Sugar-free Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These (processed) sugar free vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are delicious and very simple to make. Yes there are 14 steps in the recipe but I'm a technical writer so I have to make sure the process is completely and explicitly explained. A normal chef would write this recipe in five steps. (Rolled oats are gluten free unless processed in a facility which also processes glutenous grains like wheat so be sure to check the packaging on your oats if you want to be sure this cookie is gluten free.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dates, packed
• 1 mushed up banana
• 2 Tbsp all natural almond butter or peanut butter
• 3/4 cup nut meal (ground from raw nuts: almonds, pecans, etc.)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• Add-ins: dried fruit, dairy-free chocolate chips, flaxseed, seeds, coconut, nut pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the dates for about an hour in a bowl of warm water.
2. Drain the dates.
3. Chop the dates, drop them in a bowl and mush them up.
   When finished, they should almost (but not quite) be the consistency of a mushed up banana.
4. Speaking of a mushed up banana, add it and the almond butter to the dates and mix until combined.
5. Add the nut meal and rolled oats.
   I grind the nuts in a dedicated coffee bean grinder I use for nuts, flax seeds and the like.
6. Mix the mush until a loose dough is formed.
   It should be wet and sticky. If it feels too wet to form into cookies, add more almond meal and/or oats.
7. Add 1/4 cup of your chosen add-in: dairy-free dark chocolate chips, raisins or nuts.
   I've also added a handful of blueberries or a chopped up pear and neither made the dough any less sticky.
8. Chill the dough for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
9. At 10 minutes, mix the dough and chill it for another 10 minutes.
10. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Scoop out 1 Tbsp amounts of the cookie dough and form into loose discs on the baking sheet.
    They won’t expand so you can pack them close together (but not touching).
12. Bake for 20-35 minutes or until golden brown and somewhat firm to the touch.
    The amount of time is dependent on how thick your cookie scoops are. The thicker they are, the more time in the oven.
13. Remove and let set for a few minutes on the pan, then carefully transfer to a plate or cooling rack to cool. Serve immediately.
14. Store leftovers in an airtight container for several days, or move to the fridge or freezer for longer term storage.

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