Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Before I went plant-based one of my favorite indulgences was a Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie which really was a Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (they just didn’t advertise the walnuts). A monstrous thick cookie, the Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie was huge and chunky (about 6 ounces) and very gooey on the inside – the way a chocolate chip cookie should be (although I realize that’s debatable).  But when I changed my diet, I had to figure out a way to have a thick, rich, melt-in-you-mouth cookie without the dairy and eggs.

The secret to making a great chocolate chip cookie without butter and eggs is to use almond butter made with just almonds (no additives like sugar, honey, salt, emulsifiers, etc).  The richness of almond butter replaces the butter and makes for a moist rich thick chocolate chip cookie.

The following recipe is a variation of a recipe (“Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies”) from Forks Over Knives. In my recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar (and used date sugar made with just dates, instead of cane sugar), added non-dairy unsweetened milk and used 85% dark chocolate chips because I prefer a less-sweet cookie and the strong flavor of dark chocolate.  With no oil, no eggs, no dairy products, and no refined sugar, it’s hard to believe these cookies are thick, moist, and scrumptious, but they really are!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 15)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup pure almond butter
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups oat flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup date sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup non-dairy dark chocolate chips (I use Pasha 85%)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a spoon to blend.

In a separate small mixing bowl, blend the applesauce, almond butter, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend with a spoon or spatula until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Using your hands, form the dough into 15 balls, flattening them into thick disks. Place the disks on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet (these cookies don’t spread when baked).

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy!