Name: Lenten chocolate chip cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; 1½ tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup brown sugar; ⅓ cup tahini; ½ cup melted coconut oil; 6 tbsp water; 2 tsp vanilla; 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips, semi-sweet

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These dairy-free and egg-free chocolate chip cookies are perfect for Orthodox lent and vegans! Made with simple ingredients it is the perfectly easy way to have a treat when you are fasting or anytime! See how easy it is to make them!

Lenten chocolate chip cookies on baking sheet.

Growing up in a Greek home we always had cookies available, but they rarely had chocolate chips in them! Instead, my parents stocked containers full of different koulourakia, Melomakarona, Kourabiethes, and Amygdalota. I am not complaining – I love all of those traditional Greek cookies. Still, there is something about a classic chocolate chip cookie that just sounds necessary to have in life!

Given that many Greeks spend a significant part of the year fasting (abstaining from meat, dairy and eggs), I wanted to share a chocolate chip cookie recipe that would be appreciated because it is lenten (perfect for fasting periods). Of course, anyone can enjoy this lenten (and vegan) chocolate chip cookie recipe, because it is easy and delicious, just like a cookie should be!

Lenten chocolate chip cookies on a white plate with green trimmings.

Why I love this recipe

I love this recipe because I can enjoy it when I am fasting, I can share it with friends who are fasting, and I can make them for the vegans in my life, who I love!

You would never know that these cookies were vegan if I didn’t tell you they were. They are buttery and so good! The combination of tahini and coconut oil really turn this cookie into something wonderful.

This recipe is easy! No complicated steps, no fancy ingredients. This is a recipe that anyone can make!

Key ingredients

Flour I use all-purpose, also called regular or plain, flour in this recipe. It is the basic building block for so many sweet treats!

Baking powder and baking soda I use both baking powder and baking soda as leavening agents to give me cookies that get nice and puffed up!

Cinnamon I think that chocolate chip cookies are best when there is a touch of cinnamon in them!

Salt In sweet recipes salt is really important as a way to help elevate all the flavours.

Brown sugar Sweetness with a caramel flavour! I love brown sugar in baked goods, including in these lenten chocolate chip cookies.

Tahini This sesame seed paste is amazing in baked goods. It gives a nutty and creamy flavour and texture. This is part of what makes these cookies so good!

Coconut oil A perfect replacement for butter! The coconut oil in these cookies is wonderful, and don’t worry, you don’t taste the coconut! Having said that…if you like coconut you should try these chewy coconut cookies!

Water You will need to add some water to the batter to thin it out a bit. You may need to add more than I suggest in the recipe, depending on how thick your tahini is. Regular tap water does just fine here!

Vanilla More flavour! A bit of pure vanilla extract is a must have in this recipe.

Chocolate chips I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips which are vegan in this recipe, keeping the cookies perfect for lent when many Orthodox Christians avoid eating dairy and eggs.

Ingredients which include: Flour, tahini, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, water, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate chips.

How to make

These cookies are super simple to make! As with most recipes, it is always easiest to measure out all your ingredients first!

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside.

Step 2
In the bowl of your mixer combine all the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Now, add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. If your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.

Combing the tahini, and brown sugar with the wet ingredients.

Step 3
Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Combining the chocolate chips into the batter.

Step 4
Take about a tablespoon of dough and place on a cookie sheet, each ball of dough about two inches away from the next one. Bake for 12 minutes or so until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Recipe substitutions

Instead of dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips you can use dairy-free dark chocolate chips or even chocolate chunks. If you do not need to keep the cookies lenten (vegan) you can use milk chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips.

Baking tips

These cookies are really easy to make, but there are a few tips that will help you make them even easier!

Melt your coconut oil, and then measure out the quantity called for in the recipe (not the other way around).
Not all tahini is the same. Some is thicker than others and for this reason you may need to add some additional water to your batter to turn it into proper cookie dough consistency.
Stirring in your chocolate chips can sometimes be difficult. I find that it is easiest to do this manually (that is, without the mixer). I like to use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Sometimes I even mix the dough by hand!
I like to rotate by cookie tray mid-way through the baking process. I bake these cookies for 12 minutes, but you may find you need a little less time, or a little more time, in your oven.

Frequently asked questions

What does a lenten recipe mean?

Many Greek Orthodox Christians fast throughout the year. During these fasting periods (and there are many), some people choose to follow a lenten diet. Depending on the specific fasting period, the foods which are permitted vary. In general however, a lenten recipe means one which contains no meat, chicken, fish, dairy or eggs. Another way to refer to lenten recipes is to call them nistisima.

Is lenten the same thing as vegan?

Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t! This recipe for lenten chocolate chip cookies is lenten, and vegan. Other lenten cookies however, like the traditional Greek melomakarona are lenten, but they are not technically vegan, because they contain honey (and many vegans abstain from eating honey). Furthermore, during periods of lent, seafood is actually permitted; things like calamari and shrimp. So, recipes like Garides youvetsi (Greek shrimp with orzo) are lenten, but they are definitely not vegan!

Are lenten recipes healthy?

Mostly yes! Lenten recipes are mainly plant-based, so they are naturally healthy. Still, dessert is dessert and just because a dessert does not contain dairy or eggs does not mean that it is healthy. Some recipes are healthier than others, that is for sure. But still…a cookie is still a cookie! But also, life is hard enough, so eat that cookie!

Storing

These lenten chocolate chip cookie recipes will keep well in a sealed container at room temperature for at least a week. Any longer and they can be kept in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

You can freeze these cookies after they are baked (thaw at room temperature before serving). Alternatively you can freeze the cookie dough. Simply shape the cookies, place them on a baking tray, freeze and then transfer the frozen balls of cookie dough to a freezer safe bag. You can then bake the cookies from frozen, but you will have to adjust the baking time.

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