Enjoy a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie even at high elevations! These ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies are the BEST High Altitude Cookies you will ever make. What’s even better, they’re completely eggless and vegan!
Today we’re going to get real specific, folks. We’re making high altitude chocolate chip cookies, but not only that… VEGAN high altitude chocolate chip cookies! Man, that’s a mouthful!
When I say these are the BEST high altitude chocolate chip cookies, I mean they are the. best. The amount of these cookies I’ve been eating is actually pretty ridiculous. But I can’t help it! Controlling myself from devouring these heavenly cookies is practically impossible!
The Secret Ingredient for Vegan High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies:
It took me such a long time to find the perfect balance of soft, but not mushy, crisp, but not crunchy, high altitude chocolate chip cookies that are ALSO eggless/vegan.
I didn’t want to stray too far from the original Nestle Toll House cookie recipe because, why mess with perfection? But I obviously needed to do something about those pesky eggs.
I’ve tried substituting eggs with a mashed banana in the past, but the cookies turned out too banana-ey for my liking. So, I tried a new substitute for the first time. The secret ingredient? Applesauce!
I know what you may be thinking right now… but stay with me! Once the cookies are baked and out of the oven, you seriously cannot taste one ounce of apple sauce. It mimics the eggs as a binder while also giving the cookie it’s soft and chewy texture. (Not mushy like a banana would create)
As much as I love these chocolate chip cookies, I will give you a fair warning; these are not the healthiest cookies to make an appearance here on the blog. If you’re looking for a lower calorie option, try out my Thin Mint cookie recipe here.
But I can guarantee that you will fall in love with these and they will be your new go-to vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe for high altitude baking. Everyone will go nuts, and you may have to make an extra batch or two!
How to Make Vegan High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies
I know you’re probably anxious to try these out for yourself, so I won’t drag this out any longer. Here are my tried and true vegan high altitude chocolate chip cookies! Enjoy!
Step 1: Make the Dough
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until all the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla extract and cream until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add half of the applesauce and beat well. Repeat with the other half of the applesauce. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring between each addition. Stir in water.
Note: Make sure the butter is softened and not melted! This is so important for getting a soft, chewy cookie and preventing one that would otherwise become flat and crisp.
Step 2: Chill the Dough
If there’s one thing you take away from making these cookies it’s to chill the dough. Please, please, PLEASE chill the dough before making these chocolate chip cookies. Scooping them straight onto the baking tray at room temperature does not result in the same soft texture as it would if it were chilled.
And when I say “chill the dough”, I mean chill it until the dough is almost difficult to scoop out from the bowl. Ideally, storing in the refrigerator overnight, but if you’re more pressed for time, keeping it in the freezer for 30 minutes also works.
Step 3: Bake
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes in a 375 degree F oven.
Start to check on the cookies right around the 8-minute mark. They may appear to be a bit underdone, but don’t be fooled! You want to take them out once the tops are *just* slightly golden since there will be a lot more baking and setting happening when you let the cookies cool on the tray. My baking sweet-spot for my oven is around 9 minutes, but this may vary across ovens
Can I Freeze the Dough?
Yes! If you transfer the cookie dough into a freezer-safe container, you can use it within the next couple of days. My trick is to make about a dozen cookies and then freeze the rest of the dough. It comes in handy when you want to make chocolate chip cookies on short notice… or to just sneak a piece of the dough as a late-night treat. 🙂
Recipe tips:
- Use applesauce that is unsweetened.
- Let your butter sit out at room temperature for at least an hour. Softened butter creates little air bubbles when creaming with the sugar, making for a softer cookie.
- Chill the dough. I know it’s hard to wait, but it really does make a difference in the final cookie.
More Cookie Recipes:
High Altitiude Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Butter (2 sticks softened)
- 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (vegan, dark, or semi-sweet)
- 2 tsp Water
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together until light and creamy. Add in half of the applesauce at a time, beating well in between each addition. Gradually add in the dry ingredients. Stir in the water.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. The harder the dough is to scoop out the better.
- Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies in a 375 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are barely golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to bake on the tray and set for an extra 3-5 minutes at room temperature.
Notes
- You must allow the cookies to continue baking on the tray once they are removed from the oven. This is important so that the insides firm up and prevents from being under-baked.
- Chill the dough! It is the MOST important takeaway in this recipe. Chill until the dough is almost difficult to scoop out with an ice cream scooper.
- This recipe is made at 5,400 feet. For each additional 1,500 feet higher, please further adjust this recipe by adding an extra 2 tablespoons of flour, decreasing the sugar an additional 2 tablespoons, and adding 1-2 extra tablespoons of water.
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These worked perfectly in Denver. Love these chocolate chip cookies!
I’m glad you liked them!