Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt until well combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk, applesauce, rice syrup and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well until combined (start with a spatula and end with your hands). Drop balls of dough, about 3 T each, 7.5 centimeters / 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Press the dough flat with a piece of plastic wrap until the cookies are 8 mm / 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on a rack. The cookies will firm as they cool.

The best method for baking these is on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. These cookies will adhere to whatever they are baked on. When parchment paper is used, it can be peeled away from the bottoms of the cookies easily.