Last updated on June 30th, 2024 at 02:26 pm
Welcome all baking enthusiasts! Today, we are diving into the world of vegan Oreo cookies – a sweet treat that will satisfy your cravings and impress your friends and family. Whether you follow a plant-based diet or simply love trying new recipes, this recipe is for you!
In this post, I will guide you through the step-by-step of creating mouthwatering vegan Oreo cookies in the comfort of your own kitchen. Get ready to indulge in these irresistible treats that are sure to become a favorite in your baking repertoire. Let’s roll up our sleeves, preheat the oven, and dive into the world of vegan baking together!
Ingredients
Each of these ingredients has been chosen not just for their ability to mimic the traditional Oreo cookie experience but to ensure an easy vegan baking experience. Now, let’s dive into the essentials that make these cookies truly special.
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 Oreos roughly chopped, or more if you really like Oreos! (Regular Oreo brand cookies are vegan, but I am not positive about store brand sandwich cookies)
Video: How to Make Vegan Oreo Cookies:
How to Make Vegan Oreo Cookies
1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegetable shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and applesauce, and mix until well combined.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Add Oreo Chunks: Gently fold in the crushed Oreo cookies until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Form the Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each dough ball slightly with your hand.
7. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
8. Cool and Enjoy: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy your delicious vegan Oreo chunk cookies! These are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth while keeping it vegan-friendly.
Pro Tips
Let me share with you some of the tried-and-true secrets tucked up my sleeve for baking the most divine vegan Oreo cookies.
- To ensure your vegan Oreo cookies are irresistibly crispy or perfectly chewy, it’s all about control over baking time and your storage strategies post-baking. For that crisp edge and soft center, I pull them out just as they start to turn golden. It’s really easy to over-cook white dough, so you do have to keep an eye on them. Then, cool on a wire rack and store in airtight containers; to maintain that chewiness, a slice of bread tossed in the container works wonders by imparting moisture.
- Choosing the right ingredients to mimic actual Oreos. I lean towards vegetable shortening and real Oreos to ensure my cookies are true “Oreo cookies.” Actual Oreos are naturally vegan, but if you use another brand, make sure you check your ingredients out. If you’re not a fan of vegetable shortening, you could probably replace it in this recipe with coconut oil or vegan butter. I say “probably,” because I haven’t done it myself, so I cannot guarantee. Just note that the texture of your cookies will be different and your baking time could also be different if you do use coconut oil or vegan butter. If anyone uses something other than vegetable shortening, I would love to know how it comes out in the comments!
- Avoid overmixing the dough; this is a cardinal rule in baking, especially with vegan cookie dough. Mixing just until the ingredients are combined keeps the cookies from turning tough.
- When it comes to incorporating those heavenly Oreo chunks, I tend to use my electric mixer on slow speed.You could also fold them in with a rubber spatula, but I’m too impatient for that. Also, if I want even more Oreos (because I always do!), I’ll press some extra chopped up Oreos into the tops of some cookies before baking them. It gives them a nice Oreo-y look when they come out of the oven.
FAQs
Let me assure you, whipping up a batch of these vegan Oreo cookies is not just simple but also incredibly satisfying. If you have any other questions that you don’t see answered here, please let them in the comments and I will happily answer.
- How do the cookies stay together without eggs? Great question! In this recipe, the applesauce and the moisture from our other ingredients act as a binder. Plus, the magic of baking soda gives us that perfect cookie texture without needing eggs. Trust me, your cookies will hold together beautifully.
- Can I make these cookies gluten-free? Absolutely! You can easily swap the all-purpose flour for any gluten-free flour blend of your choice. Just be on the lookout for a blend that’s a 1:1 substitute to ensure your cookies come out just right. And don’t forget to buy gluten-free Oreos as well!
- What if I don’t have vegetable shortening? You could use vegan butter or coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable shortening. I would recommend the vegan butter over the coconut oil, as coconut oil would probably affect the texture of your cookies and make them more moist (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!). However, I haven’t tried either of these in this recipe to say with confidence that your cookies will come out fine. So, fair warning! If you want to try, I’m pretty sure vegan butter or coconut oil would work, but your cookies may have a different flavor and/or texture.
- What’s the best way to store these dairy-free delights? To keep your vegan Oreo cookies as fresh as possible, store them in an airtight container. They’ll stay delicious on your counter for up to 3-4 days(though I doubt they’ll last that long without being devoured!). If you prefer them a bit crispier, pop them into the fridge—they’ll keep wonderfully for a bit longer that way. You can always zap them in the microwave for 5 seconds to “revive” them, as well.
This vegan Oreo cookies recipe is designed to be straightforward and fuss-free. Dive in and enjoy the process; you’ll be a pro at vegan cookie dough in no time! Happy baking!
If You Liked These Vegan Oreo Cookies, Check Out:
Vegan Oreo Muffins
Vegan Oreo Biscotti
Oreo Cupcakes
Vegan Oreo Balls
Strawberry Crunch Oreo Pie
Vegan Oreo Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 Oreos roughly chopped (can use more)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegetable shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and applesauce, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the chopped Oreo cookies until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each dough ball slightly with your hand.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
