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. ;)
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? :)