Not only are these cookies magnificent to have in the morning for breakfast, but they also make a magical midday pick-me-up or a delightful dessert!
They’re also Vegan & Gluten free!
So what’s not to love??
(This post contain affiliate links.)
Here’s what you need
Ingredients
2 ½ Cups of Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats
4 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil – melted
4 Tablespoons of ground Flax seeds**
½ Cup Filtered Water**
1/3 Cup of Natural Peanut Butter – room temperature
¾ Cup of Coconut Sugar
¼ Teaspoon of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Optional, but excellent
~1/3 Cup of your favorite Chocolate Chips
(I use semi-sweet or Dark Chocolate!)
-Since I’m usually sharing with my son, and we’re avoiding giving him Sugar as long as possible, I usually skip the Chips. However, when Crunchy Veggie Papa wants these Cookies, he requests them with the Chocolate Chips.
Sometimes, I split the batch in half and do Chocolate Chips ( roughly 5 Tablespoons) in half and none in the other half, or I make two batches and do one with 1/3 Cup of Chocolate Chips and the other without.
Notes & Nuances
**I’ve made these cookies with both Chia Seeds and Flax Seeds as the “Egg substitute” with success, but I favor the Flax as they have a more “rustic” feel.
***Be sure to increase the filtered water to 1 Cup if using Chia Seeds.
Another Note: While this recipe will work and will be absolutely awesome if made immediately after mixing, I find that if I mix everything up and then allow it to “rest” or “hydrate” for a minimum of 30 minutes, but ideally overnight, it allows the Cookies to become fluffier, fuller and quite frankly, fantastic! 🙂
Here’s what you do
Step One: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & preheat your oven to 350°F.
Step Two: Mix the ground Flaxseeds and Filtered Water together in a small bowl, stir thoroughly, and set aside.
This will create your “Flax Egg.” Be sure to allow it to sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
I buy my Flaxseeds whole and ground them myself in my Ninja Food Chopper.
I buy my Flaxseeds whole as opposed to pre-ground because they stay fresher, longer this way.
(Grounding starts the process of the Oil breaking down.)
Step Three: Add two cups of the oats to a blender or food processor, reserving the ½ cup for later, and process until you create an “oat flour.” (I use my Ninja Food Chopper for this as well.)
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Step Four: Combine all of the dry ingredients (the Oat Flour, Coconut Sugar, Sea Salt, remaining ½ cup of unprocessed Oats and Baking Soda) together in a large bowl & whisk together.
Step Five: Melt the Coconut Oil until it’s a liquid, add it to the dry ingredients in the large bowl & stir together.
~Usually, I melt my Coconut Oil in a small pan on the stove, but I’ve seen others melt it in the oven via a silicone cup.
Step Six: Add the “Flax Egg,” Peanut Butter and Vanilla into the large bowl and mix everything together until they are assimilated and it forms a uniform dough.
Step Seven: Fold-in the Chocolate Chips and stir the dough until they’re evenly incorporated.
Step Eight: Allow the mixture to “rest” for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 24 hours before baking.
I set the bowl out on the counter when I wake up in the morning, and they’re usually warmed up enough to be workable.
Step Nine: Scoop the Dough into tablespoon-sized scoops and place them on the Cookie sheet spaced evenly apart.
Step ten: Bake (at 350°F) for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
Step eleven: Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the Cookie sheet, and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Store up to a week in an airtight container, though I doubt they will last that long. 😉
Not lovin’ usin’ your oven?
This recipe works wonderfully as a “no bake” Cookie recipe!
(The beauty of vegan baking is that there are no Raw Eggs, so there’s no risk of Salmonella!!) (Is that even a real thing? Has anyone you know ever gotten sick from snacking on Raw Cookie Dough? Or is this just one of those things that parents make-up so you won’t do it? Like that having the light on the car at night being illegal? Hmmm? 😉 )
~With or without the Chocolate Chips, this recipe works wonderfully & tastes terrific without having to be baked!!
(I may or may not have discovered this after a time or two of devouring more of the dough pre-baked than wound-up in the oven! Seriously, I only wound-up baking about six Cookies the last time!)
~My go-to way of making these mouth-watering-morsals is to mix-up the recipe above, hydrate it in the fridge overnight, and then scoop them into tablespoon sized balls. (Alternatively, you could scoop first and then chill. Either way, they’re awesome!!)
Wondering where you can buy a Ninja Food Chopper of your own?
Click Here to check out the chopper I use on Amazon dot com!
I know you will love these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies just as much as we do!
(In fact, Crunchy Veggie Papa is already hinting at me that I should bake another batch! 🙂 )
~Let me know in the comments below if you like ’em, love ’em, and / or whether you’ve gotten yourself hooked on ’em.
And if you, or someone you know, would consider these Cookies cravable, please be sure to share it on social media & be sure to tag @crunchyveggiemama in your photos on Facebook & Instagram so I can see your Cookie creations! 🙂
You know what they say, sharing is caring, and caring is love! <3
Until Next Time…
Peas, Love, & Peanut Butter,
~Stephanie
