Hope For Healing: Cranberry Oat Gingerbread Cookies (vegan)

Cookies are my favorite thing to bake around Christmas, so many kinds of cookies. I love to make some 10 varieties and then try one of each. I know, that's indulgent, but still... it's only Christmas once a year, right?! Well, let's just say maybe only one cookie a day then. But if you are gonna eat a cookie, it better be good, and why not good for you too. Santa needs fiber as well, it's not just for us healthy kids. Although, I bet Santa has to work on that belly to impress the kids *wink*. But because we all know that Santa would appreciate a some fiber around the holiday feasting, that is why I came up with this whole grain, vegan cookie to satisfy the craving!

You gotta love how at Christmas time the magical beauty of gift giving, Santa Clause, and sitting close to home with loved ones warms the soul. It is a magical time of being thankful for every single gift in your life. It is a quiet and peaceful time to reflect upon the year and the love you have shared. It is more than just one day to gather and unwrap all the gifts you just scurried to buy and wrap. It is about the greatest gift of all... God sending His son, to this earth, to say, "I am with you!" You are not alone, God is with you and on your side. Which is the greatest gift and love of all! That is the love and peace that fill my heart this season and I am so excited to share this love with my family and friends. And in the meantime... share some goodness in the form of a healthy cookie recipe to make and enjoy this season.

Not to mention, these cookies smell and look beautiful too. A perfect blend of spices and red cranberries to cheer you up on any day. Good food just looks good, doesn't it?! I think so, and my favorite part is that eating whole grain vegan cookies just make you feel good too. No guilty sugar highs and lows, and no regrets to try and fix. Just a lovely cookie to enjoy!

Cranberry Oat Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup of buckwheat flour

3 TB of flaxseed meal

2 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 1/2 ts. of pumpkin pie spice blend

1 cup of dried coconut palm sugar

1 ts. of pure vanilla

3 TB of So Delicious coconut milk beverage or other milk product

2 TB of unsweetened applesauce (or 2 more TB's of coconut milk beverage)

1 TB of maple syrup

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

1/2 cup of dried cranberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients first together in a large mixing bowl. Then add the wet ingredients and mix well, the dry and wet will have to sit together for a minute to let all the ingredients soak into each other and blend well. It is a pretty sticky batter and that is ok. Lastly, add the dried cranberries and mix well. Use a TB to spoon out the cookie dough onto a parchment papered pan. Bake 12 to a pan, in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Pull from the oven and do not touch.... let 5-10 minutes go by before you moved from the pan, so that the cookies can dry and sit so to avoid crumbling. These will be perfectly chewy and crispy then. Then, move from the pan and start again, this recipe makes about 24 cookies. A tip before you put them in the oven would be to press them down just slightly on the pan so that they spread better, but really, these vegan cookies are so yummy without the eggs that you won't even notice.