Oat Snackles

Oat Snackles
This is quickly becoming a favorite in my household.  It is vegan, gluten free, and oil free.  Don't worry, they are still oh so yummy.  I found the recipe at plantpoweredkitchen.com.
Enjoy! 

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup oat flour

1/3 cup raisins (or cranberries, or combination of both)
1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut or hemp seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon or orange zest (optional, but I really liked it with the orange)
¼ tsp sea salt
few pinches freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (see note for substitution)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (see note)
2-3 tbsp non-dairy chocolate chips (optional if needing sugar-free)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, raisins, hemp seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, zest, salt and nutmeg, stirring to mix well. Add the applesauce, maple syrup, and chocolate chips. Stir until well incorporated.  Use a cookie scoop (or take spoonfuls, about 1 1⁄2 tablespoons in size) to transfer mounds of the batter to the baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and let cool on the pan for about a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Makes 12-14 snackles!

Savvy Subs and Adds: You can substitute 1⁄2 cup of pureed overripe banana for the applesauce. Since very ripened banana is typically sweeter than unsweetened applesauce (and also a little thicker), you can then reduce the maple syrup to 2 to 3 tablespoons and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of nondairy milk.
Sweetener Note: To make these snackles slightly sweeter, add either extra raisins, or 1 to 2 tablespoons of an unrefined sugar such as Sucanat or coconut sugar. You can also add another 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (note that adding much more liquid sweetener will change the consistency of the batter).