Egg-Free, Nut-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sunflower Seed Cookies

Almost 15 years ago (how did that happen?!) my sister introduced us to her famous oatmeal, chocolate chip, pecan cookies. We were never the same. Mufasa immediately proclaimed them to be the only cookies on earth worth eating. You might have noticed Mufasa makes a lot of proclamations.

Then came Roo. Sweet, clever, cuddly, hilarious, exuberant, sometimes exasperating Roo, complete with a slew food allergies and well, there went our pecan cookies. We've been trying to come to terms with it ever since.

More than the flawless toasty, nutty, chocolatey, brown sugary essence that is everything a cookie should be, it was the texture of those cookies that really got you. They literally burst with chewy oatmeal to satisfy the molars, gooey chocolate for the tongue, and lots and lots of crunchy, salty nuts.

Nuts are a no no here in the KC house these days, but seeds, we really like seeds. Sunflower seeds in particular are a house favorite. Here they work together with rolled oats and chocolate chips to really amp up the texture of my nut-free, egg-free version of the best cookies on earth. Just ask Mufasa.

These are substantial cookies and this, my friends, is no time for restraint. Do not, under any circumstances, skimp on the chocolate chips, oatmeal, or sunflower seeds.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sunflower Seed Cookies

2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour (do not sift!)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp real vanilla extract
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked and well mixed with 4 tbsp water
1 tbsp softened cream cheese
1 & 1/2 cup rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips (we like big, dark ones like these)
3/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla, egg replacer mixture, and cream cheese and continue to beat until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, 1/3 at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the oatmeal and mix again. Stir in the chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. Drop by tablespoon onto parchement-lined cookie sheets (or line them with Silpat mats) and bake 9-11 minutes until lovely, fragrant, and golden brown.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Don't forget the milk!

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies

Confession time. I meant to post these bad boys weeks ago and then the holiday hoopla took over and I never got around to it. That said, these are most definitely not holiday specific cookies. Oat-filled, not too sweet, heavy on the fruit, dairy-free, and egg-free, these vegan delights are perfect lunchbox cookies, cup of tea cookies, even dare I say it, breakfast cookies?!

The KC kids are not the best breakfast eaters. They suck down a cup of milk most mornings and head for the door while I chase them with a piece of toast or an apple. I've already discussed a few of our breakfast strategies, including my go-to Snackfast, but breakfast cookies might do the trick too.

This recipe is so basic and relatively wholesome (they are cookies, after all) that I almost didn't give it a chance. I kept thinking how can these be any good? Where's the butter, you know? And that banana can get overwhelming fast. Thank goodness I didn't listen to me!

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, teeming with texture and just the right hint of banana to make them interesting, think of them as homemade round granola bars. Then give them to your kids for breakfast without apology. It's a big step up from the rainbow sugar crisps lining cereal shelves at the grocery store, right?

Oatmeal Banana Raisin Breakfast Cookies
adapted from VegWeb

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tbsp water
1 large banana, mashed
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 & 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 & 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Using an electric mixer, combine the sugars, oil, and water. Mix in the mashed banana and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Stir in oats and raisins. If the batter is runny, allow it to sit for 15 minutes until the oats absorb some of the moisture.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Drop cookies by 1 tbsp dollops onto the cookie sheet and bake 10-13 minutes until the undersides are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Perhaps the best thing about these cookies is their sheer versatility. Feeling particularly virtuous? Use all whole wheat flour and stir in some ground flax seed to boot. Don't like bananas? Try 3/4 cup of applesauce instead, which gives the cookies a more subtle flavor overall. I recommend this route especially if you're going to pour in more than one mix-in. Speaking of mix-ins, the options are truly endless. So far we've tried golden raisins, chocolate chips, and dried cherries - all supremely delicious but sadly I didn't think to combine the chocolate chips and dried cherries in a single batch. Next time.

Instead of raisins, feel free to experiment with an equivalent amount of dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, or nuts if they won't endanger the lives of you or those around you. Obviously we steer clear but that doesn't mean you have to. Throw a few pecans in there for me, would you? Thanks.