Want the secret to the richest, chewiest, tastiest spiced oatmeal cookies EVER?
It comes in a little blue-and-white box.
Adding half a package of instant vanilla pudding to the dry ingredients gives these cookies great texture and really bumps up the vanilla flavor too. (I used Jell-O brand which is accidentally vegan).
I did a mix of plain and mini chocolate chip because I have two kids and neither one likes the same kind of cookie as the other. 😆 This is a perfect recipe to add your favorite mix-ins to or to top with an iced vanilla glaze.
I shared some of this batch with a friend and she was amazed that they were so soft and chewy – even after a couple of days.
I was amazed that she can keep cookies around that long. 😆
(This recipe uses all-purpose flour and regular oats, but for a gluten-free version, simply swap for GF all-purpose flour and certified gluten-free whole oats.)
Rich and Chewy Oatmeal Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats (GF certified)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or GF 1:1 flour)
- 1/2 package instant vanilla pudding
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup optional mix-ins (chocolate chips, raisins, nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and line two standard baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment.
- Combine the butter and sugars in a large bowl and cream until smooth and fluffy (3-5 minutes) with a hand or stand mixer. Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute. Set aside.
- Grab another large bowl and toss together the oats, flour, instant pudding, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- Keeping your hand or stand mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mix until just incorporated and you can’t see any flour streaks. Gently fold in any mix-ins (chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, nuts or raisins) if using.
- Use a 1 ½ inch ice cream scoop to drop even balls of dough (2 tablespoons worth) onto the prepared baking sheets about an inch apart (these don’t spread much so you can fit up to 12 on a sheet) and bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
