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Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies (dairy-free)

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These orange-flavored Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with olive oil instead of traditional butter, and they are out of this world delicious. The sweet orange zest and fruity olive oil pair so well with the semi-sweet chocolate chips in these brown sugar-heavy cookies!

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Few things are better than warm, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Add orange zest and extra brown sugar and you’ve got what may be my new favorite cookie! These cookies rely on olive oil for their fat, which helps create a cookie that’s tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, and there’s no way you can eat just one. I made these cookies substantial in size and added extra chocolate chips to get more of “bakery cookie” look and feel.

Since these cookies are made with a liquid oil, chilling the dough is necessary for a thicker cookie. You can technically bake this dough as soon as it’s mixed, but your cookies will be thin and crispy (and still delicious). After three batches, I can confidently say that I much prefer the thicker cookie. I allowed my dough to chill overnight for maximum flavor, but 3 hours should be all you need to stiffen the dough enough to bake!

Yield: 10-11 Cookies

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Big, orange-flavored chocolate chip cookies made with olive oil instead of traditional butter! The orange zest and semi-sweet chocolate chips pair so well with the fruity olive oil in these brown sugar-heavy cookies!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, room temp (see Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar (or white granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp orange extract (see Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • Zest from 1 large orange

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugars. Whisk in the olive oil until totally combined - this will take a few seconds.
  2. Whisk in the extracts and then the baking soda and salt. Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to gently mix in the flour.
  3. Finally, mix in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips (reserving the other 1/4 cup for pressing into the dough balls) and the orange zest. Cover and chill the dough for 3 hours or overnight.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop and roll six dough balls 3 Tbsp in size, and then place the remaining dough back into the refrigerator.
  5. Press extra chocolate chips (optional) into the dough balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake cookies at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have just started to brown. If the cookies need even more chocolate chips, press them in as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  6. Allow your baking sheet to cool (or transfer the parchment paper to another baking sheet) and repeat steps 4-5 to bake up the rest of the dough.
  7. Sprinkle orange zest over the baked cookies. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. You can bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.
  2. I highly recommend picking up orange extract from the baking aisle at your grocery store. It adds so much flavor to any recipe that calls for orange flavor! If you don't have any on hand, replace it with more vanilla extract + add more orange zest.
  3. For extra circular cookies, use the back of a spoon to gently manipulate the cookies' shape as soon as you take them out of the oven. Obviously this is optional (and simply something I like to do before taking photos)!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

11

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 174mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 3g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies (dairy-free)

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Mini Brownie Cookies sandwiched together with a cool peppermint frosting. These fudgy and festive cookies are rolled in crushed candy cane for extra minty flavor and that delicious candy crunch!

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

It’s official. You all love brownie cookies…and brownie sandwich cookies. Two of my most popular recipes here on the blog are brownie cookies! I don’t blame you. There’s something exciting about a cookie made with brownie batter. A brownie in cookie form? Yes, please!

These Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies are just like my other well-loved brownie cookie recipe, except I swapped the peanut butter frosting for a simple peppermint buttercream (a rendition I was hoping some of you would try when I first posted them to Instagram!). These cookies are everything you want in a holiday cookie: indulgent, tantalizing, and familiar (who doesn’t love a chocolate + peppermint combo in December?). Bake these up this week – or really, any week this Winter – and take them to whatever small gathering you’ll be at. I promise you that whoever you’re with will be delighted by these cookies!

Some of the Ingredients + Substitutes:

  • Chocolate chips work wonders in my brownie recipes – they produce the best, crackly top (for my recipes!). So of course I use them for these cookies. I haven’t tried these cookies with baking chocolate or chocolate bars, but I know that only chocolate chips work in the original brownie recipe I based these cookies off of. In other words, just use the chocolate chips 😉
  • Olive oil is the go-to oil in our house. If you prefer something more neutral, avocado oil would be a great substitute. Vegetable oil or light olive oil will work as well.
  • Eggs whip up to add height to these cookies. As of now, I don’t have any egg replacers for you – sorry! 🙁
  • Sugar helps create that classic crackly brownie top. I like to use unrefined cane sugar to help balance the richness of the Dutched cocoa powder. You can use coconut sugar (which tastes less sweet) or regular white granulated sugar.
  • Dutch-process cocoa powder is richer in flavor and darker in color than regular, natural cocoa powder. You can use regular cocoa powder if it’s all you have on hand, but your cookies won’t be as rich or chocolatey.
  • Peppermint extract is added to the frosting to get that perfect (and light) minty flavor. Two things to note: do NOT use mint extract, and if you’d like your cookies to be even more pepperminty, you can use it in place of the vanilla extract in the cookies.
  • Plant-based butter and milk are what I use in the frosting since they’re dairy-free. Feel free to use regular butter and whatever milk you’d like!
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for the frosting. Don’t even try to make this a healthy cookie. Real talk. Just use the powdered sugar and enjoy your cookies!
Yield: ~18 Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Mini brownie cookies sandwiched together with a cool peppermint frosting! These fudgy gems are rolled in crushed candy cane for a delicious, festive crunch - perfect for the holidays!

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Brownie Cookies

  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla (or peppermint) extract
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Hershey's Special Dark)
  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Peppermint Frosting

  • 1/4 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tsp plant-based milk
  • 3 candy canes, crushed (for rolling)

Instructions

Make the Cookies

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and olive oil. Heat in 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until chips are melted and smooth; set aside.
  2. In a stand (or hand) mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk on medium-high until thick, fluffy, and light in color, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate mixture and gently mix with a large spoon until everything is combined.
  3. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a large spoon until totally combined - your dough will be very sticky, like a thick brownie batter.
  4. Allow the dough to sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the batter to stiffen up enough for you to scoop and roll the dough balls.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookies, 12 at a time, 1 Tbsp in size (.6oz) onto one of the baking sheets. Roll each dough ball smooth and evenly space them on the baking sheet.
  6. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until the centers no longer look wet. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.
  7. While the cookies bake, prepare the next batch of dough balls on the second baking sheet. Continue until all cookies are baked, being sure to only use a cooled baking sheet each time.


Make the Frosting + Assemble

  1. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and peppermint extract. Beat in the powdered sugar. Finally, beat in the milk 1 tsp at a time until the frosting comes together. You want it to be smooth enough to pipe but thick enough to hold its shape.
  2. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip (I used a Wilton 1A tip). Assemble the cookies by piping an even layer of frosting onto one cookie and then sandwiching it with another.
  3. Immediately roll the edge of the cookie in crushed candy cane. Continue until all cookies are sandwiched.
  4. Store cookies on their side (like how macarons are stored) in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Inside Out Peanut Butter Blossoms (dairy-free)

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Dark chocolate thumbprint cookies filled with sweet peanut butter frosting “kisses”. These Inside Out Peanut Butter Blossoms are the “inside out” version of the popular Christmas cookie!

Inside Out Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter and chocolate. A classic combo that’s known to get people really excited. I’m one of those people. And these cookies are an absolute dream. Soft dark chocolate cookies coated in crunchy sugar and “filled” with the easiest peanut butter frosting. Pipe the frosting to resemble the chocolate kisses of the original peanut butter blossoms, and I promise that these cookies will excite any chocolate + peanut butter lover.

These cookies come together quickly and easily (no chilling!!) and then the frosting is made up of runny peanut butter and powdered sugar. Get out your piping bag and a Wilton 2A tip and start practicing those peanut butter “kisses”! And if you’re not the best piper (hello, it’s me), don’t worry. The frosting is thick and pliable (not sticky) so you can re-pipe the kisses as many times as you need to – you can literally peel them out of the thumbprints and add the frosting back to your piping bag without a mess! The result is a stunning little cookie, perfect for any movie night or small gathering.

Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutes

  • Dutch-process cocoa powder is richer in flavor and darker in color than regular cocoa powder. It really elevates the chocolate flavor of these cookies! Hershey’s Special Dark is what I use as it’s affordable and easily available!
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Sugar sweetens the cookies AND decorates them. For the cookie dough, you can mix in white granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or unrefined cane sugar. For rolling the dough balls, you want to use white granulated sugar.
  • Egg binds the cookies together. For a vegan option, you can use a flax egg – mix 1 Tbsp of flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp of warm water; allow to thicken for 5 minutes.
  • Olive oil is my go-to baking oil (you won’t taste it in these cookies). Avocado oil or light olive oil would work as well.
  • Peanut butter makes up the frosting kisses. You’ll want to use runny “natural” peanut butter made with only peanuts and salt. In order to get the perfect frosting, the peanut butter must be room temperature (in its runny state).
  • Powdered sugar thickens and sweetens the peanut butter. If you’re looking for something less sweet, you can replace 1 Tbsp of the sugar with a starch such as arrowroot.
Yield: 13 Cookies

Inside Out Peanut Butter Blossoms

Inside Out Peanut Butter Blossoms

Dark chocolate thumbprint cookies filled with sweet peanut butter frosting "kisses". These festive cookies are the inside out version of your favorite peanut butter blossoms!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookies

  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (coconut, unrefined cane, or white cane)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar (for rolling)

Peanut Butter Filling

  • 1/2 cup natural runny peanut butter (made with just peanuts and salt), room temp (see Note 1)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, and olive oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until totally combined.
  4. Add 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar to a small bowl/dish. Begin scooping dough balls (6 at a time) 1.5 Tbsp in size. Roll the dough balls smooth and then roll each one in the granulated sugar until well coated.
  5. Bake the sugared dough balls at 350°F for 5 minutes. Immediately press light "thumbprints" into the center of each hot cookie (I used the cap of my vanilla extract bottle). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Then, re-press each thumbprint to make a deeper well. Repeat until all cookies are baked.
  6. Once the cookies are cool, make the frosting by combining the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat the frosting for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
  7. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2A tip. Pipe peanut butter "kisses" into each of the cookie thumbprints. If you mess up, don't fret; the frosting is thick enough that you can pull it off, add it back to the piping bag, and pipe it again without making a mess - yes, I did this multiple times!
  8. After you've piped all of the kisses, you can use your fingers to gently twist the tips of each kiss for a cleaner, pointier look.
  9. Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.

Notes

  1. Your peanut butter must be in its runny, room temperature state in order to get the perfect frosting consistency. If you use cold, thick PB, then your kisses won't hold their shape after being piped.
  2. The cookies won't spread much in the oven, so you will flatten them out when making the thumbprints.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie “Skillet” (dairy-free)

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If you’re looking for a super quick, cozy holiday dessert to pair with that cheesy Christmas movie you picked out, then this Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet…or pie, or whatever you want to call it, is for you! With sweet molasses, lots of comforting spices, and melted chocolate chips, this giant cookie warm from the oven is just what you need. Grab a spoon and dig in!

Gingerbread CCC Skillet

We all know by now that CCC stands for “chocolate chip cookie(s)”, right? Okay, then we’re on the same page. What’s better than warm chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven? A warm, deep-dish cookie (skillet or pie or whatever!) eaten with a big spoon and no inhibition. Add molasses, traditional gingerbread spices, and sprinkles and you’ve got a delicious spin on the classic CCC.

There’s not much to this recipe because it is so easy. You’ll mix up the ingredients as you would a classic cookie dough, only you can do it all in one bowl! Yes! After you beat the “wet” ingredients together, you’ll beat the leavening and spices right in. Then you’ll stir in the flour and chocolate chips, and one bowl later, you’re done with the dough! Spoon it all into a pie dish (or an 8×8″ square baking dish) and throw that baby in the oven for around 20 minutes. Top it with ice cream or enjoy as-is!

Yield: 8 Servings

Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie "Skillet"

A quick and easy, one-bowl Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet with your favorite gingerbread flavors! Sweet molasses, gingerbread spices, and festive sprinkles!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, softened (see Note 1)
  • 2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3 Tbsp molasses (see Note 2)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, divided
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in the molasses and then the egg.
  2. Add the baking soda, salt, corn starch, and spices and beat until combined.
  3. Sift in the flour and gently mix with a large soon or spatula until no flour streaks remain. Mix in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
  4. Spread the dough into an 8" pie dish, gently pressing down with a spoon and smoothing the dough out. Top with the extra 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and the sprinkles, pressing the chocolate chips slightly into the dough.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy while it's warm!

Notes

  1. Butter: if you're using stick butter (plant-based or regular), you must set it out to soften at room temperature. If you're using plant-based butter in a tub, there's no need to set it out as it's already soft enough.
  2. Molasses: if you don't have molasses on hand (which makes this cookie!), you can definitely still make it with the spices. Simply omit the molasses, use 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead of the 2/3 cup, and add 1 tsp of vanilla extract (at the same time as the egg).
  3. For slices: line the pie dish with parchment paper strips, leaving a bit of overhang around the edge. Allow the cookie to cool completely in the dish and then use the parchment paper to lift it out and onto a cutting board. Slice into pieces like a pie.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Molasses Sprinkle Cookies (dairy-free)

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Soft & chewy Molasses Sprinkle Cookies made extra fun & festive with sprinkles! This easy, one-bowl recipe is especially kid-friendly (hello, sprinkles!), but the molasses flavor will have both kids and adults swooning over these sparkly holiday cookies!

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

I know, I know. There are A LOT of chewy molasses cookie recipes out there. And that’s because a good molasses cookie filled with warm, cozy spices is just what we all want for the holiday season! Add sprinkles and you’ve got one festive cookie that’s just begging to be the star of your cookie exchange. Seriously, these Molasses Sprinkle Cookies are delicious. They’re loaded with molasses flavor and the soft, chewy texture paired with the crunch of the sprinkles couldn’t be more perfect.

For maximum recipe success (i.e. to get cookies instead of a puddle of burnt dough) you will have to chill this cookie dough for at least two hours. The good news? The recipe is one-bowl and comes together very quickly – no mixer required! Whip up the cookie dough and throw that baby in the refrigerator. Leave it overnight or sort your sprinkles while you wait! I promise it’s worth it! And if you have kids, get them involved in the mixing process and let them pick the sprinkles – my daughter loved seeing the end result of all her hard work 😉

Yield: 18 Cookies

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

Soft & chewy spiced molasses cookies made extra fun & festive with sprinkles! These easy, kid-friendly cookies are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or enjoying all to yourself - we don't judge.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (white or raw)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice or nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, olive oil, molasses, and vanilla. TIP: measure out the oil first and then use the same liquid measuring cup for the molasses for easy cleanup.
  2. Mix in the salt, spices, corn starch, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the flour and gently mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, or overnight.
  3. Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the 1/2 cup of sprinkles to a shallow dish/bowl.
  4. Scoop cookies, 8 at a time, 1.5 Tbsp in size, and then return the leftover dough to the refrigerator. Roll each cookie into a smooth ball and carefully dip and roll the top and sides in the sprinkles. The dough balls will be soft, so you may need to re-shape them a bit as you place them on your baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until the cookies have spread (see Note 1). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  6. Repeat until all cookies are baked, being sure to alternate baking sheets so that you're always using a room temp baking sheet.
  7. Once the cookies have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I've found them to be chewier and softer the next day!

Notes

  1. To keep these cookies chewy, be sure you don't over-bake them. They only need 5-6 minutes in the oven.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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