Looking for the perfect cookie recipe?
Sometimes the typical chocolate chip cookie just won’t do. Or, alas, you’ve been invited to a vegan potluck! (Although, to many, such an invitation would be deemed a blessing.) Maybe your child or friend is mildly allergic to wheat and deserves a delicious, wheat-free treat. Perhaps, you don’t even have any diet or allergy concerns, but just want to try something new.
Whatever the case may be, the Ultimate Vegan Spelt Cookie is the perfect anytime dessert that satisfies even the mightiest cookie-craving. The ultimate result: a sweet peanut butter oatmeal cookie with a hint of exotic coconut, not too crunchy but not too soft–the perfect cookie that everyone can enjoy.
Why Spelt Flour?
If you’ve never used spelt flour for baking, here are three reasons why you might want to give this super grain a try:
1. Spelt is easy to digest. Because it is more water-soluble than other grains, spelt can be digested more easily.
2. Spelt can boost energy. Eating one Ultimate Cookie as a snack between meals could satisfy your craving for sweets while increasing your energy level (not to mention the nutritional value of peanut butter, oats and coconut).
3. Spelt tastes great. Spelt flour is light and essentially flavorless; so what you taste in the treat, whether it’s a cookie, a piece of cake or a scone, are the flavorful ingredients, not the flour.
Additionally, it’s important to note that spelt is not entirely gluten-free, nor are oats if they are grown in the vicinity of wheat. This recipe may not be suitable for an individual with severe allergy concerns or celiac disease.
Vegan Spelt Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups organic spelt flour (white or wheat)
- 1 cup organic rolled oats
- 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp. flaxmeal
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 cups organic natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla
- 1 cup vegan organic sweetener of choice*
*The sweetener you choose will most likely affect the consistency of the cookie. Maple syrup, for instance, might make a crunchier cookie, while brown sugar (which, of course, must be checked as vegan) will make the cooked dough a bit softer. I prefer Sucanat, which is simply unrefined whole cane sugar and can be found most easily at a natural foods store; because Sucanat doesn’t dissolve completely, the baked cookie has a super-sweet crunch, but is also moist in the middle.
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, oats, coconut flakes, flaxmeal, baking powder and salt and stir well. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, hot water, vanilla and vegan sweetener and mix until smooth. Slowly add dry bowl ingredients to peanut butter mixture, mixing everything together until very well blended. (At this point, you’ll definitely want to taste-test the cookie dough–Yum!)
Set oven to bake at 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1 or 2 inch balls and place evenly onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press the dough balls using a fork into (about) 1/4 inch thickness (as you would ordinary peanut butter cookies). This recipe will yield 18-24 cookies depending on size preference. Bake for 10-12 minutes, less for a softer cookie, a few minutes more for an extra-crunchy cookie. Let cool and enjoy!
