These amazing gluten free chocolate cookies are vegan and incredibly soft and chocolate filled.

I Love Cookies

Seriously, how good are cookies?  They are the perfect little treat, all rolled up in one neat little hand held bundle.  If I had a choice between cake, pie, or cookies; it would be cookies for the win every-single-day!   And while I do not often make many desserts in my home, I do indeed make my fair share of cookies.

As much as I love cookies, I really do not care for packaged cookies.  There is simply no replacing homemade goodness when it comes to cookies.  It’s not that I won’t indulge in them, but I do so all while lamenting the fact that a homemade cookie would be so much better.

Vegan Baking

While not a practicing vegan, I am always game to try and keep my recipes as allergy friendly as possible.  I find that it is quite easy to create cookie recipes that are both gluten free and vegan without sacrificing taste or texture.

There are many great butter substitutes on the market.  From Earth Balance, to Melt, and now to Country Crock Avocado Sticks, these alternatives bake up wonderfully.

I had a reader ask me how in the world I can hold cookies together without eggs.  Well, it’s totally possible.  I truly feel that it all comes down to handling the fully baked cookies properly.  Allowing them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack is essential.

Crispy or Soft-Baked?

Do you prefer crispy cookies or soft-baked?  My answer:  depends.  Some cookies are just better crispy.  For example, have you ever had soft baked shortbread cookies?  I doubt it, because they simply need to be crispy in order to be shortbread.   Ever had a crispy madeleine?  No way; they’re soft little bundles or they are not madeleines .

But then there are cookies that walk a narrow line.  How about chocolate chip cookies?  Oatmeal cookies?  Peanut butter cookies?  Some prefer them to be crispy, others soft-baked.

Truth be told, I truly prefer cookies that are a little bit of both.  Cookies with a bit of outer crisp, that give way to a soft/chewy interior are my favorite.  They kind of allow me to enjoy the best of both cookie worlds.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut one stick of refrigerator cold butter substitute into 8 slices.  For this recipe I used Country Crock’s Avocado Oil sticks.  Place the slices into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Cream until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula.

Add 3/4 cup of light brown sugar to the bowl, along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Mix together until combined.

Melt 1/2 cup of allergy friendly chocolate chips according to package instructions.  Pour the melted chocolate into the butter mixture and cream together until smooth.

Sift together 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup of gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour blend), and a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together.  While mixing, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut milk (or milk alternative of your choice) into the dough.  Mix until the dough is completely smooth.  The dough will naturally come together into a ball and will likely clump together on the paddle attachment.

Lastly, add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Mix until completely incorporated.

Using a 1.5 tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop out level scoops of the dough.  Gently roll the dough between the palms of your hands to form a ball.  Then, gently press down on the ball to form a flattened disc that is approximately 1/4″ thick.

Place the flattened cookie rounds 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes.  During the last 1-2 minutes of baking the cookie tops will begin to crack.  Perfect.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven; allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Then, using a thin, metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.  These cookies are EXCELLENT slightly warmed.  Allow them to cool on the rack for 15-20 minutes before eating.  This extra time is essential.

   

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