Vegan Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies

Whoever decided that chocolate and hazelnuts belong together is a genius..! These cookies are so yummy- the perfect combination of nutty and chocolatey.

Some notes before you begin:

FLAX EGGS

Flax eggs are a great egg substitute which are made from ground flaxseeds and water. These help to bind together your dry ingredients and work as a great leavening agent in baking. If you have whole flaxseeds simply grind them before using. To create 1 flax egg, add 3 tbsp of hot water to 1tbsp of flax meal and mix. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Once the mixture thickens, the flax egg is ready.

If you don’t have flax seeds, you can also use chia seeds to make a chia egg as an egg replacement. The measurements are exactly the same as they are for the flax egg.

WHICH CHOCOLATE SHOULD YOU USE?

It’s really important that you use a high quality chocolate that you love as it will determine the taste of your cookie. I went for a vegan dark chocolate with 74% cocoa, but feel free to use any of your choice. Chopping chocolate into chunks is best as chunks spreads better than chocolate chips, giving you that delicious mouthful of chocolate every time you take a bite.

ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER

You must use room temperature butter for this recipe. The best way to soften your butter is by cutting the butter into smaller cubes and letting it sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes before using it.

COCONUT SUGAR

I decided to use coconut sugar in this recipe as it has some nutritional value and is less processed than regular sugar. However, you can easily swap this for the same amount of regular sugar. If you use 100% white sugar, the cookie will be less soft, lighter in colour and a little flatter/spread out. I recommend using a mix of white and brown sugar, using 50% of each.

WHY CHILL THE DOUGH?

It’s important to chill the dough before baking, as this helps the flavours to develop and allows the cookies to retain their texture. It also prevents the cookies from spreading too much when baking! I’d recommend chilling them for at least 30 minutes before baking, the longer you chill, the better texture you get.

You can also freeze your cookie dough balls and make them at a later date. All you have to do is make your cookie dough balls, put them into a zip lock bag and store them in the freezer. Bake as many cookies as you want in one go and leave the rest in the freezer to bake later.

CAN THESE COOKIES BE MADE NON-VEGAN?

Absolutely. You can simply substitute the vegan unsalted butter and chocolate with normal butter and chocolate. You can also use white or brown sugar instead of coconut sugar. All measurements will be the same.

If you enjoyed this recipe leave a comment below!