Nova Scotia Oatcakes - GF + V

I love oatcakes. Like me, these oatcakes are Nova Scotian and are rooted in Scottish ancestry. They’re in the snack category, and not the dessert category, because they’re lightly sweet and pack a good energy boost thanks to the oats. They’re closer to a granola bar than a cookie. These are great to pack on a hike or throw in your bag for snack breaks at work. They’re also extremely easy to make. This recipe isn’t entirely traditional because I want these oatcakes to be edible for all (including those who avoid gluten, processed sugar or animal products) but trust me, they’re just as satisfying.

This recipe also happens to be vegan. I’m somewhat of a vegan imposter, since I eat meat but recently learned that I have sensitivities to eggs and cows milk, so my baking will be vegan from this point forward. Personally I’m not bothered by the change, since I believe many people - myself included - feel better when they eat a more plant-based diet in any event. If you’re not vegan and you want to use butter, go right ahead.

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free rolled oats

1 cup gluten free quick oats

1/4 cup tapioca starch

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temp (solid, but not cold and hard)

1/4 cup boiling water

1/4 tsp baking soda

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with some parchment paper.

Next, combine the boiling water and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining dry ingredients and mix them well. Then, add the coconut oil and use your hands to work the oil through the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Don’t over-work it, as coconut oil melts quickly in the heat of your hands. Add the boiling water/soda and the vanilla to the crumbly mixture and then bring it together to form a ball of dough.

Place your ball of dough onto the parchment paper on your baking tray and then press it into a square shape (you can use a bench scraper like I did to make sharper corners) that is about 1/4 inch thick. Then use a knife or bench scraper to cut 12 squares. You don’t need to pull the cookies apart at this stage, just score a line between the cookies. Then when they’re baked and cooled, you can break them apart.

Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. I baked mine for a full 15 in order to get a nice crunchy texture, rather than chewy. Let them cool COMPLETELY before trying to break them apart or eat them, as they’ll just fall apart if they’re too warm.

Enjoy!