Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies That Happen to Be Vegan

For a class party, a vegan friend brought freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Once only gooey crumbs were left, she told the class they were vegan. People looked shocked to find out that vegan cookies could be so delicious. And, when I asked her for the recipe, I found out they were also super easy to make with "normal" ingredients. You won't have to hunt through specialty stores for some obscure ingredients while your stomach is begging for cookies. So even if you’re baking-challenged, and have only a few ingredients in your cupboard, you can easily have a bellyful of cookies in about half an hour. Or, because this recipe does not use eggs, you could safely gobble up a bellyful of cookie dough in even less time!

First, here is a cautionary note:

1) These cookies will look very pale when done compared to normal golden brown chocolate chip cookies. If you do try to achieve that golden color, the cookies will burn and then be flavorless. Don't worry, they will taste great even if they look somewhat peculiar! They are fool-proof as long as you don't leave them in the oven too long.

Serves: Approximately 2 dozen (26 teaspoon scoops of dough)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 3/4-1 cup of vegan chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil or vegan margarine, melted and cooled slightly (depending on your preference)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup soy milk, vanilla soy milk, almond milk, or water (depending on your preference)

-About the chocolate chips: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. My vegan friend has told me that many semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips in baking aisles are vegan. Just make sure to check the ingredients because many popular baking chips do have milk fat. You could also use carob chips, but I know fewer people prefer those to semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. You could also skip the chips. I actually prefer chip-less cookies, and know that these cookies are also delicious without the chips!


Cooking Supplies:

• large bowl
• medium bowl
• measuring cup
• measuring spoons
• whisk or silicon spatula (for mixing)
• baking sheets
• oven mitt

Bake time: 9-15 minutes; will vary depending on your oven. My oven takes 12 minutes to bake these cookies.

-Why I use a silicon spatula: I use a silicon spatula because it mixes the liquid ingredients and dry ingredients even better than a whisk with this particular recipe. If you only have a whisk, that is fine, but the dough might get caught and you will have to constantly pick it out. If you only have a whisk, I could recommend using your hands.


Read before starting:
-Do not grease the baking sheet. There is enough oil in the batter.

-It is ideal that the ingredients are room temperature for baking, but it's not necessary.

-Do not put the cookie sheets on the stove while the oven is hot. This will cause the sheets to heat, and the cookies will bake unevenly.

-These cookies do not spread much while baking, so feel free to place them close together on the baking sheet.

-Do not leave them in too long. These cookies will come out soft, but they will harden when they cool. Because they come out soft, a friend told me she has accidentally burnt them before.

-Lastly, always remember to have your oven mitt handy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, in a large bowl, mix:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
• What-ever-makes-you-happy cups of chocolate chips (I add them in at this point because it feels less laborious once the dough gets thicker and stickier when the dry and wet are combined. Sometimes I don't even add chips to this recipe!)

If you REALLY like cinnamon, add the full teaspoon. If you'd like a milder flavor do 1/2 teaspoon.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and set the bowl aside.

-Why did this hole in the middle?
Later, you will be pouring the wet ingredient into this hole. Digging this hole in the middle of the ingredients will make enveloping the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients later much easier.

In a medium size bowl whisk together:

• 3/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil or vegan margarine (depending on your preference)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup soy milk, vanilla soy milk, almond milk, or water (depending on your preference)

Tip: If you want your cookies more cake-like, add a little bit more liquid (i.e., more soy milk, almond milk, or water).

Pour the wet ingredients into the hole you made earlier in the dry ingredient's bowl.
Mix it well with a spatula, but do not overwork the dough. Not overworking the dough means it will not get too thin.
Tip: Remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl for dry ingredients you might miss.

Spoon dough onto ungreased cookie sheets in tablespoon scoops.

Bake the cookies at 350 F for 10-18 minutes. It will all depend on your oven!

They don't get very dark unless you use brown sugar, but will get a little brown on the very tops and bottoms.

The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer than you would want them to be. They will significantly harden up once they cool.

If they do not look done, check the cookies every 2 minutes until they are to your liking.

Once the cookies are done baking, take the sheets out, one at a time, using your oven mitts. Set the sheets on a stable counter.

Move the cookies onto wire cooling racks with a spatula.

If you do not have a wire cooling rack, like myself, you can use wooden cutting boards.
I decided to use wooden cutting boards because wood is not a good conductor of heat. The method has worked just fine.

Note: If the cookies start to crumble when you to begin to transfer them to the cooling rack or wooden cutting board, let them sit on the sheet for 2 more minutes

Lastly, make sure you get someone to wash the dishes, because you'll be busy eating the cruelty-free sweets of your labor.