Girl Scouts is ringing in their 100th year selling cookies with FIVE vegan cookie options!!! Naturally, I had to give them all a thorough taste test (it's a hard job but someone has to do it). You may or may not know that Girl Scout Cookies are actually made by two different bakeries: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers.

***UPDATE***
The Thin Mints and Raspberry Rallies are vegan from both bakeries, but the three remaining vegan flavors (Lemonades, Toast-Yays, Peanut Butter Patties) are ONLY available from ABC Bakers. The Thanks-A-Lots and Girl Scout S'mores were also vegan from ABC Bakers, but sadly both flavors were discontinued.

When in doubt, check the box for the name of the bakery. You can also find out which of your nearest Girl Scout councils partner with ABC Bakers here! When I lived in NYC, my nearest council was  the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ, so I simply emailed them and they sent me a link to order cookies online! All of the vegan varieties are clearly marked on the website, which makes it super easy to order with confidence. Now that I live in Cincinnati, my nearest ABC Bakers council is the Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road, and they can be contacted here to set up an order with their digital cookie team.

Toast-Yays are "French Toast inspired cookies dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite!" They remind me a lot of the Lemonades but with a maple cinnamon flavor in place of citrus.

*Little Brownie Bakers does not make a version of these cookies.

These cookies are the perfect treat to enjoy on a crisp fall day while watching colorful maple leaves fall to the ground. Or anytime you want, really. Iced oatmeal cookies were my grandma's favorite and they're becoming my favorite too.

Ingredients
2 cups oats
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegan butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon mild molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla + 1/4 teaspoon for icing
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
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Directions
Prep the flax "egg" by mixing together flax meal and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Pulse 1 cup of the oats in a food processor for a finer texture and combine with the other 1 cup oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. This is the dry mix. 

In a standing mixer or separate bowl with hand mixer, combine vegan butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add in applesauce, prepared flax egg, molasses and 2 teaspoons vanilla. This is the wet mix.

​Slowly add the dry mix into the wet mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight to help the flavors of the sugars and spices fully develop.

​Preheat the oven 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a fancy cookie scoop or regular old tablespoon, scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. I promise your house will small amazing.

Allow cookies to cool completely before icing. 

Prepare the icing by combining confectioner's sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk. It should have a very thick glue-like texture which allows it to stick onto the cookies and highlight the beautiful oatmeal texture. Feel free to add more sugar or milk to adjust the texture until it's just right.

Dip cooled cookies in the icing mixture and enjoy!

Strawberry lemonade is one of those perfect summertime drinks. But I love fizzy things. So I made it fizzy. 😉

Ingredients
1 cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
16 oz strawberries (hulled)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
sparkling water

Directions
First, purée strawberries and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, immediately reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

Add in lemon juice and puréed strawberries. That's it!

To make a strawberry lemon soda, I add about 4 tablespoons of the syrup to 12 oz of sparkling water. If you like it less sweet, add less. If you like it sweeter, add more. Store the remaining syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for future use. Enjoy!
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It's about time I made another fluffernutter recipe on here. Last time I made fluffernutter pop tarts which was a bit more labor intensive but very fun. These cookies combine everything I love about marshmallows, chocolate and peanut butter. 

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan butter
3/4 cup peanut butter 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoons flax meal + 3 tablespoons water ("flax egg")
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped vegan chocolate (I used Nordi Dark Chocolate)
1 cup vegan mini marshmallows (I used Dandies)

Directions
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flax meal and 6 tablespoons water for the "flax egg". Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. This is the dry mixture.

Using a standing mixer with whisk attachment or mixing bowl with hand mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Add in applesauce, flax egg and vanilla. This is the wet mixture.

Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well incorporated.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in chopped chocolate and mini marshmallows. This takes a little bit of muscle but it's completely worth it.

Refrigerate dough overnight if possible to enhance the flavor.

​Preheat to 350°F. Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, a couple inches apart. Using the back of a spoon or spatula (or your fingers), flatten the cookies before baking. 

Bake for 12 minutes. Leave on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Like a delicious earl grey tea latte in soft sugar cookie form, these are the perfect treat on a rainy afternoon.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons earl grey tea leaves, finely ground (I used Teapigs Earl Grey Strong)
1 cup vegan butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and finely ground earl grey tea leaves. This is the dry mixture.

In a standing mixer with whisk attachment or mixing bowl with hand mixer, whip together butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Add orange zest, vanilla, agave and applesauce. This is the wet mixture.

Slowly add in the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes to allow the tea and citrus flavors to develop. I prefer to chill mine overnight.

​Preheat to 350°F. Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.

​Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. 

Bake 10-12 minutes until golden. ​Enjoy!

I couldn't find any recipes for homemade Baja Blast on the internet that didn't involve mixing regular Mountain Dew with Blue Gatorade or Powerade, so I made my own with limes and tropical fruit juice! It's really easy to make and tastes like a more natural cousin to the infamous tropical lime soda.

Ingredients
1/4 cup lime juice (~2 limes)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup tropical juice, + 2 tablespoons (I used Ceres Medley of Fruits)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
blue green food coloring (optional)
sparkling water

Directions
Bring 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup tropical juice, 1/4 cup water and  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, immediately reduce to a simmer and add the remaining 2 tablespoons tropical juice. Stir and continue to simmer for about 2 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

For maximum Baja Blast authenticity, add in blue green food coloring until you have a dark teal color. It will look much lighter when you add it to sparkling water. If you don't care about the color, skip this step! This is the tropical lime syrup!

To make a soda, add a little bit of the syrup to sparkling water. For 12 oz of sparkling water, I typically add 3 tablespoons of the syrup. If you like your soda less sweet, add less. If you like your soda on the sweeter side, add more. Store the remaining syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for future use. Enjoy!

When I first made these nutty oatmeal cookies, the caramelized toffee texture reminded me of the Florentine ricotta cannoli rom Mike's Pastry in Boston I used to love so much. This was a lightbulb moment for me and I had to create a vegan version of my former favorite treat, complete with an almond ricotta filling and chocolate chips. And dare I say, these cookie sandwiches are absolutely perfect. If you want the recipe for the cookies alone, you can find it here.

Cookie Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
​1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick oats 
​1 cup chopped roasted nuts (I used hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)

Ricotta Filling Ingredients
8 oz vegan ricotta (I used Kite Hill)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons non dairy milk
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together sugars and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in applesauce and vanilla.

Slowly incorporate the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well blended.

​With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in chocolate chips and chopped roasted nuts. My favorites are roasted hazelnuts and almonds, and pistachios are also a deeelicious addition. 

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. A medium cookie scoop makes this step easier.

Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack if possible.

Now onto the ricotta filling. Whip together vegan ricotta, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and non dairy milk. Mmm. 

Dollop a healthy amount of the ricotta filling in between two cookies and then roll the sides in chocolate chips until they stick to the filling. For an extra dash of authentic Mike's Pastry flair, optionally dust with more powdered sugar. Enjoy!

If you asked me what I missed most since going vegan, it would have to be waiting in line for the ginormously decadent chocolate chip walnut cookies from Levain Bakery on West 74th Street.  Well, I finally created a vegan version and they're even better than I remember.  They're exorbitantly loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts, and they've got the perfect balance of golden crunch on the outside with warm gooey goodness on the inside. This recipe makes 8 giant cookies.

Ingredients
1 cup cold vegan butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons water ("flax eggs")
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 410°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flax meal and 6 tablespoons water for the "flax eggs". Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with whisk attachment or mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the cold vegan butter with the brown and granulated sugars, for about 4 minutes. Then add in the "flax eggs". This is the wet mixture.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. This is the dry mixture.

Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well incorporated.

Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts with a strong wooden spoon or spatula. This stuff is heavy duty.

Divide into 8 large cookie dough balls. Bake them, 4 at a time, for 10-12 minutes, until golden on top. Rest for 10-15 minutes to set before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Waiting is the hardest part of this whole recipe. Enjoy!

As a kid I loooved chocolate malts and milkshakes from UDF. When they came out with their own vegan and dairy free ice creams (Homemade Brand), I immediately thought of making my own vegan chocolate malts with the chocolate flavor. The malt flavor comes from superfood maca powder which combines beautifully with the chocolate. Upon first sip I was instantly transformed back to my childhood!

Ingredients
1 pint vegan chocolate ice cream (I used Homemade Brand Dairy Free "Chocolove")
1 cup non dairy milk (I used Oatly)
2 tablespoons vegan chocolate syrup (I used Ah!Laska)
1 teaspoon maca powder
vegan whipped cream (optional)
cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Blend together ice cream, milk, chocolate syrup and maca powder until smooth. Optionally top with vegan whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Enjoy!
​

I think oatmeal cookies should always have chocolate chips, not raisins. And with the addition of chopped roasted nuts and cinnamon, these are easily my favorite cookies of all time. 
​

Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
​1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick oats
​1 cup chopped roasted nuts (I used hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together sugars and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in applesauce and vanilla.

Slowly incorporate the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well blended.

​With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in chocolate chips and chopped roasted nuts. My favorites are roasted hazelnuts and almonds, and pistachios are also a deeelicious addition. 

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. A medium cookie scoop makes this step easier.

Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack if possible. Enjoy!
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