- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 24 Cookies
- Serving size: 2 cookies
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I call these “lunchbox” cookies because they hold up well to being knocked about a bit and because you’re definitely going to want one of these for an afternoon treat. Even though they are soft-baked, they are not cake-like at all (as lower-fat cookies tend to be). Almond butter is the perfect secret ingredient! It gives the cookies great texture while providing a yummy flavor people won’t quite be able to put their finger on.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- ½ cup dry sweetener*
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sorghum flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.
- In a large bowl, use a strong fork to beat together the applesauce, almond butter, dry sweetener, and flaxseeds. Once relatively smooth, mix in the vanilla. (Editor's Note: Dry sweetener means any non-liquid sugar that is not made with animal byproducts (table sugar in America often is). You can use vegan cane sugar, date sugar, and maple sugar.)
- Add in the oat flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
- Add the sorghum flour and chocolate chips and mix well.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets in about 1½-tablespoon scoops, about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies a bit, so that they resemble thick discs (they won’t spread much at all during baking).
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The longer you bake them, the crispier they will be.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (2 cookies): 144 calories, 17 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g protein, 7.4 g total fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 144 mg sodium, 2.3 g fiber, 5.9 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
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Comments (50)
(5 from 28 votes)Calorie count is a little difficult to tell off the serving size. Usually this makes about 10 cookies. Plugged this into cronometer and its about 214 cals per cookie.
So so good. I subbed date paste for the dry sweetener. They turned out delicious.
I've been baking these since the first cookbook came out. I substitute wheat germ for flax seed, and use Tuvia (blend of cane and stevia) as a dry sweetener. I have also tossed in some hemp seed. Healthy enough, in my opinion, to eat for breakfast :) It only takes one to feel satisfied.
Is unsweetened applesauce sauce the same as stewed apples?
Hi Alex! If the stewed apples were cooked without added sugar, which is easy to do, then yes it is.
Are these going to fool anyone into believing they aren't a healthier option? No. Would a non WFPB person still enjoy them? I think most would. I really liked them. I used peanut butter as I didn't have almond butter, and date paste for my sweetener.
My favorite cookie recipe. So soft. Exactly how a chocolate chip cookie should be. Try them!
These are delicious. One of the best 'whole food' cookie recipes I've found. I used date sugar and found the mix by dry, so I had to add a bit of soy milk. I think I could use date syrup next time instead, as more moisture was needed anyway. I'm also going to try them with just whole wheat pastry flour and see how they are. I think I digest wheat better than oats.
This recipe is AWESOME!! I put in a little extra applesauce, probably a half cup. And baked for 8 minutes. I'm in love....so good.
These are so good! I didn't have any sorghum/ whole wheat pastry flour so I just made up for it with more oat flour. They are absolutely delicious. I made 15 larger cookies and baked for 10 min. Perfect!
These are so good! I substituted cashew butter for the almond butter and only used half of the sugar and used coconut sugar instead.
After many plant based cookie recipes- these are my favorite!
It's delicious, everyone even the kids liked it. They taste like Chips Ahoy chewy cookies, but healthier. Its easy and quick to make. I used monkfruit sweetener, and gluten-free flour instead of sorghum flour. Still great. Next time ill try it with maple syrup.
So yummy, and they come together quickly! I didn’t have almond butter so I just used peanut butter, and I subbed sprouted spelt flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. I also wanted a healthier sugar alternative, so I used 2/3 cup homemade date paste (1 part dates to 1 part water in a high speed blender) in place of the dry sugar. The cookies came out perfect, definitely will satisfy any sweet tooth!
I subbed whole wheat flour for oat flour and didn't much like the final texture. Powdered oats would be a good option though, I've baked with it before.
This is my first time to make these cookies. I made the recipe exactly, except I used all oat flour. The dough was delicious, so I only got only 20 cookies.
Question: I’m a newbie to WFPB. Any other flours that can be used besides oat and wheat? All sorghum maybe? (Tho’ I’m not familiar with that flour.) We have some food intolerances here, unfortunately. Any info would be appreciated.
Hi Trish, We have a whole-grain flour guide that you might find useful. Check it out here: https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/types-whole-grain-flour-guide-whole-wheat-flours/
These were great! I used date sugar to sweeten and all oat flour. The batter was a little dry so I had to add a tiny bit of water to get it to come together.
Is coconut sugar OK to use?
Fantastic and appeases my sweet tooth! I do use 1/2 cup of almond butter and a little extra applesauce. It makes it easier to work the dough, so it's not so hard to mix. Thanks for this great recipe.
I made these cookies but substituted chopped dates and chopped walnuts in place of the chocolate chips and raisins. These are now our most favorite cookies ever. Thanks for the recipes.
There’s an asterisk next to the 1/2 cup dry sweetener. What does this refer to?
Hi @Denise - The asterisk refers to the Editor's Note in Step 2 of the instructions.
Is it possible to add the measurements in grams, please. In Germany we do not use cups… Thank you
Any idea of calorie count for these?
Awful
These were amazing! I ate them all myself in less than 24 hours. (Perhaps I shouldn’t admit that) Of course they didn’t taste quite the same as your sugar and oil packed cookies, but they were still super good and moist. I will definitely make them again.
Having a difficult time finding the grain sweetened chips. Anyone have suggestions?
Large supermarkets like Shop Rite, Wegmans , and Amazon carry Enjoy Life chips and chunks.
My family loves these cookies! They are great with a cup of tea or coffee, in a lunchbox, or on a road trip (or plane trip!) we mix it up by subbing raisins for the chocolate chips, or craisins and vegan white chips.
They have been discontinued.
What can you use instead of applesauce and or Apple cider for substitute?
mashed banana- use a little less, like 1/2 a cup... if you’re going to get into vegan baking - get a few packs of those single serve applesauces...... it’s in almost everything, especially oil free recipes as it is a sub for oil.
Yummy! My 9 and 11 year old love these. I often sub a spelt/whole wheat flour blend (when I am out of oat flour) which works really well, too. I smoosh them down a bit before baking, because I like the little crispy edges :) . They definitely travel well.
why use oat flour and sorghum flour instead of all purpose flour, is it because it's overly processed?
Hi Christine, we use whole grain flours whenever possible because it's more nutritious. Plus, using oat or sorghum flour is friendlier for gluten-free readers :) You could replace it with more whole wheat pastry flour if you would like!
Has anyone froze these? Cooked or raw? Did they hold up?
Hi! I usually make a double batched dough, bake them all, then freeze most of them. My family likes them from the freezer (lunch bags/car snacks). They do usually lose the crispy edges after thawing completely. Everyone has different tastes, of course, but it’s worth freezing a few to test :) . I have not frozen the dough.
These are our families go to cookies for outings and picnics! They are an amazing treat and hold up great!
I made them using an erythritol and monkfruit sweetener (measures like sugar) and added egg replacer (vegan) and left out flaxseeds. DELICIOUS!
My daughter loves these with sunflower seed butter and always refers to them as the “green cookies”. The nut-free option also allows her to take them to school and she has fun showing her “green cookies” to her friends.
Ah, I used sunflower seed butter too. The day after making them, they are green inside. It is so weird. Thank you for saying something about it. I thought it couldn't be mold as they were made less than 24 hrs and I live in the desert.
Thank you. Our question is if you have made without the sweetener? We ard sos free, and have not even used maple syrup or date paste. Just curious how they come out if we were to omit it ? Thanks for your thoughts
Thank you. Our question is if you have made without the sweetener? We ard sos free, and have not even used maple syrup or date paste. Just curious how they come out if we were to omit it ? Thanks for your thoughts
I’ve made these over and over again. You can use any nut butter including peanut butter or cashew butter. You can also Substitute Raisins our other dried fruits. I also add a bit of cinnamon and a pumpkin pie spice it makes them a little more autumnal.
This is my go-to recipe. I use sunflower butter to make them nut free- the flavor is amazing but the sunflower butter and baking soda cause this crazy reaction that turn the cookies bright green in the center- it's great for St. Patrick's day.
I make this almost every week, so easy and perfect with a cup of coffee. Only problem is trying not to eat the whole batch :/
Been making this recipe for years! I use all oat flour (literally, I blend oatmeal in the blender), and add a bit more peanut butter than the recipe calls for—1/2 to 3/4 C. If I need to thin the mixture, I’ll add 1-2 T. of almond milk. Delicious recipe!!!
Thank you for your comment! I made my own oat flour like you suggested and WOW these did not disappoint! This will be a treasured recipe!