Dreena Burton has been vegan for almost 20 years, in that time writing four bestselling cookbooks charting her journey as a plant-powered cook and at-home mother of three. Always passionate about creating nutritious recipes, she is an advocate of using the “vegan basics” to create healthy, delicious food for the whole family. Affectionately dubbed “Queen Bean” and “Vegan Cookie Queen” by her readers, Dreena is one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors. Her cookbooks have garnered a loyal following, and Dreena has earned the respect and repute for reliable, wholesome recipes.
Vegan Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Description
Any vegans missing that classic homemade chocolate chip cookie indulgence? Well, now you can indulge without need for the dairy, eggs, white sugar, or even refined flour if you choose. These cookies can even be made wheat-free substituting spelt flour for wheat flour. One other bonus: these are super-easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup unrefined sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
- 1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not over-mix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little. Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Note: Unbleached all-purpose flour or spelt flour produces a more classic cookie taste and texture, but you can use whole-wheat pastry flour and still get a delicious cookie. For a wheat-free version, use spelt flour, but add an extra 2-4 tablespoons of the spelt flour to the dry mix (the amount needed varies with brand of spelt flour and whether you are using a refined spelt flour versus a less processed spelt flour).
- Note: If, as you are mixing together your batter it appears quite floury and thick, simply mix together a couple of teaspoons more canola and maple syrup and incorporate it into the batter. Sometimes humidity, type of flour used, and other factors can affect the density of the batter and so a touch more liquid may be needed.
- Makes 9-12 large to average sized cookies
Notes
Copyright 2005 Dreena Burton
These cookies are sooo delicious — they do not last long in my house. I am new to the vegan lifestyle, & I wasn’t worried about eliminating meat from my diet. I was worried about not being able to treat myself with a yummy chocolate chip cookie. These definitely fit the bill & remind me of the cookies I would make with my grandma as a little girl. So tasty!!!
Thanks Jen! I agree. Dreena’s cookies are fantastic!
The Sparkled Ginger Cookies from Vegan with a Vengeance are easy and delicious. I made a batch last night.4 Tbsp tunadrbio or demerrara sugar (regular sugar will work, but coarse is best)2 c all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt2 1/2 tsp ground ginger1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground cloves1/2 c canola oil1/4 c molasses1/4 c soymilk1 c sugar1 tsp vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Place tunadrbio sugar in a small bowl.Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together oil, molasses, soy milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine well. Roll into 1 inch balls and press into the tunadrbio sugar. Place on cookie sheet and flatten into 1 1/2 inch disks, 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheets for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
I have been making these for maybe 10 years now and they’ve always been a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike. One non-vegan even makes them herself to this day.
What unrefined sugar brand did you use?