These vegan double Vegan Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are completely plant based and baked with chocolatey goodness- perfect for Christmas cookie swaps or holiday parties!
One of my favourite holiday traditions is to do a cookie exchange this time of year. I love the idea of getting a nice variety of cookies to share with coworkers, friends and family, especially because I get bored of eating ONE type of cookie from a single batch. This year, my family and I are all putting together a little cookie exchange, and these vegan candy cane double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are going to be my contribution.
How to Make these Vegan Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
It’s surprisingly easy to make a classic cookie vegan or dairy free with just a few simple substitutions. I swapped out regular butter with vegan butter, I used dairy free dark chocolate and I used a chia egg instead of a regular egg.
How do I make a chia egg?
It’s so simple to make a chia egg at home as a plant based alternative to a real egg (with added omega 3s). I just mix together some ground chia with water and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes until gloopy. Then I add the chia egg to my vegan cookie batter recipe with the rest of the wet ingredients. The standard ratio for a chia egg is about 1 part chia to 3 parts water, but if you don’t have chia seeds, you can also use flax!
can these vegan oatmeal cookies be made with a real egg and butter if i’m not dairy free?
If you don’t need these double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies to be plant based, then you can use a real egg and real butter in the recipe, along with chocolate that contains some dairy.
all aBOUT THESE Vegan Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Here are some cold hard facts about these amazing holiday cookies.
are candy canes vegan?
Technically, candy canes should be, as most candy canes are just sugar, peppermint flavouring and food colouring. However, some food dyes have been tested on animals so if you’re truly strict about this, then you’ll want to look for an explicitly labelled vegan candy cane.
Can these chocolate oatmeal cookies be made gluten free?
I tried REALLY hard to make these gluten free, but you know what, they just fell apart. Cookies need the gluten to be chewy and delicious, so I think it’s a lot to ask these oatmeal cookies to be both vegan and gluten free. If you want to experiment with a gluten free flour, by all means, you do you. But I don’t expect it will work out so well.
Are these Vegan Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Chewy or Crispy?
These are definitely chewy double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, which is my preference. If you want them to be more crispy, you could flatten them out even more until they’re pretty thin, and bake them a bit longer.
If i don’t like peppermint or candy canes, can I omit them from the oatmeal cookie recipe?
I love the holiday friendly combination of chocolate and candy canes, so this was an exciting nostalgic treat for me.
can these holiday cookies be made ahead?
You can make these double chocolate chip oat cookies about a week ahead and store in an air tight container.
can I freeze these candy cane double chocolate chip cookies?
This is my preference if you want to make a huge batch of holiday cookies ahead of time. I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet lined with a silpat and then transferring the frozen cookies to a freezer bag.
do you have any other tasty holiday cookie recipes for Christmas cookie exchanges?
Gluten Free Almond Cherry Meringue cookies
Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal cookies
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds + 6 tbsp water or one regular egg
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegan or regular butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips dairy free, if desired
- 3 tbsp crushed chopped candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Mix together the chia and water and place in the fridge for one hour. Omit if you do not want to make this vegan and simply use a regular egg.
- In a bowl, mix together the oats, flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon and salt.
- To another bowl, cream together the butter with brown sugar using electric beaters until fluffy. Add in the vanilla and peppermint, along with the chia egg or regular egg.
- Add the wet to the dry, and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Roll into one tablespoon balls, flatten slightly on a baking sheet with an inch between them and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Updated on July 21st, 2020
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
