THE Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies For One
I think I can speak for many singletons when I say we crave freshly baked goods but don’t always want to make a large batch or follow a lengthy recipe. It was during one of these moods that I decided to create a speedier version of my original THE Chocolate Chip Cookies. The main challenge was scaling down the egg—removing it and increasing the liquid didn’t work well. I also wanted cookies that could bake quickly in an oven or air fryer (let’s face it, they heat up faster). After a second failed attempt, it hit me: make them vegan. It’s easier to scale the recipe up or down. I reworked the original, sticking with olive oil as always, and landed on these speedy cookies. You don’t have to make them vegan—milk or water works fine, as does regular or vegan chocolate. Just know this is a rework of my original recipe, so I haven’t cut many ingredients, but I’ve slashed the time and effort. No butter means no long beating or chilling; you can go from bowl to baked in under 20 minutes. I’ve written the recipe in an order that avoids oily spoons and pre-measuring chaos. Feel free to ignore my rambling, but at my age, I find it handy to have the thinking done for me. The key thing you’ll need is a set of measuring spoons. You can also tweak the flavours. Add a pinch of spice and swap the chocolate for 25g of solid additions (about a palmful) to pimp them up. I’ve included a scaled-up version too, in case you want a larger batch.
Makes 2
Hands-on Time 10 minutes
Baking Time 14 minutes
Ingredients
4 tbsp plain flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
Pinch bicarbonate of soda
Pinch fine salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp milk or dairy alternative
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 squares chocolate or vegan chocolate (4 if Dairy Milk size, 2 if Lindt size)
Equipment
Measuring spoons
Small bowl
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Bread knife
Baking sheet (ideally aluminium) or air fryer with cake tin base
Baking parchment
Wire rack
Method
1. Preheat and Prepare
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3. If using an air fryer, preheat at 150°C for 5 minutes with the tin inside.
2. Make the Dough
In a small bowl, measure flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Add the pinches of bicarbonate and salt last to gauge the amount.
In a mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, caster sugar, olive oil, milk/dairy alternative, and vanilla extract. Beat until thick, combined, and beige.
Add the dry ingredients and fold until no white specks remain.
Chop the chocolate into small splinters and shards using a bread knife. Fold into the dough until evenly distributed.
3. Shape and Bake
Place a piece of parchment on the worktop. Divide the dough into 2 balls and place them spaced apart on the parchment.
If using an air fryer, carefully lift the parchment onto the preheated tin. Otherwise, slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and place in the oven on the middle shelf.
Bake for 14 minutes until golden with melted chocolate pockets.
Tip
For the best texture, let the cookies cool slightly before eating.
Enjoy!
