Healthy Flourless Monster Cookies (vegan + gluten-free)

Name: Healthy Monster Cookies (vegan + gluten-free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 cup gluten-free quick cooking oats; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; 2/3 cup unsalted creamy almond butter (or any nut or seed butter); 1/3 cup maple syrup; 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan, soy-free butter (softened not melted); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (+ more for topping if desired); 1/3 cup dye-free vegan, soy-free dark chocolate gems (+ more for topping if desire) [I use UNREAL brand]

By Elaine Gordon · Published: Oct 28, 2021

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VG GF SF E KF V

Calling all Cookie Monsters! Are you ready for the ultimate, nothing-excluded, cookie recipe? This Healthier Monster Cookie has it all: oats, nut butter, chocolate chips, colorful dye-free candies...and it's totally vegan and gluten-free! Include chopped up leftover Halloween candy for even more cookie fun.

Have you ever had Monster Cookies before?! This classic cookie recipe is kind of an "everything but the kitchen sink" style of treat. It's got oats, nut (or seed!) butter, chocolate chips, and pieces of candy! They're basically the Frankenstein's monster of cookies: a little bit of everything, all mixed together in one delicious recipe. My version of Healthy Flourless Monster Cookies is made without dairy (no eggs, butter, or milk!) and it's totally gluten-free. I love that it's a sweet treat that gives your system a break from the Halloween sugar rush!

Oats - Use certified gluten-free if that's important to you, and I always recommend quick-cooking oats for baking.
Baking essentials - Baking soda, salt, and vanilla! The baking soda gives the cookies some rise, salt balances all the flavors, and vanilla adds just a bit of warmth.
Almond Butter - Any nut or seed butter works in this recipe! I love raw, runny homemade almond butter and find it's the easiest to measure and bake with.
Maple Syrup - This is my sweetener of choice! Pure maple keeps my recipes free of refined sugar and sweetens with a totally natural ingredient, made from just the sap of maple trees.
Coconut Oil - You want coconut oil that's soft but not totally liquid! You can also opt for vegan, soy-free butter. My favorite vegan butter is the Miyokos brand.
Vegan chocolate chips - Hu brand chocolate gems are my go-to for all of my favorite chocolatey treats! They have a clean ingredient list and taste incredible.
Dye-free vegan, soy-free, dark chocolate gems - I used UNREAL brand and I love the colors they came in!

How to Make Vegan Monster Cookies

This recipe is REALLY simple to make and requires no fancy equipment...just a large mixing bowl! An electric hand mixer will make your job easier, but you can mix by hand if you don't have one. Start by whisking dry ingredients, add the wet ones, and then scoop 1.5 tablespoon-size balls onto a lined baking sheet. Bake them at 350 for just 8 minutes!

Gluten-Free Flourless Monster Cookies

I kept this recipe totally flourless by relying on oats as a cookie base! This works out perfectly since the classic Monster Cookie recipes have oats included. Quick-cooking oats are my favorite for baking! They hold up really well in the oven and keep the cookie shape. Oats have more protein than most other whole grains, and they're full of soluble fiber and healthful fats. I love including oats in my diet for an energy boost!

Almond Butter Monster Cookies

Another classic ingredient in Monster Cookies is peanut butter. To keep this recipe allergen-friendly, I used Homemade Raw Creamy Almond Butter instead. Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. They also offer a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium in addition to providing iron and calcium. You can use any nut or seed butter in this recipe; sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter would make this a nut-free Monster Cookie!

Vegan Chocolate Chips

This recipe has two different kinds of chocolate inside (major heart eyes!): chocolate chips and chocolate candies. I used Hu chocolate gems for the chocolate chips, and then UNREAL brand dye-free gems for candy. You can include any of your leftover Halloween chocolate candy for this part of the recipe. Just chop it up and include it in the dough! Delicious, vegan, gluten-free Halloween Candy Cookies! You could also use leftover homemade candy if you've made any of my vegan, refined sugar-free recipes:

CLICK HERE for my Ultimate Halloween Recipe Roundup!

Halloween Fun with Food: Themed, Healthy Snacks!

Halloween Toast: Healthy, No-Waste, Totally Spooky Toast Recipes

Healthy Monster Cookies (vegan + gluten-free)

Author: Elaine Gordon
Total Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 12 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Calling all Cookie Monsters! Are you ready for the ultimate, nothing-excluded, cookie recipe? This Healthier Monster Cookie has it all: oats, nut butter, chocolate chips, colorful candies...and it's totally vegan and gluten-free! Include chopped up, leftover Halloween candy for even more cookie fun.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a half sheet baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients (oats, baking soda and salt). Whisk well.
Add the nut or seed butter (I use almond butter), melted vegan butter or coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat with an electric hand mixer.
Add the chocolate chips and chocolate gems. Beat again with the hand mixer.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Add more chocolates to top of cookies if desired.
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to fully cool on baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack. If your cookies are crumbling slightly then add the entire baking sheet to the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will help the almond butter and vegan butter/coconut oil harden a bit which helps hold the cookie together more.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. You can store them in your refrigerator for up to one week. Bring them back to room temperature before enjoying.