My Quest for the Perfect Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
All the cool gluten-free kids talk about almond flour, because it’s low in carbohydrates, high in fiber and a high source of protein...blah blah blah. I felt like I should experiment with it, but I’d been sheepish because sometimes nuts bother my stomach. When I’m making a gluten-free vegan cookie, I want a nice texture so that you don’t know that it’s vegan and gluten-free. And, when I’ve experimented in the past with dense nut flours, they offer a different texture. I’m especially picky because I love Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend. It rises well, and is the most similar to actual wheat flour that I’ve tried; my cakes, cookies, and cupcakes rise light and fluffy. I buy it cheapest in bulk at Costco. However, it’s available online at vitacost.com if you don’t have a Costco membership or a store close, and don’t want to pay an arm and a leg.
Speaking of Costco, while I was there I walked by this bag of Blue Diamond Almond Flour. I figured if I’m going to experiment – go big or go home! There was a chocolate chip recipe on the back, so they must rise and make a decent cookie, right?! Here’s how I adapted the recipe to make it vegan and cane sugar-free. Note: I played around with it, and it could not be made completely vegan and not mushy without adding in another flour.
Oh, the decisions… I made two batches of chocolate chip cookies for a taste test: one with Blue Diamond Almond Flour and the other with my treasured Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend; then I let my family and friends say which one was best. The taste test was on!
Tips for Making them Vegan:
- To eliminate eggs: You will need an egg replacer (I use Ener‑G Egg Replacer – it’s available at Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, and Amazon) AND you will need half of a banana or ¼ cup applesauce regardless of using egg replacer. If you skip the banana or the applesauce, they will be too dry and crumbly.
- To eliminate dairy: You will need an alternative to “butter.” I used Smart Balance because they had it at Costco, and I was on a shopping mission that day, but I’ve had great results withEarth Balance too. I love that Earth Balance comes in easy to use sticks instead of just a container.
Tips for Making Them Sugarcane Free:
- Organic Pure Maple Sugar instead of brown sugar – you can buy the Coombs Family Farms Maple Sugar brand from Fresh Thyme or Whole Food. I also like Pure Indiana Maple Sugar that I get from a local co-op. It is a great flavor, it has a lower glycemic index than sugar, and contains important antioxidants and minerals like zinc and manganese.
- Coconut sugar instead of cane sugar – coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar because it contains a fiber called inulin, which may slow glucose absorption. A lower glycemic index means that you don’t get as much of a sugar rush and insulin spike with maple syrup sugar and coconut sugar.
- Chocolate chips –Lily’s Baking Chips are sugar-free and are sweetened with stevia. Vitacost has them for less than the store. They are awesome. If you can’t find any Enjoy Life contain cane sugar, but are vegan, dairy free, soy free, and allergy friendly option. My mom used carob chips growing up, but I just don’t like the flavor they provide.
If you aren’t sugar conscientious, then just throw in the brown sugar and the sugar cane. However, if you give these a chance, you will never taste the difference.
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie With Almond Flour
- 2 ½ cup Almond Flour
- ¼ cup Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup maple sugar (I bought Coombs Family Farms Maple Sugar at Fresh Thyme)
- ½ cup organic coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
- egg replacer (I used Ener‑G Egg Replacer – it’s available at Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, and Amazon)
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoonRedmond’s Real Salt
- ½ banana
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine gluten-free and almond flours, baking soda, and Redmond’s Real Salt in a small bowl.
- Prepare your egg replacer (take with 3 teaspoons egg replacer, 4 tablespoons warm water, and mix until it thickens)
- Beat vegan butter, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy.
- Egg replacer
- Gradually beat in dry ingredients.
- Add in the ½ banana and continue to mix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Drop tablespoons of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I used a knife to get the dough out of the tablespoon because they were very sticky, and then gently smoothed the top. If you don’t smooth the top with your hand – they will look jagged like the top right image.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until they are lightly browned on top and firm to the touch. (I baked them for 12 minutes)
- Cool for 2 minutes then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Makes ~2 dozen cookies
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Redmond’s Real Salt
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3/4 cup Organic Pure Maple Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- egg replacer
- 2 cups vegan chocolate chips
- ½ banana (vegan only)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine gluten-free flour, baking soda, and Redmond’s Real Salt in a small bowl.
- Prepare your egg replacer (take with 3 teaspoons egg replacer, 4 tablespoons warm water, and mix until it thickens)
- Beat vegan butter, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy.
- Add Egg replacer.
- Gradually beat in dry ingredients.
- Add ½ of the banana for vegan cookies
- Stir in vegan chocolate chips.
- Drop by small rounded teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. (I cooked them for 11)
- Cool for 2 minutes then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Makes ~34 cookies
Taste Test Results
Both are delicious, and you would never know that they were vegan and gluten-free! The appearance is smoother and lighter with the Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend cookie; you must smooth out the top of the Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie if you want it to look like rounded and smooth. The Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Cookie is denser and a tad sweeter, which is rare, because it has less sugar. I consider that a plus! It also has a crunchier browner outside. The gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookie with theNamaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend has a softer texture, more like a normal cookie, and is a little lighter color. You really can’t go wrong with either one! After tasting the almond flour vegan chocolate chip cookie, I have visions of chocolate almond flour cookies dancing in my head!
