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    Home » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    Angela's Vegan & Gluten-Free Turtle Cookies

    December 18, 2013 by keepinitkind 41 Comments

    Back in my pre-vegan days, I used to love a good cookie swap party. Now that I’m vegan and don’t have many vegan friends close-by, I’m bringing the cookie swap party to Keepin’ It Kind! Each day, for 25 days, one of my favorite bloggers will visit and share one of their favorite holiday cookies! That’s 25 Days of Cookies, my friends! Happy Holidays!

    Vegan Cookie Swap Party

    Today’s guest needs no introduction. Chances are, you’ve been to Angela’s wildly successful blog, Oh She Glows, and you’ve likely even tried one of her recipes (I know I’ve tried several!). You probably adore her down-to-earth and relatable writing and drool over her stunning photography. Angela and I connected over a year ago and I had the honor of meeting her at Vida Vegan Con this year. She is even sweeter in person and it really seems like she actually glows! I am just beside myself that Angela is here today sharing another one of her drool-worthy creations! 

    veganturtlecookie-4125

    Hello, Keepin’ It Kind readers! My name is Angela and I write the vegan recipe blog, Oh She Glows. Like many of you, I’ve been a fan of Kristy’s blog since I first came across it. I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kristy and Chris at the most recent Vida Vegan Con and they are just the sweetest, down-to-earth couple!

    Today, I’m sharing a new recipe that I created recently for a holiday gathering. It’s a riff off one of my all-time favourite vegan cookies, oatmeal walnut cookies. This version is inspired by the Turtles candy, and I say it knocks my former favourite oatmeal cookies out of the park! I used a nutty, rich base of toasted pecans and then added in chopped Medjool dates (for the “caramel” flavour) and mini dark chocolate chips to create a wickedly delicious “Turtle” candy-inspired cookie. Oh yea.

    veganoatmealcookies

    Side note: I discovered a fun way to prevent the chopped dates from sticking together. Simply sprinkle on some flour and toss the dates until coated. The light coating of flour will prevent the dates from clumping up in the dough. Fun, right?

    I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! That is, if you can stop eating the “buttery”, nutty dough long enough to actually bake them. Consider yourself warned.

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    Print
    Angela’s Vegan & Gluten-Free Turtle Cookies

    Prep Time: 20 minutes

    Cook Time: 12 minutes

    Yield: 16 cookies

    Inspired by one of my childhood favourite candies, these "Turtle" Oatmeal Cookies are studded with caramel-like Medjool dates and dark chocolate chips, wrapped in a nutty toasted pecan and oat base. If you can stop eating the dough for long enough to bake them, you are in for a real treat. My favourite way to enjoy these is straight from the fridge or freezer where the cookies get firm and crisp (strange, but true!).

    Ingredients

    • 1 + 3/4 cups pecan halves
    • 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats, divided
    • 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Pamela’s brand, see note)
    • 1/2 cup Sucanat or unpacked brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
    • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
    • 3.5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
    • 2 tablespoons almond milk
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • heaping 1/3 cup pitted dates, diced
    • 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast pecans for 9-11 minutes, until golden and fragrant. After toasting, remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Increase oven temp to 350F. Add pecans into food processor along with 1 cup of oats and process until coarsely chopped (see photo in blog post). Be sure not to over process or the oils in the nuts will release.
    2. In a large bowl, stir the pecan/oat mixture, the remaining 1 cup rolled oats, flour, Sucanat, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
    3. In a medium bowl, stir together the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture on the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. The dough will be quite sticky.
    4. In a small bowl, coat the chopped dates in 1/2-1 teaspoon of flour and toss until coated. This prevents the dates from sticking together. Fold the dates and chocolate chips into the dough.
    5. Take about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it into a ball, and then press down on it with your hand to flatten it on the baking sheet. You can lightly wet your hands if necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Space cookies a couple inches apart. Repeat until you have about 16 cookies.
    6. Bake for 12-13 minutes at 350F until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3-4 mins. and then place cookies onto a cooling rack for 15 minutes more.

    Notes

    1) Instead of gluten-free all-purpose flour, you can probably swap it for regular all-purpose flour. 2) As for the gluten-free flour blend, I recommend using one that is rice based (such as Pamela's brand) and avoid using one that is garbanzo bean based (such as Bob's Red Mill) to avoid any bean-y flavour.

    3.1

    Thanks again to Kristy for hosting this vegan cookie swap party! I can’t wait to see what else is in store. 🙂

    If you'd like to connect with me, check out my blog, Oh She Glows. I'm also on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

    Wishing you all a joyous holiday season!

    Angela

    More

    • Annie's Sicilian Fig Cookies
    • Angela's 5 Layer Lime Brûlée Bar Cookies
    • Gabby's Raw Peppermint Oreos
    • Rebecca's Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Madison @ Eating 4 Balance

      December 18, 2013 at 6:33 am

      I love this idea of a virtual cookie swap! I'm in a similar boat in not having many nearby with the same food needs with all of my allergies. So I made a virtual 12 Days of Allergy-Free Christmas Recipes. The cookie part isn't being hosted until the last day so your 25 day collection should keep me occupied until then 😉

      I actually didn't know that Enjoy Life made a dark chocolate version of their chocolate chips. I'll have to try some of those. Thanks for the awesome recipe Angela, and Kristy for hosting.

      Reply
    2. Angela

      December 18, 2013 at 6:37 am

      Thanks so much for having me Kristy! I hope I have the pleasure of seeing you again in 2014! xo

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        December 18, 2013 at 6:47 am

        Thank you so much for coming and bringing these delicious-looking cookies! And yes, I agree- it would be so great to see you again next year. 🙂 Take care! xo

        Reply
    3. Celia

      December 18, 2013 at 7:00 am

      These sound wonderful. Is there any sub for the sucanat/brown sugar?

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 18, 2013 at 4:02 pm

        Hey Celia, I would guess that coconut sugar or cane sugar would also work just fine, but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    4. Tami@NutmegNotebook

      December 18, 2013 at 7:55 am

      Those look so tempting!

      Reply
    5. Emma

      December 18, 2013 at 8:02 am

      These sound utterly wonderful! Extra buttery and delicious with the pecan flour base too.

      Reply
    6. Deborah

      December 18, 2013 at 9:21 am

      What a great idea, Kristy and thank you for the recipes; 25 days of cookies, how many can I make??? I am a devout follow and big fan of Oh She Glows and thank you Angela for directing me to yet another great place to find inspiration and ideas. Happy holidays to you both!

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:44 am

        Thanks you too Deborah!

        Reply
    7. Jenny$1983

      December 18, 2013 at 11:30 am

      These look amazing ... I've followed you on Facebook for quite a while, and I'm a big fan of Angela's, I just made her Elvis bars and they - like all of her recipes - are absolutely delicious! Please could you give me some advice, though? I was wondering if I could use coconut sugar instead of the Sucanat/brown sugar in the same amount? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:44 am

        Hey Jenny, yes I think that would be just fine. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Abby @ The Frosted Vegan

      December 18, 2013 at 11:40 am

      I adore Angela and these cookies, love!!

      Reply
    9. Richa

      December 18, 2013 at 1:24 pm

      wow! these cookies look fabulous! i'd probably eat up the dough too. and a bunch of the cookies for breakfast and lunch!

      Reply
    10. marquis @realrawkitchen

      December 18, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      omg drooling .. I love Angela and she was a huge inspiration for me when I first turned plant based so I'm not surprised I'm in love with this recipe.

      Reply
    11. Angela @ Canned Time

      December 18, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      The perfect combination....pecans, maple, brown sugar, chocolate. The oats just hold things together right? A really wonderful cookie and so nice and easy to make ♥

      Reply
    12. Summer

      December 18, 2013 at 3:59 pm

      Oh boy oh boy!!! I just made these cookies and they are amazing. Sixteen perfectly delicious cookies. I love the date, nut, oat, and chocolate combination. Thank you Angela and Kristy for making my house smell incredible and my tummy happy!

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:45 am

        So glad you enjoyed them Summer!! I'm making another batch in a few minutes for Christmas...

        Reply
    13. Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}

      December 18, 2013 at 4:41 pm

      I'm not sure any of the dough would survive to be made into cookies! Yum, yum, these cookies look absolutely divine.

      I've been a long time follower of OSG and was so excited when she posted her cookies today and said her recipe would be at your cookie swap Kristy!

      This year's cookie swap has been epic!!

      Reply
    14. Katie

      December 18, 2013 at 7:42 pm

      These look amazing!! I love OSG and am planning to make some peanut better balls for xmas. May have to make these also. Do you think I can use blanched almond flour instead of the all-purpose? Thank you and Happy Holidays!!

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:47 am

        Hey Katie, I don't think the cookies would hold together well just using almond flour. It needs some sort of a binder (which is why I recommend GF all-purpose or regular all-purpose flour). Other flours like spelt or whole wheat pastry flour will probably work too. Thanks for your kind words by the way! Happy holidays 🙂

        Reply
    15. The Vegan Cookie Fairy

      December 19, 2013 at 2:46 am

      The photos are stunning! I've never heard of Turtle candy before, but they sure sound good.

      Reply
    16. Annie

      December 19, 2013 at 7:47 am

      Just looking at that stack of cookies has my sweet tooth all a-tingle! What a great combination.

      Reply
    17. Jen

      December 19, 2013 at 7:11 pm

      These look amazing!!
      I appreciate your note about the Bob's Red Mill GF flour- it does lend a beany unpleasant taste and mealy texture to baked foods. Pamela's rocks!
      Also, I use coconut sugar almost exclusively when baking with perfect results:)

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:48 am

        This is my first bag of Pamela's and I'm loving it! I was not a fan of a couple other brands I tried out, Bobs being one of them. It's ok for savoury recipes though, with the chickpea flour and all.

        Reply
    18. Sarah

      December 20, 2013 at 10:01 am

      When I opened my bag of organic brown sugar from Fortinos it was like nothing I've ever smelled before. So fresh and awesome! I wish everyone could know how delicious organic/vegan foods can be. Great recipe!

      Reply
    19. Susan

      December 20, 2013 at 1:48 pm

      I'm making these right now and they are DELICIOUS!! Can't wait to take these to my family gathering for Christmas to see how everyone likes them (and to see their faces when I tell them they're actually pretty healthy)!

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:49 am

        So glad you tried them! How did they turn out?

        Reply
    20. Megan

      December 21, 2013 at 3:32 pm

      I tried these, but they spread out way too much! And I couldn't get them to stay together. Any thoughts?

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:50 am

        Hey Megan, Sorry to hear that! I have no idea what could have gone wrong. I've made these many times now with good results. Did you make any changes to the recipe?

        Reply
    21. Maia

      December 21, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      These look amazing! You mentioned you used Pamela's flour, did you use the artisan flour blend mix or the baking and pancake mix?

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:54 am

        Hey Maia, It's the Artisan Flour Blend. 🙂 Hope this helps!

        Reply
    22. Kathryn

      December 21, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      In the oven. I used the toffee recipe from one of the other cookie swap cookies since my husband detests dates (fool!). A little hard to get into cookie shape, maybe because of the toffee and regular flour, but the batter was soo good I didn't even care. 12 minutes to wait now......

      Reply
    23. Amy P

      December 23, 2013 at 12:16 pm

      The dough tastes delicious, but I can't get it to stick together.... I put it in the fridge for now. Any suggestions??

      Reply
      • Angela

        December 24, 2013 at 9:55 am

        Hi Amy, I'm not sure why that happened to you. I didn't have any problems with it sticking. What kind of flour did you use?

        Reply
        • Amy P

          December 24, 2013 at 10:28 am

          I used 1/2 c all-purpose and 1/4 cup GF all-purpose ('cause I only had Bob's). The fridge trick worked great, however, and they came out soooo yummy! Thanks for your reply, Angela!

          Reply
    24. Laura

      December 23, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      Made these tonight and they are wonderful! Even my picky husband loved them. Hard to believe they are dairy-free, gluten-free, AND vegan. Would definitely recommend giving them a try!

      Reply
    25. Francesca

      January 01, 2014 at 4:08 pm

      Just made these-they are so yummy!! I used coconut sugar for the brown sugar and turned out delicious. Ate lots of the cookie dough too...Making and eating cookies can be a New Year's resolution right??

      Reply
    26. Laurie

      January 26, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      These cookies are RIDICULOUS

      I should be ashamed out how many times I've made these since I found this recipe.

      Reply
    27. Shannon

      March 30, 2014 at 1:26 pm

      Just made these and they are awesome! Thanks!!

      Reply
    28. Regina

      March 31, 2014 at 10:47 pm

      These cookies are amazing!!
      I thought "dates give a caramel flavor - yeah right", but they do!
      No gluten sensitivity here, so I used regular flour and oats. I don't have a food processor, so I used a hand-cranked nut grinder for both the pecans and the oatmeal. And of course, I had to add more chocolate chips... Chilling the dough made it much easier to roll out balls.
      Mmm. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    29. Leah Detor

      July 09, 2020 at 6:32 am

      These are my absolute favorite cookies and always a crowd pleaser. No one ever suspects they’re vegan and Gf!

      Can the dough be frozen ahead? Would a week be too long?

      Reply

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