A Simple Vegan Cookie Recipe (chocolate chip & other variations)

Here’s a simple vegan cookie recipe you can vary in many ways. It’s a basic, dairy-free, egg-free cookie recipe with few ingredients. You can add vegan chocolate chips, raisins or cranberries, nuts, trail mix, and/or granola by themselves or in combinations.

At the heart of these cookies is applesauce, a fantastic fat replacer — instead of the traditional butter, these use just a little oil thanks to the applesauce. And because of the natural sweetness, only about a third of the sugar called for in most conventional cookies is needed.

What kind flour to use: That’s flexible, too. My favorite is whole wheat pastry flour, but light spelt and einkorn are great, too. Of course, you can use unbleached all-purpose flour, though that makes them less wholesome.To make these gluten free, simply use a GF flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill.

Variations for this simple vegan cookie recipe

• Chocolate chip-walnut or pecans: Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegan chocolate chips (preferably cane juice sweetened) and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Chocolate chip-raisin or cranberry: Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegan chocolate chips and 3/4 cup dark raisins or dried cranberries.
• Trail mix:  Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of your favorite trail mix (containing nuts, dried fruits, and seeds). Optional — add 1/2 cup extra dried fruit and/ or vegan chocolate chips. This makes a robust cookie that really is great to take out on the hiking trail.
• Granola: Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups good-quality granola for a crunchy cookie. Optional — add 1/2 cup extra dried fruit and/ or vegan chocolate chips.
• Seeds and dried fruits: Add 1 cup pumpkin seeds, aka pepitas, and /or sunflower seeds (1 cup total), hemp seeds (1/2 cup) plus 3/4 to 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries.

Adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas.

You can use a melon baller to make nicely uniform rounded cookies

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Yield: 30 to 36

A Simple Vegan Cookie Recipe (chocolate chip & other variations)

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Here’s a simple vegan cookie recipe — a basic, dairy-free, egg-free cookie recipe with few ingredients that you can vary in many ways. 

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 37 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry, light spelt, einkorn, unbleached all-purpose, or gluten-free flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional, but recommended)
• 1 cup applesauce (or enough to make a smooth and slightly stiff batter)
• 2 tablespoons safflower or other neutral oil

Add-ins (choose 1 or 2; see more detail above recipe box)

• 1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups trail mix
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups granola
• 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Combine the first 4 (dry) ingredients plus the optional flaxseeds in a mixing bowl and stir together.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the applesauce and oil. Stir together until the wet and dry ingredients are completely mixed. 
4. Stir in the add-ins of your choice. Drop the batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets in slightly rounded tablespoonfuls. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the bottoms are just lightly browned.
5. Remove from the oven, let stand for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully remove with a spatula to a rack or plates to cool. 

If you like these easy classic cookies made vegan, 
you may also enjoy …

Easy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Here are lots more delectable vegan desserts & sweets.