Tools to Make Your Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here are the basic tools you’ll need to make the perfect cookie without vanilla:
- Kitchen Scale
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- Spatula
- Cookie Dough Scoop
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Tray (aka Baking Sheet)
You Might Also Enjoy: Egg Free Cakey Sugar Cookies
Ingredients for Your Chocolate Cookies without Vanilla Extract
Know that this is an egg free and gluten free recipe. I have recipe notes below for those who can have eggs, wheat, and gluten.
Chia Seed Binding Agent
- 3 TBSP Organic Chia Seed Meal
- 9 TBSP Water
Wet Ingredients
- 225g Dairy Free Butter, room temperature (half cup/8 ounces/2 standard US sticks)
- 250g Organic Dark Brown Sugar
Fun fact: sugar is technically considered a wet ingredient in your baking recipes.
Dry Ingredients for Your Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 150g Organic Buckwheat Flour
- 130g Sorghum Flour, superfine
- 50g Potato Starch
- 30g Arrowroot
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
You’ll Also Need
- 180g 55% Chocolate Chips (I used Pascha organic, dairy free milk chocolate chips)
- 2 TBSP Water
Ingredient Notes
For best results, it’s best if you don’t alter the dry ingredients in this recipe because part of the magic for these cookies without vanilla is the flour mixture I’ve created. It’s earthy, nutty, and rich, which allows the taste buds to overlook the lack of vanilla extract.
In a pinch, you can try using 150g Organic Buckwheat Flour + 210g All Purpose Flour. However, if you make this swap, do so at your own risk as it’s not something I’ve tested.
You shouldn’t swap the dark brown sugar for white sugar (cane sugar, caster sugar, etc.) as this will also remove some of the depth that’s been created. Remember, the depth is there to distract.
You can get away with substituting the dark brown sugar for light brown sugar. If you need to use an unrefined, natural sweetener, you can use organic date sugar, or organic maple sugar (I don’t suggest coconut sugar). Whilst a sugar swap will change the overall flavor profile, these three sugars aren’t a plain white sugar. Each one brings a legit taste and depth to the recipe, however, it won’t be the same as using the organic dark brown sugar. So, be sure to manage your expectations.
How to Make Your Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies (with photos)
The first step in bringing together the dough for your homemade chocolate chip cookies is to start with your chia binding agent. In a small bowl combine the chia seed meal and water together, then set aside.
Place your empty mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and tare to zero. Add the butter, tare to zero, then add the organic dark brown sugar. Connect your bowl to the stand, attach the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed. This will cream the butter and sugar together. Mix on medium speed for 30 – 45 seconds.
Turn the mixer off and return the bowl to your scale (you can leave the paddle in the bowl). Tare to zero, then add all of the dry ingredients one at a time. Be sure to tare to zero between weighted ingredients.
Once your dry ingredients are in, tare to zero, and add the semisweet chocolate chips. This recipe uses 55% chocolate chips so that the overall sweetness level of the cookies isn’t huge and in your face. My tasters really appreciated that, and a less sweet cookie also allows the earthy flavours to shine through a bit more.
With everything in the bowl, return it to the stand. Pulse your mixer on low speed to start. This will get the ingredients to start to come together without making a huge flour cloud in your kitchen. After several pulses, turn the mixer on medium speed and you’ll see the dough start to come together.
After mixing for 20 – 30 seconds, turn the mixer off. Add your chia gel and mix again. Once the chia gel is mostly incorporated, add the final 2 Tablespoons of water. Mix on high speed for 20 seconds, and that’s it.
Shaping and Baking Your Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c), then line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 TBSP) to portion cookie dough. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten half way, or a little bit more than half. The more you flatten, the more crispy your cookie will be. These cookies don’t have a huge amount of spread, so you don’t need to leave a tonne of room between them. Don’t over crowd either though, find your balance.
Once your dough balls are flattened, you can optionally top with a pinch of salt. I used Nordur Icelandic Salt which behaves like a finishing salt, and the tasters were in love.
Bake your cookies (in your preheated oven) at 350f/175c for 18 minutes. When they come out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 10-12 minutes before transferring them off of the tray. The bottoms of your cookies will be a bit darker than golden brown. Once the cookies have cooled and you transfer them from the tray, it’s time for the best part: eating your delicious cookies.
First time making cookies? We’ve all been there. Check out the video on this page if you’d like to see me make a similar recipe and really understand how these ingredients come together.
From one of the tasters: These cookies have a slight nutty flavor and I really like crispy version of these cookies. They’re super delicious and I didn’t miss the vanilla flavor at all!
Free-From Baking Tip
Make sure your oven temperature is correct. You can do this by purchasing an oven thermometer (it’s a special kind, and not expensive). You can also map your oven with bread or dry flour to see if there any hot spots.
An incorrect oven temperature can absolutely wreck your baked goods, so it’s one of the first things you’ll want to do if you’re having difficulty baking.
Storage Instructions for Your Delicious Cookies
To prevent your cookies from drying out or having a slight texture shift which can sometimes happen with gluten free + egg free cookies, you’ll want to store leftovers in the freezer, rather than in the refrigerator or on the counter top. To freeze your vanilla free chocolate chip cookies, place them on a single layer on your large baking tray. It’s OK if the sides are touching. If you need a second layer, place a piece of parchment over the first layer of cookies first.
Having a sheet of parchment paper between the two layers will prevent the cookies from clumping together when frozen. Place the entire baking tray into your freezer. Once the cookies are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container. I opt to use gallon freezer baggies. Make sure the container is labeled. These cookies can be frozen for 4 – 6 months before you start to see a decline in the texture.
To thaw, leave cookies out on the counter, at room temperature for 60 – 90 minutes. Once thawed, you’ve got the perfect little treat. These can also work as a great snack in a packed lunch.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Whilst these easy cookie recipes below do indeed contain vanilla extract, hopefully you’ll have a chance to make them and enjoy them.
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies (an amazing eggless chocolate chip cookies recipe)
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (these are legit the one of the best cookies I’ve ever made and was a top seller at the bakery I owned and operated for years)
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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Answering Your Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Questions
Can I use two large eggs in place of the chia seeds?
For this size batter, I’d suggest using two whisked medium eggs rather than large ones. You’ll add the whisked eggs in place of the chia in the directions.
Do I need to cool these cookies on a wire rack?
No, you don’t need to cool these cookies on a wire rack. You’ll want to cool them on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to the counter top. If you’re short on space and have a wire rack that stacks vertically, I could see you using that as a holding spot whilst the other cookies bake. However, this isn’t necessary.
Can I add scraped vanilla beans to this recipe?
Yes, you can. You can also use organic ground vanilla as well. If using either of those, I’d use about a teaspoon, and make sure it’s well incorporated/distributed into the cookie dough.
If I use dairy butter, should it be salted or unsalted butter?
You should use unsalted butter if you plan to use cow’s milk butter.
Could I add almond extract to this recipe to add to the flavor?
Honestly, I don’t know how almond extract will change the flavour profile of these cookies. As a free-from baker who makes recipes that are super inclusive, it’s not an ingredient I’ve ever worked with.
Now, if you’ve worked with almond extract, and know how to use it well, give it a go. If I were using vanilla extract, I would have used 2 teaspoons most likely. Hopefully that number helps you know how much almond extract to use in a recipe like this.
Will vegetable oil in place of the butter work for these cookies?
No, you can’t use vegetable oil in this chocolate chip cookie recipe. If for some reason you’re not able to use dairy butter or dairy free butter, use organic palm shortening instead. The overall flavour will change some, but the performance will be good.
Will melted butter enhance the flavor of these cookies rather than room temperature butter?
No, but it will affect the spread of your cookies. The temperature of butter (and its softness) has a direct impact on how much spread your cookies have. If you want the butter to affect the flavor profile, you’ll want to make brown butter instead.
Once you’ve made your brown butter, you need to cool it in the fridge until it reaches the texture of room temperature butter, then proceed to make the cookies.
Where can I buy buckwheat flour?
Your local large grocery store should have buckwheat flour. If they have a gluten free section of the store, start there first. If you don’t see it, you can check the baking aisle, or just ask someone. I personally find it’s just faster to ask than look for something you’ve never purchased before.
If you can’t find it locally, it’s easy to purchase online. I like shopping VitaCost for all sorts of gluten free and allergy friendly ingredients.
Can I bake these cookies on a cookie sheet instead of a baking tray?
Yes, you can use a cookie sheet instead of a baking tray. I’ll be honest with you though, I’ve never actually used a cookie sheet for baking. You’ll want to make sure the bake time remains the same when using a cookie sheet since the airflow is a little different with the holes. You may also want to skip the parchment paper.
Will a handheld electric mixer be able to make this cookie recipe?
Yes, a hand mixer will be able to make these cookies for you. Just be sure your butter and sugar are creamed together very well before moving on to the next steps. Also, to help reduce the risk of making a giant mess, use a large bowl that’s a bit bigger than what you really need.
Can I use maple syrup or agave syrup in place of the dark brown sugar?
No, you won’t be able to use a liquid sweetener in place of the dark brown sugar in this recipe. In the ingredient notes I’ve listed out a few granulated sweetener options for you you try if you can’t have (or don’t have) dark brown sugar.
Should I chill this dough before baking?
Nope! There’s no chill time required to make these delicious cookies. Just scoop dough, flatten dough, bake dough, and enjoy.
Would this recipe taste good with chopped nuts mixed in?
Yes, this cookie recipe would taste wonderful with chopped nuts. You’ll want to avoid going overboard with how much you mix in since there’s already chocolate chips in the mix. Additionally, make sure you select nuts that will pair well with buckwheat and its earthy flavor.
What’s the texture of the baked cookie?
As you may know, I’m allergic to the foods I create and share. I asked my tasters to describe these cookies to me, and they tell me that the taller cookies have a softer middle. Both the pressed down and taller cookies aren’t chewy in the middle like what you might get from a classic chocolate chip cookie.
They really enjoy the crispy bottoms, and love the deep rich flavor.
Can I use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips?
Yes, chocolate chunks are a suitable swap for regular chocolate chips. If possible, use 55% chocolate chunks so your sweetness level comes out like mine. If your chunks are too sweet, it can throw off the balance of the recipe.
