LITTLE EARTHLINGS: BYOT (Bringing Your Own Treats) Cookie Edition
I love being a plant-based mom. And now I am a plant-based mom of three! I've taken a bit of time from online postings to get to know and tend to our itsy bitsy Earthling born earlier this year, and now I'm back to some semi-regularly posting and planning to pick up more steam as we get closer to Fall. I'm super excited to be back though, and kicking off a regular blog series on living and loving being plant-based with kids, Little Earthlings!
As you know, treats are super important to kids (well, and adults;)) and a somewhat sensitive part of eating vegan. At nearly every birthday party, class party, and kids-focused outing there are treats. And usually they aren't vegan. Saying no to a treat is hard. We never ever mind bringing our own treats, even if it is a bit of extra work. I love knowing for sure that my little ones are happy with their own vegan option, and they've rarely been bummed about missing out on the group treat if they have their own special treat in hand. We aren't a perfect system, but do our best to have replacements ready to go at school or in their lunch bag or by bringing our own (you name it) to parties and get-togethers. Or we follow up with any missed treats later the same day or following weekend. As long as a treat promise is made, usually they're cool with that.
When our Earthlings have been super little, before they really understood what it means to be vegan and eat differently than some of their friends, it's been a bit more challenging. We always make sure to sensitively talk through with them why we can't have the treat at hand as it has ingredients we can't eat being vegan. We emphasize that it's ok though, because we have wonderful treats that we can still enjoy with wonderful ingredients that ARE vegan! I'd say two to three years old are really the most challenging years for these conversations when they want to grab everything and devour everything that looks delightful. But still, I remember around this same time is also when my little ones began to develop an understanding of what vegan meant, or at least could articulate that we eat vegan. I still remember the sweet sound of the first day my middle earthling said "beegan" for the first time. It was so sweet and I couldn't help but feel so proud that she identified (also proudly) that she was vegan!
Here's what we do to bring our own...
vegan cookies!
This first Little Earthling post is an extra special post focused on bringing your own chocolate chip cookies! Internationally renowned (and local!) wellness activist and New York Times Bestselling Author Kathy Freston is generously sharing one of our favorite chocolate cookie recipes with you - Chocolate Chippers!! So kind! Thank you so much, Kathy!! Chocolate Chippers are from The Book of Veganish: The Ultimate Guide to Easing into a Plant-Based, Cruelty-Free, Awesomely Delicious Way to Eat, with 70 Easy Recipes Anyone Can Make (co-authored by Rachel Cohn). Kathy's work has been a super big inspiration for me personally. Her book Veganist was one of the first books I read when we realized how well a vegan diet was working for us and I wanted to understand it better. It was a particular turning point for me in understanding not just the health benefits of plant-based eating, but the ethical impacts of our food choices and offers ideas for transitioning to vegan eating gradually, emphasizing progress not perfection. The Book of Veganish is particularly great for families as it's specifically geared towards kids and young people with lots of simple and kid-friendly recipes. Kathy also has an awesome new book out, Clean Protein, co-authored by Bruce Friedrich, that is a really important read on the future and impacts of our protein choices.
Ok, now back to the cookies. :) These Chocolate Chippers are so classically-chocolate-chip-cookie-delicious and so simple and quick to whip up. They are pure plant-based kid (and adult!) heaven! AND school friendly if your school is nut-free. Check 'em out:
My homemade Chocolate Chippers - Yum! :)
CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS
by Kathy Freston with Rachel Cohn,
The Book of Veganish
Makes about 2 dozen
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon safflower oil
2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, nondairy milk, and vanilla until well blended. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop the dough by the spoonful about 2 inches apart on to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
We often sub the oil for 1 tablespoon of applesauce to make them oil-free and coconut sugar for the brown sugar for a less refined sweetener and these cookies are still wonderful with the minor adjustments. Our Little Earthlings love them, and I hope yours do too! :)
We have two other favorite vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes - one whole food, plant-based (oil-free, although not nut-free) and one that is vegan and gluten- and nut- free (but not oil-free). If you're looking for a few more ideas to experiment with, these are super yummy and our Little Earthling approved!
Lunchbox Chocolate Chip Cookies by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (for Forks Over Knives) (whole food, plant-based, has nuts - can also be found on the Forks Over Knives recipe app!)
BabyCakes NYC Chocolate Chip Cookies by Erin McKenna (vegan, gluten- and nut-free - this is the recipe on the side of Bob's Red Mill's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour bag! Also can be found in Erin McKenna's recipe book, Babycakes)
If you have no time to bake and are looking for vegan cookies you can quickly grab and go to an event with (or for any old day), Whole Foods and Lazy Acres (generally) have a vegan chocolate chip cookie in their bakery cases and, while they may not be chocolate chip cookies, Savoy Cafe and Deli has some amazing vegan chocolate mint cookies and vegan almond cookies in their bakery case, French Press has a yummy vegan snickerdoodle, and oftentimes Breakfast has a vegan cookie too!
For more on plant-friendly living with your kiddos, head on over to my page LITTLE EARTHLINGS, with more to come on THE VINE. Happy baking! :)