It's raining, it's pouring, which means I'm baking cookies!

Not just any cookies, but cookies that are equal parts delicious and nutritious, easy-to-make, and 100% comforting.

Tender, chewy, and crispy at the edges, my Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are exactly what your mid-winter day needs.

Admittedly, I love raisins. Indeed, I am one of those terribly annoying people who thinks a handful of raisins for dessert is a great idea.

But I get it, some of you may hate raisins. Rest assured, the raisins can be replaced by chocolate chips, nuts, or other dried fruit. If you are a minimalist (that would be my housemates, aka my husband and son) you can leave out all add-ins. 

But if the person making the cookies (me!) loves raisins, raisins it shall be! 

How to Make Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The dough for these cookies comes together in 2 or 3 minutes. Easy! The base is a combination of 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal, 1 cup creamy almond butter (or the creamy nut or seed butter of your choice), coconut sugar (brown sugar works, too), and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Once mixed, stir in 2/3 cup oats, salt, baking soda, and 1/3 cup raisins.

Dough done! You could stop here, because this cookie dough is DELICIOUS. And because it is both vegan and flourless, it is perfectly safe to eat without baking. So if your oven quits, or you want to quit, roll the dough into balls or eat off a spoon. Been there, done that :).

For baked cookies, scoop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet using a small cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon.

The dough does not spread as much as traditional oatmeal cookies, so give the dough mounds some help by flattening with your fingertips before baking.

Bake in a preheated 350F for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies have spread more and are golden brown. 

They will be soft and somewhat fragile when they first come out, so let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before trasnferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

It is a difficult wait. But worth it!

The cookies tend to get soft if left at room temperature for more than a day, so it is best to store them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Happy baking!

[tasty-recipe id="17211"]