Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!

We’re often torn between posting “classics” VS posting some extravagant shit that has more in common with fine dining restaurants than vegan food blog fare. Our creative turn happened over time because we got tired of eating the same shit over and over again. You might be thinking “but you live in LA—the most diverse vegan city in the world—how could you possibly get bored?!” And I’ll tell you: everyone’s copying each other. I love an all-American burger as much as the next white boy raised in the suburbs, but I don’t need another vegafied Big Mac or pile of In-N-Out style fries.

Calm down Ryan, where were you goin with this rant? Oh right—to justify why we’re posting a classic recipe that’s been done a million times. The answer is simple: the vegan cookie game is weak. A cookie that’s lightly crisp, perfectly chewy, soft in the middle, and buttery with layers of sugary depth throughout cannot be achieved using bananas, applesauce, or agave. If you’re making something vegan, it’s going to take everything in your culinary arsenal to pull it off. That’s why we’ve curated a vegan dough that results in perfect cookies every time. What you add to the dough’s completely up to you, but I think it’s time we make up for the dry, crumbly, and bland disks vegans have been passing off as “chocolate chip cookies” for years. 

Before we send off you off to meet your chocolate-studded soulmates, let’s talk science stuff!

• Combining brown sugar and white sugar creates an optimal texture, as brown sugar ups the moistness while white sugar encourages crispiness. Since we’re not going for brittle hockey pucks, we’re using two parts brown sugar and one part white sugar. The molasses from brown sugar also adds depth of flavor, which will accentuate the chocolate.
• VeganEgg by Follow Your Heart is the best, most accessible egg replacement we’ve found to date. While it works wonders, JUST Egg is expensive and difficult to find in small cities. However, if you dig JUST Egg, you can use it in place of VeganEgg.
• Espresso powder is included to heighten chocolate’s chocolately-ness, giving them an irresistible lingering taste that’ll keep you coming back for more. It does NOT make these cookies taste like coffee! Its caffeine content is also negligible, so unless you’re extremely sensitive, you won’t feel a thing.
• Baking soda makes flatter, crispier cookies, instead of the round, cakey cookies that baking powder produces.
• I don’t have a solid explanation for this, but I’ve never had good results using the melted butter method. They always come out greasy, plump, and cakey that way. The creaming method, on the other hand, gives us exactly what we want, and it’s easier too!
• Baking at 375 degrees, as opposed to 350, instills the cookies’ exterior with a pleasant crisp before the interior gets a chance to overcook. The higher heat also caramelizes the sugars, which adds more flavor.
• Sea salt flakes on top… well, do I really have to explain this one? Sweet and salty is the jam. If you disagree, don’t add salt on top. But if you’re a cultured individual who appreciates layers, I know what you’re gonna do.

If you couldn’t tell, it’s the little things that count with cookies. The slightest miscalculation, ingredient swap, or temperature difference can result in sub-par cookies. So, you know, bake with care, guys.

If you like what your eyes are tasting, then share this recipe with your friends on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest at @noeggsorham! For more flame-emoji photos, geeky food talk, and mouth-watering dishes, subscribe to our email list. Tag us in a photo when you create one of our recipes at home so we can share it!

Hopefully maybe probably not our last chocolate chip cookie recipe.