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Dairy-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Crisp Outside, Chewy Inside

Baking chocolate chip cookies without butter is one of the challenges of cooking without dairy. I usually try to avoid adding salt, but will add a touch if the original recipe is butter based. I also up the brown sugar to white sugar ratio. Cookies made with vegetable shortening don’t brown the same way as those with butter. The brown sugar helps a bit visually, as well as adding caramelizing to the cookies.

Always, always, always check the ingredients. We use Crisco vegetable shortening, but if your family doesn’t have coconut allergies (ours does), you could substitute an allergen friendly coconut oil such as Carrington Farms (who were tree nut free and peanut free, last I checked, but of course you need to double check).  We used Enjoy Life Mega Chunks for the chocolate, and Cake Mate Sprinkles for some color.

Mix dry ingredients and set aside:

2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine

1 cup melted vegetable shortening

1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

Whisk into the shortening mixture

2 eggs.

Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture. The dough will be stiff.

Mix in

2 cups of chocolate chunks

1/2 cup colored sprinkles, if desired

Cover the mixing bowl with a plate and refrigerate the dough for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325° degrees

Roll the dough into 1-1/2″ balls and set on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake for between 13 and 14 minutes. Adjust the baking time if needed. If not overcooked, the outside of the cookies should be crisp, and the inside chewy.

Let sit for a minute before transporting the cookies on to racks to cool.