Vegan Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cinnamon Pecan Cookies

For a number of years, I've made Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cinnamon Pecan cookies and I liked to think these cookies were a little healthier than your average cookie.  I've wanted to make a vegan version of these cookies for awhile but was a little intimidated.  These cookies call for lots of ingredients and I would hate to toss it all out if the cookies did NOT turn out.  The original version of these cookies can be found HERE; below you'll find the updated vegan version.  Most cookies call for eggs and butter but these cookies have a vegetable oil in place of butter and a slurry of flax seed meal and water in place of the eggs.

Vegan Version: Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cinnamon Pecan Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo)
finely grated zest from two navel oranges (use a Microplane grater)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (*)
1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour (*)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole oats
1 cup pecans (chopped)
1 cup Craisins (dried sweetened cranberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking trays with parchment paper.

In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup with a spout, warm 1/2 cup water for about 30 seconds in a microwave oven on the High (100 percent) setting. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  The mixture will become a bit thicker and gelatinous and will serve as your egg replacer.  Combine the flax seed meal/water mixture with the remaining of the wet ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir well  with a whisk to combine well and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the two flours, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda; stir with a whisk to combine.  (*) Lightly measure the flours. That is, fluff up the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and then sweep the measuring cup with the back of a knife to level (as opposed scooping the flour out of the canister or bag... this can result in compacting the flour into the measuring cup and adding too much flour). 

Dump the flour mixture into the wet ingredients all at once and stir by hand until almost combined.  Add in the oats, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Stir until all ingredients are well distributed. 

Scoop dough onto parchment lined cookie trays. Each cookie should be about the size of a walnut or a slightly rounded tablespoon. I use a cookie scoop that look likes a little ice cream scoop.  Slightly flatten each cookie with fingertips moistened with water. If desired, sprinkle about 1/8 of a teaspoon (or less) of granulated sugar on top of each cookie.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer parchment paper and cookies to counter top to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

I am tickled that these cookies turned out well.  My omnivore husband served as a taste tester and gave them two thumbs up.  I brought the cookies and shared them with my friends at the knit shop and they liked them too.  When I took the lid off container at the knit shop, you could really smell these fragrant treats.  Citrus zest in cooking and baking is one of my favorite things!