These cookies are a plant-based, gluten-optional and refined-sugar-less variation on another erstwhile restaurant recipe I’ve been milking shamelessly for decades in order to conscript others to my will. They’re addictive in any configuration, and provide substantial evidence that those who equate making more thoughtful choices with privation are suffering from a lamentable lack of creativity. The light saltiness of these cookies balances nicely with the mild sweetness of coconut sugar amped up by a little maple syrup, and the oats give chewy texture. The “milk” adds back a touch of creaminess from the omitted butter.

Granted, this recipe contains more coconut oil than I’ll typically use in a month, but the per-cookie amount isn’t too insane (less than 1.5 tsp), given that it makes at least three dozen. Because coconut oil is more melty than butter, however, the dough may need a little finessing to get it to just the right stiffness. You’ll want to be able to manipulate it and get it on the sheet without making a huge mess all over your hands.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose or 1-to-1* flour
• 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup semisweet dairy free chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut oil**
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 6 T almond or other plant milk
• 2 T flaxseed meal
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal with 6 T almond milk and let it sit for about five minutes to thicken. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl and set aside. Add the oil to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, syrup, and vanilla, creaming it like butter if the oil is more on the solid side (mine tends to stay liquid), then add the flax mixture and blend. Stir in the dry bowl ingredients and mix well. Fold in the oats and chips last. (Don’t panic if it smells like a bottle of flaxseed oil right now, that’ll be tamed by the caramelization process.)

The dough will most likely be too wet and sticky to handle, so you’ll need to stiffen it up in the refrigerator. Chill it for around 45 minutes, or until the oil thickens and gets the dough hard enough to roll around in your hands. Yeah, just like that. Uh huh. That’s nice. Now roll the balls.

While your oven heats to 350 degrees, drop the dough in roughly 1 1/2″ balls at intervals on an ungreased cookie sheet, and press them down into more of a cookie shape – they’ll only spread out maybe 1/2″ more. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookies firm up in the middle and start to brown ever so slightly at the edges. Let them cool and set on the cookie sheet for five minutes or so before loosening them and moving them with a spatula to a rack.

These are great fresh out of the oven, or especially after being refrigerated overnight (I use lined tins) – the lowered temperatures maintain the cohesiveness and chewy texture while keeping the chips pleasantly crunchy. That’s on the off chance that they aren’t all devoured immediately by a horde of your minions, though.

*For gluten free peeps. Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one.