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Chewy Black Sesame Olive Oil Cookies (dairy-free!)

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Okay, so I’ve been meaning to create some kind of sesame cookie for the longest time. I mean, who can resist all the cute, sesame-covered cookies on Instagram? I can’t. They’re beautiful, I love sesame, and I love cookies. When I set out to create my own black sesame cookie, I quickly ditched the idea of rolling my dough balls in sesame seeds. It was just too much for me. Instead, I whipped up a quick black sesame powder by toasting and then blending my black sesame seeds. And OMG. The powder is amazing. I added it to the dough and then sprinkled the dough balls with sesame seeds, and these cookies are the perfect, chewy black sesame cookie. Like, three days later these cookies are still chewy and delicious.

I added olive oil to this dough, because I really wanted these cookies to be chewy. And I love olive oil. I like the taste, and we use it for everything at our house. But if you’re only here for the black sesame, that’s cool, too. You can use any kind of neutral, vegetable in these cookies. I don’t recommend any other replacements as I haven’t tried them, and cookies in general are usually pretty finicky. You’ll definitely need to chill your dough, and even then, the dough will be quite sticky and wet when you go to make your dough balls. With this recipe, the final, cooled cookie will look totally different than what you pull out of the oven, so keep that in mind (and don’t worry when you pull puffy cookies out of the oven) and happy baking!

Chewy Black Sesame Olive Oil Cookies (dairy-free!)
Makes 12 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup black sesame seed powder*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp black sesame seeds to sprinkle (optional)

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) Meanwhile, make your black sesame seed powder by toasting at least 1/2 cup of black sesame seeds in a dry pan set on medium heat. Stir sesame seeds frequently until the nutty aroma fills the air and the pan begins to smoke a bit. This step took me between 5 and 8 minutes, and it was very obvious when the seeds began to release their aroma. Next, you’ll blend the toasted seeds in a blender or food processor until you have fine crumbs.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, black sesame powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4.) In a large bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and olive oil. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until totally combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and use a large spatula or spoon to gently mix the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1.5 Tbsp balls of dough, 6 at a time, onto a small plate or cutting board. Your dough will be very soft, so you’ll want to put the rest back in the refrigerator. Roll each dough ball smooth and place on your baking sheet, using your fingers to gently shape the dough into a neat ball. The dough balls will begin to spread and flatten a bit while you’re working – this is normal. Sprinkle the tops with whole black sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted).

6.) Bake the cookies at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until cookies are puffy and the centers no longer look wet. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After the first minute, you can use your fingers to gently push the edges of each cookie into a neater circle, if desired (I did this). Transfer to a cooling rack. Your cookies will deflate and soften up the longer they sit. I actually found them to be softer the next day! Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

*I highly recommend making your own – it’s super easy! Plus, there may be a difference in moisture content in homemade vs store bought black sesame powder.

Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cookies (dairy-free!)

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Marshmallow. Stuffed. Cookies. Does it get any better?! If you like chocolate, and you like marshmallows, then you have to make these cookies. They’re crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside, and filled with a delicious, melty mallow. I can only recommend eating them warm since I popped mine in the microwave each time I wanted a cookie! That way, you’ll experience the hot cocoa cookie goodness in all its glory. I mean, marshmallows are just better when they’re melted!

These cookies are a pretty standard chocolate cookie – one you can customize by adding peppermint extract or a little cayenne pepper! – stuffed with a marshmallow pre-bake. I took large marshmallows and sliced them into thirds. You can get away with doing halves, too, if you want more marshmallow in your cookies. You’ll flatten your dough balls, place the marshmallow in the center, and then wrap the dough up and over the mallow. Them you’ll shape and smooth each cookie and bake! If your cookies come out a little puffy, you can gently tap the tops until they flatten a bit. Happy baking!

Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cookies
Makes 15 cookies

6oz semisweet dairy-free chocolate, chopped*
1/3 cup coconut oil, solid
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder (regular, non-dutched)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5-8 big marshmallows

1.) Place a medium pot with about an inch of water over medium heat. In a heatproof bowl (big enough to sit on top of your pot) add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Place your bowl on the pan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water, and stir frequently until chocolate and coconut oil have totally melted; set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

2.) Whisk in the sugar, two eggs, and vanilla extract until totally combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

3.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare your marshmallows by cutting them into halves or thirds (I cut mine into thirds).

4.) Begin making your dough balls by scooping 2 Tbsp of dough. Flatten dough to a circle, placing the marshmallow in the middle. Wrap the dough up and over the marshmallow and shape the dough into a smooth, neat disc shape – think hockey puck. Alternatively, you can roll the dough into a ball, place on you baking sheet, and flatten with your fingers. 

5.) Place cookies 6 at a time on your baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 7-9 minutes, or until cookies have spread. Let cookies rest for 1 minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Use your fingers to gently press the tops of the cookies down if they look too puffy – I think this will depend on what kind of marshmallows you use; I’ve found that the “all-natural” variety doesn’t melt/spread as much as the regular ones (with corn syrup). Enjoy your cookies hot and fresh or warmed up! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp.

*I love the Pound Plus bars from Trader Joe’s. They have 54% and 72% cacao bars that are vegan-friendly. They’re super affordable, and they’re basically the only bar I use unless I splurge on something special

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