Chocolate Chip Cookies Four Ways

Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? I tasted them the first time at Subway when I moved to the US, and man, they are good! Some people might say that the perfect can't be improved upon, which might be right, but some variation isn't bad. And since I can't help but make some experimentation and twisting of everything, here comes four variations of the classic chocolate chip cookie (some hard-core chocolate chip cookie fundamentalists might argue they are just chocolate-chip-cookie-inspired -- well, taste and judge for yourself!):

Toffee Sea Salt
Magic Peanut Butter
Crispy Oatmeal
Double Chocolate Guilt Free

All the cookies are vegan.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know in the comments which version YOU would like to try -- or if you just stick with the classic ones.

Step 1: Toffee Sea Salt

Let's start with the toffee sea salt version (made vegan without eggs and butter and pimped with some whole wheat flour). I don't have a final picture of these, but they are SO good, I had to include the recipe amongst the others anyways. But the finished cookies look VERY similar to these.

These cookies are golden and chewy with a unique toffee flavour and a hint of sea salt.

For 20 classic chocolate chip cookies, you will need:
150 g. brown sugar
100 g. oil
100 g. apple sauce
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
150 g. whole wheat flour
150 g. white wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla powder or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
200 g. chopped dark chocolate
extra sea salt, for sprinkling

Step 2: Toffee Sea Salt: Wet Ingredients

Whisk together the brown sugar, oil, apple sauce, and salt.

Step 3: Toffee Sea Salt: Dry + Wet

Sift in the both flours (add in the bran that is left in the sieve too), vanilla, and baking soda. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 4: Toffee Sea Salt: Baking

Use a good tablespoon of dough for each cookie. I used a measuring spoon to shape the cookies, but an ice-cream scoop would be easier -- or just use your hands! Sprinkle each cookie with some sea salt to finish.

Bake the cookies at 180 degrees Celsius (convection) for 15-20 min. The cookies should still be soft when they come out of the oven. They don't spread completely, so flatten them a bit with a fork just when they come out if desired.

Let cool completely before packing in plastic bags or airtight containers. These cookies can be frozen.

Step 5: Magic Peanut Butter

These magic peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and delicate with a bombarding flavor flurry of traditional chocolate, vanilla and brown sugar mixed with salty peanut butter and walnut chunks -- a true magic experience.

For 25-30 cookies, you will need:
100 g. brown sugar
150 g. peanut butter
1 1/2 dl. plant-based milk
1 tsp. psyllium husks or 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
100 g. chopped dark chocolate
50 g. chopped walnuts
150 g. wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Step 6: Magic Peanut Butter: Wet Ingredients

Whisk together brown sugar, peanut butter, milk, psyllium, salt, and vanilla. The mixture will be a bit thick.

Step 7: Magic Peanut Butter: Dry + Wet

Stir in the chocolate and nuts. Finally, add the flour and baking powder and stir until just incorporated.

Step 8: Magic Peanut Butter: Baking

Roll the dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour.

Bake the cookies in at 180 degrees Celsius (convection) for about 12 min. The cookies should be golden around the edges and soft in the middle when done.

Let cool before packing in plastic bags or airtight containers. These cookies can be frozen.

Step 9: Crispy Oatmeal

These Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a bit different from the american cookies and perhaps more like the crispy-crunchy cookies found in Europe -- but still with chocolate chips. The crumb is fine and delicate with just the right amount of sweetness paired with a beautiful aroma of nuts and the texture of the oatmeal.

For 24 cookies, you will need:
200 g. oatmeal
150 g. raw sugar or turbinado sugar
100 g. chopped dark chocolate
1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
100 g. walnut or peanuts (omit salt if peanuts are salted)
4 Tbsp. coconut oil or other oil
4 Tbsp. cold water

Step 10: Crispy Oatmeal: Dry Ingredients

Blend the oatmeal to flour in a blender or food processor.

Whisk together the oatflour, sugar, chocolate, vanilla, and salt (note that I have used raisins and cinnamon in the pictures).

Step 11: Crispy Oatmeal: Wet Ingredients

Blend the walnuts, oil, and water till creamy (you may use the same blender as for the oat flour).

Step 12: Crispy Oatmeal: Dry + Wet

Add the nutpaste to the dry ingredients and mix till incorporated. The dough will be a bit crumbly but should be evenly moistened and wet enough to press into balls.

Step 13: Crispy Oatmeal: Baking

Shape the dough into cookies about 1 cm. thick with your hands. This is easiest done by pressing the dough into balls and then flattening them in the palm of the hand. If the dough cracks, add more water.

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (convection) for 15 min. The cookies should be golden around the edges but still soft and look undone, as they first crisp up when cooled.

Let cool completely before packing in plastic bags or airtight containers. These cookies can be frozen.

Step 14: Double Chocolate Guilt Free

These cookies are awesome, soft, fudgy, double-chocolate and completely guilt free -- because they are sugar-free, oil-free, whole-grain, and vegan. So they are perfect to satisfy your chocolate cravings (for breakfast!).

For 12 cookies, you will need:
100 g. pitted dates (or date paste like I used)
80 g. walnuts or peanuts (or peanut butter)
80 g. unsweetened apple sauce
40 g. oat flour (oatmeal ground in a blender)
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. true vanilla powder or a dash of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
60-80 g. dark chocolate (preferably 70% or darker)

Step 15: Double Chocolate Guilt Free: Wet Ingredients

Blend dates, nuts, and apple sauce until smooth.

Step 16: Double Chocolate Guilt Free: Dry + Wet

Stir together oat flour, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.

Add the date paste and chocolate chips and stir till incorporated.

Step 17: Double Chocolate Guilt Free: Baking

Roll the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Use flour on your hands if needed. I initially just took out the dough with two teaspoons, but the ragged edges became a bit burnt in the oven. So roll the dough into smooth balls with your hands for the prettiest and best-tasting cookies as seen in the last picture.

Bake the cookies at 200 degrees Celsius (convection) for 5 min. Flatten the cookies with a fork and bake for another 10 min.

Let cool before packing in plastic bags or airtight containers. These cookies can be frozen.