I have a deep affection for Little Debbie’s snacks…all of them. There’s not one snack cake I don’t love. One day last year my son pointed out those cute little boxes of goodness at the grocery store and asked if he could try them. At first my heart melted because for one, if he didn’t have food allergies I would have screamed OF COURSE! But I held myself back, checked the label, and said nope, this one isn’t safe, but we’ll figure something out together that tastes even better.
And so I did, and the end result is this: the Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies. They remind me so much of the taste and texture of a Little Debbie treat, and so John was able to have his “Little Debbie” moment too. These little cookies are somewhat delicate because of its chewy texture so store them in between squares of parchment paper in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
As the unofficial treat mom for my children’s class and sports parties, I like to make a fun and colorful platter of these cookies, along with my chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip brownies and snickeroos. There’s literally something for every-one’s tastes. I also like to include a pretty tray of fruit kabobs, because kabobs are way more fun to eat then a little bowl of fruit. Whether or not you are making treats this week, give the Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies a try; I know you and your kiddos will love them.
Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
2/3 cup dairy-free margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup dairy-free buttermilk (1 T. vinegar mixed with 1 cup Soy or Rice Milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine margarine, sugar, applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Add to margarine mixture, and mix on low for about 1 minute to combine. Increase speed to medium high, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 400ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scooper to place batter onto baking sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until set. Cool completely on baking sheet.
Oh my goodness thank you for giving me motivation to get out of a baking slump! All your lifestyle suggestions are so helpful too. I will be buying your book!
Oh yum, it looks like you used white chocolate chips!
What brand of dairy free chocolate chips do you use?
Love the website!
Thanks so much Becky! I’m so glad you like it! I love both Enjoy Life Dairy Free Chocolate Chips (available at Whole Foods or at their website) and Divvies Chips. Both links are on my home page. Good luck!
Am I the only one that forgot to add the chocolate chips to the mix? hahaaa, it’s quite typical with kids pulling at your pants (the lil’ guy). Kelly, maybe you should add it to the recipe paragraph so forgetful moms like myself don’t forget! (BTW, I’m Traci’s friend, so this should all make sense to you!)
p.s. what brand dairy free margarine is available? And, I found vegan chocolate chips at Whole Foods, I think it’s the Whole Foods brand.
Hysterical Binay! I just added it. Thanks so much!! Also, I love Fleischman’s UNSALTED margarine. I also use Enjoy Life Chips, also available at Whole Foods. I think the Vegan chips at Whole Foods are manufactured in a nut facility, but not certain. I personally love the flavor the Enjoy Life ones. Hope you like them!!
I LOVE your website, and all the delicious recipes. I don’t have a mixer and was wondering if I mix by hand will I get teh same results? Or do I have to buy a mixer?
Thanks so much Mandy! It is perfectly fine to use a handheld mixer, they do a great job too. Also, in some recipes I sometimes prefer to mix by hand with a wooden spoon, such as muffins, breads, scones. These types of baked goods tend to get too tough if overmixed.
Just another tip… the semi-sweet chocolate chips at Trader Joe’s are dairy free, and WAY cheaper than the other brands!
Thanks for the tip Wendy! Do they have the shared equipment disclaimer? The last time I checked, they shared equipment with nut products.
Ghiradelli also makes dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips. I’m not sure if they are made on shared equipment, though. And Baker’s Choice makes dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Also, not sure about the shared equipment disclaimer. Just an FYI…
Thanks for all of these great recipes!!
You’re right Christy, they do! But in my research of making sure they were completely safe I discovered they were made on shared equipment. That’s why I stick to Divvies and Enjoy Life. Thanks for the tip though!
I’ve been meaning to come up with a recipe for double chocolate cookies. Thanks for saving me the time! I just made these last night, and the first words out of my son’s mouth were “Mm–mm–mmm!” The batter was very fluffy, almost cake-like, I thought; taste is good. And THANKS for the tip on Fleischmann’s margarine; I never checked it! I had checked others, and just assumed they all had milk (shame on me). It works and tastes much better than Earth Balance, in my opinion, and I can get it at my local grocery store instead of Whole Foods.
Another tip on buttermilk, since this recipe calls for 2/3 cup. I try to avoid wasting ingredients, so instead of making 1 cup of “buttermilk” and just using 2/3 cup of it, you can use 2/3 cup soy milk + 2 teaspoons vinegar. (There are 3 teaspoons in 1 Tablespoon, how convenient!)
Thanks again, Kelly!
Another winner, Kelly! These are going to the Easter bake sale at my son’s school tomorrow and he’s so excited to be able to actually buy something “Drew-safe”!
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Thanks so much!!!