Aug 6, 20207 min read

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

These vegan chocolate chip cookies will have even the omnivores drooling for more. They will stay moist, soft, and chewy for days after baking. They are just sweet enough and a little salty, not to mention quite healthy, for a perfectly satisfying dessert or snack.

I came across a variation of this recipe when I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe to make for my fiance and surprise him with after work. Of course, as aspiring vegans, we didn't have some of the basics like butter, milk, or eggs around. Luckily, I know replacements for all of these items.

I didn't grow up eating desserts, but once I got into college I thought it was time to learn how to bake. Cookies took me awhile to get down, cakes, breads, and pies came more naturally. This is what makes this recipe so great, it is achievable by many skill levels.

Vegan replacements for butter;

The absolute best replacement for butter is coconut oil! It completely mimics butter in melting and solidifying temperatures. It is possible to get refined coconut oil to avoid the coconut flavour, but I like coconut and I like to use the least refined or processed product possible. Coconut oil has so many uses and should be a common household item.

Other vegan butter alternatives are nut butters, the only down side to these is that depending on how much you need the recipe can come out, nutty in taste and texture.

Vegan replacements for eggs;

My favourite replacement for an egg in a recipe is chia seeds. When mixed with equal parts water to seeds it gets gelatinous and egg like. For 1 chia egg it is 1 tbsp of water to 1 tbsp of chia seeds mixed and let to sit for 2 minutes. Chia seeds have so many health benefits ranging from minerals to omegas and are considered a super food. This is another secret weapon that introduces healthy to dessert.

Other forms of vegan eggs can range depending on the recipe requirements; such as apple sauce, banana, flax egg (same instructions as chia egg but ground flax seeds), silken tofu, and aqua faba (chickpea water).

Vegan replacements for milk;

I have yet to try my hand at making my own nut or seed milk so I generally buy my non-dairy milk. Since I don't have all the money in the world to spend on my favourite kind I choose whatever is on sale in the fridge section. When buying non-dairy milks be careful to get as plain as possible (unsweetened, original) to avoid food colourings, extra sugar, and flavourings not desired in a recipe.

Almond milk is great because it has a very mild nut flavour which is great for recipes that you don't want that flavour. It is also very close in consistency with cows milk which is great for beginners. The downside to almond milk is the arsenic content from almonds, so it should ideally be drank in moderation.

Cashew milk, my favourite, has a stronger nutty flavour that is naturally more sweet and a little darker in colour which can be off putting for some. Cashew milk is much creamier and is best used in recipes that require a thicker consistency, not the thickest non-dairy milk out there.

Oat milk, another one of my favourites for smoothies, has an acquired taste if you enjoy oatmeal. Oat milk has a little more of a granular texture when had on its own, is lower in protein than other nut milks, and is plainer in taste. Oat milk is significantly thinner than cashew milk, so it doesn't fill you as much, but it is a great addition to a vegan recipe if there is a nut allergy.

Coconut milk is the thickest and creamiest non-dairy milk available, you can buy it canned as well to last longer or use in cooking meals such as curries or vegan Alfredo sauce. Coconut milk has a sweeter coconut flavour naturally and is difficult to avoid. Choose your non-dairy milk wisely for the texture and flavour desired.

Soy milk has great texture and neutral taste, but as an eco-nerd I don't suggest supporting soy products, and here is why.

Pea milk is a good texture and neutral tasting non-dairy milk, though I have minimal experience with using it since it i not commonly sold in my area.

Lastly, hemp milk is high in protein and iron and minerals, but it is not as widely available in my area and can be more expensive.

Choosing ingredients;

Salt can be a touchy subject for some people, more and more people are boycotting salt to avoid high sodium in their diets. The idea is correct, but if you use salt in moderation in your cooking and baking high sodium should not be a problem for you. It also has to do with what kind of salt you are using which I will discuss in another blog post further. In the end, the salt that I choose is Himalayan salt, and don't be fooled it won't dye your food pink.

Flour is refined enough, further bleaching and refinement is not healthy. I like to use non-refined, non-bleached, organic, non-gmo flour ideally, but with my budget I do the best I can and just avoid bleached flour. Of course I use all-purpose flour when baking cookies, or anything really because all-purpose flour is the most cost effective.

Chocolate chips are not vegan unless otherwise stated, be cautious of this when buying them. If vegan chocolate chips are hard to come by or too expensive, dark chocolate chips work miracles in these cookies and have minimal milk or any other non-vegan ingredients. For this recipe you can get away with any shape of chocolate whether it is mini chips or chunks, just account for it when shaping the cookies.

Brown sugar is different from white sugar in the way that it is processed. Brown sugar has more molasses content which is why when measuring it to pack it for most accurate results. Brown sugar is superior to white sugar because it is not bleached and is less refined. White sugar is sweeter and stays soft longer, but can be quite bad for your health if you are at risk of diabetes.

Measuring flour;

When measuring all purpose flour it is best to weigh it rather than scoop it into the measuring cup and use the gradations on a measuring cup. Flour can be condensed and it is difficult to assess how one person measures it versus how another does. Weight is universal and is easier to replicate.

1 cup of all purpose flour = 120g

For a recipe that calls for 3 cups of flour, place the measuring cup on the scale, tare the scale, then spoon or sift in flour until it reaches 360 grams. You will find that it may be less than 3 cups, but it will work perfectly every time. Please, take the time to weigh out your flour!

Baking Cautions;

When baking these cookies be cautious not to over bake otherwise they will not be as soft and chewy, they will turn hard and be rocks! I state in the recipe to bake for 8-10 minutes, as you know your oven best. In my oven, at 375F, they take 8 minutes on the dot since it is a newer oven. They will still look soft and will break if taken off the cookie sheet too soon, that is why they absolutely must rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes after baking before moving onto a cooling rack or plate.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my fiance and I did, please leave a comment or rating if you tried these cookies for yourself!