Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius which is approximately 320 Fahrenheit
Soften your coconut oil, you want it to be a spreadable consistency like soft butter (not melted, but not rock hard) I pop mine in the microwave on low power for a little bit to achieve the right consistency
In a medium bowl place the softened coconut oil, sugar, coconut condensed milk, vanilla and salt.
Cream until well blended and smooth, I use my cake mixer, but an electric beater or a wooden spoon and some elbow grease will work just fine.
Add the flour and baking powder, (I don’t sift but I do attempt to sprinkle the baking powder into the mixture relatively evenly). Mix at a low speed.
Add the chocolate, and mix until it is relatively evenly distributed, You can use your mixer on low speed. The cookie dough will look a little crumbly, but will easily roll into balls.
Take heaped tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls (you should end up with approximately 16 balls. Place the balls on a baking paper-lined baking tray
Take a fork and gently press each ball (kids love this task)
160 degrees Celcius which is approximately 320 Fahrenheit, for 15 -20 minutes
Cool
Eat
Notes
Tips
To get the perfect soft on the inside slightly crunchy on the outside the ratios of sugar to flour to coconut oil is important. In this recipe, I use more sugar in this gluten-free recipe than my traditional condensed milk cookie recipe, as the extra sugar actually contributes to a softer texture. You can reduce the sugar to ¼ of a cup, the cookies will have a nice flavour, but once cooled they will be quite hard. I have provided weights for these ingredients so that the ratios are accurate.
One of my favourite tips is to freeze the vegan gluten cookie dough balls, I freeze them in an airtight container, then it is an absolute cinch to pull them out and pop them in the oven, fresh-made choc chip cookies in a flash!
Ingredient Substitutions
Dark choc chips: Ensure the brand you use are dairy-free and soy-free, alternatively you can skip the chocolate, raisins are also nice in this cookie.
Brown sugar: any granulated sugar will work.
Free-from gluten flour: I use the free-from gluten plain flour from Countdown Supermarkets (Woolworths in Australia) This flour is made from a mix of Maize, Tapioca, Rice starches and flours, it also contains xanthan gum. For this recipe to be a success you will need to use a similar gluten-free flour. If the one you are using does not include xanthan gum (Thickener 415) then you will need to add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the recipe