Jumbo Grain-Free Chocolate Cookies (Vegan, Oil-Free)

Make a batch of jumbo grain-free chocolate cookies! They are nutritious, vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free, too. Made in a muffin tin, they easy to make and bake.

A triathlete friend–let’s call him Zeke, because his name is nothing like Zeke–informed me after his first Ironman Triathlon that he fueled the bike portion of the race with Little Debbie’s oatmeal cream pies. You need to refuel (carb city!) during the bike portion and he believes Little Debbie’s are ideal (individually packaging + easy to eat). 🤣

I told him I wouldn’t judge.

I did, however, mention that I could come up some other options, if he was interested. He was, so I did.

He has mentioned his love of chocolate-covered raisins on more than one occasion, so I created these jumbo raisin-flecked chocolate cookies. They are big and soft (like Little Debbie’s cookies), but also pack in a lot of healthy things, too.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need to participate in triathlons to make and eat these jumbo grain-free chocolate cookies A love of cookies, chocolate, or both, works. So does a desire for a healthy snacks, in general.

Recipe Inspiration: Wacky Cake

The core of the recipe is loosely based on one of my favorite old-fashioned cakes, not cookies: Wacky Cake.

Wacky cake is an old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe made from a short list of ingredients including flour, cocoa powder, oil, vinegar and water, but no eggs or dairy of any kind. Some credit the recipe’s origins to the Depression Era, others to war times (when food was rationed). Regardless of its origin, it’s delectable, and already vegan.

To make these jumbo grain-free chocolate cookies, I stayed with the water and vinegar, but slashed the sugar (and used coconut sugar, to boot) and ousted the wheat flour in favor of coconut flour and chickpea flour. I used a small amount of almond butter–protein and healthy fats in one–which adds tenderness to the cookies, and psyllium husk to add structure.

Recipe Benefits

• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Oil-free
• 3 grams protein per cookie
• 5 grams fiber per cookie
• Quick and easy to make
• Portable (grab and go snacking, mini meals, pre- and post-workout fuel, and more)

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

• whole psyllium husks
• cider vinegar, (or any light colored vinegar, or lemon juice)
• chickpea flour
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• coconut sugar (see notes for options)
• coconut flour
• baking soda
• almond butter (see notes for options)
• raisins (see notes for options)
• miniature semisweet chocolate chips, (certified Vegan and GF, as needed)

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line 6 cups of a standard muffin tin with silicone liners (or grease/spray with nonstick cooking spray, if you eat some oil).
2. In a small bowl or cup, stir together the water, psyllium and vinegar until blended. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt and baking soda. Add the psyllium mixture, almond butter and raisins, stirring until blended and smooth.Note: You can stir in chocolate chips at this point OR melt and drizzle them over pucks at the end.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared cups, smoothing tops.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 23 to 26 minutes until centers are just set. 
6. Cool in tin for 15 minutes and then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack. 
7. If chips were not stirred into the batter, melt them according to package direction and drizzle over tops of cookies.

Good grief, these cookies are amazing. And check out the stats: a mere 125 calories per BIG cookie, plus 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. You get a boost of powerful antioxidants (super important for recovery from endurance cardio work) from the cocoa powder and chocolate chips, too.

Zeke thinks they are the bomb. He also thinks Little Debbie’s oatmeal cream pies are the bomb, but I will take what I can get. He has informed me that he will give these a try (they guy bakes! and still the Little Debbies…) on his next long ride.

Packing Suggestion

I suggest following my step (it’s noted in the recipe) for stirring the mini chocolate chips directly into the batter instead of melting and drizzling them on top (as pictured). It minimizes the mess. It is also easier and faster than drizzling, regardless of your cookie transportation plans.

FAQ

• How should I store the chocolate cookies? Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• What can I use in place of coconut sugar? Use an equal amount of the granular or liquid sweetener of your choice to replace the coconut sugar, For example, maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, or natural cane sugar.
• What can I use in place of raisins? The raisins can be replaced with an equal amount of chopped chocolate, miniature chocolate chips, chopped nuts or seeds (e.g., walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds), or other chopped dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried apricots.
• What can I use in place of almond butter? Use an equal amount of the nut butter or seed butter of your choice to replace the almond butter, For example, peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.

Related Recipes

• Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies (Vegan, GF, Oil-free)
• Vegan Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake {gluten-free, grain-free}
• Vegan Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies (oil-free, GF)
• Vegan Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free)
• 4 Ingredient 100% Oat Flour Bread (V, GF, Oil-Free)