Dairy Free Oatmeal Cookies

I made a delicious batch of dairy free and gluten free cookies the other week. They used pumpkin puree to make a lovely chewy cookie, but with very little fat and refined sugar (it used pureed dates and some maple syrup). No photos because they all got gobbled up (but the recipe is here if you're interested).

 They were so easy to make, I had to make some more! These are oatmeal cookies with cranberries and macadamias. My little boy loves them, and I feel a lot less guilty letting him munch on one of these than I do when he stuffs a packet of little teddies in his mouth (especially since he is going through a very picky stage and won't eat much of anything). The best thing is you can start with the basic oatmeal mixture and add whatever extra goodies you like, such as chocolate chips, nuts, seeds or any dried fruit. They keep for at least a week in an airtight container, or you can freeze them for later. I think the next batch will be apricot and almond.


Basic Oatmeal Cookies (Dairy Free)

Dry Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup of yummy bits (coconut, dried fruit, chopped nuts, choc chips or seeds, or any combination)

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup maple syrup
60ml light vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180∘C, and like a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Mix well to break up any lumps of brown sugar. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients, then add to the dry mix. Stir until just combined. Drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking tray. Allow space between for the cookies to spread. Bake for 15-20minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a rack. Makes approximately 16 large cookies.