I know, life-changing is a bold statement, but these cowboy cookies are so pillowy, soft, and delicious, you will never believe they are both gluten-free and vegan! All of my family members who tried them (none of whom are vegan or gluten-free) fell in love with them, and could not resist a second vegan cowboy cookie (or stop asking me to bake more)!
The dough is easy and quick to make, especially in a stand mixer, but the hard part is waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator. I could not resist tasting a few spoonfuls of dough before chilling.
But once the wait is over, after just 11 minutes in the oven, these cookies are ready to be devoured! They seem a little soft right out of the oven, but after some cooling time, these cookies become just crispy enough on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside. They melt in your mouth and even after a few days (athough I doubt they will last that long!) they remain soft and chewy.
The combination of dark chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, oats, and a hint of sea salt, along with their perfect texture makes them irresistible!
I hope you love these cookies! Don't forget to let me know if you try the recipe below in the comments or pin it for later! And I would love to see your recreations on Instagram @zenandzaatar!
Recipe
Life-Changing Gluten-Free Vegan Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil softened (not melted)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1-1, it works excellently in this recipe!
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup walnut pieces
- ½ cup chocolate chips ensure vegan
Instructions
- Make sure the coconut oil is solid, but soft; not melted. Cream coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla with a mixer in a large bowl.
- Add gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt to the mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Add oats and shredded coconut and mix until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. - Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, until hardened through. If you don't chill the dough for long enough, the cookies will spread.
- Preheat oven to 350F. After chilling, scoop spoonfuls of dough and shape into flattened, thick discs, as they will not spread much. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Cookies will still look soft when you take them out but let them cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Anya says
Just tried this recipe today and they are amazing! Thank you!!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Yay, so glad you liked them!!
J says
What if you have folks who do not like coconut?
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
You can eliminate the coconut, but then it may need to be replaced by something like a little bit less than an equal amount of oats, oat flour, or almond flour!
Dawn says
How long can i can store them in the refrigerator
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
I would say they keep for about 5 days unrefrigerated! I haven't refrigerated after baking, but you are welcome to try and report back! <3
Samantha says
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Life changing is no understatement! Made these for a friends birthday last week and I have another batch in the oven now! I used honey instead of maple syrup and it was really good, too! Thanks for sharing!