These roasted strawberry oatmeal cookies with sliced almonds are plant-based. No butter, no eggs, no problem!
Sometimes you just want a cookie for breakfast. A cookie or two to enjoy with your morning coffee or tea. A cookie that you feel good about eating. These roasted strawberry oatmeal cookies ARE those cookies.
I’ve always been drawn to the science of baking. Why does baking soda do? Why is it necessary to let yeasted doughs rest?
Classically trained in baking and pastries, I am very good friends with butter, sugar, and eggs. These are staples in my kitchen.
Recently, I’ve become interested in vegan baking. I welcome the challenge of eliminating dairy and animal based products.
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
First up in my vegan baking adventures- these oatmeal cookies.
Standard cookies are made by creaming together butter and sugar. Eggs are added in, followed by flour. What do we use in place of butter and eggs?
Butter is easy- simply sub in coconut oil.
How do you replace eggs in vegan baking?
This is where things get tricky. Eggs serve many purposes. They act as a binder or emulsifier thanks to the lecithin in egg yolks. Whipped egg whites add volume and protein.
There are several plant-based options for egg replacements depending on it’s purpose in the recipe:
- mashed banana
- unsweetened applesauce
- ground flaxseeds
- chia seeds
- silken tofu
For this cookie recipe, I used a combination of applesauce and ground flaxseed.
How to mix together vegan cookie dough:
Flour, baking soda, and spices get mixed in a large bowl. The wet ingredients (coconut oil, coconut sugar, applesauce, flaxseed, and vanilla) get mixed in another.
The wet ingredients are mixed with the dry. Rolled oats, roasted strawberries, and sliced almonds are folded in. And done!
(This is the kind of cookie dough you can safely eat raw!)
The cookie dough batter is portioned out into 1/4 cup scoops. Using your hands, mold the dough into hamburger like patties.
These strawberry oatmeal cookies will bake up nice and golden brown. They’re soft and chewy, with bits of crunch from the sliced almonds. (Feel free to sub in your favorite nuts.)
Because the roasted strawberries still have moisture, it’s best to keep any leftovers in the fridge. Eat the cookies chilled, warmed to room temperature, or gently reheated in the microwave/toaster oven.
Interested in more vegan desserts? Try these recipes:
- Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with whipped coconut cream
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (can be used to make a chocolate chip version!)
- Purple Sweet Potato Pie Bars
Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 5 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons dark maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup rolled oats (old fashioned oats)
- 8 oz roasted strawberries (recipe follows)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Roasted Strawberries:
- 8 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, applesauce, ground flaxseed, and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Fold in rolled oats, roasted strawberries, and sliced almonds until evenly distributed.
- Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to portion out the dough. Use your hands to form round patties, about ½-inch in thickness. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow cookies to slightly cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Enjoy cookies warm or at room temperature.
Roasted Strawberries:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Toss strawberries in sugar. Spread into an even layer on baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes until strawberries have softened and expelled juices. Cool. Transfer to an airtight container and keep stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These cookies are seriously amazing. I loved the flavor of these cookies. Sweet and moist and just what an oatmeal cookie should be. I added a tablespoon extra of oats and found that they spread just the right amount without being too thin or thick. I did use fresh strawberries, so maybe that helped. My husband thought they were a little dry. Turned out that just meant that I ate the whole batch myself!
As someone who is dairy intolerant it’s really hard to find recipes that are a good substitute, going to try this at the weekend, looks ideal for me!