Vegan Oaty Cookies

These cookies may just be a game changer. I've made quite a few variations on vegan cookies and these are definitely one of my favourites. 

For starters - they only take 5 ingredients and are insanely easy to make - now this is pretty good in its self when it comes to cookie recipes. Perfect for a quick batch on a Sunday night.

The base is super tasty on it's own and will make a chewy vegan cookie that is free from refined sugar, dairy and wheat! You can then add in whatever extras you fancy to make them even more delicious. In this batch I added in dark chocolate chips and chopped pecan nuts but they would be out of this world good with some raisins/sultanas, a little cinnamon and some more nuts for a bit of crunch. 

Simple, natural and delicious - with only the goodness of oats, nuts, dates and a banana. 
They're a game changer all right.

vegan, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free

Ingredients:
1 cup Dates (soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and then drained)
1 medium ripe banana
2 Tbsp natural almond butter or peanut butter
3/4 cup ground almonds (almond meal) + 2 tbsp
3/4 cup gluten free oats + 2 tbsp

Extras
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips/cacao nibs
1/2 chopped pecan nuts
Sea Salt

Makes roughly a dozen cookies

To Make:

• Pre heat your oven to 180C and line a cookie sheet/baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Add the dates to a food processor and pulse until it comes together in a slightly chunky paste.
• Add the banana and nut butter and mix again until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Next add the ground almonds and oats and pulse until a sticky dough is formed.
• Transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl and add in the choc chips and chopped nuts. If your dough is really sticky at this point you can also add in another tbsp or 2 of oats and/or ground almonds.
• Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Remove your dough from the fridge and drop 1 tbsp amounts onto your prepared baking sheet. The cookies won't spread in cooking so can be placed pretty close together.
• Press down on the dough balls slightly with a fork and sprinkle a small amount of sea salt onto each.
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a little firm to the touch. 
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. They will slightly soft and gooey now, but they will firm up slightly in cooling and become more chewy.
• Store in an airtight container for several days.