vegan pistachio mint chocolate chip cookies
After these guys, it blows my mind that people don’t just go forth and make full-blown vegan cookies all the time. You can’t even tell a difference between Tollhouse and your house with these Vegan Pistachio Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. Gooey, soft, chewy, sweet, a bit of crunch, a lot of dark chocolate, and 0 animal products.
I wanted to create a vegan dessert after a Facebook friend of mine suggested a few inspirational tidbits some time ago. While these aren’t a replica of the given ideas, the veganization was the main goal, and this is what happened. As is usual for me, the first batch failed in an explosion of shit (okay, that was dramatic) but only because I questioned my sanity in my proportions and, well, oops. Sometimes I need to calm down and remember that I’m more well-practiced than I think I am with a whisk and a spatula. In any facet of life, I think all of us should keep that stowed in our minds, too.
Main points to keep in mind with these cookies
1. Be careful with peppermint extract. Mint is easy to overload on and the result will be toothpaste. Swallowing toothpaste is unpleasant. We’re going for refreshing and light, not a full-on dental cleaning. 1/2 tsp was perfect for me but you can get away with a couple drops more if you want a bit more.
2. Shell the pistachios. This should go without saying, but novices especially tend to read recipes literally, and the crunch of the shells is not the crunch needed. Pistachio kernels provide the needed texture and taste a whole lot better.
3. Brown sugar creates a chewier cookie. I invite you to swap out for white sugar in some proportion if you’d like to, but all brown sugar cookies are my schtick. I love how soft and tender they become, in addition to the golden hue created.
4. Eggless cookies are particularly fragile. Very important to let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before attempting to transfer to a wire rack. Gooey is great, collapsing is not. A few minutes on the sheet allows for a bit more cooking time and lets the ingredients adhere properly.
Truly, these are about as uncomplicated a vegan cookie as you can get. A fraternal twin to typical recipes. Just as addicting. No weird alternative flours or binders, just good old fat and flour and sugar. A bit of nondairy milk gives the cookies needed moisture that eggs usually provide. A big mug of coffee rounds out your snacktime just wonderfully.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you’ve made!
Need some more chocolatey cookies?
Salted Bourbon Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened *see note
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup nondairy milk
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pistachio kernels
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream coconut oil and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. It may not get as fluffy as with butter, but a creamier texture should arise with enough whipping. Beat in oat milk, mint extract, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour dry ingredients into wet and beat until just combined. Some small streaks of flour are okay.
- Fold in pistachios and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- At this point, you have the option to chill the dough for 20-30 minutes if you want the cookies to spread less. I like spread, so I proceeded with baking immediately. When you're ready to bake, roll dough into heaping 1 tablespoon-sized balls and place onto baking sheet with about 2 inches of space between them.
- Bake cookies for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and tap a few times against the counter to flatten. Bake an additional 2 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then slide the cookies to a wire rack to set at least 10 more minutes.
