So, I have now served these to three different audiences (and my husband as well) and everyone loves them. I’ve made a few different versions of the cookie thus far and think I have the best option figured out. I promise no one will know that these are vegan. Remember to just not skimp on the fat (vegan butter) part of this, as that is what helps make the cookies so darn good.
Spicy Cookie Ingredients:
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg substitute (I used Ener-G)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 to 1.5 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1.5 cups white flour
- 1.5 cups chocolate chips
Optional ingredients:
- 3/4 cups chopped hazelnuts
- 3/4 cups shredded coconut
- pink Himalayan salt
Cream together the butter and sugars.
Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat the mixture together well. If using Ener-G egg replacer, add the 1 1/4 tsp of dry mixture to the milk with an extra two tablespoons of milk.
Add in the baking powder, cayenne, and cinnamon and mix well. Finally, add in the whole wheat flour and mix. Then add the white flour a half cup at a time. Mix slowly. Add in chocolate chips and any other of the add ins that you want. Refrigerate your dough. It will make scooping the dough so much easier.
Heat the oven to 375 F. Place the cookies about an inch to an inch and a half apart from each other. If you cook on a silicone sheet, it will make removing the cookies that much easier. Cook for 15 minutes. The cookies won’t brown so much on top, so no worries about that. Allow the cookies to cool then enjoy!
As for the options, I’ve found that using a full 1.5 tsp of cayenne pepper and chopped hazelnuts are the best option. If you don’t want to add nuts, I’d suggest using dark chocolate with some Himalayan salt sprinkled on top. Any way you have it, they will be delicious. Other options may be to try using some tofu or apple sauce instead of egg or the Ener-G. Also, try using coconut oil instead of the butter, which may work as well.