Mmm, home-baked oatmeal cookies. Who doesn’t love that? But what do you do when you don’t have raisins? Well, since you can’t have oatmeal cookies without something chewy right in them you have to improvise. And if you are already changing up the recipe, why not make it a little different and change the spices in this classic cookie too? Chinese 5 Spice? Really? Yes, this normally savory spice turned out awesome in these super-yummy vegan and gluten-free Chinese 5 Spice Oatmeal Cherry Cookies.
Initially I was just going to make an oatmeal cookie with my oh-so-favorite dried fruit – cherries. Since dried cherries aren’t sold in any local stores near me, I have to buy them at Whole Foods. But dried cherries are freakishly expensive so I don’t ever go overboard on buying them. This time instead of just snacking on them, I wanted to add them to a cookie. And oatmeal cookies love dried fruit! I was also trying to think of a way to make these cookies even better, and I thought my Chinese 5 spice that has been sitting around and not being used might be good. So, cookies it was! And I was so nervous, because I don’t think of that spice being anything but savory, and I didn’t want my poor cherries being sacrificed to a baking fail and end up being tossed in the trash. But low and behold, the spice ended up being perfect! The cookies, even with the extra teaspoon of cinnamon I added, ended up tasting like licorice! You have to try it!
Chinese 5 Spice Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
Makes 34 small cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oats
- 3/4 cup oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Vegan egg replacer of choice, equivalent to 1 egg
- 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1 cup no-calorie sugar substitute or sweetener of choice
- 1 cup dried cherries
Preparation
- Set oven to 350 degrees and spray two baking sheets with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl add flour, oats, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and 5 spice and mix.
- In a small bowl mash banana with vanilla. Mix vegan egg with almond milk and add to bowl along with sugar substitute. Mix then dump in large bowl.
- Mix ingredients then add cherries and mix again.
- Take a small amount of batter onto a spoon then press flat on spoon then scoot onto baking sheet. Continue until all batter is portioned into cookies.
- Bake 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!