With 1 bowl and 5 minutes prep, you can crank out a batch of these mouthwatering oil-free chocolate chip cookies whenever a craving hits! Vegan, grain-free & gluten-free, they are crunchy at the edges and soft at the center. YUM!
Delicious, Nutritious Cookies that Love You Back
As a blogger who focuses on healthy eating, I am proud to say that I spend a considerable amount of time baking cookies.
Many, many cookies.
Because I love cookies, you love cookies, my husband loves cookies, and my 6-foot plus 14-year-old son loves cookies. I also love creating cookies that are packed with wholesome, nourishing ingredients that make you feel satisfied, energized, and ready for whatever comes next.
My cookie philosophy is make cookies that love you back (can I get a hallelujah?!).
I make batches of cookies every week for my son’s lunches (umm…and for me…and my husband). Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and ginger cookies are his favorites, but he is open to my many interpretations on the themes. Inspired by my recent sunflower seed flour experiments, I decided to concoct a new riff on the first favorite:
Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies! (I’ll take his eating of four cookies in rapid succession as a sign of approval.)
Healthy Highlights of these Cookies
Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
Grain-free
Gluten-free
Rich in healthy fats
Low-carb
Paleo
Most importantly, the cookies are free of empty calories and any other added junk. Instead of reserving them for dessert, grab one for a healthy snack, part of a healthy breakfast on the go, or pre- or post-workout fuel.
Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredient List
The ingredient list is both short and flexible. Here it is:
semisweet chocolate chips (use sugar-free for keto)
You will also need about 2 tablespoons of water.
I wanted to use sunflower seed flour in this recipe, but any number of other flours will work, including almond flour, chickpea flour, oat flour or coconut flour. Use the same amount (1/4 cup), except in the case of coconut flour (you will use less; see the recipe notes).
How to Make Oil-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can make the dough for the cookies in 1 bowl, in under 5 minutes. Fast + easy + minimal cleanup + delectable = cookie perfection.
Combine the wet ingredients first: the nut/seed butter, coconut sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in the sunflower seed flour and baking powder until blended and then in go the chocolate chips.
I did not add any salt to the cookie dough itself because I used a salted natural peanut butter. If you are using a salt-free nut or seed butter, consider adding about 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the dough.
Regarding the lemon juice in the recipe: The lemon juice prevents the sunflower seed flour from creating any green specks (a natural chemical reaction, and perfectly harmless) in the cookies. If you do not use sunflower seed flour, feel free to leave it out.
Scoop, Roll and Flatten the Dough
Use a cookie scoop, or a tablespoon measure, to scoop out even portions of the dough.
The cookies do not spread much as they bake, so it is important to get them close to their finished shape as possible before baking.
Flatten the dough into a circle (about 1/4 thick) using your palm or the bottom of a glass. Or, do as I do and use your fingertips for the flattening, creating an imperfect surface (a few dimples and divots). This results in a more like a traditional-looking cookie once baked,
Bake!
Slide the cookies into a preheated 325F oven (low and slow is good for these untraditional sweets) and bake for 10 to 14 minutes until golden brown and the edges have a few cracks. The centers will still appear slightly underdone.
Do not worry if your cookies do not match the color of mine! The cookies will vary in color depending on the type of sweetener, nut/seed butter, and flour you use.
Cool Completely on the Baking Sheet
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Next, do something else (anything; you will need some distraction, the cookies smell so tempting) while the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
The cookies will continue to “bake” from the carryover heat of the pan and will firm up as they cool.
With 1 bowl and 5 minutes prep, you can crank out a batch of these mouthwatering oil-free chocolate chip cookies! Vegan, grain-free & gluten-free, they are crunchy at the edges and soft at the center. YUM!
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 cup smooth nut or seed butter (see notes for options)
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the nut or seed butter, coconut sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla, stirring until blended and smooth.
Add the sunflower seed flour and baking powder to the bowl; stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure, scoop out tablespoon portions of cookie dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
With fingertips or palm, flatten each cookie into a round cookie shape about 1/4 inch thick (the cookies do not spread much as they bake). If desired, add a few sprinkles of sea salt flakes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes until golden brown and edges have a few cracks (the centers will still appear slightly underdone).
Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before removing (they continue to bake–carryover heat–on the baking sheet; also, they can fall apart if moved while still warm).
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nut butter and seed butter options: consider using peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, or seed butters, such as my DIY pepita butter or sunflower seed butter. Note: If using sunflower seed butter, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent the greening effect that can occur with sunflower seeds.
Flour options: An equal amount (1/4 cup) of chickpea flour or oat flour can be used in place of the sunflower seed flour. 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of coconut flour can also be used. If you do not need the cookies to be gluten-free or grain-free, 1/4 cup of whole wheat, spelt, or all-purpose flour can be used.
Hows the texture of these cookies? Are they cakey?
Milli
Sunday 6th of December 2020
The recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of flour but that can’t be right? It didn’t make 12 cookies at all and it’s just mostly sun butter...what did I miss?
Camilla
Monday 7th of December 2020
Hi Milli! I am sorry if there is any confusion. Yes, the recipe only has 1/4 cup almond flour or sunflower seed flour. The cookies are not big (I used my small cookie scoop; it is about 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, per the instructions).
Vegan Sunflower Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {grain-free} | powerhungry®
Thursday 3rd of December 2020
[…] Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies {vegan, grain-free} […]
Geffen Grail
Monday 26th of October 2020
These cookies are AMAZING!! So easy to make, so delicious and really nutritious! Thank you so much, Camilla!
I’m Camilla, food writer, author, runner, and spin instructor. PowerHungry® is where I share my easy, minimalist, plant-based recipes, designed for living a healthy, delicious, empowered life.
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Kimberly
Friday 12th of February 2021
Hows the texture of these cookies? Are they cakey?
Milli
Sunday 6th of December 2020
The recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of flour but that can’t be right? It didn’t make 12 cookies at all and it’s just mostly sun butter...what did I miss?
Camilla
Monday 7th of December 2020
Hi Milli! I am sorry if there is any confusion. Yes, the recipe only has 1/4 cup almond flour or sunflower seed flour. The cookies are not big (I used my small cookie scoop; it is about 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, per the instructions).
Vegan Sunflower Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {grain-free} | powerhungry®
Thursday 3rd of December 2020
[…] Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies {vegan, grain-free} […]
Geffen Grail
Monday 26th of October 2020
These cookies are AMAZING!! So easy to make, so delicious and really nutritious! Thank you so much, Camilla!