Delicious cocoa, melty chocolate chips, and spicy habaneros come together to pack some sweet heat in this recipe for vegan chocolate habanero cookies. 

Ch-ch-chocolate and habanero? Who knew?!

I did. Back in 2011, when Alex, my now-husband, and I went on our first date, he took me to this adorable little gelato shop. It was my first time ever having gelato and I was a little overwhelmed at all of my options. I tried a bunch of flavors, but stuck out to me. I ended up choosing a bold choice, probably as an attempt to impress my date, and went for the chocolate habanero.

I loved the way the rich chocolate and the heat of the pepper played off of each other. The bites would start sweet and then the heat would take over. It was love at first bite (and a successful first date 😌).

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • These vegan chocolate habanero cookies have a wow factor and bold flavor that will impress anybody you want to share with.
  • They freeze well! You can make a bunch and then store them in the freezer and only thaw one or two at a time as needed. 
  • Sweet + Spice = Nice
  • Can I make these vegan chocolate habanero cookies ahead of time and freeze them? You can. Simply thaw them before eating. You can eat them cold or pop them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds so that they taste fresh-out-of-the-oven. 
  • How spicy are these cookies? I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to spice and I find these pretty spicy, but not too spicy. I wouldn’t want to eat more than one at a time. If you’re concerned about the spice level, you can cut the number of peppers down from the original recipe. If your flour is heat treated, you can also test the cookie dough before baking. Start with 1-2 peppers and add more as you need, keeping in mind that the spiciness will fade minimally as they cook. 
  • Can I substitute other peppers if I can’t find habaneros? I haven’t tested this recipe with other peppers, so I can’t guarantee they’d work as well. If you absolutely must, I would look for a pepper with a similar Scoville Scale rating. 
  • What if I can’t find vegan white chocolate chips? This is the brand I use, but if you can’t find them, your favorite vegan chocolate chips will work in a pinch. 

Looking for More Cookie Recipes?

Vegan Chocolate Habanero Cookies

Delicious cocoa, melty chocolate chips, and spicy habaneros come together to pack some sweet heat in this recipe for vegan chocolate habanero cookies. 
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp ground flax meal
  • 2.5 tbsp water
  • 1 cup vegan butter softened at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup ​brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp nondairy milk
  • 1 cup vegan white chocole chips
  • 4 habanero chile peppers finely diced and seeds removed - you can use only 2 for less heat

Instructions

  • Combine ground flax meal and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a stand mixer or a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, cream butter and sugars.
  • Add flax meal mixture to your mixing bowl and mix again until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until you no longer see dry flour. Make sure you scrape down the sides so that all of the ingredients get well incorporated.
  • Add nondairy milk and mix one final time.
  • Fold in chocolate chips and habaneros.
  • I wear gloves for this step*.
    Scoop out rounded tablespoon scoops and place on your baking sheets. Roll into balls and make sure the cookies have plenty of room to spread because these do flatten out a bit. When in doubt, grab another baking sheet or bake in multiple batches.
  • Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes and allow the cookies to cool on the tray.

Notes

* I highly suggest wearing gloves or putting a sandwich bag around your hand during this part so that you don't get habanero juice on your hands. Anybody who has ever had jalapeno burns on their hands (me) can tell you that it's not fun. 

As always, I love to see you guys take these recipes and make them your own. If you use this recipe as is or use it for inspiration, I’d love to see your creation. Tag me @holefoodbakery and/or use the hashtag #holefoodbakery so I don’t miss it. 


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