Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and optional espresso powder.

Step 3

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the vegan butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the applesauce, and mix again until incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry into the wet, being careful to stop mixing just before the dry is completely mixed. in

Step 4

Fold in chocolate chips and/or chocolate chunks, and use a tablespoon or two of dairy free milk here as needed to fold in the chips until they’re evenly distributed in the dough.

Step 5

if your dough is too sticky or it’s a super hot day, you can chill the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball. Place it onto the baking sheet and repeat for the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes (I bake mine for exactly 12 minutes), then remove from the oven.

Step 7

Once the cookies have fully baked, remove the pan from the oven and tap the pan onto the countertop a few times (I do about 2-3 times) to create a brownie crinkle.

Step 8

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. You can add additional chocolate chips if you’d like on top.

Step 9

store any leftover cookies in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.