Some Saturdays you just need to skip yoga and perfect your oatmeal cookie recipe.

I love practicing yoga. But I also love practicing balance – rather, I’m practicing practicing balance. And while I mulled over going to class this morning…I just felt pulled to other things. A little blog love. Pancakes with my amazing husband.

And cookies.

I’ve been asked to bring a snack to the Earth Hour event we’re attending tonight, and while I thought about snagging some hummus and veggies from Trader Joe’s on the way, oatmeal raisin cookies were whispering to me.

So here they are – vegan, but not gluten-free. Healthy, but still soft and sweet. A cookie with substance and balance. Just how I like em.

Balanced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
•  1 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (can sub sucanat or brown sugar)
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature (can sub butter)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs (or chocolate chips, dried cranberries, chopped nuts – whatever brings you balance!)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Cream Earth Balance, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl
3. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flours, baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix. Fold in raisins and cacao nibs.
4. Spoon onto ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake 10-13 minutes until golden. Let sit 1 minute before transferring to cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.