I kid you not, these are hands-down, THE best vegan chocolate chip cookies you’re ever going to eat. Period. Slightly melty and soft in the center, chewy on the edges, and stuffed so full of chocolate pieces, they’re impossible not to love. I know, I know, hearing the word (or even reading the word) vegan, has probably sent you running to the nearest grocery store to frantically buy pounds of butter until no more will fit in your cart. And if you’re not as extreme as that, you’re probably skill a little skeptical about the word “vegan”.
To be completely honest, I definitely didn’t buy into vegan desserts for the longest time. I always imagined them to be tough, dry, tasteless and probably rock-hard. So I avoided them for the longest time, until I became, wait for it *drum roll* lactose intolerant. YUP, no joke, probably the saddest day of my life. But I guess it was coming, considering I’m Asian and 95% of all Asians are lactose intolerant.
I guess I moped about this for awhile, but then started to do some research on how to create a delicious cookie, without butter. Turns out, the recipe also ended up not needing eggs either, so voila! A vegan cookie, so delicious, that you don’t even miss the butter or eggs. Is it any healthier? I mean, just because something is vegan, doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthier, but this recipe doesn’t contain all the saturated fats that butter carries, and also does use dark chocolate, which is good for you! I’m not saying should eat the whole batch in one sitting, buuuuttt, it probably wouldn’t kill if you wanted to (I say this from experience, haha).
This is the easiest recipe ever, it does require molasses, which I realize probably isn’t a pantry staple, but this recipe is worth investing in a bottle of molasses. Plus, that stuff is hardy, so it’ll keep for awhile, AND molasses happens to be a great substitute for honey or sugar if you’re ever out. You only need two bowls, you could probably get away with one (I won’t tell), and you don’t even need to cream anything.
Complete aside, but still important: as someone studying environmental health sciences and sustainability, this kind of stuff matters to me. I know that change is difficult, but it’s the new year, and isn’t that for resolutions? Give eating more sustainably a go (I’d suggest this recipe, haha), and you might be surprised with what you find 🙂
Anyway, I’m typing this as it’s blizzard-ing away, so if you’re stuck inside like me in this east coast snow storm, still on holiday break, or are just in the mood for some chocolate chip cookies that are a little healthier, give these one a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES | Makes 2 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (make sure their vegan)
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp water
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Sea salt for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and dark chocolate chips together.
- In a separate large bowl, mix brown and white sugars with molasses and knead with hands until well incorporated.
- Then add in vegetable oil, water and vanilla into sugars – whisk together until smooth.
- Then add flour into sugar mixture and just combine until no flour is visible.
- Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, the longer you chill the dough for, the deeper golden brown it’ll get, and the crispier the edges get!
- Preheat the oven to 350 (F), portion out golf ball sized cookies and sprinkle each cookies with sea salt before baking.
- Bake 10-11 minutes
- Cookies will stay fresh in an air-tight for up to one week.
Enjoy!!! (and for me, a nice cold glass of soy milk!)
dumplings&donuts 