Vegan Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies

Local apple season is now here!  I am excited about visiting the apple orchards, walking the rows of trees, and getting some of my favorite varieties.  I haven't gotten a chance to do that yet, but I was able to pick up some Honey Crisp apples, my favorite kind at the store I work in.  They are amazing, the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and they were developed at the University of Minnesota so they are a local apple.  There is nothing like biting into one of those, or making a delicious apple pie with them.  I dried some of them to make apple chips last week, and I decided that some of them needed to be used in a recipe.  Of course you can buy apple chips at the store, but home made are so much better especially when made with flavorful apples like the Honey Crisp.  If you want to make them, all you need to do is slice the apples thinly and dehydrate them at 115F for about 20 hours until completely dry.  They make a wonderful snack!

So back to this recipe I made with them.  I decided it was a good day to bake oatmeal cookies.  They remind me of fall and cross country races since that is what I always made for my team gatherings to share.  They were always a hit!  My Mom always said oatmeal cookies are healthier because they come with fiber so that always justified enjoying them after races.  For the ones I made this week, I added the dried apples, crunchy walnuts, and a hint of spice.  The dough tasted amazing (yes, that counts, it is the best part besides the warm ones right out of the oven) and I could not stop sampling it.  They smelled amazing while baking, the aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and something sweet baking filling my kitchen and home.

Once cool enough to sample, I dove in, and they were wonderful!  They were crispy on the outside, soft in the middle just as they should be with chewy apples and crunchy walnuts throughout and of course that aromatic spice mix.  They taste just like fall, reminding me of lazy Fall Saturdays when I was younger.  I know it is technically not Fall yet, but as far as I am concerned it is fall.  The weather is starting to cool down, it is September, and I am ready for cute fall sweaters and crisp mornings.  These are the perfect thing to kick off the season with!

Vegan Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
• 1/2 cup raw pecan butter (or almond butter)
• 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
• 2 flax eggs*
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 cups dried apples, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, pecan butter and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
2. Mix in the flour, spices, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add pecans and apples and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not overbaked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.