Vegan Black Sesame Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
These vegan cookies are the cookies you didn’t know you needed! Did I really want to mess with a perfectly good chocolate chip cookie? Apparently, yes I did and I’m glad I did. Who knew that nutty black sesame would meld so well with chewy dark chocolate studded cookies? Or that an ebony salted caramel would be the vehicle for current and future cookie euphoria?
I first came across the idea when I was looking through some asian desserts, already intent on using black sesame because I love the flavor and the jet black hue. After a few minutes of searching, I came across the sesame cookies from Little Fat Boy’s blog. A treasure find in the blogisphere vastness! Frankie has a way of bringing together his Taiwanese roots with modern twists in a straightforward yet quirky manner that I enjoy. Plus the recipes he shares are ones for the books (literally. apparently he has a cookbook soon). So as much as I would like to claim this as my idea, it was actually Frankie who made me think of mixing black sesame caramel in a cookie. (Darn it, Frankie!!!)
How to make Vegan Black Sesame Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies (yes, a mouthful)
I have to warn you. These cookies look like a mess while you’re making them and a confused cross breed cookie when baked. My dad simply called them “panget but yum”. But there’s something charming about the…ehem speckled look and the taste of these cookies dismisses all doubts on why you didn’t make them sooner.
Step #1: Caramel
I would suggest starting with the black sesame caramel. Grab a coffee grinder or reliable mortar and pestle to pulverize the sesame to powder (think black sand). Once you’re happy with your crushed sesame seeds, you can focus on the caramel by placing sugar, water and a squeeze of lemon in a pot. Heat the sugar until it turns a beautiful gold amber then quickly remove from heat. Immediately adding butter and milk to create a creamy gold caramel. A few tips here: please do not step away from your stove while all of this is happening. Caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds so best not to risk it. Next, avoid stirring your caramel except when you’ve already added the butter and milk. If you must stir, don’t. Swirl the pot instead, gently moving the sugar around to avoid crystallization.
Now, the fun starts. Drop in your crushed sesame seeds and a good amount of salt for a thick salted black caramel. I recommend making this ahead of time because you want the caramel to cool to a thick consistency before adding it to your cookie dough.
Step #2: Cookie Dough
The cookie dough is an adaptation of the favorite Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and is a cinch to make. Beginning with a brown sugar base of good quality olive oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Followed by a flax egg (details on this are on the recipe card) then sift in the dry ingredients. All of this can easily be done in one bowl with no mixer. A whisk or a wooden spoon will do.
After the dough has just come together, shimmy in the chopped chocolate and give it a quick mix. Lastly, swirl in the cold sesame caramel. Making sure to avoid overmixing to achieve a marbled effect, where you can see the split between caramel and dough. Scoop the cookies onto a prepared baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes or chill in the fridge overnight if you have the patience. This helps develop the depth of flavor while making sure the caramel doesn’t burn during baking.
Step #3: Waiting
When your dough is nice and chilly, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the cold dough straight in the oven, no thawing needed, then we wait. You may be tempted to sneak a peek. Maybe open the oven door but I would advise against it (it would just change the oven temperature and increase baking time). Leave the oven be and it will work its magic. Thankfully, it only takes around 12-15 minutes for these goodies to bake up and a few additional minutes for them to cool. Then after this excruciating wait, grab a glass of cold milk and chow down my friend.
Just A Few More Tips
- Avoid stirring the caramel to prevent crystallization (think grainy). Instead, gently swirl the pot to distribute the melting sugar. You can start whisking vigorously once the butter and milk are added.
- The caramel will pop and spit once you add the butter so avoid placing your face too close to the caramel. Also, stir quickly to avoid excessive caramel spit. This all sounds rather violent but in the end you will have a creamy dreamy caramel.
- Make sure the black sesame caramel is cold and thick before swirling it into the cookie dough to achieve the marble effect.
- You can add different types of chocolate but I prefer dark here, around 70-80%. You can also add some toasted walnuts/sesame seeds for added crunch.
- The black sesame caramel can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge while the finished cookie dough can be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks before baking.
- These cookies are best eaten immediately but if there are leftovers they can be stored at room temp in an airtight container with a piece of bread to absorb moisture.
Let me know if you tried making these Vegan Black Sesame Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies by leaving a rating/comment down below! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Vegan Black Sesame Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Black Sesame Caramel
- 70 g (½ cup) black sesame seeds
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 120 mL (½ cup) plant based milk ,room temp
- 56 g (4 tbsp) vegan butter
- 1½ tsp salt
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 80 mL (⅓ cup + 2 tsp) olive oil
- 160 mL (¾ cup + 2 tsp) brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp flaxseed ,ground
- 3 tbsp water
- 185 g (1½ cup) all purpose flour* ,sifted
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 140 g (¾ cup) dark chocolate ,chopped, 65%-80%
Instructions
Salted Black Sesame Caramel
- Prepare a whisk and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Set aside and keep nearby.
- To make the caramel, use a grinder to pulverize the sesame seeds until it resembles black sand. Next, grab a medium heavy bottomed pot and add in the sugar, water and lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium and gently melt the sugar until it turns a golden amber color, occasionally swirling the pot to melt the sugar evenly.
- Once the caramel has reached the desired color, quickly remove from the heat and add in the butter and milk. It will bubble and spit which is normal. Reach for the whisk, stirring continuously until the caramel starts to calm. Then, add in the sesame powder and salt.
- Pour the sesame caramel onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out to a thin layer. Place the sheet in the fridge or freezer for at least 3 hours to cool.
Cookie Dough
- Prepare a baking sheet for your cookies (I use 2 quarter sheets) with parchment paper or silpat, then set aside. Start with making a flax egg by stirring the flaxseed and water together. Leaving it to thicken for 3-5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, brown sugar and vanilla together (this batter will look so dreamy). Pour in the flax egg and mix until fully combined. Then, add in the flour and baking soda until a thick dough forms.
- Shimmy in your chocolate chunks and give the dough a quick mix. Lastly, drizzle in the sesame caramel.
- Using a cookie scoop, transfer the dough onto the pans then top with extra chocolate chunks. Chill the dough for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or longer for crispier cookies. Serve warm with a glass of milk and enjoy!
[…] a few brownies). I am a woman of simple tastes. That being said, I put this under my list of “favorite chocolate chip cookies“. Gooey, rich, chewy and with a hint of a crispy edge. The olive oil in the cookie lends a […]