Vegan Chai Cookies
BAKING | CELEBRATION | COMFORT FOOD
Reviewed by Dr. Nisha Singh, Dietitian (Ph.D.), MSc.FN.
These chai cookies are full of hot spices and make a great snack or dessert after a long day. They’re also vegan and gluten-free, making them a fantastic choice for anyone with special dietary needs!
An iced chai tea latte is one of my favourite Starbucks drinks (add soy milk and a pump of cinnamon dolce, trust me). Chai’s flavour is a great blend of toasty spices, so I had a lightbulb moment and decided to make these nutrient-dense chai cookies inspired by one of my favourite beverages.
Why Does This Recipe Thrive?
The delicious combination of spices, dried fruit, and pecans is fantastic. Here are a few additional reasons why they will quickly become your new favourite snack:
Gluten-free vegan
Super tasty with 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fibre
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon flax meal mixed in 6 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 149 g
- 1 cup almond flour 96 g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom from about 8 -10 pods
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch of black pepper
- 3/4 cup tahini
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup dried fruits raisins, sultanas or cranberries
Tahini – Tahini works in baking in the same way as nut butter does, bringing a rich flavour and a thick texture to the batter. Tahini is also high in beneficial fats.
Flax meal — When flax meal is combined with water, it makes a plant-based egg alternative that is high in protein and fibre.
We used a combination of raisins, sultanas, and cranberries to make these chai cookies. To get a range of vitamins and minerals, combine a few different fruits.
Spices — The combination of ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom in these chai cookies gives them just the right amount of warmth.
Instructions On How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Combine all of the dry ingredients (rolled oats, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices) in a large mixing bowl (cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper)
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients (tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla) in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir everything together with a silicone spatula until it resembles cookie dough. Add chopped nuts and dried fruits to the mix. Taste the dough and, if required, add more spices.
Step 3: Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 18 cookies with an ice cream scoop, spacing them about an inch apart.
Step 4: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden but the centres are still chewy.
Step 5: Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely after about 5 minutes. As the cookies cool, they will firm up little. Keep them on the counter for 2-3 days in an airtight jar.
Expert Suggestions
Tahini must be runny, so give it a vigorous swirl when you open a jar to ensure there is no oil floating on top.
To create these gluten-free chai cookies, I use almond flour instead of wheat flour, which is ground almonds. Almond flour is one of my favourite flours because it is naturally gluten-free, as well as more nutrient-dense and lower in carbohydrates than most flours, such as wheat flour or coconut flour. It’s important to note that almond flour and almond meal are not interchangeable. Almond meal has a significantly rougher texture. This has not been tried using almond meal, but if you do, please let me know how it turns out in the comments section below!
It’s possible that the dough will stick to your hands when you’re making it, but if you lightly wet your hands, it should be fine!
FAQs
What’s the best way to keep these chai biscuits fresh?
Keep them on the counter for 2-3 days in an airtight jar (if they last that long that is).
Is the texture of these chai biscuits chewy or crisp?
These are definitely chewy oatmeal cookies, which is exactly what I prefer. The pecans definitely provide some crunch, but if you want them to be even crispier, flatten them out some more till they’re very thin and bake them for a little longer.
What makes this recipe vegan?
These chai cookies are the perfect vegan snack or dessert because they are made using plant-based ingredients including flax flour as an egg alternative.
Vegan Chai Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp flax meal mixed in 6 tablespoon water
- 6 tbsp water
- 3/4 cups rolled oats
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine all of the dry ingredients (rolled oats, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices) in a large mixing bowl (cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper)
- Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients (tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla) in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir everything together with a silicone spatula until it resembles cookie dough. Add chopped nuts and dried fruits to the mix. Taste the dough and, if required, add more spices.
- Step 3: Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 18 cookies with an ice cream scoop, spacing them about an inch apart.
- Step 4: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden but the centres are still chewy.
- Step 5: Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely after about 5 minutes. As the cookies cool, they will firm up little. Keep them on the counter for 2-3 days in an airtight jar.