No one can resist these delicious chocolate chip cookies. Every time I make them, they go so fast. Sometimes, my dad and I will eat one right off the cookie tray while it’s still hot…that’s when they’re at their most melt worthy. And I seriously have no regrets (though my tongue might – cause like I said, they’re HOT at that point.). But perhaps the best part of all? These cookies are zero waste! I know how wasteful things can get in the kitchen, no matter how good the intentions. That’s why I’ve crafted this recipe with a zero waste spin. While it’s not vegan, you could easily veganize it (the only two things in it preventing it from being vegan are literally the butter and the egg, and there are tons of vegan substitutes out there for both). Here’s how to make these zero waste chocolate chip cookies. You’ll have your whole family drooling over these, trust me!
This post contains some affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase one of these items I will make a very small commission at no extra charge to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
_______________________
Zero Waste Chocolate Chip Cookies
These scrumptious, easy, zero waste chocolate chip cookies will melt in your mouth. They’re soft and chewy which – in my opinion – is the best kind of cookie. I’m not really a fan of hard cookies. They make fantastic gifts too! Just put them in a tin and gift them waste free. But hey, I’ll understand if you want to keep them all for yourself…
Ingredients:
- 1 stick of organic salted butter (if vegan, try vegan butter sticks)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 1 egg (if vegan, try Ener-G Egg Replacer or flax egg)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or more, if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
How to get ingredients waste free: First and foremost, you’ll want to try and get these ingredients as package free as possible. I suggest hitting up your local bulk food store. I found the sugars, flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips all at the bulk food store. I was able to purchase them in my own glass jars. Just in case, here’s how to shop waste free without bulk options. You can get eggs in cardboard cartons from your local farmers market: Just return the cartons to the supplier when you’re done with them. Vanilla extract and brown sugar can actually be made from scratch, if you’re patient enough. However, you can also purchase vanilla extract in a glass bottle quite easily. I also used an organic stick of butter – but be careful, not all wrappers are recyclable. Try to find one made from wax paper. If you can’t, you can get a big tub of butter and recycle it.
Directions:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter into a bowl and microwave it for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot or anything, but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.
- Now, put the butter and sugars into a big mixing bowl. Using a little elbow grease and a wooden spoon, mix it together until it gets creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg now, continuing to mix it for a few more seconds or so (10 to 15 seconds should do it – mixing it too long will actually make the cookies stiff). Compost the egg shell.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix it well until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together to form a dough. Make one large ball that’s easy to handle (not too wet, not too dry – just right). Now add the chocolate chips and work them in using your hands.
- Here comes the fun part: Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place them on a cookie sheet. I don’t use parchment paper, but if you’d like to, use IF YOU CARE 100% Unbleached Baking Paper Sheets because they’re completely compostable (most parchment paper isn’t because it’s lined with plastic!).
- Bake your cookies for 9-11 minutes until they look puffy and dry and just barely golden. Do NOT overbake – you want them to stay soft! Take them out even if they look like they’re not done yet. They’ll probably look a bit pale and puffy.
- Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes or so (I mean, assuming you can resist eating one right off the pan…). They will sink down and turn into these buttery soft dense cookies that will literally melt in your mouth and taste like nirvana. Store these in the fridge using glassware or a big cookie tin – they’ll stay fresh for days but I doubt you’ll have them that long.
I cannot tell you how quickly these go in my house. Homemade cookies always do. But still, these are a specialty of mine, and a favorite.
My boyfriend loves them too. He lights up like a firework when I even remotely suggest making these.
The point is…these yummy cookies will totally win people over. They’re perfect for gifting too. I could imagine people being thrilled to get their hands on homemade cookies as good as these.
If you know someone who loves delicious cookies and their birthday is coming up…definitely make them this as part of their gift. They will love you forever for it.
These also make great Christmas cookies, or just really yummy snacks to have around the house during winter. Beware your waistline though…that’s all I have to say.
Would you give these zero waste chocolate chip cookies a try?
For more zero waste recipes, check out my vegan chocolate bites and zero waste bliss balls.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to share it! If you like my content, sign up for my newsletter to get notified every time I write a new blog post. To support me even further, please consider buying me a cup of tea to help support my blog.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to share it! If you like my content, sign up for my newsletter to get notified every time I write a new blog post. To support me even further, please consider buying me a cup of tea to help support my blog.
