My mom recently switched from vegetarian to vegan. As a congratulations for her first month, I wanted to make her some celebratory cookies. The only complication was I had never made cookies before that had neither butter, eggs, nor refined sugar (regular refined white sugar or any brown sugar is not vegan. Only organic white sugar or brown sugar is. You can find lists of vegan white sugar online). So I did some research, found ways to substitute that I preferred and found a recipe that I thought she would like and that I could also make gluten free easily. Apples and Peanut Butter and a perfect match. They're healthy but they're also something I used to have when I was a kid as a healthy treat--and still frequently have! These cookies are for everyone, not just vegans, looking for a healthier version of a cookie, while still being just as indulgent any other cookie.
Vegan and Gluten Free Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp flax, ground
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour*
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance Natural Shortening)
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I used Nature's Promise Smooth, Salted Organic Peanut Butter)
- 1 cup organic brown sugar (I used Florida's Crystals)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I used a fuji)
*When I made these I used a mixture of flours (1/2 cup brown rice four, 1/3 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup white rice flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour). The result was the cookies were very soft when baked. The were delicious but a little too soft. I think using only brown rice flour, or maybe even brown rice and oat flour, will toughen them up and make them the correct texture. If you try it let me know the outcome!! I will update this when I try the recipe again!
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour*
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance Natural Shortening)
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I used Nature's Promise Smooth, Salted Organic Peanut Butter)
- 1 cup organic brown sugar (I used Florida's Crystals)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I used a fuji)
*When I made these I used a mixture of flours (1/2 cup brown rice four, 1/3 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup white rice flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour). The result was the cookies were very soft when baked. The were delicious but a little too soft. I think using only brown rice flour, or maybe even brown rice and oat flour, will toughen them up and make them the correct texture. If you try it let me know the outcome!! I will update this when I try the recipe again!
