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Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies

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There’s something about the holidays that makes me want to throw sprinkles on everything. I’m usually pretty reserved with dessert decorations, but all the colorful, shiny little bits and bobs of sprinkles found at the store during this time just make me so happy! In recent years, I’ve become more conscious of consuming artificial dyes, and I’ve been super disappointed in the lack of affordable, readily available naturally dyed sprinkle options (anyone else?). The sprinkles I used for these cookies are regular ‘ole sprinkles that have been sitting in my cabinet for the last three years, and I figured it was time to put them to use! Ya know, just being resourceful.

So I decided to take a chocolate chip cookie, add a ton of sprinkles and a bit of almond extract. These cookies are sweet, chocolatey, and just the right amount of festive! Of course, you can make them at any time of the year with any kind of sprinkles! I don’t recommend baking sugar sprinkles into the dough since the color may seep off into the dough (I sprinkled mine on post-bake).

Since I used melted coconut oil in these cookies, refrigerating the dough is key and cannot be skipped. To ensure maximum cookie thickness, you’ll want to roll your dough balls a little tall, a trick I learned from Sally’s Baking Addiction before I went dairy-free! Once your cookies come out of the oven, you can immediately press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops for prettier cookies. Happy baking!

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
Makes 17 cookies

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted/liquid (if measured as a solid it will be 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar (can be replaced with coconut sugar)
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 + 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup sprinkles
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (1/4 cup is for topping the dough balls)

1.) Bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Then add the egg and mix until totally combined; set aside.

2.) In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the liquid ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until nearly combined. Add the sprinkles and chocolate chips and mix until well incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for 45 minutes.

3.) Remove dough from the refrigerator and begin shaping dough balls 2 Tbsp in size. You want them to be more tall then they are wide – think the shape of a tater tot. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

4.) Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Let the dough balls sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before baking at 325°F for 10 minutes, turning your pan around at the halfway point for even baking. Immediately press extra chocolate chips into the tops of your baked cookies, let sit on the baking sheet for one minute, and then move cookies to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with extra sprinkles if desired. Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.  

Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Does anyone remember (or still love) those orange flavored chocolate oranges? You know, the ones shaped like an actual orange that you get to “smash” to loosen all the chocolate orange slices. I usually spot them at the store around Christmas time, and I’ll be real, I miss those freaking chocolate oranges. Going dairy-free to keep my skin clear has made me miss foods I didn’t even know I really liked all that well.

Anyways, these cookies are not chocolate oranges, but they are my Dairy-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies with fresh orange zest, dried cranberries, and lots of chopped semisweet chocolate, and they are good. The orange zest adds a ton of citrus flavor, while the dried cranberries bring a bit of chew and tartness to the sweet and chocolatey cookies. I opted for chopped semisweet chocolate for these, because I like the messy look that you get when chopped chocolate melts into a fresh baked cookie. Chocolate chips would work just fine, too, and dark chocolate would make for an excellent cookie.

The recipe for these cookies is short and sweet. Be sure to use solid coconut oil and a big wooden spoon or spatula to do all the mixing. You don’t want to over-mix your dough or cause the coconut oil to become too soft. It’s normal for this dough to be a bit crumbly and even seem somewhat dry. That’s okay. The dough will easily press together and bake up to make a perfect cookie (with no refrigeration required)! I recommend using a cookie scoop for these cookies, and feel free to play around with the size! Happy baking!

Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes ~25 small cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped dairy-free chocolate (semisweet or dark)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Zest of one medium orange

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.) Using a large spatula or wooden spoon, mix together the solid coconut oil and coconut sugar in a medium bowl until combined – I like to mash my coconut oil into the sugar to make sure all the lumps get incorporated. Mix in the egg and then the vanilla and orange zest until totally combined; set aside.

3.) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet (do not beat) until a few flour streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Your dough may look a bit crumbly, depending on how hot/cold the temperature is where you are (the coconut oil may be more or less oily).

4.) Scoop 1 Tbsp dough balls onto your parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 6-7 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temp. Re-heat to enjoy.

Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

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Okay, friends, we’re a few days into my 12 Days of Dairy-Free Cookies, and I could not be more excited to share these cookies with you!! The whole reason I started posting food to Instagram is because I was in search of good dairy-free recipes that were lower in sugar or utilized a low GI sugar like coconut sugar. These cookies are delicious. I brought my leftovers (after testing and shooting) to Thanksgiving, and they flew off the counter! I’d wished I’d baked more!

These cookies are full of chocolate. No cocoa powder needed here, because you’re going to use a whole 1/2 pound of chocolate for these. These cookies are rich, fudgy, and so satisfying, especially when they’re warmed up or fresh from the oven. I added a little bit of instant coffee to amp up the chocolate flavor – you won’t taste coffee at all. Espresso powder will work, too.

I used three whole tablespoons of dough per cookie, because I really wanted a thick cookie. If you follow the chilling instructions below, I believe you’ll have no problem with too much spread. I like my cookies fudgy, so I only baked them until the outside was set. You want the middle to look under-baked when you pull them out of the oven. Your cookies should come out thick, ultra fudgy, and seriously irresistible. Happy baking!

 

Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies
Makes ~11 cookies

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil, solid
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup dark rye flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 + 1/4 cup chocolate chips (1/4 cup is for topping)
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes to sprinkle

1.) Add an inch of water to a saucepan on medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl on the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water, and add the chopped chocolate, coconut oil, and instant coffee. Stir frequently until chocolate and oil are totally melted. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool down.

2.) Meanwhile, in a bowl attached to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and coconut sugar. Whisk on medium speed until mixture becomes thick and light brown in color, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.

3.) Gently fold the chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and baking powder and fold until nearly combined, leaving some flour streaks. Mix in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, or overnight for best flavor.

4.) Allow dough to set at room temp for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you begin to roll your dough balls. The dough will be sticky, but for proper spreading, you don’t want it to be too cold. Once your dough is soft enough to roll, preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5.) Roll dough balls 3 Tbsp in size and place on your parchment-lined baking sheet (6 at a time). Press extra chocolate chips into the tops of each dough ball. Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes or until cookies look nearly set in the middle – you want them to look a little under-baked when you take them out. Immediately sprinkle your cookies with salt, and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container*

*cookies can be refrigerated or frozen ahead of time. If frozen, allow them to thaw in their container. Then, before serving, pop them in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up again!

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

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Traditional Peanut Butter Blossoms are those little peanut butter cookies topped with a milk chocolate Hershey’s Kiss that people seem to just love around the holiday season. They’re familiar, they’re topped with chocolate, and they’re a favorite at cookie exchange parties. I set out to create a dairy-free version, and after a bit of back and forth as to wether I should buy a kiss candy mold, temper chocolate, and make my own kisses, I decided to do what I felt my followers are more likely to realistically do: melt some simple dark chocolate and pipe it into little “thumbprints” in the cookies.

These cookies are a bit crispy on the outside with a chewy, peanut butter-y middle. You get to control how much chocolate you add, so go wild! Or not. It’s really up to you. You want to create little “thumbprints” for the melted chocolate by using something around your kitchen – small spoon, end of a marker, etc – to gently press into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Once the cookies cool, you’ll have a nice little spot, as shallow or deep as you like, for your chocolate!

The dough may seem a bit dry or crumbly, but once you work it in your hands, you should be able to form nice, smooth dough balls. The granulate sugar on the outside is totally optional, but since it’s the holiday season, I like to amp up the sparkle a bit with my cookies. I used a 72% dark chocolate bar for my topping, and it actually set on its own at room temp. If your chocolate doesn’t set at all, that’s okay. Just store your cookies at room temp in a single layer. The chocolate should firm up enough to not spill out of the thumbprints. Happy baking!

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Makes 18 small cookies

1/3 cup coconut oil, solid
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3oz dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped

1.) Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the solid coconut oil and coconut sugar until there are no more oil lumps and the two ingredients are well incorporated (I like to mash mine with a wooden spoon). Add the peanut butter and mix to totally combine. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; set aside.

2.) In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula, adding the almond milk along the way, until everything is well mixed.

3.) Scoop dough balls 1 Tbsp in size. Roll the balls until smooth and then roll in granulated sugar. Place them on your prepared baking sheet (11 will fit on a standard home baking sheet) and gently flatten a bit with your fingers until the dough edges begins to crack. Re-shape if necessary.

4.) Bake at 375°F for 5 minutes. Immediately press small “thumbprints” into the center of each cookie, using a small kitchen utensil – I had a wine bottle stopper that was perfect. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

5.) Once cookies have cooled, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals (or using the double boiler method*). Allow your melted chocolate to cool for a few minutes. Pour it into a ziploc baggie or pastry bag, snip a small piece of the corner, and pipe chocolate into the thumbprints you created. I like to pipe in a swirling motion, ending in the center. Enjoy your cookies right away or store at room temp in an airtight container.

*add an inch of water to a pot and place on medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl on top of the pot, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Add your chopped chocolate to the bowl, stirring frequently until melted

 

 

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies

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A couple of weeks ago I had an idea to create and post a bunch of new dairy-free holiday cookie recipes for you all to enjoy. So I’m officially kicking off the Sugared & Stirred 12 Days of Dairy-Free Cookies with these Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies! I mean, can it get anymore holiday?! I’ve baked three big test batches of these this week, and I’m nowhere near being over them. They’re made ultra chocolatey with rich dutch-process cocoa and chopped, melted chocolate. They’re the perfect amount of peppermint-y with a delicious mint crunch, thanks to the crushed candy canes I added to the powdered sugar coating – a serious mint chocolate dream.

The recipe for these cookies is pretty straightforward, but be sure to follow it exactly as written as I haven’t tested any ingredient swaps. You’ll want to use dutch-process cocoa (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa has a new formula that is 100% dutch-process now – check the label) and peppermint extract. Regular mint extract will taste like spearmint, which isn’t what we want here. When it comes to rolling the dough balls in the powdered sugar and crushed candy canes, make sure to double or triple roll them until they are heavily coated. I found that a thin coat of sugar would melt in the oven and come out with less of a powdery, snowy look. Feel free to drop any questions below. Happy baking!

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies
Makes ~26 small cookies

2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)
6oz semisweet dairy-free chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup solid coconut oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp peppermint extract (not mint extract)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy (1-2 candy canes)

1.) Make your flax eggs by combining the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl; set aside to allow time to thicken. Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with about an inch of water and place over medium heat. Grab a heatproof bowl (one that will sit on your pot of water without touching the water), place it on your pot of water, and add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Stir frequently until everything is melted; set mixture aside.

2.) In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until flour and cocoa are combined.

3.) Return to your chocolate mixture and stir in the coconut sugar. Add the flax eggs and peppermint extract and stir to combine. Finally, add the dry ingredients and stir until totally combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Stir the dough, re-cover, and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.

4.) Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl or dish, mix together the powdered sugar and crushed peppermint candies; set aside.

5.) Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop 1 Tbsp dough balls, 8 at a time. Roll each dough ball in your hands, warming up the dough a bit, and then, using a spoon, immediately roll in the powdered sugar mixture. Make sure each dough ball is heavily coated before carefully transferring to your baking sheet.

6.) Bake cookies – 8 per standard baking sheet – at 350°F for 6-7 minutes or until cookies have begun to crack and spread. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack. If you’d like to sprinkle a bit more powdered sugar on top, let your cookies cool completely before doing so. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes