If you haven’t found a Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookie worth making, then you haven’t been looking in the right place. These grain-free chocolate chip cookies are make with almond flour, chocolate chunks, pistachios and dried cherries. They’re my vegan and gluten-free version of kitchen sink cookies…and they can be yours too…in just 30 minutes.
When you find the perfect combination of chewy, crunchy, crisp and sweet in a gluten-free and vegan cookie, you make it over and over again. And, if you’re going to give a cookie jar prime real estate on your kitchen counter, they better be stocked with incredibly yummy cookies like these.
I own several cookie jars. They belonged to my Grandmother, and carry cherished childhood memories. Hubby loves to snack on cookies…so I keep a healthy supply….literally and figuratively in those cookie jars at all times.
Sometimes you’ll find tahini chocolate chip cookies, or vegan ginger snaps, often my cookie jar is filled with almond thumbprint cookies or vegan peanut butter cookies…but the most popular cookie, by far are these chocolate chunk cookies with pistachios and dried cherries.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond Flour: A healthful grain-free baking powerhouse. High in protein, manganese, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats, low in carbs and contains fiber.
- Arrowroot Powder: A healthier alternative to cornstarch in recipes. Arrowroot powder is less processed, contains more fiber and calcium plus it has a good amount of potassium, iron and B Vitamins.
- Nut butter or seed butter: Use drippy almond butter, tahini or sun butter if allergies to nuts are an issue.
- Unsweetened applesauce: A wonderful ingredient to have in your healthy baking toolkit! I like to use applesauce in place of oil or additional sweetener.
- Maple syrup: Lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar or brown sugar. Look for pure maple syrup with no additional ingredients.
- Dark chocolate: A rich source of antioxidants and minerals…plus CHOCOLATE!!!
- Pistachios: In addition to being a great source of healthy fats, fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamin B6 and thiamine, they add flavor, color and CRUNCH!
- Dried Cherries: High in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, calcium, Vitamin A, and they bring a nice chewy texture to cookies. Substitute with raisins, dried cranberries or Look for unsulfered and unsweetened dried fruit.
How to make them
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
Gather applesauce, drippy sun butter and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl.
Whisk together wet ingredients until uniform in texture.
In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot powder and baking powder.
Mix combined dry ingredients into the wet until a ball of sticky cookie dough forms.
Add the chunks of dark chocolate, chopped pistachios and chopped dried cherries.
Mix well, incorporating everything throughout the cookie batter.
Use a 1 ¼″ scoop or two spoons to portion out cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, until edges begin to crisp.
Transfer cookies to wire rack to completely cool.
Once cookies are cool, store in an airtight container.
How to Store Cookies
- Let cookies cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. A cookie jar is awesome for big time cookie lovers.
- Vegan chocolate chunk cookies will stay good at room temperature for a week or refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze cookies in freezer safe containers for 3 months. Eat them straight from the freezer or let them defrost at room temperature.
- Put a stack of cookies in a mason jar with a lid, tie a ribbon on and give as a delicious holiday or hostess gift.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Cookies
Equipment
- Jelly Roll Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup creamy sun butter*
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
- ¼ cup chopped pisachios
- ¼ cup unsweetened unsulfured dried cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. You may need 2 baking sheets to fit all 2 dozen cookies with enough room in between them.
- In a large bowl, using a fork, mix almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. Be sure there are no clumps of almond flour.
- In a small bowl, also using a fork, mix together nut butter, syrup, apple sauce and vanilla until well combined.
- Pour wet iIngredients iInto the dry and mix well. Then, stir in the chocolate, pistachios and cherries.
- Use two spoons or 1 ¼" ice cream scoop to form dough into balls and drop onto prepared pan(s). Flatten cookies slightly with a damp hand.
- Bake iIn preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes, until cookies begin to brown and are soft, but not jiggly to touch.
- Cool on pan for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. When cookies are completely cool, store in air tight container. Cookies will stay fresh for 1 week at room temp or freeze them for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Madison
These cookies look so delicious AND wholesome. I can’t wait to make these with my boys!
Marina
We love baking in my house and was looking for the next recipe to make. Amazing flavours put together, I think it will be our new favourite
Debra Klein
It’s definitely a favorite here.
Christie Gagnon
Healthy and oh so good!!!
Debra Klein
Exactly! I keep a batch in the freezer at all times.
Sara Rodriguez
These vegan cookies looks so tasty! And love that you add pistachios to the recipe!
Debra Klein
The pistachios and the cherries are fun and unexpected ingredients.
Leslie
I will NOT turn down a healthy cookie. I even have a hard time turning down a not-so-healthy cookie. haha! This looks so amazing!
Debra Klein
These cookies are so satisfying…you’ll never know they’re healthy!
Natalie
These cookies look delicious. So crunchy. What a great treat for the whole family. I will definitely make this with my kids. Thanks!
Debra Klein
A great recipe for kids. Not only are they healthy, they are easy to make too.
Emily Flint
These cookies are to die for and the pistachios are on point!
Alexandra
We love baking with almond flour, and really enjoyed these cookies. Made a batch as a gift for my best friend and she thought they were fabulous also!
Debra Klein
Thank you….what a lucky friend!
Robyn
These look incredible Debra! I love anything made with almond flour, but what a great idea to pair it with chocolate and beautiful pistachios.
Debra Klein
Right? Such a simple, but amazing addition!
Andréa Janssen
Who doesn’t like cookies and when you’ve got to eat gluten-free it becomes a little bit difficult sometimes. Until I’ve found this delicious recipe. Thank you!
Sue
What delicious cookies! I love the use of dark chocolate, it gives a nice deep chocolate taste. The pistachios and cherries are so fun!
Estelle Forrest
Pistactios! How perfect. These sound delicious.
Debra Klein
They are! Thank you.
Estelle Forrest
These will be perfect for the dessert table at a bridal shower I’m hosting with GF needs
Linda
Oh yum! These are absolutely delicious and no one will believe these are actually gluten-free and vegan cookies
Debra Klein
Totally agree…thank you!
Chef Dennis
This Vegan Cookies Recipe looks really delicious!
Amy
So many of my favourite thing sin the one cookie! They were delicious!
Leslie
Great vegan cookie recipe!
veganmama
Pistachios and dried cherries in a vegan GF chocolate chip cookie? Brilliant! You speak my language Debra. Must try this now 🙂
Debra Klein
Oh….a love language for sure!