Peanutbutter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (vegan)

Anyone who tells you that chocolate has milk in it is full of crap, and obviously has no clue what they are talking about.  Yes a lot of eating chocolate is make with milk, but chocolate itself I will remind you is a plant.  If I had a chocolate bar for every time someone hears I am allergic to milk and says, Oh you can't have chocolate?..... Ignorant people.  I happen to prefer dark chocolate, which is just cacao and sugar. 

Cacao Plant with ripe pods

 It is imporntant to read ingredients, most commercial chips are made with milk.  But there are many varieties out there that are not.  My favorite are the Enjoy Life brand semi-sweet chocolate mega chunks.

  
These cookies came from veganbaking.net as well.   However this recipe requires some finagleing to get the cookies to stay together before baking.  Be prepared to shape them with your hands and to press chunks into them once on the cookie sheet.  The chunks do not want to combine well in the mixer, but do bake well into the cookie once in the oven.

½ cup + 2 Tablespoons almond milk

2 Tablespoons golden flax meal

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

1 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

 

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 ¼ cups peanutbutter

¼ cup unrefined coconut oil, melted

 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon molasses

 

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350F (177C). In a small bowl whisk together the flax meal, non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the mixture thickens and curdles. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

 

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well incorporated. Set aside.

 

In another medium mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, peanut butter and coconut oil until well mixed. Mix in the flax meal mixture from step 1 followed by the molasses and vanilla extract.

 

Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. You may have to use your hands at this point because the dough will be pretty thick. Use your hands to fold in the chocolate chips.

 

Form the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place them on the cookie sheet so they're spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart. Use a fork to flatten them to ¾ inch and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking duration. These cookies will not turn golden as they bake so it's important to pay attention to the baking time.

 

 Store the cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for about one week or in the freezer for up to two months. This recipe makes about 22 to 24 Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.