I promised you a grain-free vegan chocolate chip cookie. And, today is the day I deliver on that promise. I really can’t believe I’ve never posted a plain chocolate chip cookie before. I’ve done chocolate chocolate chip. I’ve done peanut butter chocolate chip. I’ve done banana oatmeal chocolate chip. But, I’ve yet to do any variation on that most traditional cookie of all, the regular chocolate chip. Or, in my house, the TollHouse chocolate chip cookie. Isn’t that the recipe we all used growing up? I made it so many times in my gluten-eating days that I still know it by heart. I’m pretty sure it was the first cookie I ever baked.
A Young Me, Baking
(I swear I’m wearing shorts under that long t-shirt. Short-shorts were all the rage in the 80’s.)
I’ve done a number of “traditional” chocolate chip cookie variations since going gluten-free. But this latest one, this one definitely comes closest to the TollHouse cookies I remember. The kiddo’s dad said they could fool anyone in a blind taste test. I don’t know about that. But, I think they’re pretty darn good. I finally got the ratios right to make a spready, crispy, melt-in-your mouth grain-free cookie. I hope you’ll try them and let me know if they bring back childhood memories for you, as well.
Good Enough to Fool The TollHouse Fanatic?
Grain-Free Vegan TollHouse Cookies
112 g (1/2 cup) Soy-Free Earth Balance
2/3 cup palm sugar (light brown sugar or half brown and half white sugar would also work)
1 T. ground flax seed mixed with 3 T. hot water
1 t. vanilla
2 ounces arrowroot starch
3 ounces almond meal
1/2 ounce sifted coconut flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, beat the Earth Balance until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the flax egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (except chocolate chips). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls or cookie scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. These spread quite a big, so leave plenty of space. Bake for approximately 12 minutes until golden brown. They will firm up as they cool. Cool completely on parchment before removing them. (I just slide the parchment off the cookie sheet on to the counter.)
For more slightly indulgent recipes, check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. For more gluten-free goodies, visit Gluten-Free Wednesdays. For more chocolate recipes, check out This Week’s Craving. For more allergy-friendly foods, check out Allergy Friendly Friday.
The Mommy Bowl 
Oh my. *Bookmarked* Maybe these will break my oven’s curse of NEVER EVER baking cookies that actually flatten and spread.
I think it might have something to do with the Earth Balance. I don’t think coconut oil spreads in the same way that the Earth Balance does. I don’t use it a lot, but when I’m going for that traditional “buttery” cookie thing, that’s when I reach for it.
I don’t use EB very often, but even when I do, my cookies do not spread. I’ve made the same cookie recipe at home and in someone else’s oven, and the cookies in my oven don’t spread even though they do in the other…so, I blame the oven 🙂 But I’m going to use these cookies as an excuse to give it another chance to prove itself!
These look really tasty! I usually have issues that my cookies always spread way too much or not at all. I know I tried making cookies recently using real shortening and they flattened out so much that it was like I had one big cookie blob on my cookie sheet. haha.
I never really ate many store bought cookies as a kid, except for the box of Dad’s oatmeal cookies we’d generally buy while on vacation. I don’t know if I would ever really want to try to emulate those as they are so chock full of sugar and fat and I haven’t eaten them in about 10 years, so who knows if I would be able to get the correct taste!
At first glance, I really thought you were not wearing shorts. Thanks for the beautiful recipe. I really need to save it. I love how it’s egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free:)
Thanks Kayla. It looks like you’re a first time commenter, so welcome! I’m going to go check out your blog now, too.
We are having a CHOCOLATE… CHOCOLATE… and MORE CHOCOLATE linky party over at THIS WEEK’S CRAVINGS, we are already enjoying over 125 recipes so far and would love to have you link up your recipe too.
It’s gonna be a really SWEET week.
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/03/this-weeks-cravings-21-chocolate-and.html
Happy to oblige! I’ve not stumbled on your link up before – but since it looks like you’re going gluten-free, I’ll be sure to be checking in on your blog from now on!
Mmm! I was just wondering about the combo of coconut flour and almond flour!
Yes, short shorts and big T’s. I defiinitely remember that look of “is there anything under there?”
Coconut flour and almond flour go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Super great combination. I use it a LOT.
Thank you for delivering on your promise! 🙂 They look awesome! I have tried several cookie recipes that have been a flop! I’ve been missing the taste of chocolate chip cookies. I’m thinking that I need to try these cookies soon!
You’re welcome Amanda. I hope you try them and let me know how they work for you!
Thanks a million for coming back and linking up a CHOCOLATE recipe! We have so many SWEET treats; I hope you had a chance to look around. And next week we are doing “SECRET INGREDIENTS”; so we hope you come back by and link up something “sneaky” that you add to a recipe.
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS
Coconut flour, eh? I’ll have to get some of that!
I remember the shorts and long T’s- do you remember folding up the sleeves? Haha!
These look so good!! I haven’t used coconut flour before, can you taste the coconut in the cookie? I’m not a fan of coconut in things mainly because of the texture, but if its a flour then I might like it!
It’s a fairly small amount of coconut flour, and I can’t really taste it in these cookies. In some, where I use more coconut flour, it’s definitely noticeable. Note that there’s a big difference in coconut flours. The ones that still look like finely shredded coconut won’t work. You need one that actually looks like flour. I use Tropical Traditions. But, Bob’s Red Mill also works.
Hi! I made these today and found the first batch to spread out into a thin, lacy, crunchy cookie that I could actually roll up very elegantly. The next batch I added more almond flour to and came out like the more traditional cookie – thick and full. The last bit of dough to go into the oven had the above additions AND oat bran to thicken the batter. I made one huge cookie out of it, and it looks great. It’s amazing how differently the cookies turn out – cooking is definitely chemistry!
I followed the recipe except for what I said above and using organic turbinado sugar (which I’ve never used before) and spectrum organic palm oil shortening.
Thanks for the work you put forth in your blog. I appreciate it since I’m always looking for new ideas that are gluten-free, soy-free, peanut-free and vegan. 🙂
Brandae
Ack! I’m sorry they spread so much for you. I wonder if it’s the difference between the Earth Balance and the palm shortening. I have some palm shortening, so the next time I try it, I’ll use that and see what happens for me. It could definitely have something to do with the turbinado sugar, as well. Different sugars can behave very differently. I’ve never used turbinado, but I think it’s a larger grain sugar, right? That could have had an effect. I’m glad that you were able to tinker with it and get something to your liking. I highly encourage tinkering!
I’m a new reader of your blog and just made these cookies last night. They turned out great even though I added 2 ounces of coconut flour instead of 1/2 ounce. I made them again today (they were that great!) with the correct amount of coconut flour and oh my I’ve eaten too many. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.
For anyone interested in subs, I used potato starch instead of arrowroot since that’s what I had on hand and also used regular butter (we’re not dairy free).
I’ll definitely be making these regularly!
Thank you for the excellent feedback, Kelly. I’m so glad you liked the recipe. And, glad to hear that it adapted well to your changes. I’ve found that most starches are fairly interchangeable, as long as you go by weight. I tend to use arrowroot because I don’t like the flavor of tapioca and I’m trying to limit grains. But, sometimes I use potato or corn starch, since they’re both a lot cheaper than arrowroot.
I made these this morning and used butter and an egg and they spread like you said, but are absolutely wonderful. Nice and crispy like I like them! My son just walked in and had one and said, “gluten free, these are really good. You are getting really good at this mom.” I only have wonderful food bloggers to thank!
I’m so glad they worked for you! Enjoy them and be sure to take all the credit with your kiddo. 🙂
These sure do look like the originals! Great variation!
Thanks Sarah!
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Hi! These look delicious! I was wondering if there is a substitute for the almond meal. (My kids are allergic to almonds). Our family is newly gluten free, so many ingredients are new to me. Thanks so much!
Thanks. Hm… if you’re not going for grain-free, you could probably use sorghum or millet flour. If other nuts are okay, you could do hazelnut meal (Bob’s Red Mill makes some). Those ideas are untested but I think they would work. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
is the batter suppose to be runny because mine was. So I added more flour but they did not expanded and it was so runny it would have just gone all over the pan, and is it just one egg and how many tablespoons for the flour.
No, it should not be runny. There are no eggs in the recipe – just a flax “egg.” You may be able to do it with a real egg, but I haven’t tried. Also, what brand of coconut flour did you use? The Let’s Do Organic coconut flour isn’t really coconut flour and won’t work in any recipe that’s not designed specifically for it. (I found that out the hard way.)
I can’t tell you off-hand how many tablespoons of flours. I bake by weight primarily because it’s much more precise. Sorry!
Oh, my dear, I just found your blog and I am so thrilled to find another cookie lover – and a grain-free version of these. I love your recipes…thanks for sharing them!
Welcome! I always love to have new readers and commentors. I’ll have to go check out your blog as well. Thanks so much!
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