The other week I took a yoga class with one of my favorite instructors and he set the intention of the class on thinking of December as a time to reflect on the past year, what we liked, what we didn’t, what was good/bad, etc. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve been thinking about everything that has happened this year but on top of that, how Christmas is only one week away. Why is time flying so fast and where is my magic time machine to slow it down?
I’m always a very go-go-go person but I think at this time of the year when things are winding down, school is coming to an end and we have time to celebrate with our friends and family, it’s important to take things slow, be mindful of everything going on in the present. That means taking time to pack in the usual list of Christmas to-dos like making cookies, watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf at least 5x each and laying on your couch under blankets with peppermint tea. Basically just a bunch of relaxing and enjoying every minute of it. #stressfree
And that’s exactly what I did this weekend.
While I spent Saturday working out, Christmas shopping, taking my last final and seeing La La Land with my roommate, Gina (10/10 recommend, it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in years); I spent Sunday on the couch, watching movies and spending a whole chunk of time in the kitchen creating recipes with Califia Farms seasonal Holiday Nog Almondmilk.
One of which being these Vegan Holiday Eggnog Frosted Cookies.
Eggnog is one of those Christmas staple flavors like peppermint or gingerbread but I rarely ever see any recipes using it, which is why I thought it’d be fun to whip together some eggnog cookies. Califia’s nog is made from minimal ingredients, is lightly sweetened and dairy-free. Not only do I enjoy mixing it into these cookies but as a coffee creamer or when making homemade lattes, it’s phenomenal. That little touch of sweetness goes along way.
Did you guys know before trying this Califia Farms’ creamy goodness I had never had eggnog? True story. But now that I’ve tried Califia’s blend I can see what the hype is about!
Now all I can think of is Chevy Chase drinking eggnog in a Christmas Vacation.
I always toss my cookies into tupperware or ziploc bags and then refrigerate them after I take them out of the oven to make sure the texture is a little bit more dense and they hold together nicely. I’ve never been a fan of harder/crisp cookies so when these turned out like little pillows I was super excited. The frosting glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness to where you’ll probably go back for a second and maybe even a third cookie! In addition, because the frosting is primarily made out of sustainable palm oil and coconut oil, they are much tastier when the frosting is able to thicken up a bit.
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp water combined)
- 1 cup oat flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup Califia Farms holiday nog almond milk
- ½ cup quick oats
- A dash of pink himalayan sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (I would add ¼ if you usually like things on the sweeter side)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup natural vanilla frosting (I used Simple Mills)
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Spray a baking sheet with coconut oil spray or use a Silpat baking sheet.
- Make your flax egg by combining 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal with 6 tbsp of water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine all other ingredients into a large bowl and mix until well incorporated, then add in flax eggs. Mix again until a cookie dough consistency forms. It's okay if they're a little wet!
- Scoop into large tablespoon-sized balls and place onto baking sheet. Wet your finger or a spoon and smooth out the tops if you wish!
- Place in oven for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes
- Place ¼ cup of frosting in a small bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds until melted but not completely liquified. Pour the mixture into a ziploc bag, cut off the tip and drizzle the frosting across the cookies.
- Let sit and then place in fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 1 hour before eating!
- Can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- *Note: If cookies are too dry, add in 1 tbsp at a time of almond milk. If cookies are too moist, add in ¼ cup oat flour.
The look of these cookies reminds me of those snowball pecan cookies that are covered in powdered sugar and appear very grainy, yet the graininess from these guys comes from the oats and flax. No nuts here!
I like to view these cookies as a nice addition to your morning coffee at breakfast, if you don’t have ’em for dessert. They are packed with fiber from the coconut flour and flaxseed, healthy fats from coconut oil and carbohydrates coming straight from the ground oats.
Now I think I’m going to go grab a few if you don’t mind me…
P.s. I also made eggnog truffles for ya this past weekend which are a work in progress, so stay tuned for those this week as well! They are creamy dreamy little gems.
This post was sponsored by Califia Farms, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for making Chickpea in The City possible and supporting these recipes!
