I've been working on this recipe for quite some time, but I wanted it to be just right before sharing with you. I originally made these cookies with homemade vegan butterscotch chips, which was very delicious but didn't add the special crunch I was looking for. Enter homemade vegan almond toffee (which is great on its own by the way), and these came together beautifully with the addition of some other textural ingredients like oats and coconut. I hope you like them!
Almond Toffee Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan butter
10 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Toffee Oatmeal Banana Cookies Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup oat flour (or oats pulsed in food processor)
1/4 cup almond flour (or almonds pulsed in nut grinder)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
6 tablespoons vegan butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
10 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 flax egg (1/2 tablespoon flax meal + 1 1/2 tablespoons water)
1/2 cup (1) really ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond toffee bits, roughly chopped
Directions
While expert sugar candy makers may hate me for this, I found there are two ways to make this toffee: both with a specialized candy thermometer, and without one (with an oven). I wanted to share this because I know not everyone has a working candy thermometer in their kitchen tools arsenal.
In both methods, before you start making the toffee you'll need to prepare a small heatproof baking pan or glass dish lined with parchment paper. This is the vehicle your hot melted toffee mixture will cool and harden in.
I also recommend having your chopped roasted almonds ready to go so you can add them in right after pouring.
Candy Thermometer Method:
Oven Method:
Now it's time to make the cookie dough. Normally the first step I list is preheating the oven, but these are best after chilling the dough for at least a few hours before baking. I chilled mine overnight but this requires patience.
First, in a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and optional turmeric. This is the dry mixture. Set aside.
Next, using a standing mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer on low speed, cream together vegan butter and coconut oil with dark brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2 minutes or so, until it's a little fluffier. Add in vanilla, flax egg and mashed banana until mixed. This is the wet mixture.
Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula until well combined.
Now stir in the mix ins with a spatula or wooden spoon. This is the quick oats, shredded coconut and chopped toffee.
And if you want some next level deliciously sweet cookie dough with crunchy bits of homemade vegan toffee in it, maybe just stop here and enjoy the dough. It's that good.
Chill the dough for a few hours up to overnight.
When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. I used a medium cookie scoop to make this step extra easy and keep the size of the cookies consistent.
If possible, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. This results in a chewier cookie.
Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Almond Toffee Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan butter
10 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Toffee Oatmeal Banana Cookies Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup oat flour (or oats pulsed in food processor)
1/4 cup almond flour (or almonds pulsed in nut grinder)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
6 tablespoons vegan butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
10 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 flax egg (1/2 tablespoon flax meal + 1 1/2 tablespoons water)
1/2 cup (1) really ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond toffee bits, roughly chopped
Directions
While expert sugar candy makers may hate me for this, I found there are two ways to make this toffee: both with a specialized candy thermometer, and without one (with an oven). I wanted to share this because I know not everyone has a working candy thermometer in their kitchen tools arsenal.
In both methods, before you start making the toffee you'll need to prepare a small heatproof baking pan or glass dish lined with parchment paper. This is the vehicle your hot melted toffee mixture will cool and harden in.
I also recommend having your chopped roasted almonds ready to go so you can add them in right after pouring.
Candy Thermometer Method:
- Add vegan butter, light brown sugar , maple syrup, soy milk and salt to a large heavy bottomed pot. Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula as the butter and sugar melt together. The texture will become less grainy as the sugar is melting.
- Add in the candy thermometer, clipped to the pot if possible.
- Continue stirring as the mixture comes to a boil. This is an excellent arm workout.
- Keep stirring until the candy thermometer reads 285°F. Then immediately turn off the heat, remove the candy thermometer and pour the melted toffee mixture into your prepared baking pan or dish. I recommend heatproof gloves for this task, just in case.
- Sprinkle the chopped roasted almonds onto the melted toffee mixture and use the heatproof spatula to press them in slightly.
- Remove to a cooling rack and once it comes to room temperature, transfer to the fridge to chill for a few hours.
- Chop toffee into bite size pieces.
Oven Method:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- As above, add vegan butter, light brown sugar, maple syrup, soy milk and salt to a large heavy bottomed pot. Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula as the butter and sugar melt together.
- Continue stirring and once the mixture comes to a boil, turn off the heat.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan or dish and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes to 30 minutes until dark around the edges. It should harden as it cools.
- Sprinkle the chopped roasted almonds onto the melted toffee mixture and use the heatproof spatula to press them in slightly.
- Remove to a cooling rack and once it comes to room temperature, transfer to the fridge to chill for a few hours.
- Chop toffee into bite size pieces.
Now it's time to make the cookie dough. Normally the first step I list is preheating the oven, but these are best after chilling the dough for at least a few hours before baking. I chilled mine overnight but this requires patience.
First, in a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and optional turmeric. This is the dry mixture. Set aside.
Next, using a standing mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer on low speed, cream together vegan butter and coconut oil with dark brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2 minutes or so, until it's a little fluffier. Add in vanilla, flax egg and mashed banana until mixed. This is the wet mixture.
Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula until well combined.
Now stir in the mix ins with a spatula or wooden spoon. This is the quick oats, shredded coconut and chopped toffee.
And if you want some next level deliciously sweet cookie dough with crunchy bits of homemade vegan toffee in it, maybe just stop here and enjoy the dough. It's that good.
Chill the dough for a few hours up to overnight.
When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. I used a medium cookie scoop to make this step extra easy and keep the size of the cookies consistent.
If possible, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. This results in a chewier cookie.
Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!