Kids Kitchen: Tofu Chocolate Chip Cookies
I don’t clean the house anymore when we have guests coming over. There’s nothing worse than walking into someone’s immaculate house, knowing that your house is a complete and total disaster.
It’s my way of showing solidarity. Obviously.
But one way that I do like to prepare for guests is to make fresh baked goods to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea, as the kids enjoy themselves.
Recently, I was presented with a bit of a challenge when a vegan friend came over during a particularly hectic week and I didn’t have a chance to really experiment or even run out for a vegan dessert.
Luckily, these tofu chocolate chip cookies came out perfect the first time — and bonus, the kids had no idea!
Because the base of these cookies is mostly tofu, they are protein-packed. I usually go with an organic tofu based on the farming practices of conventionally-grown soybeans, but I do find that the organic tofu spoils faster. Do what works for you and your budget.
I didn’t stray too far from a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe or flavour profile, and as a result these cookies just taste like a chewier version of my brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe.
These cookies are not overly sweet thanks to relying on molasses and cinnamon to help bring a natural sweetness to compliment the brown sugar. The Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips were chosen mostly because they are vegan, but it also helps balance the cookie’s sweetness. (And I almost exclusively use Ghiradelli chocolate chips in my baking.)
The coconut oil can be solid or melted, as long as it is cool. I keep one jar up high in a kitchen cupboard and one jar in a low cupboard so that I have both solid and liquid states available depending on my recipe. (We go through a lot of coconut oil in this house!)
You can alternatively use a vegan butter substitute in place of the coconut oil. I’ve used and like Earth Balance.
Remove these cookies from the oven once they reach a slightly golden colour but still seem a bit doughy in the center. Let them rest on your lined baking sheet for a moment, before transferring them to a cooling rack.
The coconut oil and brown sugar combine to create that beautiful golden exterior that gives a satisfying crunch as you bite into these melt-in-your-mouth tofu chocolate chip cookies, giving way to a soft and chewy interior.
I was really shocked at how good these cookies tasted, and how much the kids loved them! While the amount of brown sugar stops me from calling them a “healthy cookie,” these tofu chocolate chip cookies are definitely a bit healthier than a standard chocolate chip cookie.
Kids Kitchen: Tofu Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (I used unbleached all purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (or vegan butter such as Earth Balance)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup silken tofu OR soft tofu
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
- Blend tofu in a blender, food processor, or with a mixer until smooth and light.
- In a separate bowl, whip coconut oil and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whip in the tofu, and then slowly add the flour mixture.
- Add the chocolate chips to your level of preference and stir with a spoon or spatula.
- Portion out with a cookie scoop onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes until cookies flatted out and seem set. They will seem semi-uncooked in the center, but will set up as they cool on a cooling rack.
Check out our other delicious Cookie Recipes:
I am a San Francisco girl, so I always choose Ghirardelli when I have the chance. I have never baked with tofu, but I need to find ways to up my protein so I will have to give these a try.
These cookies look so soft and delicious! What a great after school treat!
What a great recipe! Sooooo smart to use tofu (I’m have a “why didn’t I think of that?” moment)!! Can’t wait to try them – the look scrumptious!
You might rephrase the part about dry ingredients cuz brown sugar is dry and I made a boo-boo!
Haha, okay Bryan – just for you 🙂
Do you press the tofu first?
I didn’t – I just poured out the liquid before measuring.
When do you add the vanilla extract? The directions do not specify.
Thank you for catching that – add it at the same time as the tofu.
How many cookies does this recipe make? Thanks!
Oh my goodness, it’s been awhile since I’ve made these but I made them quite small and I think it made 42ish