Preheat the oven to 325° F (160°C).
Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Combine the non-dairy butter with the brown and white sugars in either the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or, if using a hand mixer , a medium mixing bowl. Add the water and vanilla and beat for about 4 minutes or until fluffy.
Continue beating and slowly add the reserved dry ingredients. When completely blended, stop the mixer and Immediately add the chocolate chips and pecans. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together.
*Note: The amount of chocolate chips you use depends on the chocolate used and how chocolaty you want the cookies to be.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Using a large soup spoon, form equal size rounds of dough (or use a small ice-cream scoop). Place the rounds on the prepared baking tray, taking care to leave about 1 1/2-inches between each cookie as they will spread out a bit as they bake. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for about 15 minutes before baking.
Remove from the refrigerator and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden color. When done, let cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
37 Comments
Angela M•
I see two missing from either side in the picture beside Method... maybe a mouse??? Any way thanks for this simple recipe, my brother and I are allergic to dairy so it is nice to have a simple but delicious snack.
Angela
I'm not sure why but these cookies are taking way more than 15 minutes to bake, more like 20-22. I know it's not my oven because I normally do not have to adjust recipe times. Also, I found the dough to already be quite firm, though I put the cookie sheets in the fridge for 15 minutes, just as directed. I wonder if they were too cold going into the oven. Also, I used earth balance sticks (and allowed them to soften, just as I would have done with normal butter); would it make a difference if I'd used the earth balance that comes in a tub? Thanks!
Jennifer, the cool temperature of the dough coming out of the refrigerator will extend the baking time, versus dough at room temperature. I don't know if the Earth Balance stick versus tub would make a difference.
I have used both the earth balance sticks and tub. I prefer the tub for baking. I find that the flavor and feel of the sticks is different so I use the tub kind. I find the food made with sticks comes out differently. I have used all of the earth balance tub types that are available in my area, which i think is about 5. The only one I do not like for general purposes is the organic one, it seems to fall apart. For cooking and baking it is okay. Hope that helps.
Hi Veena, yes, you can use whole wheat flour, as well as others. Most any flour will work--it's just a matter of how the flavor and mouth feel appeal to you. Examples that I have used include rye, chestnut, oat, quinoa, and millet. Note that whole grain flours often need additional hydration (liquid) and you may want to adjust sweetness in the recipe relative to astringency or bitterness introduced by the flour. I also like the addition of spices. Enjoy!
Hi Simone. Thanks for your question. You can absolutely replace the cane sugar. I often use a combination of a liquid and dry sweetener. I do not have much experience with monk fruit in baking but if it is pretty comparable in sweetness, I bet it will work. I love using half maple or brown rice syrup and half coconut or maple sugar- I often pulse the dried crystals in the food processor to create a finer texture. If you add 100% liquid sweetener, you will have a wetter dough which may spread a bit too much. You can add a little extra baking powder or flour to counter that. Lauren
hi there
i love to bake these cookies . i wanted to know if i replace the sweetener with rice malt syrup 100%, by what proportion do I increase the flour and baking powder.,so as to avoid a wet dough.i have tried do make this using liquid sweetner but i got the proportion wrong. would appreciate your help here..
Hi Vineeta. Great question. I have found that if you switch a 100% dry sweetener (cane and brown sugar) to 100% liquid sweetener it works to switch from AP flour to whole grain flour with the same ratios. If you are keeping the AP flour with all brown rice syrup than you need a tiny bit more flour. There is not an exact measurement here but I would say 1/4 cup more. My favorite way to add in liquid sweetener is to sub about 1/2 of the amount of dry sweetener. In this case I would sub 1/2 C syrup and omit the white sugar, keeping the brown sugar. You can even swap dry coconut or turbinado for brown sugar if you are trying to keep things less refined. Keep experimenting. Lauren
hi there i made them and they were yummmm. thx for sharing.1)i was wondering for batches of 6 or 8 0r 10 would the quantities be multiplied by 6 or 8 or 10 times would that work? 2) if we just made the cookie dough and rest the dough itself it in the referidgerator for 10 to 15 minutes and then shaped them in cookies would it work ? as the dough is a lil firm for shaping after its col and rested. .
why do we make and shape the cookies before refrigerating them?
thank you.
Hi Vineeta. Glad they were YUM! The chilling of the cookie dough makes the fat solidify and helps the cookies to hold their shape when baking, rather than overspreading. You can chill the dough and then shape and bake but usually by the time you shape all of the cookie dough, it is not as chilled. When converting at that factor, I would keep the recipe as it. I usually like to make a couple batches- for example multiply the recipe by 4 and do that twice if you want 8 times the quantity. Lauren
thank you for the reply Lauren .just a quick note to get the cookies more crispy would you suggest i add equal quantities of vegetable shortening ans butter ? would that help. i made 18 number of cookies so they were chunky but were fairly soft in the middle so i extended the cooking time by 5 minutes , i did get a little more crispyness but i did not know whether to increase the temperature or extend the cooking time ?what would you suggest ?. thanks for taking the time to answer this question
Vineeta, Crispiness in cookies increases with lower moisture. Please consider the following factors to enhance crispiness: 1) Low proportion of liquid in the dough, 2) High sugar and fat content, 3) baking long enough to evaporate most of the moisture, and 4) small size or thin shape.
ohhhh these are wonderful! am home sick as a healthcare worker - covid exposed :( and needed a snack - perfection! no worries also making vegetable soup :)
Hi Patricia: hope you are on the mend. Many students rave about this cookie recipe. Don't forget the soup--but have a cookie, too. A new meaning to "food as medicine." Be well. -Char
hi there
i tried this truly addictive recepie using gluten free flour . i swapped it in the ratio of 1to 1.We do not get Red Mill brand in Australia.it was very difficult to shape the cookies despite keeping the dough to chill in the fridge. What adjustments in the recepie should i try so as to shape them properly?
Hi Vineeta,
I'd start by dividing the dough into portions. Add a bit of additional flour to one portion and see how that goes. If you do not have xantham gum in the dry mix, you will need to add some to the recipe. The type of shortening matters too. The vegan butter you use should be stick form, not tub if at all possible. If you cannot get stick shortening, add a bit more flour and/ or starch. There is no exact formula. I know you know that.
Let us know how it goes.
Fran
hi Hima,
You can use solid coconut oil instead of vegan butter but do expect a difference in flavor, especially since you are asking about virgin coconut oil.
Enjoy your cookies!
Fran
Hello, after mixing all ingredients per the recipe, I found the dough to be very sticky and hard to ball up to place on the cookie tray. I ended up placing the bowl of dough in the fridge for 15 and then it was a bit easier to proceed. I was wondering if that could be related to over or under mixing the mixture. I used a stand mixer and followed the recipe but may have lost track of the time I was mixing at different stages. The cookies came out great in the end so really just trying to eliminate the extra step I took to get there by identifying the root cause. Thanks!!
Hi Michael. There are a lot of variables here but, the first thing that jumps out at me is that you (may have) left your mixer running for a bit after incorporating the dry ingredients... If so, it could have caused the flour to over-hydrate and develop extra gluten. This could cause a sticky and even gluey texture. Next round, once you are adding the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated and then portion. I hope this does the trick, otherwise there might be something else happening and further troubleshooting necessary. Cheers, Sandy
Hi! may I ask you to help me translate this recipe with ml and grams? thank you because I really struggle converting recipes from powder or liquid cups. It seems on google 1 cup of all-purpose flour is not always 125 grams. And also may I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Hi Maddalena, Here are some of the measurements in metric. Obviously their are other variables (grind of flour, how packed the brown sugar is, etc.) So a bit of tweaking may necessary, as always.
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour - 320g, • 1 cup non-diary butter (such as Earth Balance, or, yes, solid coconut oil) - 227g, • 3/4 cup brown sugar - 148g, • 1/2 cup white sugar - 99g, • 1/4 cup water - 60ml. Hope that helps you out! Cheers, Sandy
Hi, these were a family hit, I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans (that's what was on hand) and chilled the dough in the bowl for about 45 mins. (while watching tv) then portioned out the cookies (not enough room in my fridge for a cookie tray) and they turned out great, about 21 mins baking for 100 gram size dough.
My question is can I sub oatmeal for the nuts? If I were to use my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe can I swap the butter for vegan butter and the egg for water? Or is there an easy way to incorporate oats into this recipe?
Also, if I'm trying to cut down on the saturated fat to make these cookies better for school lunches can I use mashed banana instead of the vegan butter? Trying to make an all plant based cookie option. Thank you. Leanne
Hello Leanne: Excellent question and thanks for writing. There are a few things you could do— 1- use oat flour , or create a 1:1 ration of oat and wheat. 2- instead of the chips, you could use raisins; 3- I like using an egg replacer (flax meal egg). I find vegan baking “forgiving.” Bob’s Red Mill does make an egg replacer that works well. Let us know how your cookies turn out. And, you could add 1/4 cup of oatmeal, it would work well. I do not bake with oil, and use mashed banana as my “fat.” Cheers. Char
Third variation this morning and I love them! I used half oat flour and the other half flour divided btwn w/w and white and 1/4 cup whole oats. I used mashed banana (not very ripe as I didn't want a strong banana flavour) as my 'fat' and replaced the water with 1tbsp flax meal mixed with 3 tbsp water. These are awesome now I am wondering what happens if I add vanilla and why there isn't vanilla in this formula? I am also thinking of using this 'base' and adding cinnamon and raisins or making a pumpkin spiced oatmeal cookie. If I continue using regular white sugar is it still considered vegan?
Hi Vineeta, It should be about the same time, but I always recommend checking early to monitor how it is going (in your particular oven). Cheers, Sandy
This is the ULTIMATE cookie recipie . my absolute favourite. is there a a sugar cookie NO SPREAD recipe for which i can use a cookie cutter .have tried so many and all were an epic fail.PLEASE help.Thanks.
Jennifer C •I'm not sure why but these cookies are taking way more than 15 minutes to bake, more like 20-22. I know it's not my oven because I normally do not have to adjust recipe times. Also, I found the dough to already be quite firm, though I put the cookie sheets in the fridge for 15 minutes, just as directed. I wonder if they were too cold going into the oven. Also, I used earth balance sticks (and allowed them to soften, just as I would have done with normal butter); would it make a difference if I'd used the earth balance that comes in a tub? Thanks!
Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •Jennifer, the cool temperature of the dough coming out of the refrigerator will extend the baking time, versus dough at room temperature. I don't know if the Earth Balance stick versus tub would make a difference.
Jane M •I have used both the earth balance sticks and tub. I prefer the tub for baking. I find that the flavor and feel of the sticks is different so I use the tub kind. I find the food made with sticks comes out differently. I have used all of the earth balance tub types that are available in my area, which i think is about 5. The only one I do not like for general purposes is the organic one, it seems to fall apart. For cooking and baking it is okay. Hope that helps.
Simone M •Can I replace sugar with monk fruit sugar and maple syrup or coconut nectar?? I am allergic to cane sugar.
Lauren L •Hi Simone. Thanks for your question. You can absolutely replace the cane sugar. I often use a combination of a liquid and dry sweetener. I do not have much experience with monk fruit in baking but if it is pretty comparable in sweetness, I bet it will work. I love using half maple or brown rice syrup and half coconut or maple sugar- I often pulse the dried crystals in the food processor to create a finer texture. If you add 100% liquid sweetener, you will have a wetter dough which may spread a bit too much. You can add a little extra baking powder or flour to counter that. Lauren
Vineeta G •hi there i love to bake these cookies . i wanted to know if i replace the sweetener with rice malt syrup 100%, by what proportion do I increase the flour and baking powder.,so as to avoid a wet dough.i have tried do make this using liquid sweetner but i got the proportion wrong. would appreciate your help here..
Patricia H •ohhhh these are wonderful! am home sick as a healthcare worker - covid exposed :( and needed a snack - perfection! no worries also making vegetable soup :)
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Patricia: hope you are on the mend. Many students rave about this cookie recipe. Don't forget the soup--but have a cookie, too. A new meaning to "food as medicine." Be well. -Char
Fran C • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Vineeta, I'd start by dividing the dough into portions. Add a bit of additional flour to one portion and see how that goes. If you do not have xantham gum in the dry mix, you will need to add some to the recipe. The type of shortening matters too. The vegan butter you use should be stick form, not tub if at all possible. If you cannot get stick shortening, add a bit more flour and/ or starch. There is no exact formula. I know you know that. Let us know how it goes. Fran
Michael C •Hello, after mixing all ingredients per the recipe, I found the dough to be very sticky and hard to ball up to place on the cookie tray. I ended up placing the bowl of dough in the fridge for 15 and then it was a bit easier to proceed. I was wondering if that could be related to over or under mixing the mixture. I used a stand mixer and followed the recipe but may have lost track of the time I was mixing at different stages. The cookies came out great in the end so really just trying to eliminate the extra step I took to get there by identifying the root cause. Thanks!!
Sandy S •Hi Michael. There are a lot of variables here but, the first thing that jumps out at me is that you (may have) left your mixer running for a bit after incorporating the dry ingredients... If so, it could have caused the flour to over-hydrate and develop extra gluten. This could cause a sticky and even gluey texture. Next round, once you are adding the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated and then portion. I hope this does the trick, otherwise there might be something else happening and further troubleshooting necessary. Cheers, Sandy
Maddalena O •Hi! may I ask you to help me translate this recipe with ml and grams? thank you because I really struggle converting recipes from powder or liquid cups. It seems on google 1 cup of all-purpose flour is not always 125 grams. And also may I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Leanne A •Hi, these were a family hit, I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans (that's what was on hand) and chilled the dough in the bowl for about 45 mins. (while watching tv) then portioned out the cookies (not enough room in my fridge for a cookie tray) and they turned out great, about 21 mins baking for 100 gram size dough. My question is can I sub oatmeal for the nuts? If I were to use my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe can I swap the butter for vegan butter and the egg for water? Or is there an easy way to incorporate oats into this recipe? Also, if I'm trying to cut down on the saturated fat to make these cookies better for school lunches can I use mashed banana instead of the vegan butter? Trying to make an all plant based cookie option. Thank you. Leanne