This Chocolate Oat Flour Banana Bread is moist, chocolatey and loaded with chocolate chips. If you love chocolate and banana bread, you’ll enjoy this gluten-free banana bread! Chocolate Oat Flour Banana Bread I am excited to share this Chocolate Banana…
This Chocolate Oat Flour Banana Bread is moist, chocolatey and loaded with chocolate chips. If you love chocolate and banana bread, you’ll enjoy this gluten-free banana bread! Chocolate Oat Flour Banana Bread I am excited to share this Chocolate Banana Bread with oat flour. I have been testing the recipe for a few weeks, and […]
This vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe is outrageously good! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and has the best rich flavor, chewy with crispy edges. No one will know they are vegan!
Outrageously good is the only way to describe these vegan chocolate chip cookies! In fact, they just taste like one darn good cookie. They’re chewy with crispy edges, sweet with just the right nutty intrigue in the flavor, and studded with dark chocolate chips and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. They are easy to make with simple ingredients: no vegan substitutes! Plus, there’s no dough refrigeration or wait time (required for cookies, to us). Try them warm out of the oven and you will absolutely melt.
Why these are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies
We think these are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies, but we wanted to make sure it wasn’t just our opinion! A few of our Instagram readers tested this recipe in their kitchens before it became public and here’s what they had to say:
“I love these cookies! They have a great chewy texture with a nice crisp edge. They came together quickly and effortlessly. To taste these, you’d never think they were vegan!” -Lexi
“Delicious! I’ve been trying to shift to a vegan diet but baked goods are one of the hardest things to substitute. These are amazing and taste just like my regular chocolate chip recipe, yum!!!! You can’t even tell there’s no butter!”-Natalie
“They were amazing! Not too sweet and tasted like a really good chocolate chip cookie. My three year old said ‘Mommy you get a prize – these are really good cookies!’ My husband approved too! The recipe was easy to follow and I was thankful it used all regular ingredients.” -Amanda
“All I can say is wow! These cookies blew me away. They are so delicious and I would never have guessed that they are vegan. I really like that they don’t call for any unusual ingredients also. The directions were very easy to follow and the recipe came together really fast. I will without a doubt make these delicious cookies again.” -Annika
“My girls LOVED them. I thought they were really great, too. They have a soft and pillowy texture, and are filled with chocolate. The salt on the top is the perfect compliment. 10/10!” -Haylea
Are you convinced? We hope so. Here’s more about the recipe and techniques!
PS A big thank you to all our recipe testers: Kaela, Natalie, Amanda, Nancy, Liz, Jennifer, Lexi, Renata, Julia, Haylea, Annika, Julie, Sarah, and Lisa! Full feedback from these testers is listed in the comments section below.
Ingredient notes
Vegan baking requires substitution of a few key ingredients that make the texture of a cookie: butter and eggs. Butter is an important fat that adds texture and makes a cookie crispy and soft. Eggs make a smooth dough and help everything come together in a cohesive way. Let us tell you: it’s tricky to make a great vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe.
We tested a few batches with vegan butter and found that it wasn’t as reliable at making a desirable cookie texture. So, we turned to a mix of oils (neutral oil and coconut oil), and used applesauce instead of eggs to bring the dough together. After tweaking and massaging the recipe, it worked even better than expected to get that chewy yet crispy cookie texture! Here’s what you’ll need:
Neutral oil: You can use grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil; we use grapeseed.
Refined coconut oil: Refined is important because it has a neutral flavor; unrefined coconut oil has more of a coconut flavor. Using coconut oil is important for the dough texture because it is a fat that is solid at room temperature, similar to butter.
Granulated and light brown sugar: The mix of sugars is key for the flavor here, especially the brown sugar since it has hints of molasses in the flavor.
Unsweetened applesauce: Applesauce works surprisingly well in place of the egg to hold the dough together and add moisture. You can substitute sweetened applesauce if desired.
Vanilla extract and almond extract: Vanilla extract is key to cookie dough. Here we’ve added one more element: a hint of almond extract! It brings a toasty, complex nuance to the flavor without overpowering it. We found this was helpful for a vegan cookie since it doesn’t have the richness of egg or butter.
All purpose flour, baking soda and salt: These are the traditional baking characters. The salt is important since there is no butter or egg to add flavor.
Dark chocolate chips: Look for dark chocolate chips that are marked “dairy free.” We love the brand Guittard 63%.
Flaky sea salt: This is optional, but there’s nothing better than a good salty-sweet bite.
Tips for vegan chocolate chip cookies
This vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe is simple to put together with minimal equipment. The best part is that many cookie recipes require the dough to chill, but this recipe has no chilling at all. Because once you’ve made up your mind to bake them, who wants to wait hours or even overnight for chocolate chip cookies? Not us. Here are a few things to note about equipment that helps to pull these cookies together:
Use a cookie scoop. If you have a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, it’s helpful for portioning the dough: just overfill it slightly.
Non stick cookie sheets are helpful. This has become our preferred method for cookies. We recommend using two of these non-stick cookie sheets for the most even bake (keep reading for more).
Bake each tray separately for the most even bake. Do not refrigerate the cookie dough while the first tray bakes. We found that the dough texture is even better if it’s room temperature.
Add 3 to 4 chocolate chips and salt after baking. Adding chocolate chips to the top makes for that signature cookie look.
Notes on substitutes
We recommend not substituting vegan butter for the oil in this recipe. We tested a few batches with vegan butter and found that it wasn’t as reliable at making a desirable cookie texture. In addition, every brand of vegan butter is made with different ingredients, so a recipe becomes very brand specific.
Here the mix of neutral oil and coconut oil is key to the texture. Coconut oil is important because it is solid at room temperature: do not try to substitute it! However, we had a few recipe testers that used avocado oil for the neutral oil with good results.
We do not recommend substituting liquid sweeteners for the sugar in this recipe. Sugar is important to the texture of the cookies (using maple syrup has so much moisture that they become cake-like).
Storage for vegan chocolate chip cookies
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are sublime warm from the oven, after cooling on the tray for 10 minutes and a baking rack for 10 minutes. If you can eat them this way, absolutely do it! But the cookies also hold up well over time. This is a must for cookies in our opinion, since you’re making them in a big batch. Here’s what to note about storing these cookies:
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 week. The texture holds up well: no need to add anything to the container.
Store refrigerated for 2 weeks. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Store frozen for up to 3 months.
More vegan dessert recipes
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe: even though we don’t eat vegan regularly! They’re just that good. Here are a few more vegan desserts you’ll love:
Try Vegan Cookie Dough (edible and not bakeable, so it’s different than below!)
This vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe is outrageously good! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and has the best rich flavor, chewy with crispy edges. No one will know they are vegan!
Ingredients
⅓ cupneutral oil (grapeseed, canola or vegetable)
1 ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (we used 63% Guittard)
Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, or omit if using non-stick cookie sheets (we swear by these).
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), add the neutral oil, coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment (or an electric mixer) on Medium speed until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined, a few seconds.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Turn on the mixer and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips and mix on low for a few seconds until mixed in. The dough will feel slightly oily, but this is as expected.
Scoop nine 3-tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie for spreading (using a cookie scoop is helpful; we overfilled our 2 tablespoon scoop). Bake one batch for 12 to 13 minutes, or until just golden (baking one batch at a time makes the most even bake). Press 3 to 4 chocolate chips into the top of each warm cookie, then sprinkle with sea salt. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool fully. They taste great warm after cooling on the rack for about 10 minutes, or fully cooled.
While the cookies cool, portion out and bake the second batch of dough; don’t refrigerate the dough in between. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerated for 3 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving).
Dive into a bowl of this creamy, dreamy edible vegan cookie dough! Made with dairy-free plant-based ingredients, it’s packed with rich chocolate chips and ready to satisfy your cravings in the tastiest way possible.
Sure, cookies are tasty. But give us cookie dough any day! That gooey, salty sweet texture mixed with the crunch of the chocolate chips is the ultimate treat. Turns out, there’s no dairy needed. Try this vegan cookie dough, absolutely dreamy using only plant-based ingredients! The flavor and texture are exactly what you (and we) crave. Mix a few ingredients together and cozy up to this bowl of vegan dessert heaven!
Ingredients for vegan cookie dough
There’s no way to spin it: vegan cookie dough is not healthy or wholesome. However, it is a craveable vegan dessert that’s absolutely worth the splurge when you’re looking for a treat. You’ll use a few simple ingredients to whip up this dairy-free goodness. Here’s what you’ll need:
All-purpose flour: Heat treat the flour for best safety (see below). For gluten-free, use almond flour.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is key to the flavor; do not substitute granulated sugar here.
Vegan butter or refined coconut oil: Vegan butter is our pick, but coconut oil works too. We recommend refined coconut oil, since it has a more neutral coconut flavor.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla is key to the cookie dough flavor!
Kosher salt: Add another pinch of salt to balance the flavor if you’re using coconut oil.
Dairy free dark chocolate chips: Our favorite brand is Guittard 63% dark chocolate chips, which are marked dairy-free on the package.
How to make vegan cookie dough (basic steps)
Vegan cookie dough is very easy to make. All you need is a bowl and a spoon: no special equipment at all! Here are the basic steps:
Step 1: If you’re using all purpose flour, heat treat it (see the section below).
Step 2: Soften the butter in a microwave, then mix it with brown sugar with a spoon. Brown sugar is key to the robust flavor, so don’t substitute another type of sweetener.
Step 3: Mix in the flour, vanilla, salt, milk and chocolate chips! Store refrigerated or frozen rolled into balls.
Why and how to heat treat flour
Most edible cookie dough recipes recommend heat treating the flour. We know, it’s not fun to add this extra step of turning on your oven when you’re not even baking! To be honest, we often skip this step. But here’s why it’s recommended for food safety:
Flour is sold as a raw ingredient intended to be cooked, so there’s not a regulated process to remove bacteria in flour manufacturing.
To heat treat flour, spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F until the temperature reaches 165°F. This should take about 5 minutes.
Cool the flour completely before using. Do not attempt to use the hot flour in cookie dough, since this affects the texture of the dough.
Remember: don’t bake it!
Don’t try baking this vegan cookie dough: it’s optimized for snacking on, not baking! For vegan chocolate chip cookies, head to our Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
Small serving sizes are key
The one thing we’ll say about vegan cookie dough: the serving size is fairly small. One cookie typically satisfies us, but when it comes to cookie dough it’s hard to stop eating spoonfuls. Here’s what to know about serving size:
The serving size is 1 tablespoon. That’s right! All you need is a few bites.
This recipe makes 20 servings, so cut it in half if desired. This way you won’t be temped to eat more.
Freeze rolled into balls. Or, you can freeze half the batch so you can save for later.
Storage info
Vegan cookie dough lasts well in the refrigerator, and it also works frozen as noted above. Here’s what to know about storing this treat:
Refrigerator: You can keep it up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Freezer: This is our preferred method! Roll it into balls and place them on a cookie sheet, then freeze until solid (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a container and they last about 2 to 3 months.
Variation: add to cookie dough ice cream!
Want to make your own cookie dough ice cream with any flavor? Make this vegan cookie dough into small dollops and freeze them. Then stir them into any purchased vegan ice cream or this homemade vegan ice cream. (We love chocolate ice cream with cookie dough, so this is the best way to do it!) Follow the instructions in our homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream.
More vegan dessert recipes
This vegan cookie dough recipe is one of our favorite plant-based treats! Here are a few more vegan desserts we love:
Dive into a bowl of this creamy, dreamy edible vegan cookie dough! Made with dairy-free plant-based ingredients, it’s packed with rich chocolate chips and ready to satisfy your cravings in the tastiest way possible.
Ingredients
1 cup white all-purpose flour (for gluten-free, use almond flour)
½ cup brown sugar (do not substitute granulated)
½ cup softened vegan butter, or melted refined coconut oil*
⅓ cup dairy free dark chocolate chips (we like Guittard 63%)
Instructions
Heat treat the all-purpose flour to prevent bacteria growth (optional): Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the flour on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the temperature reaches 165°F, checking every few minutes with a food thermometer. Cool completely before using (be patient: if the flour is warm the texture of the cookie dough will suffer).
Mix the butter and sugar: Soften the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds until just soft. Mash it with a fork with the brown sugar until fully incorporated.
Make the cookie dough: Mix in all the other ingredients, using as much milk as you’d like to bring it together into a thick or smoother texture. Eat immediately, or store refrigerated for 1 week or roll into balls and store frozen for 3 months. Don’t bake this cookie dough: for bake-able dough, go to our Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This New York-style cheesecake is made with a combination of cottage cheese and cream cheese, blended together for a creamy and delicious low-calorie dessert! No one will even know! Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Since cottage cheese is having a moment, why…
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These Coconut Cookies are a hybrid of coconut macaroons and a meringue cookie, but with added corn flake crumbs. Delicious and gluten-free! To-Die-For Coconut Cookies The first time I made these meringues, I nearly inhaled them right out of the oven! A…
These Coconut Cookies are a hybrid of coconut macaroons and a meringue cookie, but with added corn flake crumbs. Delicious and gluten-free! To-Die-For Coconut Cookies The first time I made these meringues, I nearly inhaled them right out of the oven! A few of my other favorite varieties of meringue cookies include Sprinkle Dipped Meringues,
We served this dessert at our wedding over three years ago, and it’s high time to share the recipe with you! Our family has been calling this recipe “chocolate mousse” for years but it’s much closer to a French recipe called pots de crème, which translates to jars of cream.
These chocolate pots de crème are luscious, creamy, rich, and decadent. They are such fun desserts to offer at a party in individual servings. A little goes a long way, and that’s why I love them. I’d rather have a small portion of incredible dessert than a large portion of so-so dessert.
This miniature dessert comes from my husband’s Great-Aunt Betty. I wonder how many times Betty has whipped up this recipe in her vibrant 97 years. My husband’s mom makes them now, and you’re almost guaranteed to find these little treats in their freezer at any given time. We were thrilled when our wedding bakery agreed to make the family recipe to serve alongside our wedding cake!
This foolproof recipe comes together quickly in the blender—no baking, no straining, no fussing. Blend it up and chill it (you can even freeze these cups for the months ahead). I hope this recipe becomes one of your family traditions, too.
Snowman Chocolate Bark is no-bake treat, perfect for the holidays made with mini marshmallows, chocolate, pretzel sticks, and sprinkles. Snowman Chocolate Bark If you need some holiday baking ideas to give as gifts that don’t require any baking, you’ll…
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This white chocolate mocha cake is cozy, rich and delicious! It’s made after your favorite coffee drink, with dark chocolate cake, coffee cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls. It’s a show stopper! It’s christmas cake day!! This white chocolate mocha cake is an actual dream. Rich and tender chocolate cake covered in cream cheese […]
This white chocolate mocha cake is cozy, rich and delicious! It’s made after your favorite coffee drink, with dark chocolate cake, coffee cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls. It’s a show stopper!
It’s christmas cake day!!
This white chocolate mocha cake is an actual dream. Rich and tender chocolate cake covered in cream cheese espresso frosting and white chocolate curls.
The truth is that I don’t love baking. Because I hate following directions! I especially do not love baking cakes, so I like to make cakes that are easy enough for just about anyone. A cake at holiday time is so fun because it feeds a crowd and looks pretty. It can be your festive centerpiece!
I usually like to keep my christmas cake rather “christmas-y” in flavor. Of course, this isn’t a holiday specific flavor, but it’s a super popular flavor!
It’s been years since I’ve really loved a white chocolate mocha in drink form. However, it was pretty much my gateway drug into coffee! As can be expected, given that it’s like drinking a giant dessert.
I take my mom a white chocolate mocha every single week – she loves it. She had her first one probably two years ago and thinks it is the best thing ever. That was my inspiration for this cake and I find it to be super festive and cozy.
The flavors are warm, rich and decadent.
Perfect for the season.
And the best part is that I used components of some of my other favorite cakes to bring this all together.
First, I used the base of my hot cocoa cake. This is a wonderful, rich chocolate cake. The original recipe is from Ina. The crumb is lovely!
Next, the coffee cream cheese frosting from my banana sheet cake. We all know that I’m an absolute freak over cream cheese frosting. I add a few tablespoons of instant espresso powder to that and the result is incredible. You’ll want to eat it straight out of the bowl.
Finally, white chocolate shavings! Or curls. I don’t get super fancy here. I take a white chocolate lindt bar and a vegetable peeler and go to town. It’s easy. They stick right to the frosting! As long as you use a high quality white chocolate, you’ll love it.
A little sprinkle of cocoa or espresso powder on top can finish things off. (more…)
Made with sweetened coconut flakes, egg whites, and just a few other ingredients, these Coconut Macaroons are moist, chewy, and perfectly flavored. They’re wonderful for Passover and Christmas baking but can be enjoyed anytime. The Best Coconut M…
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This gingerbread cake recipe is moist and cozy-spiced! Its rich molasses flavor tastes like a soft and fluffy version of the iconic cookie.
Here’s the perfect easy holiday dessert: try gingerbread cake! This soft, moist version of the iconic cookie is so easy to whip up: no rolling or cutting out down required! You don’t even need a mixer. Stir up the batter and bake it into this beautiful moist and spiced cake. The rich molasses flavor tastes like a soft and fluffy version of the cutout cookies, and it’s made in a big pan to feed a crowd. We became obsessed with the concept and have now perfected it into our new favorite Christmas dessert.
Why to make this gingerbread cake recipe
There are lots of gingerbread cake recipes out there: so why make this one? Here are a few things we love about the recipe:
It’s quick and easy. This recipe uses melted butter, so you don’t need stand mixer or to wait for room temperature butter. Just mix together all ingredients by hand!
It has just the right flavor without a topping. Many gingerbread cake recipes are pretty bitter on their own, intended to be served with a hard butter sauce or cream cheese frosting. This one is sweet enough so you can top it simply with either powdered sugar and/or whipped cream.
It serves a crowd. This gingerbread cake is intended for celebrations, so make it in a big 9 x 13-inch pan to serve a crowd. Plus, leftovers!
Ingredients in gingerbread cake
Gingerbread is centuries old: in fact, gingerbread cookies were sold in European markets as early as the 17th century! The hallmark flavors of this baked good are the spices ginger, cinnamon and cloves and the sweetener molasses, which adds rich, bittersweet undertones and a dark brown color.
Everyone knows gingerbread cookies, of course: but what about a soft gingerbread cake? This version tastes just like the cookie, but it’s soft, moist and fluffy. You can top it with just powdered sugar if you like, or serve with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting. Either way, you will fall for it just like we did! Here’s what you’ll need:
All purpose flour: All-purpose flour makes the backbone of this classic cake. Weigh the flour if you can for the most accurate measurement.
Baking powder, baking soda, and salt: Two leaveners make this fluffy cake rise.
Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves: The classic combination of these three spice heavy-hitters are required for this cake. Make sure the spices are fresh so they pack a flavor punch.
Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses here. We’ve adjusted the molasses flavor to make sure it’s enough to come through but not so much that it leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Boiling water: Boiling water helps to make a moist cake and help the molasses to dissolve.
Butter: Melted butter brings rich body to the cake.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar: A combination of granulated and brown sugar brings nuance in flavor and just the right sweetness.
Eggs: Eggs make a smooth batter and fluffy crumb.
Tips for making the cake
This gingerbread cake recipe is so simple, there aren’t many things to know related to technique. However, there are a few best practices to keep in mind when making it:
A 9 x 13″ pan with square edges makes the best look. We like when the pieces look nice and squared-off, and this 9 x 13″ pan does the trick.
Bake until the top is set and springs back lightly to the touch. You can use the toothpick test, but this cake is done when it’s fully set and springy to the touch in the center. If you use a toothpick to judge, it can be either clean or have a few clinging crumbs.
Allow to cool to room temperature before dusting with powdered sugar. Otherwise, the powdered sugar melts into the cake.
Toppings for gingerbread cake
This gingerbread cake recipe is unique because it’s sweet enough to enjoy without an elaborate topping. Some types of gingerbread cake are intended to be served with a hard butter sauce or cream cheese frosting to bring in the sweetness. You can do that here, but this cake can also be enjoyed simply. Here are a few of our top topping ideas:
Powdered sugar: Simply dust the entire cake with a generous helping of powdered sugar.
Whipped cream (recommended): We love this dessert with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Bourbon sauce: If desired, you can top with a hard sauce like this bourbon sauce. This will make the entire dessert much sweeter, so we recommend decreasing the granulated sugar in the cake to ½ cup.
Cream cheese frosting: This cream cheese frosting adds quite a bit of sweetness to the cake, but it does make a nice counterpoint to the bittersweet molasses notes in the cake.
More holiday deseserts
We love serving gingerbread cake as a Christmas dessert: it’s like an easier version of our Christmas cranberry pudding and goes over well with everyone! Here are a few more holiday desserts to enjoy:
In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and kosher salt.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the molasses and boiling water. Whisk in the melted butter and sugar. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the center is set and feels springy, and an inserted toothpick is clean or has moist crumbs. Allow to cool until room temperature before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream.