These indulgent chocolate chip cookies are a great way to use leftover nut pulp from homemade hazelnut and sunflower seed milk. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and straightforward to make—perfect with a cup of coffee or packed into a lunchbox.
I started making nut milks at home to cut down on shop-bought costs. After making hazelnut and sunflower seed milk, I used the leftover pulp to bake these cookies. They turned out wonderfully moreish and a little less wasteful. My family loved them too, so I’ll be experimenting with other nut milks and pulp-based recipes.
Ingredients
- Ground flax seeds (linseeds) – mixed with water, ground flax seeds form a gel (flax slurry) that acts as an egg substitute in vegan baking. They also provide omega-3 fats.
- Coconut oil – use extra virgin coconut oil if you want a neutral flavour; otherwise substitute with vegan butter.
- Vanilla extract – use real vanilla extract (not synthetic vanilla essence) for the best flavour.
- Sugars – caster sugar and dark muscovado. Caster sugar helps cookies crisp, while muscovado adds depth and minerals.
- Hazelnut and sunflower seed pulp – leftover from making plant milk (or substitute hazelnut or almond flour).
- Brown rice flour – can be swapped for sorghum flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking powder – choose a gluten-free baking powder if you need to avoid gluten strictly.
- Salt – used to balance the sweetness; Himalayan pink salt or regular salt both work.
- Chocolate chips – use vegan chocolate chips if you prefer dairy-free.
Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Basic Instructions
These cookies are simple to prepare with any nut or seed pulp you have available.
- Mix ground flax seeds with water and let sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes a gel.
- Beat the flax gel together with coconut oil and vanilla until thick.
- Add the caster and muscovado sugars and continue beating until combined.
- Fold in the nut pulp, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips until evenly mixed.
- Spoon tablespoons of the dough onto a lined baking tray and bake until golden brown, reducing the oven temperature partway through baking.
See the recipe card below for full, step-by-step instructions and timings.
Substitutions
If you don’t have nut pulp, substitute with hazelnut or almond flour. You can also make your own nut flour by pulsing nuts in a food processor until fine—be careful not to over-process or you’ll end up with nut butter. If using dry nut flour, the batter may be less wet and could need slightly less baking time.
For other nut flavours, try recipes like 15-minute peanut butter cookies for a quick alternative.
FAQs
Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan), then reduce the temperature and bake a further 20 minutes at 160°C (140°C fan) so they cook through.
Check 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time in case your oven runs hot. The cookies should be deep golden brown and feel slightly bouncy rather than overly soft.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cool completely before packing to avoid condensation that makes them soft.
Recipe
Hazelnut and Sunflower Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Delicious chocolate chip cookies made using leftover nut pulp from homemade hazelnut and sunflower seed milk. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 2 tbsp water
- 70 g coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 g caster sugar
- 40 g dark muscovado sugar (or rapadura)
- 200 g hazelnut and sunflower seed pulp (or hazelnut/almond flour)
- 50 g brown rice flour
- 1/7 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 50 g chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mix the flax seeds with the water and set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes gel-like.
- Beat the flax gel with the coconut oil and vanilla for about 2 minutes until thick.
- Add caster sugar and muscovado and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Fold in the nut pulp, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips, mixing until just combined (about 30 seconds).
- Spoon tablespoon-sized dollops onto the lined tray.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan).
- Reduce the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) and bake for a further 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If you don’t have nut pulp, substitute with hazelnut or almond flour.
- Check cookies 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time; remove early if they are deep golden brown.
Nutrition (per cookie, approximate)
Calories: 178 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Sodium: 58 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 8 g
If you like this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card!
More Vegan and Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
If you enjoy these hazelnut and sunflower seed cookies, you may also like other vegan and gluten-free baking recipes such as stem ginger biscuits, decadent dark chocolate and almond cookies, zesty orange and walnut cookies, and quick peanut butter cookies.
Stem Ginger Biscuits (Vegan & Gluten-Free Gingernuts)-
Decadent Dark Chocolate and Almond Cookies
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Zesty Orange and Walnut Cookies
-
15 Minute Peanut Butter Cookies (vegan & gluten-free)
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