I would have never dreamed of attempting to bake vegan. I love butter, I love eggs; what’s the point? Well, the point is that I feel better without eggs and dairy, so I should probably limit them as much as possible. I should probably limit my sugar intake also, but let’s not get too crazy. Whatever happened to the carefree days of my chubby childhood when I ate what I wanted, when I wanted it?
Now I’m learning all about egg substitutions, processed sugar substitutions, dairy substitutions…the list goes on. The good news from all this research is that I realized the joy I get from baking and eating dessert doesn’t have to change. There are enough amazing tips and tricks these days to convert any food you want into a food you can have and feel good about enjoying. The childhood days of eating just for the taste of sweetness may be gone, but we can still enjoy what tastes good AND makes us feel good. Since it’s pumpkin season, I figured that some vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were a great way to kick off my newest baking adventure.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to bake with butter and eggs on occasion, because one egg in a batch of 24 cookies won’t kill me. But, when you can’t taste a huge difference, and you feel better after eating them, might as well make them healthier, right?
The great thing about pumpkin is that it is already a binding agent. You don’t even need the egg! Just a bit of baking soda and baking powder will give it the lift it needs.
Some chocolate chips help too.
To start, grab your homemade pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and the rest of the ingredients. Some quick mixing of dry, then wet, then wet and dry together.
Throw them in the oven.
And begin to realize that vegan baking is not that bad.
Not that bad at all.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup dairy-free chocolate chips (or chunks!)
- In a small bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the oil and sugars on medium speed for about a minute. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and beat on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in the flour mixture, and beat until combined. With a spoon or spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Spoon out six cookies, about 1.5 inches wide, onto your cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the center looks baked through.
- You can use all whole-wheat, or all white flour instead of a combo.
12 Responses
Yum! I’m so glad it’s almost fall so I can start eating pumpkin things again! These cookies look yummy, even without the dairy!
maybe i can whip something pumpkin-y up for our next rendezvous 🙂
Looking at these cookies I would never guess they’re vegan! I bet they taste amazing. They sound so healthy too!
Yes, I’ve had way too many, which means that they taste like normal cookies to me! thanks Natalie!
u were not a chubby child
Wow, when you first take a look at these they don’t like anything like vegan cookies 🙂 But they look so good.
I really love baking healthier stuff. But sometimes I too miss the child hood time where you just ate whatever you want 😉
ya, I’m getting addicted to healthier baking! It might not always be good for me when I eat 4 at a time…but at least it’s a bit better 🙂
Guilt free eating, I LOVE!
These cookies look amazing! 🙂
Ooh, I absolutely ADORE the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, and these cookies look so amazing! And I’m not choosy – vegan, grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free, whatever – even though I don’t require special dietary things like that, as long as they taste good, I’m still happy to eat them! =D
they taste normal to me which made me so happy! i’m sure you’d love em 🙂
I rarely bake vegan but sometimes I like to dabble in it just to try it. It’s fun to try new things and heck it’s slightly better for you making something like these cookies less guilt inducing haha.
yes, less guilt is always good 🙂