Vegan black and white cookies with spelt and cocoa

Vegan black and white cookies made with spelt flour, coconut oil and light almond butter, sweetened with maple syrup, with cocoa in one half. No butter or egg, 211 kcal per four cookies.

At a glance

• Serves 12
• Prep time: 40 min
• Cooking time: 12 min
• Total time: 52 min
• Calories: 211 kcal per serving
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbs: 23 g

Ingredients

• 260g spelt flour
• 110g coconut oil
• 40g almond butter
• 100ml maple syrup
• 3 tbsp water
• 15g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking tray · chopping board · knife

1. Stir the firm but soft coconut oil with the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.
2. Knead in the spelt flour and 2 tbsp water and divide the dough into two halves. Knead the cocoa and the remaining water into one half.
3. Roll out each dough into a 1 cm thick slab, cut them into strips of equal width and stack them, alternating light and dark, into a chequerboard block. Chill the block for 1 hour.
4. Cut the block into 5 mm thick slices and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 175 °C (155 °C fan) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pale squares are just starting to colour.
6. Leave them to firm up on the tray for 5 minutes, then let them cool on a wire rack.

Good to know

Black and white cookies look like they came from a patisserie, but they're just one dough in two colours. This version needs no butter or egg and still turns out crumbly.

Swaps

Coconut oil → deodorised cocoa butter (firm, neutral in flavour). Almond butter → cashew butter (paler). Maple syrup → date syrup (more caramel, darker pale squares). Spelt flour → plain flour.

Cooking tips

Brush the strips with a little water before you stack them, so they stick together. A sharp, cold knife cuts the cleanest slices.

Storage

Keeps for 3 weeks in an airtight tin; the unbaked block keeps for 2 months in the freezer.

Allergens

Contains gluten and almonds; no milk or egg, suitable for children and during pregnancy.

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