Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyones Favorite Treats by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyones Favorite Treats Reviews

• 
  Jayme

  More awesome recipes from the Moskowitz/Romero team. I've tried about a dozen of the recipes and they're all perfect. Yesterday I made some Pumpkin Cookies to kick off Fall. Here's a picture to make you want them more:
  
  
  
  The Tahini Lime cookies are my new favourite out of this book. So amazingly delicious:
  
  
• 
  Lisa Vegan

  I was so excited to see a recipe for graham crackers (to go with my chocolate candy and vegan marshmallows for s’mores) because they’re hard to find vegan; they all seem to have honey. But there’s no graham flour in them so it doesn’t look as though they’d have that distinctive graham cracker flavor. I’m so disappointed that I came very close to deducting a star from my rating. I guess I could experiment using graham flour and using the recipe given as a start.
  
  Otherwise, this is an excellent cookie cookbook, even though I’m trying to eat healthier so reading this particular book now was probably not my wisest move, especially since the cookies that appeal most to me are some of the most decadent ones: Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows, NYC Black & White Cookies, and Deluxe Cocoa Brownies. Actually, there are too many for me to list. You’ll also find a version of rice krispy treats and fig bars ala Fig Newtons. The Frosted Grapefruit Icebox Cookies look particularly interesting to me.
  
  Over eighty recipes for all types of cookies, all vegan, are in this book. They’re divided into sections: Drop Cookies, Wholesome Cookies, Bar Cookies, Fancy Cookies, and Sliced and Rolled Cookies. I’d say that at least ¾ of the recipes have an accompanying mouthwatering photograph of the finished product.
  
  I appreciate that before the section with the recipes, some extremely helpful basic cookie making tips are given.
  
  ETA 3 months later: I just can't get past the no graham flour in the graham crackers, especially since it's almost impossible to find these vegan commercially because they always add honey. So, demoted from 5 to 4 stars.
• 
  Laura

  I don't think of myself as any sort of a cook, baker, etc. I got onto postpunkkitchen.com one day, and randomly decided to go for it; the directions made the recipe sound so simple! Two batches of oatmeal pumpkin cookies later, my coworkers were begging me to keep at it! If this book can make vegan baking that straight forward to me, they are whizzes! Add that to the fact that these vegan recipes make for desserts more delicious than the evil-loaded mass produced alternatives out there, and you have a happy belly! Love love love this cookie jar invasion!
• 
  Lisa Kay

  Wow! This book is great. Every recipe I've made has turned out great. My favorite so far...Ginger & Macadamia Nuts!
• 
  Stephanie

  I decided to make the leap into veganism in July 2011 after reading several books about the diet's benefits and I have never felt better. I once couldn't imagine NOT eating meat or dairy, but after experimenting with so many great cookbooks, it really has been an easy transition. I have slipped up a few times and believe me, your body will LET YOU KNOW that it doesn't want that crap anymore. It's a shame that vegan dishes get a bad rep - most I have tried have been fantastic. Even my husband, who still eats meat and dairy occasionally (we don't bring it into the house anymore - just milk for him b/c that is his non-vegan vice) RAVES about most of the vegan meals I have prepared. So many pluses to the whole thing. Anyway...
  
  When I decided to do some vegan Christmas baking (my first Christmas eating vegan) I immediately came to GR to hunt down highly-rated cookbooks for cookies. It's no wonder that this one is so beloved. I would say this is a MUST-GET for vegans and non-vegans. The recipes are that good.
  
  First, the book is fantastic to look at. The color photos will send you into a tizzy and make you want to make pretty much every recipe in the book. Speaking of which, I DO want to make just about every recipe in the book - FANTASTIC sign for a cookbook!
  
  This Christmas, I made: (the names might be slightly off because I am going from memory...checked this out from the library but definitely want to own it)
  
  Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows - AMAZING. My husband said they were his favorite cookie this holiday, and we sampled about 20 varieties. They taste so good warm out of the oven.
  
  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - I wanted to make these because my uncle makes a great non-vegan version. Delicious. They were chewy and SUPER fudgy - make sure you get dark cocoa powder.
  
  Grapefruit Icebox Cookies - These were a huge hit as well. The citrus taste with a semi-soft shortbread was mmm, mmm, mmm. They looked really pretty too - just like the photo.
  
  Cookie Dough Balls - Made per request by husband, who LOVES cookie dough. Made little balls of these and kept them in the freezer, where they lasted about two days. If you love cookie dough, or know someone who does...I BEG you to make these for them. Delicious, and no chance of death by salmonella! Win - win! Oh, and I actually tip-toed to the kitchen a couple of nights to snag one while he slept...don't tell! A craving is a craving!
• 
  Penelope

  The recipes in this book are fantastic. I've only made a few so far but they've all been excellent, and I can't wait to try more. So far I've made the Cowboy Cookies and Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows. I got this book from the library but will definitely be buying a copy for myself (and my mother, who can't wait to bake more vegan cookies). The cookies don't taste "vegan"...this coming from a non-vegan (I'm just dabbling for now!) They are decadent, delicious, and easy to make.
  
  Before baking anything from this book I read the introductory "Cookie Science" section, and to me, that part of this book is as invaluable as the recipes themselves. As someone who has never baked anything vegan, I wasn't quite sure how it was going to work. The authors break down the ingredients, discuss ingredient substitutions, and explain how everything comes together to make a cookie. There's also a short trouble-shooting section, although I haven't had to refer to that yet, which is a good sign.
  
  So far, I've had great success with this book. I highly recommend it to any vegans out there looking for tasty cookie recipes, or non-vegans who want to try something new. You won't be disappointed!
• 
  d4

  Sweet Christmas gift. :D I'm gawn learn howzta bake stuff nao.
  
  So far I have only attempted two recipes: basic chocolate chip cookies and Banana Everything Cookies. Both cookies came out perfect. These were not only the first cookies I made from scratch, but the first ones I baked without burning their little cookie-bottoms. The authors include a lot of helpful introductory information on ingredients, tools, and troubleshooting. I'm looking forward to following more recipes, but at the same time, I'm reluctant to continue enabling my fat ass to indulge. I've gained 4lbs so far this month and it's only the 18th. Thanks a lot, delicious cookies.
• 
  Jennifer

  A very appealing book written in an engaging style. I haven't tried making any of the recipes (yet) so I don't know if they work but the little hints suggest the authors do know what they are on about.
  
  There was one irritating and unnecessary feature of the book - there are a couple of different cookie images which are repeated through the book, to fill space I imagine. They appear after recipes that are nothing like them. Why bother? It's just confusing and reminds you you've been deprived of a photo of that particular recipe.
• 
  Victoria

  Forgot to update this, I got this book for Christmas XD. Love most of them so far! A little disappointed with their chocolate chip cookie recipe though. Little cakey, and a little tooo sugary for me.
• 
  L.

  I started my autistic son on a GFCF diet four years ago in the hopes that it would help to reduce his eczema and hyper-tantrums. It worked. The problem remained how do I make baked goods without animal product. This book is awesome. It has recipes for all tastes AND the ingredients are easy to find. Mind you, vegan ingredients are a bit more expensive. BUT...
  1. My son has had three ear infections and only the occasional cold during his eight years on the planet. He goes to school and I am a teacher, so he is exposed to pathogens all the time. He is also 4'4" and healthier than anyone I know.
  2. The eczema subsided within one month. No more steroid cream.
  3. He has never had a cavity as I use unrefined sugar (white sugar use bone char) and always reduce the sugar by half (which does not affect these recipes).
  4. Many of these companies use minimal packaging and emphasize environmental responsibility. How honest they are is another story?
  5. He is a child who actually eats fruits and vegetables, because they are the main sugar component in the food. Buckwheat flour, in particular, can hide most vegetable flavors if you add finely shredded carrots, zucchini, beets, sweet potato, or squash. He doesn't like processed flavors.
  
  People wonder why autism, ADHD, psych disorders, and obesity in children are on the rise. It's because we feed our kids chemicals and not food. Many parents sigh and say "I would provide a healthier diet but the kids would complain." Who the hell is in charge here?! My son does not have the option of "no" because I never gave it to him. Sometimes you have to sell a healthy diet. He doesn't know every baked good I make for him has a vegetable and a fruit in it. All he know is it has chocolate chips (a small amount goes a long way and, yes, they are vegan.) Reciprocity is a helpful tool with kids. Kid wants chocolate, I want him to eat a vegetable. The combo of the two in a muffin or cookie solves the problem and not battle ensued.
  If you teach your kids that chemicals are the enemy, not produce, from the start, then there will be not a complaining battle of wills.
  
• 
  Vanessa

  As with all cookbooks, I'll update as I cook through it.
  
  I've yet to have a bad experience with this book. Everything tastes great, the instructions are very clear. Some cookies have pictures, not all. Sometimes the picture on the facing page does not match up with the recipe.
  
  Orange Agave Chocolate Chip Cookies: The only sweetener is agave, so don't make them for an audience expecting a pure sugar rush. Otherwise, these are tasty and held together well. There is a lot of orange flavor from the zest.
  
  Cowboy Cookies: lots of good mix-ins, like pecans, coconut and chocolate chips. The dough was difficult to work with though, so I'm not sure I'll make them again. Somehow it was sticky and resisted cohesion. However, against all expectations they did firm up nicely while baking. I gave these to someone in my favorite Gladware container, and that bastard never gave it back.
  
  Big Fat Krispy Rice Squares: brown rice syrup subs for marshmallows, and does a respectable sticky job. During the day, they did become melty. I suspect you can easily hack any rice krispie square recipe if you so desire, subbing Earth Balance for the butter. If there is a Trader Joe's near you, their marshmallows are vegan!! (and cheaper than Dandies.)
  
  Chocolate Marmalade Sandwich Cookies: a slight pain to make, since you are making sandwiches but the bitterness of the chocolate and marmalade combined well. Apparently though, not everyone is a marmalade fan.
  
  City Girl Snickerdoodles: Tasted good and snickerdoodley. Watch these carefully in the oven, the line between done and burn was a very thin one I did not navigate with complete success.
  
  Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies: I'm hit or miss with oatmeal, but these are score winners thanks to the chocolate and dried cherries (you can use raisins, which are cheaper but also why would you bother?) I will say that flax seed was the binding agent, and was maybe not up to the task. Just the drive to work threatened the internal stability of these cookies. They tasted good though.
• 
  Peacegal

  Let me paraphrase Nixon and begin by warning you, “I am not a cook.” Growing up, it was the miraculous invention of the microwave that kept my family sustained. My mother hates to cook and figured any meal worth eating was one that could be ordered from a menu or zapped in four minutes or less. Thus, I did not learn to prepare even the simplest dinners until I moved out and got a place of my own. I have since learned that I actually enjoy preparing foods, but my skills still lag significantly.
  
  And thus comes along a get-together which requires me to bring homemade cookies. I have never baked cookies, relying instead on store-bought varieties or (more likely) just going without. A large percentage of the recipes in this book were too complicated and overwhelming for me. I settled for basic chocolate chip cookies. About $30 worth of ingredients later, I was ready to bake. The recipe called for “tapioca flour.” Having no idea what tapioca flour is, I simply purchased Minute tapioca mix instead. Oops. My first test run of cookies were filled with disconcertingly crunchy tapioca beads. For my second run, I much more wisely chose to use wheat flour instead. Much better! Although the recipe called for a few too many chocolate chips when you're making smaller cookies, I now had something I could take to my meeting with pride.
• 
  Ashleigh

  Again Isa pleases us folk who dont want to be part of the horrid treatment that animals suffer in the name of milk, eggs and butter. I have tried a few of these recipes and they are super! My favourite is definately the Peanut butter blondie recipe! YUMMMM. If you are willing to give vegan baking a go I would seriously recommend these books. It has amazed me how easy it is to remove the dairy products in these beloved recipes. I still think as I pop a tray in the oven, "will it rise?" "will it taste the same?" and I am always pleasantly surprised that yes it does rise and it does taste the same. Its not as hard as you think to change the way you bake and I wish more people would be open to it.
• 
  Lea

  A wonderful resource for eggless cooking (we can and do use dairy, but not soy and so modify the recipes accordingly), this has quickly become a well thumbed reference book at our house that we now turn to just as frequently as we have been turning to their prior Vegan Cupcakes book. We haven't made all the cookies (yet), but the sugar cookies are simple and tasty, cut and bake well. The espresso brownies are the fudgiest of all the various eggless brownies we've tried. The Cowboy cookies recipe is very versatile and even more delicious.
• 
  Grace

  So far I've just made the Easy Samoas and the Cowboy cookies--both have been really delicious, though this has also reminded me that I'm not really a cookie person (for some reason they're usually too rich for me & make me feel sick, a problem I rarely have with cake)--thankfully I've had other cookie lovers eager for me to give them away to them! One thing that does annoy me with this cookbook is that so many of the recipes use flax seeds, without directions for any other egg replacer if you don't have them.
• 
  Lauren

  Go-to vegan desserts - so easy to make! Many of the recipes only require prep time and less than 20 minutes of bake time, so it is easy to turn around some cookies for a last-minute event. The recipes are varied, including brownies, breakfast bars and energy bars on top of the regular cookie fare.
  
  While I love the earlier Cupcake book, this one seems even easier to use because cookies are more portable.
  
  Great book that will get more than a fair share of use!
• 
  Gina

  So far:
  
  Cowboy Cookies: Really, really good. I thought they might be greasy with so much oil, but they're not. Just super tasty and very easy to make. Plus I didn't have to deal with eggs. I've never used ground flax in place of eggs before, but it costs next to nothing and works great. The first time I used peanut oil, but I have since used coconut oil and it really makes these cookies amazing.
• 
  Jamie

  I love Isa Moskowitz's books! Most of the recipes are really simple, though more complicated recipes for more ambitious cooks are always featured. I made the Banana cookies and they were delicious! I also appreciate that a whole section for "wholesome cookies" was included. I have a few more to try out before I return the book to the library. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in healthier/vegan baking!
• 
  Yodamom

  Oh my, the Mexican chocolate cookies are to die for ! We made three different cookies all fantastic but the Spicy mexican Chocolate are my favs. Easy to use, tasty, simple to make. What else could you ask for ?
• 
  Kayla

  This is a great cookbook! So far I've baked chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies and both were a success. Good instructions and the ingredients are listed in the order that they are used-something I find helpful. :)
• 
  Maggie

  I have only tried the chocolate chip cookies, they were delicious. I look forward to making more cookies soon!
• 
  marmix

  City Girl Snickerdoodles are now a weekly staple.
• 
  KrystelDallas

  There are sooo many amazing recipes in this book there really is no need to look anywhere else when making vegan cookies. This book has it all and the recipes are well written. Delicious.
• 
  Amy

  My cookie jar has been invaded by these imposter cookies... and guess what? No one ever knows! It's a delicious secret that keeps everyone fooled. When you tell someone you're vegan, they automatically assume everything you cook will taste like grass. It's far from the truth and this book helps crush those beliefs and improve the negative perceptions and stigmas surrounding vegan cooking. Not only do people love and devour cookies made from this book - they don't believe you when you say they're vegan.
  
  It's a cute book filled with awesome photos, yummy recipes, and helpful tips. Isa and Terry did a fantastic job. We pull this book off the shelf whenever our sweet tooth starts whispering. We even get requests from non-vegans for these spectacular cookies. The chocolate chip cookie recipe is the only one we use. We tried others and they just didn't compare. Our other favorites are: the cowboy cookies, the blackstrap gingersnaps, 21st century carob chip cookies, peanut butter chocolate pillows, and the gingerbread biscotti.
  
  Pros: Easy recipes with good instructions, cute designs, sweet photos, and satisfies the sweet tooth every time.
  
  Bonus points: There is a chapter for wholesome cookies - if you're looking for healthier recipes, they've got you covered!
• 
  Lisa

  It’s a very cute recipe book with many recipes that look like they’ll be yummy. I’ve tried one so far—Banana Everything Cookies. I made them with the option of no chocolate chips and add ground flax seed to make them more of a “breakfast cookie.” They were easy to make and tasted great. The first day was the best because they were slightly chewy, and the next day they were much softer.
  
  It looks like there’s several versions of cookies that would please everybody, so I recommend this to anyone that likes cookies or likes to make cookies for others! I plan on buying the other books by this author.
• 
  Hilary

  Only rating two stars because I'm not going to be able to use this, this might be a great book to us if you live in the US. I would love to see a UK version but there's too much here I'd have to look up. It only has US oven temperatures, it's measured in cups which is another thing I'd have to convert and many ingredients are called by different names which I'd also need to look up. A conversion chart in the book would have been handy. Several ingredients I wouldn't be able to buy here and many of the recipes did seem overly sweet.
• 
  Stephanie

  Lots of good recipes that don't require soy substitutes. They use vegetable shortening though which isn't in my pantry. Lots of cookie recipes to try!
  
  4/5 stars
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  Rachel Bartholomay

  I made the chocolate chip cookies and my non vegan roommates had no idea they were vegan. I made them yesterday and they're already gone.