vegan salted chocolate chip cookies
Here they are - my tried and trusted BEST vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. Chewy, salty, golden and delicious, studded generously with chunks of dark chocolate, these are an instant crowd-pleaser!
This makes around 30 cookies so if you simply can’t be trusted with that many around, you can freeze the remaining dough in cookie-sized portions ready to be placed on a baking tray and into the oven.
Keep in mind you’ll need to let the dough rest overnight before baking to ensure the flour is completely saturated for the ultimate chewy bite. This is a non-negotiable step - no shortcuts! So make sure you leave yourself enough resting time.
~ A note on the ingredients ~
I’ve tried to make the ingredients as easy and accessible as possible. Don’t be put off by the use of two different flours - the bread flour adds extra protein to the dough, enhancing the texture of the cookie, while the rye flour adds nuttiness and colour. If you like, you can swap out the rye for plain flour, but I really recommend you don’t skip the bread flour.
I use refined coconut oil because I don’t like the dough to have a strong coconut flavour, but unrefined is okay if that’s all you can find. Similarly, I like to use a neutral-flavoured oil such as rice bran or sunflower, but generic “vegetable” oil works too. Don’t use olive oil as it has too-strong a flavour.
Lastly, the aquafaba (water from a can of beans or chickpeas) is my preferred egg-replacer, but I’ve also had great success with 2 teaspoons of tapioca or corn starch mixed in with 150g room temperature water.
Dry
240g bread (strong) flour
240g rye (or plain) flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp fine salt
Wet
113g (1/2 cup) melted refined coconut oil, melted and cooled
113g (1/2 cup) neutral vegetable oil
240g brown sugar
150g caster sugar
150g aquafaba*
2 tsp vanilla extract
400g dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
sea salt flakes
In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
In another large bowl, whisk together the sugars and oils until completely mixed. Continue whisking in the remaining wet ingredients. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold one third of the dry ingredients into the wet until almost completely mixed (a few dry lumps are okay). Add another third and fold in again. Finally, add the remaining third and the chocolate chunks and fold until there is no dry flour visible.
Cover your bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours.
Once the dough has rested, preheat your oven to 1 80˚C for 20 minutes and line a large flat-sided tray with baking paper. While the oven is preheating, scoop out balls of dough roughly the size of a whole walnut or golf ball (45-50g). Place the balls on the baking tray with plenty of room around each to allow it to spread - I usually fit about 6 to 8 on my tray.
Sprinkle each ball with a little sea salt and bake for 15-18 minutes until the cookies have spread and turned golden around the edges. Remove the tray from the oven and let the hot cookies rest on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Eat warm while the chocolate is still melty, or allow to cool completely. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
