These ‘Nutella’ Cookies Might Be Our Fave Vegan, Gluten-Free Dessert Yet

Vegan desserts are notoriously delicate, usually crumbling apart as soon as you bite into them. They also can be a little … bland. That’s because the good stuff that adds flavor and texture—butter and sugar—are often omitted.

But our favorite “lightmaker,” Cassandra Bodzak, is back this week with another recipe for gluten-free and vegan cookies. They’re so good that no one will ever guess that zero sticks of butter were involved!

Her secret? Nut butter and a ripe banana. Bodzak herself is all about the cashew butter because it’s light in flavor, ultra-creamy, and naturally a little sweet—but you can sub in any type of nut butter you have on hand. The healthy fats make the cookie dough butter-like in texture, and a mashed, overripe banana (like the kind you’d use in banana bread) keeps the batter moist.

These cookies use “flax eggs” as a binder—they work like regular eggs in baked goods (so you won’t be left with vegan cookie crumbles), and are so easy to make. Simply add three tablespoons of water to one tablespoon of flax meal and allow to sit and thicken for about 5 minutes. And the best part of it all? You can eat the cookie dough raw!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Heaven Cookies

Yield: 18 to 24 cookies
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups gluten-free oat bran
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
2 tablespoon of cashew butter
2 tablespoons flax oil or coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 flax “eggs”
1 large ripe banana

For one “flax egg”
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients together into a large bowl, mixing thoroughly until batter thickens and is completely moistened. Place 1 1/2-inch balls of batter 1 inch apart on baking sheet and lightly press down on each with your palm.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until golden on the outside edges. Allow to cool, then enjoy with a glass of almond milk.

Read more about Cassandra Bodzak, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.