Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

by Leave a Comment

This is a recipe I created around the time I first started recipe testing. Back then, I would try to come up with new recipes off the top of my head. And with that came a lot of trial and error. Baking cookies with coconut oil was super tricky for me at first. Sometimes the cookies would spread way too much, get too crispy at the edges, or even not spread enough!

These cookies have such a lovely flavor and texture. I’d actually forgotten just how good they are. The best part? They’re vegan and packed with good-for-you flaxseed meal! And they’re delicious. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with lots of chocolate flavor and the tiniest bit of crunch thanks to the flaxseed meal.

I love these cookies, and I enjoyed re-baking them after so long. But you must follow the ingredients and method precisely. You’ll want to measure your coconut oil as a solid and then melt it. If it’s already melted, then pour it into your liquid measuring cup until you have a bit more than 1/3 cup (I know. I know.). 

As for the refrigeration, it is mandatory. If your dough is too greasy to handle after it’s first mixed (this has to do with the temperature in your home affecting the coconut oil) pop your scooped dough balls into the refrigerator for 10 minutes before rolling them smooth. Then (no matter what) you must refrigerate your dough balls for 20 minutes prior to baking. Don’t worry, this is all outlined below.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Flaxseed meal (along with water) makes for a wonderful egg replacement. It’s the only vegan egg replacer that I use when baking. Flax seeds are also high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Coconut sugar is my go-to low Glycemic Index sweetener. It’s less likely to spike your blood sugar as intensely as cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Coconut oil is a great butter substitute when it comes to cookies. For this recipe, we melt it first to make sure our cookies are tender and soft. If you don’t like the taste of coconut (or just prefer your treats without the flavor) you can use refined coconut oil which has no flavor.

Cocoa powder helps give these cookies that rich double-chocolate flavor. You’ll want to use the natural, regular cocoa powder, or even cacao powder, for this recipe.

Baking powder helps these cookies keep their shape. Be sure to use powder instead of soda.

Yield: 12 cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies
Rich and chocolate-y cookies made vegan with high fiber, good-for-you flaxseed meal! These cookies taste so good, no one will be able to tell they're better for you than the average cookie!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Make your flax egg by combining 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water; set aside to thicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flaxseed meal until totally combined.
  3. Stir flax egg into wet ingredients and add wet ingredients to dry. Use a wooden spoon or large spatula to mix the ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and mix.
  4. Scoop dough balls 1.5 Tbsp in size onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll dough balls smooth and press extra chocolate chips into the tops. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  5. Prepare a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer dough balls to room temperature baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6 minutes.
  6. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move to a cooling rack. Store leftover in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • refrigerating the dough balls is super important for proper shape! Don't skip this step!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 16mg Sodium: 130mg Carbohydrates: 26g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 17g Protein: 3g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you may like:

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies

Walnut Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies (dairy-free!)

by Leave a Comment

If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram, then you know I’m a sucker for chocolate. Specifically, big pools of melted chocolate enrobed in a perfectly sweet and crispy cookie. I mean, COME ON. Look at that chocolate!!

I love using coconut oil in place of butter in my version of a classic chocolate chip cookie, because I always have it on hand + it’s easier on the wallet than vegan butter. I find that coconut oil creates a cookie that’s crispy at the edges and totally reminiscent of a regular ole buttery cookie. You can even use refined coconut oil to lessen the chance of tasting the coconut. 

I packed these cookies with chopped dark chocolate (to get those melty pools!) and chopped walnuts – YUM! I added a bit of spelt flour, a nutritious, ancient whole grain, to add a bit more nuttiness to these cookies. I’m so happy with how these turned out, and let’s just say I was very tempted to eat the whole batch! Happy baking, friends!

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
5 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temp
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup chopped dairy-free dark chocolate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1.) Bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together the solid coconut oil and sugars. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla; set aside.

2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or large spatula until nearly combined. Add the chopped chocolate and chopped walnuts and gently combine.

3.) Scoop all of the dough balls, 1.5 Tbsp in size, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll dough balls smooth, making sure chunks of chocolate are visible on the top of each cookie. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4.) Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake cookies, six at a time, for 7-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

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

by Leave a Comment

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!)

by 3 Comments

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

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

by 2 Comments

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.