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In the beginning, we were pretty bad at baking. We weren’t great at keeping track of exactly what and how much of each ingredient we were putting into the cookie recipes. And when we say “we,” we mean Natasha.

Freya would ask, “What did you do with this batch versus that batch?”

Natasha would answer, “I don’t know. I just went on instinct.” That’s when Freya’s head would explode.

Baking has rules. But Coolhaus cookies play by their own rules. So forget everything you learned from your home ec class or expert baker aunt and pay attention to the Coolhaus way.

Our basic method is to mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, add them to the wet, fold in any inclusions, chill the dough, shape it, and bake. Not rocket science, but still a bit of a science.

The Coolhaus Cookie Credo

Cookies meant for ice cream sandwiches have their own distinct properties, necessary to effectively carry the ice cream. The perfect Coolhaus sandwich cookie is soft, chewy, and pliable; about 3 inches in diameter; wraps around the ice cream, stands up to it, and holds it in place while eating. To create our signature texture, we use a lot of brown sugar and melted butter, not much baking soda, and sometimes more egg yolks than whites. Also, we essentially create pastry flour at home by blending cake flour and all-purpose flour. All of these tweaks make for a chewier, flatter, ice cream–ready cookie.

NOTE: “Active times” do not include refrigerating the dough.

Baking Notes

Our recommended baking temperature is for standard ovens. If you are using a convection oven, set the temperature 25 to 50 degrees lower.

We like to bake on parchment paper–lined baking sheets for best results. If parchment paper is not available, however, you can use a Silpat liner or put the cookies directly on a buttered baking sheet.

Be sure to cool the butter before you add it to the wet ingredients. If it is too hot when added to the eggs, it will cook the eggs.

Know Your Flours

In some cookies, our flour blend is the key to success. Know which flour you are purchasing! These are the four flours you’ll need for our cookies:

All-purpose: basic, common white flour; a blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat

Bread flour: strong, hard, high-gluten wheat flour

Cake flour: finely textured, starchy, soft flour

Gluten-free flour (such as almond flour): for gluten-free cookies

Our recipes use pastry flour or a blend of all-purpose flour and cake flour, which yields a moist, chewier cookie.

Always sift flour before measuring.

Always use dry measuring cups made for dry ingredients (as opposed to liquid/volume measuring cups).

When measuring flour, scoop the amount of flour you want with the dry measuring cup and level it off with the flat back of a knife.

Sifting the dry ingredients makes for better, more consistent cookies. The process breaks up lumps and evenly distributes the balance of dry ingredients throughout the cookie. Don’t have a sifter? Don’t worry—simply use a whisk to “fluff” up dry ingredients and eliminate lumps or use a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.

When measuring brown sugar, pack it in—the opposite process of measuring flour!

Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes before shaping it so it is easier to handle. Note that in general, most of our doughs are on the wet side.

Stand mixers work best for consistently mixing cookie dough, but hand mixers are fine.

To store leftover dough, roll it up into a roughly 3-inch log and wrap in plastic. When you are ready to use, cut it into ¼-inch-thick pucks, and bake.

Wrapped well, cookie dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

 
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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

We use light brown and dark brown sugar to give our chocolate chip cookies a caramel-y chewiness. This is a classic flavor, with our signature sturdy, yet pliant, texture.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

Rich, gooey, chewy, and sublime—these dark chocolate cookies combine the highest-quality dark chocolate chunks with cocoa powder. As in all of our cookies, there’s a generous lacing of butter.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Double Chocolate Cookies

 

Double Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

This cookie has everything its simpler counterpart does, with a brightening edge of sea salt.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Top each cookie with a few flakes of sea salt and push down gently.

  9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  10. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

Nothing fancy here—just everything you would expect from a wholesome oatmeal cookie: chewy, sweet raisins, a generous spike of cinnamon, and dense rolled oats.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Mix in oats and raisins.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Makes: 18 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

This combination of double dark chocolate cookies topped with peppermint patty candies is like having a minty arctic breeze blow into your mouth with each bite. These are perfect for the holidays!

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into 18 balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Top each cookie with 1 peppermint patty. Push down gently.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges have set, centers are still wet, and middle of cookies stick to your finger; don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

We love the word snickerdoodle—it’s so much more fun to say than “sugar cookie.” Cinnamon makes this perky. The butter and sugar come through here, with a dash of salt to wake up the simple pleasure.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add 1½ cups of sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Whisk until mixture has consistency of wet sand. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a small bowl, whisk cinnamon and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.

  5. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine.

  6. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  8. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and roll them in reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set cookie balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet; don’t overbake.

  10. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

We combine the sensation of crunchy French toast and the famous cereal in these crispy cookies.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and 1½ cups of granulated sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Set aside.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and flour.

  5. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Add crushed cereal, mixing until evenly distributed. (Mixing will further crush cereal—be careful not to overmix and overcrush it.)

  6. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  8. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with some uncrushed cereal.

  9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  10. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Lemon Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

These are sophisticated cookies, the kind you might be offered at a swanky high tea at Harrods in London. We love the pliancy of pine nuts, the herbal edge of rosemary, and the vitality that a tweak of lemon adds to these great snacks.

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until gently toasted, not browned. Set aside. Turn off oven.

  2. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

  4. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  5. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in toasted pine nuts and lemon zest until evenly distributed.

  6. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  8. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  9. Press a generous pinch of rosemary on top of each cookie.

  10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  11. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Lemon Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

Lemon Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

 

Maple Flapjack Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

Flapjacks are a natural with our ice creams, especially because of their maple syrup boost. These are great with “breakfast” ice creams like Brown Butter Candied Bacon, Fried Chicken & Waffle, Whiskey Lucky Charms, and Froot Loops & Milk.

Brown sugar can be substituted for the maple sugar for a similar effect.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in maple extract. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Dough will be goopy.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

We love the cakey texture of these cookies, which make a perfect vehicle for the holiday-evoking spice blend of allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and whisk to combine. Stir in pumpkin puree until blended. Whisk in egg, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

 

Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Here, in cookie form, is the ultimate trail mix: salty pretzels and semisweet chocolate chips. It’s the perfect backpack stash for hiking cookie emergencies.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and egg yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and pretzels until evenly distributed.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

Red Velvet Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

We heart everything about red velvet. The cheerful red color. The deep cocoa flavor. It’s a sugary, buttery, chocolaty cookie that makes the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

MAKE COOKIES

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, and then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Add food coloring. Mix until color is uniform.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before icing.

MEANWHILE, MAKE ICING

  1. Using a stand or hand mixer on medium-high, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, starting on low speed, then working up to high speed. Add vanilla.

  2. Using a pastry bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped, ice cooled cookies in the pattern of your liking and serve.

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies

 

Peanut Butter with Cap’n Crunch Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

This is crunchy peanut butter, Coolhaus-style: the pleasant snap of Cap’n Crunch cereal, countered by smooth peanut butter cookies. Great in the morning, afternoon, or evening, and for a midnight snack. Also terrific with boozy flavors for a proper first meal of the day!

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add peanut butter and whiskto combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  5. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Add cereal, mixing until evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix or overcrush cereal.

  6. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  8. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts, roll in reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  10. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Peanut Butter with Cap’n Crunch Cookies

Peanut Butter with Cap’n Crunch Cookies

 

S’mores Cookies

Makes about: 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

Never been a Girl Scout? This is what you missed out on—but now you can enjoy s’mores in the comfort of your own home without the threat of being attacked by a bear at a campsite. We bake these at a slightly higher heat than our other cookies so the marshmallows get nice and toasty, evoking that campfire char. Honey grahams and chocolate chips complete the sweet-and-roasty package.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and crushed graham crackers until evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Place 1 marshmallow half on top of each cookie and gently press down.

  8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown and marshmallows are toasty brown.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

S’mores Cookies

S’mores Cookies

 

Snack Food Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

These cookies are for those moments when you can’t decide whether to dig into a bag of chips, munch out on pretzels, break into some chocolate, or attack that late-night bowl of cereal.

  1. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat, until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  2. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add both sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla.

  3. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

  4. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, and cornflakes until evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix or overcrush them.

  5. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  7. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  9. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

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Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

You’ll take to these cookies instantly. A burst of citrus from the orange enhances the carrots’ natural sweetness, while cinnamon and nutmeg add personality to every bite. Bring some ginger into the mix, and you’ve got a vegan-style spice party in your mouth.

MAKE COOKIES

  1. Mix wets: In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar to combine. Add orange juice, maple extract, and vanilla, and mix. Set aside.

  2. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

  3. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in carrots, oats, and cranberries.

  4. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  6. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  8. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

MEANWHILE, MAKE ICING

  1. Using a stand or hand mixer on medium-high, beat margarine and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Starting on low speed and working up to high, beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

  3. Using a pastry bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped, ice cooled cookies in a pattern of your liking and serve.

 

Gluten-Free Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

Toasting the coconut and almonds brings out their soothingly sweet undertones.

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut and almonds on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until light brown. Set aside. Turn off oven.

  2. Mix wets: Place butter in a saucepan and set over low heat until just half is melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Pour cooled butter into a large bowl. Add sugars and whisk to combine. Whisk in egg and yolk, one at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

  4. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

  5. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and toasted coconut and almonds until evenly distributed.

  6. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  8. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  10. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

TIP:

You can find almond meal flour in health food stores.

Gluten-Free Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies | Active time: 20 to 25 minutes

There’s something so beautifully Asian about this flavor—it’s like drinking a lovely ginger tea and drizzling a brown-sugary syrup in the cup instead of just using sugar.

  1. Mix wets: In a bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together vegan spread and sugar until just creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add molasses, flaxseed mixture, and white vinegar and mix to combine. Set aside.

  2. Mix dries: In a medium bowl, whisk together bread flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

  3. Add dries, one third at a time, to wets, mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine.

  4. Wrap bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in lower and upper thirds. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper.

  6. Form dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

  7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are still wet—don’t overbake.

  8. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies

Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies