

This is a recipe that dates back to college when I was living in a super-granola hippie co-op. They are vegan and super easy to make, and there is room for so many fun variations (I never make them the same way twice!). The version pictured here was made with pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. The possibilities are truly endless.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup nuts (eg pecans, walnuts, cashews…) and/or dried fruit (eg dried cranberries or cherries)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut (also optional)

1/2 cup seeds (eg ground flaxseed, sesame, chia, sunflower)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup canola oil or coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the large bowl with dry and mix until fully combined. Let sit for 5 min. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a greased baking sheet. Important: these cookies do not flatten on their own as they bake. You have to flatten them with the back of a spoon prior to baking or they will stay as rounded lumps. Bake for 18 min and then remove from baking sheet, cool on a plate or cooling rack.