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Vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies – nutty morsels with oatmeal for chewiness, and a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. A welcome addition to any cookie platter. Plus, they can be made gluten-free.
Kristy Turner of the beloved vegan food blog, Keepin’ It Kind, has a new cookbook on the scene – But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan. Today I’m sharing a recipe from the book that you seriously need at your next holiday gathering – vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
Kristy and her husband, Chris Miller, are a foodie dream team.
Kristy creates the recipes and does the food styling. Chris beautifully photographs every dish in a way that makes you feel like you could reach in and take a bite.
Also in the interest of full disclosure: Kristy and Chris are two of my favorite people in the world. They are wonderful human beings, hilarious, and despite what they will tell you, quite photogenic.
But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan promises to bring your loved ones along for the plant-based ride. Its tagline is, “125 recipes to win everyone over. Picky kids will try it, hungry adults won’t miss meat, and holiday traditions can live on.”
Kristy’s newest tome is a sequel to her first book, But I Could Never Go Vegan.
(Read my full review of that book here.)
With holiday party season upon us, the book couldn’t have come out at a better time. Because even after you’ve mastered plant-based meals for yourself, it can be stressful to serve them to non-vegan family and friends.
Let’s face it, many people have a preconceived bias against “vegan food,” even though everyone eats vegan food, regardless of whether or not they’re vegan.
The key to putting people at ease is to serve dishes that are familiar and fun. Kristy has mastered that.
Each chapter covers a different concern:
“I don’t have time to cook elaborate family dinners!”
“My kids think vegan food is weird.”
“If forced to choose between chicken wings and me, my spouse would choose the wings.”
With her usual warmth and humor, Kristy shows that cruelty-free fare can bring people of all ages and predilections together. Each recipe is paired with a gorgeous, full color photo.
Here are some things I’ve made from But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan:
Tater Totchos
For whatever reason, I never have tater tots in the house. For our potato needs, it’s usually baked fries, hash browns, or breakfast potatoes.
But whenever I am at Krunkwich in Des Moines, I always order a batch of their tater tots to start. There’s something about them that makes you feel like a kid again.
So it seriously spoke to me when I saw Tater Totchos in the chapter, “My teenagers just want to ‘fit in’ with their friends when it comes to what they eat.”
I picked up a bag of frozen tots and went to town.
The love child of tater tots and nachos, they are covered in a potato and carrot based nacho cheese sauce.
After that came all of the usual nacho suspects – spiced beans, onions, tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños. This hands-on dish is a messy pile of delicious.
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
Continuing this meal of appetizers theme, I made the buffalo cauliflower wings with blue cheese dip. It’s from the chapter titled, “What can I serve at the big game day party that won’t get pushed to the side?”
Instead of eating the buffalo cauliflower on their own, I enjoyed them in a bowl with rice and sautéed greens.
The Buffalo sauce-coated cauliflower is baked and served with a blue cheese dip made with non-dairy yogurt, eggless mayo, spices, and crumbled extra firm tofu for that blue cheese texture.
I loved that added crumbly tofu; it gave the dish extra substance and protein.
Artichoke-kale hummus
I am a huge fan of spinach & artichoke dip and also hummus. So I was excited to try this version that brings the two into one with kale subbing in for spinach. It also has a bit of a spicy kick by way of cayenne pepper.
This dip is from the chapter “There’s no way vegan food can make everyone happy at once.”
Not into kale? You can easily swap it out for spinach, chard, or collard greens instead. Serve the hummus with crackers, pita, or crudités for maximum snacking potential.
Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
I made the full batch of vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies, thinking that David could take any extra cookies to the office.
Somehow that plan never got brought into fruition. Over several days, we ate every last one of them.
If you love salty and sweet like I do, you’ve got to try these oatmeal peanut butter cookies. They’re from the chapter “My sister thinks vegan baking is something only hippies do.”
These nutty morsels are everything I could want in a vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookie – lots of peanut butter, oatmeal for chewiness, and just a hint of sweetness from maple syrup.
(There’s also an option of adding coconut sugar if you like a sweeter cookie.)
Like diligent scientists, David and I put these cookies through the trials and discovered that they were suitable for breakfast, as a snack, or an after dinner treat. I encourage you to test these theories for yourself and see how they pan out.
Or bring them to your next holiday party for others who like their cookies without frosting and sprinkles.
Vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend, soy-free if necessary
- 1 cup rolled oats certified gluten-free if necessary
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum exclude if using all-purpose flour or if your gluten-free blend includes it
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted, unsweetened natural peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or mashed banana)
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup coconut sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional add-ins: ½ cup 60 to 90 g raisins, chopped peanuts, and/or vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, xanthan gum (if using), and nutmeg until fully incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil, coconut sugar (if using), and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. If you’re using add-ins, fold them in.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough out of the bowl, roll it in your hands to make a perfect ball, and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 1. inches (4 cm) apart. Use your fingers to gently flatten each ball just a bit.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until firm and slightly golden along the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving. The cookies will keep stored in an airtight container (in the fridge if the weather is warm) for 3 to 4 days.
Kristy Turner says
December 12, 2016 at 2:42 pmI <3 you! Thank you so much!
Tracey says
December 12, 2016 at 2:45 pmOh wow, those PB cookies look amazing! I’d love to win this book 🙂
Natalie Cartledge says
December 12, 2016 at 2:50 pmI would love to win this book because I want to show my family that vegan food and vegan living is an awesome way to live and the food is absolutely delicious! Animals are our friends,not food.
Jordyn says
December 12, 2016 at 2:54 pmI actually want this to give to my sister and her family. I’m vegan, my sister is vegetarian and she has two young kids that eat mainly vegetarian. I’d LOVE for them to have so many awesome vegan options for the family.
Susan says
December 12, 2016 at 3:06 pmI would love to cook some of this recipes for my non-vegetarian family and maybe help them integrate some of them into the weekly meal rotation!
Sarah Kate says
December 12, 2016 at 3:10 pmOh my goodness! Making these tonite!
Becky Striepe says
December 12, 2016 at 3:38 pmPB and chocolate is my favorite dessert flavor combination. These cookies look like perfection!
Stephanie says
December 12, 2016 at 4:05 pmaaaand, I officially want some vegan totchos!
Vegyogini says
December 12, 2016 at 4:10 pmI regularly recommend Kristy’s first cookbook to new and veteran vegans alike, so I’d love a copy of this new book. Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Bianca Phillips says
December 12, 2016 at 4:16 pmI’ve seen a lot of press about this book! It sounds awesome. Also totchos are basically my favorite food.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
December 12, 2016 at 4:21 pmI’ve made several recipes from the book, but I haven’t made any of the ones you have. You’re inspiring me to make more – those Tater Totchos look so good!
Eve-Marie Williams says
December 12, 2016 at 6:23 pmI have Kristy’s first book and would love to have this one too! I am always cooking for family and friends and trying to convince them vegan food is awesome, so this book would be very helpful – thanks!
jacquie says
December 12, 2016 at 6:38 pmwhy wouldn’t I? all those recipes you mentioned sound great and that is just a sampling.
Terri Cole says
December 12, 2016 at 7:28 pmI’d love a copy of this book so I can make vegan food that my omni family will love!
Jacky says
December 12, 2016 at 7:51 pmI’d love a copy because I love Kristy and need one of her books! Plus I need ideas for turning omnivore relative hearts!
Carole says
December 12, 2016 at 8:22 pmI would like a copy of this book because my family would never go vegan- but it doesn’t hurt to try!
Ricki says
December 12, 2016 at 8:47 pmEvery one of those dishes looks amazing! But the cookies. . . especially so. 😉 My mind is racing to think of a way I can adapt these for the ACD–LOL! Happy Holidays, Cadry! xo
Lora says
December 12, 2016 at 8:54 pmI need help convincing my family that vegan can taste good. So far, they are not impressed. This book will do that for me. I think I’ll start by making the cookies. They love PB cookies, thanks for the recipe.
Lydia Claire says
December 12, 2016 at 9:30 pmI’d love to win the book so I can make the recipes for my mom and myself!
Jenn says
December 12, 2016 at 10:20 pmI love Kristy’s recipes. These cookies look so good. They wouldn’t last long in this house, that’s for sure.
Jennifer says
December 13, 2016 at 8:13 amthis books sounds great! I’ve been meaning to try a buffalo cauliflower recipe, but honestly the first thing I would make would be those cookies!
Shell says
December 13, 2016 at 9:58 amWhat a yummy recipe! The book looks perfect for someone wanting a fun, delicious way to get their family on the vegan train!
Mark Guncheon says
December 13, 2016 at 11:35 amTwo items we always have in the pantry: rolled oats and peanut butter.
Thanks. Can’t wait to try these.
Mark
Sherri B says
December 13, 2016 at 1:15 pmI made her Tater Totchos for a get together to watch the Packers play (16 servings worth of food for 8 people – half omni/half vegan) and every last bit of it was devoured and raved about!
Alina says
December 13, 2016 at 3:40 pmI could never have enough Buffalo Cauliflower recipes! Glad this trend isn’t dying off 🙂 My current favorite is from the Thug Kitchen Cookbook, but I’d love to give these a try.
Veganopoulous says
December 13, 2016 at 6:47 pmI’m really enjoying this cookbook, there are way too many things I still need to try like these cookies 🙂 I’ve made the tater totchos with plain potatoes and loved it. (not entering the giveaway)
Corrine says
December 13, 2016 at 7:50 pmAll of the recipes look amazing and healthy. My daughter and I are really trying to transition to healthier vegan food so I would love to win the book for the recipes!
Hannah Teson says
December 13, 2016 at 7:53 pmOooooh, we love But I Could Never Go Vegan! I didn’t know she wrote a second book. I’ll have to check it out, giveaway or no 🙂
Preston says
December 13, 2016 at 8:45 pmKristy’s blog is great and I want to see what’s new of hers!
Theresa "Sam" Houghton says
December 14, 2016 at 8:18 amThese look amazing and sound delicious. What a great and simple recipe for the holidays! Thanks for sharing. 😀
Hannah says
December 14, 2016 at 5:31 pmWhat a wonderful resource for new or hesitant vegans! I’d love to give it as a holiday gift this season.
Ginny says
December 14, 2016 at 10:35 pmWhat a great looking cookbook. I love the recipes that you’ve shown.
Leslie says
December 15, 2016 at 9:35 amKristy has great food. We just had her mushroom seitan loaf for Thanksgiving. It’s our old standby now. Cookies look fantastic.
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
December 15, 2016 at 11:35 amYum! Those pb cookies look like the perfect treat to watch Christmas movies with! I need that tater tot dish too. 🙂
Theresa says
December 15, 2016 at 2:04 pmI need the recipe for those Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Blue Cheese Dip!
Laurie says
December 16, 2016 at 9:12 amI’d love to win a copy of this book to show my family all the versatile and delicious vegan recipes that can be enjoyed!
Sarah says
December 16, 2016 at 4:25 pmKristy’s PB Cup ice cream was my favorite recipe from her first book, so it would only figure that I would love these too! Can’t wait to try them!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
December 16, 2016 at 10:21 pmI am so excited about this book! The cookies and totchos sealed the deal. I can’t wait for my copy to arrive!
Edye says
December 17, 2016 at 12:27 pmBecause my family doesn’t like vegan food and this book would help change their minds 😉
christine lee says
December 17, 2016 at 12:50 pmThese look droolworthy and perfect for the holiday season!!!
Nicollette says
December 17, 2016 at 7:31 pmI’m so stoked for this book. I love Kristy’s website!
Melissa says
December 18, 2016 at 7:41 pmThose cookies look scrumptious! I have her first book and I absolutely love it! You’ve inspired me to get this one (if I don’t win the giveaway). I know a few people I could gift this to as well. Fabulous review, Cadry! That artichoke dip looks great, too.
Kris says
December 19, 2016 at 9:35 amI loved her first book and need this for my library. Santa can you hear me ???
Mel | avirtualvegan.com says
December 20, 2016 at 2:00 pmThe cookies look awesome but those Tater Totchos???? They look like my kind of heaven. I need to get my hands on a copy of this book!