Strawberry Chia Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

Add applesauce, strawberries, non-dairy milk, and vanilla to a blender. Purée until thoroughly blended, (about 5–10 seconds), then set aside.

Grab a large bowl and add oats, coconut flour (or almond meal), flax, chia seeds, oat bran, and maybe a little cinnamon if you’d like, too. Stir well for 30 seconds or so to fully incorporate everything together.

Add the blended mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients, and stir everything together with a spatula until you get a thick dough. Let this sit for 10 minutes to thicken up properly.

Preheat oven to 350ºF while you wait on the dough to thicken up. Line a cookie sheet or pan with parchment paper, or you can use a Silpat baking sheet.

When the cookie mixture has set for 10 minutes, divide the cookie mixture onto the pan into 2-inch circles. (I like to use a spoon to scoop the dough and shape it with my hands. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but be sure the dough is evenly spread out and shaped like circles as best as possible.) If you’d like to add some nuts for a topping, place 1 or 2 of your favorite nuts in the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 20 minutes at 350ºF. Remove the pan from the oven, set it on the counter, and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing them.

Serve or store for future enjoyment. These keep wonderfully in the fridge for a week or are also very freezer-friendly! I like to store them in the freezer in a large resealable container and separate the layers with wax paper so they don’t freeze together.