Description
These Ovenly’s Secretly Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies are delightfully rich and chewy, featuring dark chocolate chips and a hint of sea salt that enhances their flavor. Perfectly vegan and made with simple pantry ingredients, these cookies require a long refrigerated rest for optimal texture and are baked to golden perfection. Enjoy a sweet treat that’s both indulgent and plant-based.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (60% cocoa content or higher, vegan)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, or similar)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Garnish
- Coarse-grained sea salt or flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon) for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt. Add the dark chocolate chips to the flour mixture and toss to evenly coat them. This helps prevent the chips from sinking during baking.
- Mix sugars with liquids: In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and water briskly until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Make sure to break up any brown sugar clumps before whisking to ensure even sweetness.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Add the flour and chocolate chip mixture to the sugar-oil mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookie texture tender.
- Refrigerate dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours. This resting period is crucial to develop flavor and improve texture.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop it into 2-inch mounds using an ice cream scoop or spoon. For best shape retention, freeze the dough balls for 10 minutes before baking.
- Salt and bake: Sprinkle each dough ball lightly with coarse sea salt. If the dough was frozen, let it come out first before baking. Bake the cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are just golden but the centers remain soft. Be careful not to overbake.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving to let them set properly and enhance chewiness.
Notes
- Use fresh, soft light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for better flavor and texture.
- Do not skip the refrigeration step as it profoundly impacts the cookie structure and taste.
- Freezing the dough portion helps maintain cookie shape for a thicker, chewier result.
- Adjust salt sprinkle to taste; it balances the sweetness and intensifies chocolate flavor.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
