Vegan chocolate chip and olive oil cookies

What I love about cookies (aside from the deliciousness) is how fast and easy they are! This recipe is an adaptation of my orange and chocolate chip cookies and I have a confession to make… I like this vegan version more than the original one (sorry carnivorous friends!). I replaced the butter with olive oil, which is the ingredient I would go for if I had to choose one for the rest of my life and the eggs with flaxseeds which is a great alternative in vegan baking. This version is also so much quicker to do than normal cookies as you don’t have to cream the butter and sugar. Everything is mixed with a spatula and you are good to go! The only problem with these cookies is can you really wait for them to cool down before you attack them? Well it is a risk I am willing to take!

Ingredients for the vegan chocolate chip and olive oil cookies

• Plain flour: Plain flour is best for cookies as strong flour which is high in gluten would make the cookies spread less.
• Baking powder: Baking powder will help the cookies rise beautifully.
• Baking soda: It helps your cookies rise to become nice and fluffy! Also a great cleaning product!
• Dark chocolate: For any recipe that calls for chocolate chips I tend to use a dark chocolate bar that I then cut into uneven chunks. That way you get smaller pieces and the odd large piece that melts in your mouth once you bite into it! You can always replace the chocolate chunks with chocolate chips.
• Caster sugar: Very essential to make your cookies crunchy.
• Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar is essential as its soft texture makes the cookies deliciously gooey.
• Flaxseed meal: Flaxseed ‘eggs’ are an easy vegan egg substitute used widely in vegan baking. Once mixed with water it resembles the consistency and texture of an egg without the flavour.
• Salt: Baked goods need to have salt! Without it your desserts will be overly sickly and not pleasant. It simply takes your cookies from OK to OH MY!
• Olive oil: The olive oil gives such a distinctive flavour to the cookies and compliments the dark chocolate so well.
• Coconut oil: Coconut oil doesn’t add much flavour; it just cuts through the intense flavour of the olive oil.

For the vegan chocolate chip and olive oil cookies (makes 10 large cookies/65g each)

• 170g plain flour
• 2.5g baking powder
• 2.5g baking soda
• 2g salt
• 45g olive oil
• 20g coconut oil
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• 10g flaxseed meal
• 45g water
• 170g dark chocolate (chopped in medium chunks)

How to make the cookies

1. Preheat the oven at 175°C fan.
2. In a medium bowl place olive oil, both sugars and mix with a spatula until combined.
3. In a separate bowl place water and flaxseed meal and whisk.
4. Pour the flaxseed water onto the olive oil and sugar mixture and whisk well to combine.
5. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda, add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spatula until a stable dough forms.
6. Add chocolate chunks and mix until combined.
7. Cover the bowl with cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into ten cookies (65g each), roll into balls and place on a tray lined with parchment paper leaving a 3cm gap between the cookies.
9. Bake in a preheated oven for 9 minutes.
10. Allow to cool before eating. Cookies are best stored in an airtight container and can last up to 4 days.
11. Enjoy 🙂

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx