1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (omit for nut-free)
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (can sub raisins)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup vegetable oil (can sub another oil for soy-free)
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (for the easiest cleanup), or mist them with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the oats, flour, walnuts, chocolate chips, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Stir with a dry whisk until well combined.
Place the oil, maple syrup, water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and beat vigorously with a whisk until well combined. Stir into the flour mixture, mixing just until everything is evenly moistened. Let rest for 5 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the moisture.
Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. The dough will be crumbly. Flatten with your hand to one-third inch thick. Smooth the edges to make each cookie uniformly round, gently pressing the dough so the cookies hold together.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and let cool completely.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (The cookies will taste best after they have been chilled.)
Notes
To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/vegan-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies