These vegan orange scented oatmeal cookies are my new favorite winter treat. They’re soft and chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside and dipped in rich dark chocolate. With a hint of orange zest and topped with salted toasty pumpkin seeds for some crunch, these cookies are the best combination of salty and sweet. Vegan, easy to make and so delicious!
As spring gets closer, I’ve been frantically trying to use up all the oranges in my refrigerator. Last week I made made black beans with orange zest, then a citrus salad, now we’re moving on to something a little more sweet. These vegan orange oatmeal cookies are so good and fun to make! I love dipping anything in chocolate and sprinkling it with crunchy salty things, so I definitely had a good time. I think my family had a good time eating them too.
How to Make Vegan Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Bake the oatmeal cookies: It all starts with a simple vegan oatmeal cookie base with some fresh orange juice and zest added in for that delicious citrusy flavor. The cookies can be made in one bowl, but I opted for two. I like to know that the dry ingredients are well combined before I add them to my wet ingredients. Once everything is mixed together, scoop the onto a cookies sheet and bake! These guys are pretty small, so they’ll probably only take about 10-12 minutes. You’re going to want to let these cool completely before dipping In chocolate.
Toast the pumpkin seeds: Toasting seeds is super easy, all you have to do is heat a small skillet (I used nonstick) over medium low heat and add your seeds plus a little oil and a big pinch of salt. The oil helps the salt stick and also makes these oh so addictive. Shake the pan once in a while to make sure the seeds toast evenly. You’ll know they’re ready when they start popping and turning golden brown on both sides. They usually take about 10 minutes, but this all depends on the heat, so watch them closely to make sure they don’t burn!
Melt the chocolate and dip: The last part (and the most fun part) is dipping the cookies in chocolate. I melted the chocolate in the microwave, this can also be done in a double boiler if you’re worried about burning. For dipping, I recommend using a tall glass or mug with a wide opening. This way, you’ll be able to dunk the cookie without hitting the bottom. Dip each cookie halfway in the chocolate and then place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle on your seeds plus a little Malden salt if desired. Set the cookies aside to harden for a few minutes before enjoying!
Tips for Success
- These cookies are pretty small, so they bake in about 10-12 minutes. They will not look ready, the top will still be a little doughy and raw looking, but if the bottom is golden brown, the cookies are done. Once they sit on a wire rack to cool, the tops will harden and the cookie will taste perfectly cooked!
- If you want the chocolate to harden faster, refrigerate your cookies before dipping. Since its such a thin layer, the chocolate does start to harden immediately after dipping, so make sure you put the topping on right away! I also should note that refrigerating or keeping in a sealed container overnight will cause the cookies to lose some of their crispiness, but they’ll still be super soft and chewy!
- These cookies are pretty sweet, so I recommend using dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. I like Pascha chocolate, its completely vegan and comes in bars so it’s great for baking.
Want more vegan dessert recipes? Try these!
- Blueberry cardamom pull apart bread
- Blackberry banana crumb muffins
- Japanese sweet potato blondies
- Miso oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies
Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram!
Orange Scented Oatmeal Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Vegan orange scented oatmeal cookies... crunchy of the outside soft and chewy on the inside, dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted pumkin seeds!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- Zest from 1 orange
- 8 oz dark chocolate
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp oil
- Maldon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F and line one large or two medium baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oats, flour baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together butter, sugars, apple sauce, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Use a cookie scoop to spoon the dough onto the baking sheets and roll into balls. Each cookies should be about the size of a golf ball. Use your fingers lightly press the dough down to flatten.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. They may look underbaked when you first take them out, but they'll crisp up as they cool.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping.
- To toast the pumpkin seeds, heat a skillet over medium low heat and add the seeds. Toss with oil and a big pinch of salt. Toast for about 10 minutes, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and popping.
- In a tall glass or mug, melt the chocolate in the microwave on 45 second intervals, stirring after each. Dip the cookies halfway in the chocolate and immediantly sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and maldon salt. Let sit for a few minutes to let the chocolate harden then enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 161mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 3g
All nutritional information is an estimation
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