These Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes are easy and delicious. By only using 6 ingredients and just 1 bowl!
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VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
6 ingredients and 30 minutes is all you need for these amazing Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes. They just so happen to be gluten-free and oil-free too. Seriously, no need to buy the over processed cookie cake slices in the mall anymore. I finally perfected the texture, and boy am I glad this creation happened in my kitchen. This is so flippin easy, it’s ridiculous. Yet, your friends and family are going to think you spent much more time making it than you did. Score! You could even add icing (like the malls do) if you wanted to, for a special birthday or occasion. I’m thinking of doing that for my daughter’s birthday this year.
These cookie cakes have a wonderful chewy, dense cookie texture, but soft and moist on the inside. The chewiness factor comes from 2 ingredients: oat flour and molasses. Molasses really helps to bind the ingredients and give wonderful texture and depth of flavor. I chose peanut butter because I love the combo with chocolate chips, but if you are allergic to nuts, then sub them with sunbutter instead. Easy peasy.
Do these look delicious and incredible or what?!! Now, let’s do some step by step photos to entice you, shall we?
HOW TO MAKE A VEGAN COOKIE CAKE
First, you will gather the dry and wet ingredients and mix into a large bowl until a thick, wet batter forms.
Make the delicious batter and try not to eat it before you bake it, ok?
Place the parchment paper over the dough and flatten out into little mini cookie cake shapes into about 1/4 inch thick.
Score them into 8 wedges, so this will make for easier slicing afterwards and the cookie slices hold perfectly this way after they have baked and cooled. Also, for portion control 🙂
Now, put them in the oven, don’t eat them yet!
Ok, now it’s time to eat them.
MORE VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Vegan Thin Mints
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Cashew Butter Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Best Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) oat flour
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (128g) creamy peanut butter w/no added oils or sugars
- 2 tablespoons (40g) unsulphured molasses, NOT blackstrap
- 2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 heaping cup + 2 tablespoons (75g) dairy-free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- Optional: If your peanut butter does not have salt or you are subbing with another nut butter, then add 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the syrup, peanut butter, molasses and vanilla and stir well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Last, add the oat flour (mixed with salt first if adding) and stir well until the dough comes together and is very sticky. Separate the dough in half and drop onto the lined sheet pan. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of each slab of dough and press down flat and outward, making a circle about 7 inches and a 1/4 inch thick. 1/4 inch is important, as this is how they stay fudgy and moist. Do this to each mini cake. (see photos)
- Take a pizza rotary cutter and slice each pizza into 8 slices, but leaving them in place. This helps to make the slices hold well and for easy slicing/removal after they bake.
- Bake for 9 minutes, until the cookie cakes have slightly puffed up and are just beginning to look golden and firm around the edges. They will look a little undercooked upon removal. They will still cook some as they are cooling and will remain moist this way. Overbaking can make them dry, so watch closely. Leave them untouched to cool for 15 minutes on the pan, then slice over them again to finalize the slices. Then transfer carefully to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Gail, I haven’t tried it with subbing anything else, but your best bet would be another really thick sticky type of syrup like agave or coconut nectar, corn syrup or even honey (if you aren’t vegan). The molasses really makes them hold well and gives a distinct texture and taste, so those subs will make them sweeter and maybe more fragile, just make sure to score them beforehand and let them completely cool before handling. Let me know how they turn out please with whatever sub you use, thanks! 🙂
I love the point that you get to bite off first. Something sinful about it like a big slice of pizza.
I’d add a dash of coarse sea salt to mine and they’d be perfection.
Love that you make your own Oat flour. It’s so easy. Why didn’t people make their own stuff before now?
And it’s fresh right then if you grind it the same day.
Love!
Thanks Brandi. I know these didn’t last long at the house ♥
I agree Angela, totally like a pizza!! Truth be told, cookie cakes are my absolutely favorite indulgence and I just realize, I should have added that in my post, haha! That is the one dessert I would always request for my birthday over anything else. Now, these aren’t 100% AS rich, because they aren’t filled with butter and buckets of sugar, but they ARE delicious and don’t give me a tummy ache afterwards and I suspect adding icing to them for birthday parties/events will make them just as good as the malls 🙂
“These are the best of a million cookies I’ve tried!!” -Matthew 5 yrs old
Easy and delicious. Thanks for posting!!
Haha I love it! Your son is the cutest! I’m so glad you both loved them so much and thank you so much for making them so quickly and for leaving feedback, I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi Naomi! Coconut flour works much different than other flours, as it absorbs a TON of moisture and it definitely wouldn’t be an even swap of the oat flour. It would make these very dry I’m afraid. Also, may make them a lot more crumbly, since the oat flour helps them to bind. If anything, you would need to reduce the amount of flour to maybe 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, but honestly I have no idea how much that would affect the result and texture. If you try it, let me know!
Thank you so much Emma! I’m obsessed with those cookie cakes…so sweet and delicious but now I can have a much easier version and still delicious!
I agree Suzanne, the perfect match together!!
You made another divine cookie recipe! Here in belgium, we are not big fans of molasses, can I leave it out? Or use something else?
The cookies look superb, Brandi! x
Hi Sophie, thank you! You can sub with another really thick, sticky sweetener. The molasses really helps to bind the cookies, so you definitely would need to replace it with another sticky syrup. You could use coconut nectar, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, etc.
If it has peanut butter in it then it has to be good ;-). Love the shape of these – like pizza cookies!
Thanks so much Cindy!
Yay, I have all of these ingredients in my pantry! This delicious cookie cake is happening in my life asap. I especially love Tara’s son’s Matthew’s comment when he tried your cookie.
Oh please do let me know when you make it Nancy! I loved his comment too, kids are adorable what they say!
These look amazing, Brandi! Cookie cake tugs on my heart strings!
Thank you Ashley!! Yes, I agree…cookie cakes are the ultimate favorite dessert indulgence for me. 🙂
You are so kind Melanie, thank you so much!
Hi from Spain! I made theese incredible cookies today for my husband because he have to stay alone all the weekend… But they are so soft, sweet and delicious that I’m thinking about pick some of them for my trip, hehehe…
Thanks so much for posting, I’m a big fan of your blog Brandi, your recipes are easy, delicious and healthy!!
Sorry for my bad english…
Keep follow you!
You are just the sweetest, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! And no apologies necessary! Thank you for following my blog, means a lot to me!
This looks absolutely amazing. Do you think substituting soy butter would work? Do you think it would freeze well? Thanks !
Hi Jodie! When you say soy butter, are you referring to vegan butter such as Earth Balance? If so, I don’t think it would work quite the same because it melts to a liquid, whereas the peanut butter stays really thick and helps hold the shape. You could probably sub almond butter or cashew butter though.
I was referring to a nut-free alternative, like Sunbutter. What do you think? Also, do you think it would freeze well?
Oh ok! Then, yes, sunbutter should definitely work. It tends to be less creamy than peanut butter, so you may need to add a tad more depending on the consistency of yours. It will leave a more sunbutter taste, but if you don’t mind that, then go for it! Please let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear! As far as freezing, I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it yet, but I don’t see why not. I would just make sure to wrap it really tightly and then slightly reheat in the oven on a low temperature, as the microwave would make it too chewy I think.
I’m making these this weekend!! Will tag you on Insta! They look awesome, so excited to find you!
Yay! Thank you and yes so awesome to find each other!!
I made these amazing treats for my family and we all LOVED them. I used Sunbutter and it was the perfect substitute. I really liked that oats were used as the base and this wasn’t too sweet. I will be making this again and again. Thanks, Brandi!
That is so wonderful to hear Christy! Thank you so much for making my recipe and sharing your beautiful photo on Instagram. I really appreciate it!
my husband can,t have oats. Can I sub almond flour?
or perhaps flour made from quinoa flakes which I often sub for oats. They are smaller to start and make a finer flour
Hi Ginny! I wouldn’t recommend almond flour, as it would make them too fragile and too moist. If it doesn’t have to be gluten-free, then the best sub would be whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour, or even all purpose flour, but since those are more finely ground than oat flour, you would need less. I would use 2-3 tablespoons less than the amount of oat flour and add more if needed. The dough should be thick and moist like cookie dough and hold together well when pressed flat through the parchment paper. I don’t know how quinoa flour would perform to be honest, I think it would leave too strong of a taste and I have no idea how they would affect the texture and rise. Oats work very well to puff up and hold together. Let me know what you try!
There’s nothing better than a simple, healthy, vegan chocolate chip cookie. This looks great! I grind my own oats for flour too. I find it’s easier than buying oat flour because I never have to worry about expiration dates.
I just have a question, I make almond flour with the almonds left from making my own almond milk, what can I use in ?
Hi Dottie! I use leftover almond pulp to make these bars, just make sure to use the right weight amount for accurate results! 🙂 I also have several recipes on my blog that I use almond flour for…just type almond flour in the search bar and you should see plenty pop up. Here are the almond pulp chocolate chip bars: https://thevegan8.com/2014/02/18/almond-pulp-makes-the-best-chocolate-chip-bars/
Brandi thank you very much for another fantastic recipe.
I made these cookies and they were superb so delicious!
It was very easy to make and believe me they went very quickly as well!
So….I’m making another batch as I finish typing this message ?
Thanks again!
Haha! I’m so glad you loved these so much Esther, these are one of my favorites too. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Is there anything I can sub the maple syrup with? x
I was also unable to find vegan chocolate chips so do you think I can sub that with cacao nibs? Or would you not recommend it?
Cacao nibs are very bitter and would not taste good, nor do they melt well. The brand Enjoy Life is sold pretty much everywhere, did you look for that brand? Also, if you have a Kroger, they have a Simple Truth brand that is vegan. There is also another brand called Sunspire that is vegan. You basically just want to look for a brand that doesn’t have any milk added in the ingredient list. I see these brands everywhere. Also, check Whole Foods, they should have them there as well.
Thank you so much!! I just found a website that ships the Enjoy Life chocolate chips to Australia so i’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! Thank you for all your suggestions x
Wonderful! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Yes, agave would be the best sub.
Made these with regular all purpose flour (cuz we don’t need to be gluten free) and they turned out well!
Awesome to hear!
Hi! I’m planning on making these for my birthday tomorrow but I would just like to check if they have to be eaten fresh or if there’s any way I can store them until tomorrow? (to serve on my birthday)
thankyou!
Hi there! They are best freshly made, however, if you make them a few hours early or the night before, just securely wrap them in foil or a sealed container so they stay moist and don’t dry out.
These cookies are amazing. I know you dont like it when we substitute ingrediens but ive to admit I use your Muffin recipe for making the best muffins ever as a base and always supstitute things and play with the ingrediens … probably made them about 50 times already 🙂
So now these cookies will be in my “at least once a week list” too, they´re simple yet amazingly delicious and soft and just yummy 😀
I warn you guys , whenever I make them its hard to resist not to eat all of them while they´re still warm and fluffy … which causes stomachache 😉
Haha, you are the sweetest, Lena! Thank you so much for the feedback! And hey, if you find subs that work out, then I’m so excited for you! I always recommend to people to make the recipe as is at least the first time so they know how it bakes up and then feel free to play around with other subs or flavors. It can be so much fun!! Thank you again 🙂
Hi! Do I leave the cookies to cool still on the pan or transfer to cooling rack?
Also, if these are made in advance, say a night in advance, will they still be good the next afternoon or are they best to eat after you make them?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Kelly! Oops, sorry for the confusion, I’ve edited the directions now, but yes, leave them untouched to cool for 15 minutes on the pan, then slice over them again to finalize the slices. Then transfer carefully to a cooling rack to cool completely. They are best eaten the day of since oat flour can dry things out with passing time, but they should still be good the next day as long as they are sealed in a container to keep them moist. They hold their shape best the day of, too. You could make them early in the morning the day of and that would work too!
I made this for a friend’s birthday last night and it was a hit, even with our skeptical non whole food plant based friends! One even took home the leftovers! 😀
That is so awesome to hear Brenda!!
These look great! I only have blackstrap molasses. What is the difference between blackstrap and regular molasses? Could I sub blackstrap in this recipe?
Hi Trish! The flavor is much less sweet and more bitter and a bit overpowering with blackstrap. Texture-wise, it will bake up the same. You can use it if you like, just be prepared for the molasses flavor to stand out more and some do not like the flavor.
Just tried it yesterday and it came out amazing. I am so impressed with your measurements Brandi they are so precise and you cannot go wrong with the recipe if you follow them to the letter. I have been on a wfpbno diet for 3 years now to reverse my Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms and oil is a big no no for me but thanks to your vegan and oil free recipes I am able to enjoy my healing journey and actually inspire others to try ❤️
So very wonderful to hear Dina, thank you so much for making the cookie cake and for your lovely words!!
Hiiii! I would love to make this a cookie cake with icing in the middle of both cookie sheets. As a kid I grew up eating those double decker cookies with white icing in the middle that you get from the mall. I would love to replicate them! Can you recommend an icing recipe that would work? Thank You!!
Hi! Yes, use my vanilla buttercream icing here: https://thevegan8.com/vegan-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/