How to make chocolate chip cookies vegan
Cookie recipes are not as easily adaptable as some other recipes as they are sensitive to small changes which can result in big changes in the texture. For our vegan cookie mixture, we’ve substituted the dairy and eggs for plant-based ingredients, including coconut oil and coconut milk. The chocolate chips should be made from vegan chocolate which contains no milk.
Tips for the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookies
- To get soft and gooey cookies, do not over-bake them. They should be removed from the oven whilst still soft and will appear slightly underbaked. As they cool they will firm up. Look out for a lightly golden edge and a soft centre, this will result in the final cookie having that desired gooey interior with a crisp exterior: aka cookie heaven.
- Bake the cookies on the middle shelf in the centre of the oven for the perfect texture, on the fan setting. Baking them on the top or bottom shelves of the oven will cause them to crisp too quickly and potentially risk some of them burning.
- Measure all your ingredients really accurately as cookies are sensitive.
- Using a mixture of sugar including light muscovado will lend a slightly fudgy flavour to your cookies, which will be enhanced by the vanilla extract.
Why do you need to chill the cookie batter in the fridge before baking?
Although it may seem laborious for an impatient baker, chilling the dough is important if you want to achieve the perfect cookie for these reasons:
- It will improve the texture by allowing the gluten to relax - chilled dough tends to have a chewier texture rather than being too soft and cakey.
- The cookies will spread less - chilling the dough for longer will solidify the fats, causing the dough to spread less in the oven on baking. This should result in a thicker, fluffier cookie.
- It will enhance the flavour - chilling the dough will give the flavours more time to sink into one another, resulting in a more concentrated, richer flavour.
How long will vegan chocolate chip cookies keep?
These cookies are best eaten warm from the oven, but will keep for up to three days when stored in a biscuit jar or other airtight container.
How to freeze vegan chocolate chip cookies
The cookie dough can be frozen by placing the individual balls spaced out flat on a tray in the freezer for around 1 hour, or until frozen solid. You can then transfer these to a sealable bag, ensuring as much air is squeezed out as possible. Store this bag in the freezer for up to a month.
Please note that when cooking the dough from frozen, you will need to allow a few extra minutes in the oven for the cookies to bake.
Is it safe to eat raw vegan cookie dough?
Although vegan cookie dough does not contain raw eggs, the raw flour may still pose a health risk due to the presence of harmful bacteria which could cause stomach issues, so it’s best to avoid eating dough whilst it is raw.
