Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Melissa Costello’s vegan chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, and I’m excited to be sharing this recipe with you. I learned about Melissa Costello through Tony Horton, the creator of P90X. She was his personal chef and these are his favorite chocolate chip cookies. Now if you know anything about me and what a BIG fan I am of Tony’s, then you know I HAD to make these cookies. And I must admit that I’m very glad that I did because they have become a staple in my house. Melissa Costello is a vegan chef and wellness coach and has a wonderful website, Karmachow.com, where she has many great recipes that all turn out fabulously, like these awesome vegan chocolate chip cookies. Melissa also created the delicious recipes in the Beachbody Ultimate Reset.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are a Healthier Choice

I, like many of you, enjoy having sweet treats every now and then. However, I don’t enjoy how they go right to my waistline and make me feel sluggish, or feel like a lump in my stomach. So, I started looking for healthier sweet options. I was first introduced to spelt flour through these vegan chocolate chip cookies. I don’t care for whole wheat flour because I find it to be too heavy; however, I find spelt flour to be lighter and more enjoyable, and a great option if you’ve decided to rid yourself of white flour, which I have chosen to do. Melissa has lots of great desserts that taste great and satisfy that sweet tooth without the guilty feeling or heavy bogged down feeling you often get after eating a dessert. Her cheese cake recipe is another amazing one you must try.

If you’ve visited my site you may have caught on to the fact that quinoa is one of my favorite foods. It is through Melissa that I first learned about quinoa, and I have in turn shared it with many of my friends who now love it as much as I do. I have tried many of her other recipes and they all turn out as expected. Have you ever followed a recipe to have it not work at all? I have on several occasions.

Now I know I’m baking challenged, but when a non dessert recipe doesn’t work either I know something is wrong. All her recipes whether dessert or not are yummy, give you what you expect, and turn out like the picture :)! So, when I found this recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies that were Tony Horton’s favorite(he’s my fitness guru :)), I had to give them a shot. Just a quick history, most of my cookie making has ended in major disappointment. The whole softening of the butter thing didn’t (when I used to use it) really work for me. Rarely would my cookies come out looking like cookies, most of the time they came out flat as a piece of paper, and once they looked like muffins. So for me to have a recipe that comes out EVERY time, is picture perfect, much healthier than regular cookies, and tastes great is a total win.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies – Recipe

2 cups spelt flour or a mixture of oat and spelt flour

¾ cup rolled oats

½ cup chopped walnuts(optional)

1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips or I use an organic chocolate bar from Trader Joes

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon – I actually sprinkle in more :)!

¼ teaspoon cardamom(optional)

½ cup maple syrup OR 1 cup of date paste.

2/3 cup melted coconut

2 tablespoons water or almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

*** to make date paste – combine 1 cup of pitted Medjool dates with 2/3 cup water. Whir in your food processor until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, walnuts(if using), chocolate chips, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom. In a medium bowl, whisk together the agave nectar or syrup, oil, water or almond milk, and extract. Add the syrup mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Place the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Note: I flatten the cookies before baking them since they don’t really spread out.

My kids and the neighborhood kids love them along with most of my adult friends. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies, and make sure to visit Melissa’s site for other great recipes. 

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