Choosing a vegan diet doesn't have to feel restrictive — so if you are going vegan, you can rest easy knowing that you can still eat plenty of your favorite foods, just with a few alterations. And with plenty of vegan cookie recipes on hand, you will never feel like you are missing out on dessert. Ingredients like almond milk, nut butters, and coconut oil are about to be your best friend, and baked goods will never look the same — in a good way, of course.
Vegan dessert recipes don’t have to be boring or full of hard-to-find ingredients. While it can be fun to get fancy every once in a while, sometimes your sweet craving needs nothing more than a batch of simple no-bake cookies made with oats, peanut butter, and some more additions. Plenty of healthy vegan chocolate recipes allow you to get something sweet in your belly without feeling bloated, and without crashing from a sugar high. It’s all about balance, people. It's all about balance.
These 17 vegan cookies are a mix of healthy vegan recipes, and ones that are a little more indulgent. I can honestly say there is something here for everybody. Happy baking!
1. No-Bake Cookies
Made with crispy rice cereal, Cara's Cravings' peanut butter no-bake cookies are just slightly reminiscent of Rice Krispies treats — but they're a lot better for you.
2. Chewy Almond Spice Cookies
Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon make The Kitchn's almond cookies perfectly fragrant. Thanks to chia seeds, you don't even need an egg to make them at home.
3. Chocolate Black Bean Power Cookies
Sure, black beans are somehow great in brownies, but they're also surprisingly tasty in cookies, too. Green Kitchen Stories makes these gluten-free and vegan cookies with some fancier ingredients like rose hip powder, but the result is worth it.
4. Chocolate No-Grain, No-Bake Cookies
A bit of flaked coconut gives A Beautiful Mess' no-bake cookies a subtle flavor while almonds give them some crunch.
5. Skinny Cookie Dough Bites
Instead of eating regular dough and risking illness, turn to House of Yumm as the answer to your cravings. These vegan cookie dough bites are made with just five simple ingredients.
6. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
It doesn't get more classic than a chocolate chip cookie. Love and Lemons uses coconut oil to give these cookies a tender texture with just the right amount of sweetness.
7. Snickerdoodles
These sugar- and cinnamon-doused cookies by Oh She Glows are surely a crowd-pleaser. Plus, you can have them fully done in less than half an hour.
8. Vegan Sugar Cookies
Pumpkin puree acts as an egg substitute in Minimalist Baker's easy sugar cookie recipe, but these are no pumpkin spice cookies. Top them with some frosting and they taste just like classic sugar cookies.
9. Carrot Cherry Breakfast Cookies
Carrots and cherries may seem like a strange combination, but Joy the Baker proves that they may be a match made in heaven.
10. Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Believe it or not, Oreos are actually completely vegan. But Cara's Cravings' homemade version is most definitely made with more wholesome ingredients.
11. Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
According to The Kitchn, these vegan treats are "life-changing." The oat-based cookies make a pretty satisfying breakfast or dessert.
12. Thin Oat And Ginger Crisps
Consider these cookies by Green Kitchen Stories to be the thin and crispy version of gingersnaps. Use them to make ice cream sandwiches for an even more exciting treat.
13. No-Bake Espresso Cookies
No-bake cookies are the answer to sudden cookie cravings. Naturally Ella uses peanut butter to make these cookies come together, but espresso powder gives them some extra zing.
14. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
If you're in a dessert mood, Half Baked Harvest's cookie cups pair well with plenty of icing. But with some almond milk, they're breakfast table-ready. Either way, these cookie cups strike the perfect balance between chewy and crunchy.
15. Vegan Almond Shortbread
Earth Balance vegan butter is a lifesaver when it comes to achieving a classic buttery taste in cookies like Love and Lemons' shortbread. Top them off with dried fruit or nuts.
16. Double Chocolate Cookies
The best thing about Oh She Glows' chocolate cookies? You can make them in just one mixing bowl.
17. Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
Bananas make Minimalist Baker's breakfast cookies perfectly moist, while walnuts give them a hearty texture — just right to start your day.
For more ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.
Images: Cara's Cravings (2); The Kitchn (2); Green Kitchen Stories (2); A Beautiful Mess; House of Yumm; Naturally Ella; Half Baked Harvest; Love and Lemons (2); Oh She Glows (2); Joy the Baker
