After trying Delcie desserts, I was itching to make my own vegan friendly cookies. I decided to make oatmeal cookies as I had a big packet of oatmeal left in the house.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Savvy Vegetarian

Ingredients
FYI, if you want these to be 100% vegan, make sure you check the packaging on the sugar and chocolate chips – they will be specifically labeled as vegan.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (use half whole wheat pastry if you prefer and I used 1 cup of plain flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
I also added an egg substitute (1 tbsp of flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp of water)
2 cups quick oats (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup vegan spread, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed (I used 1/2 cup as I prefer less sugar in my cookies)
1/2 cup soy milk (I used unsweetened oat milk)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional and I did not add this)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and quick oats

Cream the vegan spread with the sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the milk, lemon juice and vanilla.

Mix dry ingredients with the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut.

Scoop cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 -12 minutes, just until brown around the edges – don’t over bake, or they’ll be tough instead of tender.

Remove from oven, and transfer to cooling racks using a spatula.

My cookies turned out better than I thought. Although I wished it was crunchier but the dark chocolates added the extra sweetness to compensate for less brown sugar. It tasted really healthy and somehow I think it was better after 15 minutes as I prefer my cookies more browned and crunchy. I am definitely going to try more baking recipes and hopefully one day master them well!

Other than making the cookies, the fun part today was using flaxseed meal for the first time. I’ve been finding out what is the best substitute to eggs and most vegan blogs swears by this easy recipe of using 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal to 3 tbsp of water for 1 egg. I also found out 3 awesome benefits of using flaxseed in our diet.

Flax Seed is Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are a key force against inflammation in our bodies. Mounting evidence shows that inflammation plays a part in many chronic diseases including heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and even some cancers. This inflammation is enhanced by having too little Omega-3 intake (such as in fish, flax, and walnuts), especially in relation to Omega-6 fatty acid intake (in oils such as soy and corn oil). In the quest to equalize the ratio of these two kinds of oils, flax seed can be a real help.

Flax Seed is High in Fiber: You’d be hard-pressed to find a food higher in fiber — both soluble andinsoluble — than flax. This fiber is probably mainly responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects of flax. Fiber in the diet also helps stabilize blood sugar, and, of course, promotes proper functioning of the intestines.

Flax seed is high in phytochemicals, including many antioxidants. It is perhaps our best source of lignans, which convert in our intestines to substances that tend to balance female hormones. There is evidence that lignans may promote fertility, reduce peri-menopausal symptoms, and possibly help prevent breast cancer. In addition, lignans may help prevent Type 2 diabetes.