“Everything but the Kitchen Sink” Vegan Gluten-free Oatmeal Banana Cookies

“C is for cookie….that’s good enough for me!” So says my favourite Sesame Street character.

But not all cookies are created equal, that’s for sure. There are delicate, melt-in-your mouth shortbread, fruity thumbprint cookies and then there are the cookies that you don’t want to fuss over because you just want to make them lickety-split. These won’t be the pretty show-stopper cookies on a dessert tray, but rather naturally-formed rustic cookies. No rolling, cutting or icing needed (because that just delays eating time!)

“Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Banana Oatmeal Cookies

After coming back from a working trip with a deadline to meet at the end of this weekend, I was treated to some oatmeal cookies jam-packed with goodness which my sister had made. Unfortunately, I ate the last two in the batch. Perhaps fuelled by procrastination more than hunger, I was inspired to recreate my own gluten-free, vegan version to have a few nibbles this weekend and to bring for my dad on Father’s Day. What better gift is there than the gift of a healthy and tasty treat?

This recipe is adapted from Edible Perspective. I made some slight changes to the flours used and instead of walnuts I used mixed seeds. Feel free to sub in whatever ingredients you prefer: cranberries, goji berries, cacao nibs, dried cherries….honestly the possibilities are endless! These make excellent cookies to pack for a hike or a day trip since they’re hearty and robust. They make a great gift for Dads too. 🙂

“Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Oatmeal Banana Cookies (Vegan and Gluten Free) (makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup quinoa flour
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkinseed, sesame)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 banana, mashed
  
• 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted + warm
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix all wet ingredients (banana, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla) together in a small bowl.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well, ensuring there are no dry parts to the batter. The batter will be very thick. Don’t panic!
5. Let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll batter into 1.5″ balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten with your palm. You will need two cookie sheets, or you could bake them in two separate batches.
7. Bake for 12 minutes and rotate and switch cookie sheets halfway during baking.
8. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 20 minutes as they will be fragile when hot.
9. Enjoy!

“Everything But the Kitchen Sink” cookies -truefoodlove