Tahini Oatmeal Cookies {Vegan}

For the past few years, my approach to baking has changed. I avoid refined sugars, many of the baked goods I make are now free of eggs and dairy, and sometimes they are free of wheat flour as well. Cookies are one such example, and because a good store-bought cookie is hard to find — they are almost always too sweet for my more savory tastes, and include ingredients I don't often know how to pronounce or identify — I always make my own cookies when I have a craving.

And craving a good oatmeal cookie, I came up with this recipe that comes together in hardly anytime at all. Somewhat modified and adapted from my recipe for tahini oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, they are eggless, flourless, and no additional oil or butter is needed either due to the addition of tahini. I'm made these twice in the past few weeks, with some adjustments the second time around. These cookies have a nice chewy texture, with a slightly nutty flavor from the addition of almond flour and tahini, and are rather like a chewy granola bar. I wanted the oats to shine, but for variation, fold some dark chocolate chunks, raisins or chopped nuts into the batter.

Tahini Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on February 18, 2020 Simple, moist and chewy homemade oatmeal cookies made with tahini and almond flour — egg free, dairy free, and gluten free Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 13 to 15 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup tahini 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup almond flour + more as needed 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup rolled oats Instructions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix together the tahini, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold in the oats. The batter should be fairly stiff. If it seems too moist, add a bit more almond flour. Spoon the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2-inches apart. With moist hands, flatten and shape the dough. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown. Remove from the oven, and let sit on the sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a covered container for 3 to 5 days at room temperature, or longer in the refrigerator. Makes 12 cookies

Other vegan friendly cookies to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Quick and Easy Tahini Ginger Cookies
Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Audio accompaniment: Alessandro Cortini - Scappa