[Note: This post is from 2014. I’m all better now!] Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. My surgery went very well, and I’m up and about and feeling more normal every day. Your emails and messages of support have meant so much to me and are surely speeding up my recovery.
Resting and recuperating gave me an unexpected opportunity to sample other people’s cooking. For the first week post-surgery, friends brought food daily, and it was a great help and comfort not to have to worry about feeding my family. The meals were all vegan, nutritious, and delicious, and I acquired a couple of new recipes that I’ll be making for myself (and sharing with you) soon.
One of the treats we sampled was my friend Stacy’s oatmeal cookies. Made with both ground and unground oats, Stacy’s cookies were low in sugar but very tasty. I could tell by the texture that they weren’t fat-free (and they contained chocolate chips) but they provided the inspiration for my no-fat version. Instead of oil, I used an apple, and to play off the apple flavor, I added pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves). The cookies turned out moist and dense, not your traditional crisp cookie but one my family loved. I hope yours will love them, too.
(Loki fans: Scroll down past the recipe for a little treat!)
Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds or ground flax seeds
- 4 tablespoons warm water
- 2 cup regular or quick oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice see Notes
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
- 1 large apple cored and chopped
- 2 ounces pitted and chopped dates (about 4 medjool dates or 1/4 cup packed chopped dates)
- 1/8 cup water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds (or ground flaxseed) with the warm water and set aside until thickened.
- In a dry blender or food processor, grind one cup of the oats. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the unground oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the raisins.
- Place the apple, dates, 1/8 cup water, and apple cider vinegar in the blender. Blend until it’s about the consistency of apple sauce. Pour it into the oat mixture along with the chia “egg” and stir to combine.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Flatten each cookie slightly with a fork. Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Look who learned to jump on the table! Loki is growing up. He’s lost his fluffy “baby fur” and has grown long and sleek. He no longer needs to climb on a chair or up a pants leg to reach high places. He wants to sniff everything, and while I was taking the photos of these cookies, he jumped on the table so many times that I finally had to put him in “time out” in another room. He’s going to make food photography very challenging.
Over the weekend, Loki got to spend some time in the back yard (under close supervision) and I took a few (hundred) photos of him. If you’d like to see some of them, let me know in the comments and I may have a Loki photo post later this week.
Enjoy!
Larry
April 19, 2014 at 6:52 pmRecipe looks oh so yummy! I wanted to make some in the morning but realize I have no dates. Is there a substitute for the dates?
Also, what are you using for to create your nutrition data?
Ingrid
April 20, 2014 at 2:53 amMore Loki photos, please! And these cookies look amazing, might have to try them out tomorrow. Thanks for putting in the ingredients for pumpkin pie spice, I’m sure I wouldn’t find it here in Sydney.
Cheers,
Ingrid
Carmi
April 26, 2014 at 2:13 pmHello Susan,
Thank you for all that you do. Many of your recipes are ‘staples’ in my kitchen. All delicious. The Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookie recipe was a ‘hit’ with the carnivore spouse! Nothing short of a miracle.
Galit Ashkenazi
May 5, 2014 at 12:25 pmHi Susan,
Dates are pretty expensive where I live so I don’t like using them very much. I was thinking of using a liquid sweetener but I am unsure of the quantity. Do you have a suggestion? Thank you!!
Susan Voisin
May 5, 2014 at 1:41 pmYou could try using a couple of tablespoons of liquid sweetener instead of the dates, but you may need to add a little more oat flour if the dough is too wet.
Esther J
May 9, 2014 at 10:35 amOh, Susan, these are very yummy cookies! Just finished another batch. I have them for breakfast (when I’m crunched for time), before or after a workout, or just for a quick snack.
I followed the recipe overall, with a couple of exceptions. I used one cup of white whole wheat flour to replace the ground cup of oats and stirred in a teaspoon of vanilla extract with the dates, apples, water, and vinegar. I also folded in a quarter cup of walnut pieces with the raisins.
Very good. Thanks very much.
Corrin Radd
July 5, 2014 at 5:58 pmMade these for breakfast and loved them.
Jayel Rao
August 23, 2014 at 5:21 amHi Susan,
Thanks for putting up this recipe.
My cookies remained uncooked even after 15 mins of baking. I baked it for another 5 minutes but even after 20 mins of baking, it is still a little un-cooked from the inside. Also, it is soft from inside. Please let me know what I could do to make it better.
Marilyn Dubord
October 9, 2014 at 5:14 pmWhat an awful experience , so glad it all turned out well for you.
Love your recipes !
Tracey @ A Taste of Trace
October 19, 2014 at 7:25 pmI made these tonight and they turned out wonderfully! I love that there’s no flour , oil or sugar, but they still taste delicious!. I found them to be plenty sweet enough with just the raisins, apple & dates 🙂
Lavonne F.
November 26, 2014 at 1:24 pmSusan,
Thank you for your wonderful recipes and sharing with us. I am new (since April) to the Vegan/Vegetarian world and your recipes have made my transition so much easier. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving, my prayers are with you and your family.
Yum,
Lavonne
Michelle
February 4, 2015 at 2:24 pmthe cookies look great…will be making in a few days . So happy …finally food I can eat ( lactose intolerant and sugar allergies { caster /cane /brown …etc ) , sometimes I can’t even tolerate honey . I just hope they are soft , jaw problems . Love the soups . Can I sub. white beans for coconut milk ? Extreme dairy allergy . Love that you love cats / most recipe sites speak only of their dogs . Do you think it’s healthy letting Loki travel everywhere …he does use a litter box ; no ? Love his name , look and personality , can’t wait to see his photo gallery . Newbie here .
Connie Norris
January 29, 2016 at 6:59 pmThank you Susan for another really good recipe. I made the Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies using chia seeds. Delicious. Next time I will try ground flax. They are just the right degree of sweetness and perfect breakfast fare. They also make a nice bedtime snack with decaf vanilla chai tea. New favorite!
Sharon
April 20, 2016 at 10:59 amHow long do dates last?
In the fridge?
Thanks.
Susan Voisin
April 20, 2016 at 11:45 amDates can last for months in the fridge, but they do dry out. If they seem hard, it’s best to try to revive them by covering them with boiling water and letting them stand until soft.
Gloria
November 6, 2016 at 3:01 pmDear Susan, thank you for providing this site! I just made these cookies and they are amazing! The dough was a little dry, so I added 2 T of apple butter to add more spice and they came out perfect! My husband had to go vegan with no added oils for health issues and I have had a hard time keeping up with tasty foods for him. I will continue to explore your site. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recipes with others.
Tara
July 28, 2017 at 7:22 pmThese biscuits are delicious. I added grated ginger instead of the powder.
And I love looking Loki….💕
Tara
July 28, 2017 at 7:45 pmThese biscuits are delicious. I added grated ginger instead of the powder and extended the baking time to 30 minutes.
And I love Loki….💕
Anna James
February 12, 2018 at 12:08 amHi! I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this recipe – my favourite cookie the world! I just made these for the second time in five days, double batch this time 😉
I think they are amazing. So many cookies are full of maple syrup, but these are nut-free, syrup-free and I love that I don’t have to make apple sauce but can just blend the apple. And the baking time you put in the recipe was absolute perfection, they don’t crumble – I could go on and on! I am picky with cookies because I want them to be easy to make and I don’t want to feel like I’m giving my daughter “dessert”. This is more like breakfast in a cookie. I LOVE it. Thank you so much! These will be made regularly in our house and we will shout out”Thank you Susan!” whenever we take them out of the oven 🙂
Megan Taylor
December 20, 2020 at 2:07 amThese look great. After trying your snickerdoodles an hour ago (I’ll tag you in a pic of it this week), I think I’ll make these ones relatively soon. I have this weird mental thing about vinegar. The smell turns my stomach, I know it won’t taste like vinegar but I still just can’t use it. So can I leave it out? Should I substitute lemon juice?
Susan Voisin
December 20, 2020 at 9:51 amYes, I think lemon juice will be fine. Can’t wait to see the snickerdoodles!
Franny
November 15, 2022 at 4:09 pmHi Susan! I love this cookie recipe. It is so forgiving. I made it for the third time today and forgot the baking soda. 🙄 Still turned out fine! I also added a handful of chopped walnuts. Chewy and crunchy and not too sweet. Perfect on a cold day with a cup of Earl Grey! Thanks for another keeper recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! 💖 Franny
Jacque
July 17, 2023 at 5:03 pmHi Susan,
I love that your recipes are fat free! I’m eager to make these cookies, but I’d like to sub my own unsweetened applesauce for the large apple. That would work, wouldn’t it? How much should I use—3/4 cup or 1 cup?, and would I need to make any other changes? Thank you for all that you do!
Jacque