Good evening!
Our friend Dan’s birthday get together is tomorrow night and I got this great idea to make Dan healthier vegan chocolate chip cookies. You see, Dan is a great guy and he deserves only the best on his birthday. He also loves my vegan baked goods.
Little did I know that my quest to bake a delicious vegan chocolate chip cookie would take 5 trials! Oye. However, I do not go down without a fight. If it takes 5 trials of taste testing cookies, I will roll up my sleeves and dig in. Someone’s gotta do it.
I started with a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that one of my family members gave me years ago. I decided it was time to veganize this baby! Out went 1 egg, 1/2 cup butter, and a cup of sugar.
See ya, won’t miss ya, I said.
For some reason, I decided I would also turn this recipe into a s’more cookie. I was feeling a bit crazy and delirious, clearly…
Trial 1:
The S’more sandwich.
Hrmm.
It tasted good, but it was nothing to write home about.
Back to the drawing board!
Trial 2:
The S’more Cookie
Oozing with vegan marshmallows, it was good, but not great. Nor amazing.
Next!
Trial 3:
Vegan Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whoops. It got a little crowded in there! ;)
I was sick of the s’more cookies and decided to go back to the classic chocolate chip cookie with a nut butter twist. This version tasted phenomenal, but the cookie was a bit thin for my liking.
I was now on a quest to plump it up!
Trial 4:
The thicker chocolate chip cookie
Too thick and cake like. :(
I am now weak. It feels like I have been in the kitchen for days on end. My throat is dry.
This is what happened when I added a chia egg (1 T ground chia + 3 T water) and a bit more flour. Interesting, but much too muffin like in texture and not crispy at all.
I need the crisp factor!
Scratch.
Trial 5:
The Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie…with a twist!
I said a little prayer for this batch. My golden hairs were turning grey. Something had to give….
[This recipe is BACK after popular request!! Sorry for the inconvenience guys!]
Salt-Kissed Chunky Peanut Butter Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 + 1/4 cup whole grain spelt flour* (see note below)
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 1/4 tsp fleur de sel (or reg. salt)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tbsp cacao nibs (optional, but they add crunch!)
- 3-4 tsp non-dairy dark chocolate chips
- 1.5 tbsp chunky peanut butter
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3.5 tbsp canola oil
- Fleur de sel, for garnish
- Turbinado sugar, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients (spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, fleur de sel, sugar).
- Whisk together. In a medium sized bowl mix all wet ingredients (peanut butter, maple syrup, oil. vanilla). Mix well making sure the PB is thoroughly mixed in.
- Now add wet to dry and stir. Mix with hands if necessary until fully incorporated. Stir in cacao nibs and chocolate chips. Wet hands and shape small cookies about 1.5 inches in diameter and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for just 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack after a couple minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Makes 14 medium sized cookies.
See this post for my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Happy Birthday Dan. If we eat all of them before tomorrow night, this post is proof that the thought was there anyways. ;)
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{ 102 comments… read them below or add one }
You can send those “bad” cookies to me! :)
Happy Birthday Dan. If I baked those cookies for you they would be long gone by tomorrow!
Angela, you’re genius. Pure genius. I love all your recipes and this one’s no different. PB..chocolate..cookies?! Heck yes please!! :D
And happy birthday, Dan!
Mmm those look delish! The “flops” don’t look half bad either:)
Oh, how I miss the rain. It’s high 90’s today! Enjoy : )
Holy Yum! I wish I was there to have one or two or three :)
THey Look Great! You had me on the the first one…a smore sandwich…sold! but then the chunky peanut butter chocolate chip cookie… I am sold as well! You needed a litttle taste tester! :) I wish I could reach in and have one. :) Looks perfect to have with the little rain (drizzle) and some warm almond milk or tea, I agree. Great touch with the turbinado sugar
Peanut butter and chocolate… you can’t go wrong there!
Fantastic as always! I am always on the hunt for vegan cookies!
I think this must be the reason your recipes are always SO good!! I would have given up way before you did!! And now you have all those dangerous cookies lurking in your kitchen.
Good perseverance Ang!! teehee!!
They look amazing!
Those look amazing!! I have been looking for a vegan recipe for chocolate chip cookies lately and I think I may have found the one :) Thanks so much for all your hard work and trials !!
This guy is getting bookmarked. Now I know what I’m making the next time I want to bake. I love that it doesn’t ask for any complicated ingredients. Built to be vegan from the ground up with no replacements.
Thanks for sharing these!
I am sure all the trails were worth it, those look fabulous.
If only I could bite into one right now!
Fleur de sel is one of the most amazing baking additions I’ve come across – I love the bit of salt with the sweet, and it makes for excellent lemon-tinged sugar cookies!
Wow… these are dreamy. Love salt + sweet.
Those all look delish! And I swear, Hamilton is the only place in Southern Ont. that didn’t get rain today…I’d like a break from this humidity; please send rain stat!
I love topping my brownies and cookies with a little sea salt… YUM
You have my address, right?? I’ll take those s’more cookies off your hands – I’m generous like that :)
Omigosh those look to die for! I just tried out your mushroom pizza today by the way. It was phenomenal. Here’s the link: http://givemethealmondbutter.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/messes/
You my dear a fabulous and true baker!!! Five trials..impressive! ;) and they look delish!
Those will be on my upcoming treat for a rant day
Angela- you are UNSTOPPABLE!
I am making these tomorrow. I would make them tonight but I don’t have chocolate chips and I have had too much wine. The cookies must wait.
PS- Thank you so much for your mushroom post!! Mushrooms have been the one food I do not like for such a long time. I have recently (as in last month) started warming up to them, and I love what you did!
I used to HATE Portabellas! Now I love all mushrooms.
I love cookies with a little bit of saltyness! These look great – I don’t know how you made it through 5 trials, I would have called it a day after just two!
This recipe looks perfect. I need to make these soon!
Dan is one lucky guy to have a friend like you. Those cookies look yummy. :) I would have never thought to add cocao nibs to add crunch.
Looks good! ….I would probably substitute butter in mine ;)
A little bit of salt on something sweet makes all the difference. Everyone always asks me what my “trick” is!
I don’t think you can get better than fresh baked goods for a gift. Especially for a guy! Great idea.
And I hope you got to enjoy one yourself with a glass of almond milk and relaxing, just listening to the rain. :)
Dan is one lucky guy. And so is whoever gets to eat all the “duds”.
i’ll pawn the duds off on friends…hahah
1. I love how dedicated you are to making the best cookie, no matter how many trials.
2. The final product sounds & looks delicious!
OMG. This post made me crave a cookie so bad and I never really crazy cookies or desserts. I HAD to get a spoon of salty peanut butter haha, but the craving was not resolved! I may have to bake…
What a sweet friend you are! The cookies look great- I love salty and sweet. Example: I would love to make a cocoa-based cookie with pretzel bits :D
Wow those look delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I have to bake a dessert for a cross country running party tomorrow and was looking for something new. Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate chips?
They look delish! Though I wouldn’t mind the recipe for the s’more cookies. please.
Mmmm cookies! This recipe looks fabulous! I’m guessing that I could use coconut oil in place of canola oil. Think that would work?
I thought about that too…Im not sure how it would change the cookie but might be worth a shot!
What happened to Trials 1-4?! Are you going to eat all of them? Heh. Awesome. I think I’ll try this recipe, but I don’t have any chocolate chips… maybe I’ll just add some walnuts for crunch! Thanks for sharing! (I love your resolve. I think I get mine from you. :D)
Will be bringing them to the party
Hi Angela. Those cookies look awesome. I have a question for you about Green Monsters. I have finally gotten hooked on Green Monsters, so much that I drink one EVERY day. I love them!!! I put 2 huge handfuls of spinach in with some other ingredients. What I am wondering is if you can eat(drink) too much spinach. I have read conflicting things about the absorption of Iron and Calcium when too much spinach is consumed. What do you know about this and what do you think. I feel like my skin is so much softer and less dry. My hair and nails have improved. My energy is up. These things are amazing. I just want to make sure they are ok to drink daily.
Thanks for introducing me to these and all the great recipes you blog about .
:)
I have read that it is a good idea to mix up and ‘rotate’ your greens. Like any other veggie, this is a good idea. I try to mix up the greens in my smoothies whenever I can…sometimes I use kale, spinach, chard (ew), or other random greens I find in my CSA. I think it is always a good idea to not reply too heavily on one type of vegetable because that might mean we are missing out on other nutrients. :)
Those first two trials look good to me… I made s’mores bars this week, I love that flavor!
Beautiful cookies! I can’t believe you persevered through all the trials, but at least you had some good cookie-fuel for all that time slaving in the kitchen! :)
Those look awesome! Thanks for doing all of the trial work for us so we don’t have to ;)
i love vegan cookies for the sole fact that i can eat it all before it’s baked. what’s better than that?! besides these cookies anyway :)
Those cookies look amazing!! They def wouldn’t last long in my house! :)
I have a feeling I would be pretty happy if my cookies turned out half as good as your “bad” cookies! They all look delish and I’m sure would have no problem being devoured ;)
Wow, those look absolutely delicious, I love the addition of the salt!
I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies today too!!!!! But i made mine softer and chewy:):) I definitely whould have given up after 1 or 2 trials lol thats why you have the bakery:):)
oooh, yummy! I can’t believe how little sugar you had to add to them! Impressive!
you are a nut!
Why thank you
Oh my! Those look absolutely ridiculously insanely good!
I have just recently understood how vitally important and amazing sea salt is in sweet baked goods– YUM!
Yum! I’m going to make them right now. I find making yummy baking is a great insentive for my hubby to do the housework. Today I asked him if he would like me to bake some cookies and he can vacuum the house. Or I can vacuum… It didn’t take him long to decide ;)))
I totally had a dream last night that I was trying to create a delicious new healthier cookie recipe, but alas…you did it for me!!! Can’t wait to try these out!
I am fascinated by how you come up with recipes like this – impressive!!
haha I HATE when I try the same recipe over and over with new modifications, with great hopes and then once its bake. disappointement. I mostly feel bad for wasting ingredients, ya know? But…
those look DELICIOUS! I never saw turbinado sugar. looks so tempting to eat as is!! haha :)
I feel like you need to be super determined to make magic happen in the kitchen! I would have quit after trial #!!!!
Oh my goodness you are a baking phenomenon! Five trials–that is amazing! I admire your patience and creativity!
These look awesome!
Everytime I think you can’t post a better recipe, you come back with more! These look great, and I have almosttt all of the ingredients on hand. Yum!
YUM!!! I will make these and freeze them for the boys! :-)
You are so thoughtful!!!
Let me know if your hiring a taste-tester soon. I think I would be perfectly qualified for the job! :)
Uhh… I kind of wish I had not read this post. Because now I really, really want cookies.
Wow, those look a.mazing. Five trials, that’s dedication!
I love all things sweet and salty! Those look scrumptious. :)
Jenn
You are crazy lady to bake 5 trials of it. You must freeze the others I’m guessing. They all looked really good to me.
I would go crazy with baking so much cookies!
What did you do with the “failed” ones? :)
awwww bless you! so many attempts! you really are a baking queen!! thanks for sharing the recipe. as with most of your recipes i’ll be adding this to my “to do” list!!
Hi Angela!
Firstly, I love your gorgeous blog.
Secondly, these cookies look amazing! Just what I have been after. Here in Australia we don’t often combine peanut butter & chocolate, not to the same extent as it is revered in the US. I love it though – the sweet/salty flavour combination, just beautiful! :)
Heidi xo
Hi again! I came to complain. I made this cookies 2 hours ago and… they lasted about 10 min (My hubby had 6!! of them). And then he said that it’s not enough and I have to make them again.. right now!
Angela, because you make such a beautiful food I’ve got to work harder in the kitchen ;))) Thank you very much for all your hard work and wonderful recipes.
I would eat every single one of those cookies! Looks delicious! I love the salty and sweet combination!
Okay – those smores cookies things are clearly the way to my heart :-) and yes yes yes! Finally a fellow slightly salted chocolate chip cookie supporter!
5 batches of cookies?! That takes devotion and will power!! Glad you finally nailed your recipe, but if I were you I would have settled with #2 or #3 for sanity sake.
All of those look delicious! I really want to try a vegan baking recipe and see if the boy notices a difference… He’s such a skeptic about stuff like that.
I have already switched to earth balance and he doesn’t know the difference! Maybe I should try cookies next?
I wish I had your patience in the kitchen! 5 trials of cookies must have taken forever! At least the outcome looks amazing though. :D
Already bookmarked. Always on the lookout for a fun new vegan cookie recipe!! By the way, I just got caught up on your old posts and loved the scrapbook idea…so sweet! Happy Friday!!
I love your blog. I have a real sweet tooth but I eat healthy. When I need something sweet I always go to your recipes. Thanks so much.
Wow, that is some serious determination! I give you super props :)
Oh yum!!! Barney butter would be amazing in these cookies.
Is it possible to substitute organic sugar or tubinado with sucanat? Or are they the same thing? :S
Signed – New to baking he he
Great cookie post!! A.) it’s about cookies, and B.) it’s honestly fascinating to see how a REAL baker tests ingredients and develops a recipe! Your final product looks incredible. Although I’m sure I would’ve loved trials 1 – 4 too! :)
Wow, Angela you have so much patience and have the baking skills I wish I had!! The cookies look awesome. Every trial means something learned, right?
These look amazing. Could you substitute another flour that is gluten free? I can’t have spelt….?
Those all look great!
The final result looks SO good. Sooooo good!
Ooh, this recipe looks amazing. I recently made some far too fluffy cookies. Next time, less flour!
The s’more chocolate chip cookies look delicious and the thick chocolate chip cookies look very tasty. :)
I am very impressed with your tenacity. I would have given up at batch 1. . . Dan is one lucky guy.
Just made these. SO GOOD.
Glad you like them!!
I have made those cookies three times in the past two weeks! My husband and I are addicted. Last time I put in some chia seeds and forgot to add the chocolate chips- they still turned out!
Yum! Yum! and Yum! Just made these and already devoured 3 of them! I believe these will fuel me for my run today!
I made a batch of these cookies yesterday for my healthy-food-opposed boyfriend and he decided these are the best cookies ever! I of course didnt tell him they were vegan until after he professed his love. I only hope due to sucessful recipes like these he will keep trying these healthier foods.
And yes I know cookies aren’t really “health foods” but trust me, for this guy, it’s a start!!
Again thanks for sharing these amazing recipes. I haven’t made one I haven’t liked!
Wow, you are not kidding, are you? That’s tenacity! Thanks for sticking this recipe out…so we can all enjoy it! Looks great!
I just made these, wow, yum, thank you :)
Hi Angela. I’m very late to the party here, but just wondering if you’ve tried them with other flours. I don’t have spelt but am thinking of running out for some. I definitely want the crisp factor, and have been frustrated with soft vegan cookies lately. Thanks!
These were AMAZING! I made them with coconut oil instead of canola and they turned out great. I also doubled the batch but only got about 20 cookies out of it. I think I made them too big- I didn’t realize they would spread so much! They were a huge hit though and people didn’t even realize they were whole grain or vegan! Thanks for all the fabulous recipes.
i love your blog! and i have a question – i tried making these cookies twice…both results taste good, but the cookies don’t really melt in the oven – they stay in pretty much the same shape they were when i first mold them. since you tried several times to make the perfect cookie i don’t want to stray too far from the measure on any of your ingredients. do you have any suggestions?
Hey Elizabeth,
usually when cookies don’t spread out it’s a result of too much flour or not enough liquid. You could try decreasing the flour by a couple tablespoons and see if that helps? I’ll have to revisit the recipe again as it’s been a while! Thanks for trying them out.
I’ve been desperate for good vegan chocolate chip cookies, and these were phenomenal! My dough was a bit too dry/crumbly for the cookies to hold their shape, so I added one tablespoon of Almond Milk, and they turned out perfectly :) Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I tried to make these cookies today but somehow the dough remained crumbly even though I added more of the liquid ingredients. I managed to form balls but they did not spread at all in the oven. Do you have an idea what went wrong?
Hey Angela, i pretty much tried most deserts on your website, this one didnt turn out well. my favourate is toffee bar. my cookie didnt flatten at all. they stay in ball shape. the only change i made was using coconut oil instead canola oil. any reason?
First of all, I am not a vegan by any means. I came across this recipe and thought I’d give it a shot. I had to make a couple minor changes based on what I had on hand (sub spelt for 1 cup all purpose + 1/4 cup whole wheat, and reg semi-sweet choc chips). I didn’t think the cookie was going to hold up as the batter was pretty crumbly. They also didn’t spread out when they cooked for me. But they did stay together, and I gotta say…I was blown away! These were delicious! Definately making these again! Thanks for the great recipe!