Vegan desserts showcase an array of clever ingredient swaps you won't always find in traditional baking — coconut oil may stand in for butter, almond milk takes the place of dairy, and even chickpea liquid can create a mean meringue. There's not much holding you back from making a truly satisfying cookie.

Plus, these days you can often find vegan versions for many favorite mix-ins, like chocolate chips. And when making vegan baked goods, make sure you look for sugars and molasses that are vegan. Though you likely won't see a package flat-out titled "vegan sugar," you should double-check your choice of brand. Some use processing techniques that involve animal products. For instance, some manufacturers process white sugar using animal bone char to help it turn white. Do an internet search to find out if the brand you'd like to use is vegan, or look for a certifed organic brand; they can't use bone char products.

New to vegan cookie-baking? Start with these vegan chocolate chip cookies — they make use of applesauce and coconut oil, and some other vegan swaps so you can get to know what you like. And they cook up crisp on the edges and chewy in the center without having to chill the dough.

These cheerful sugar cookies are crisp and "buttery" without the butter — a store-bought vegan swap works wonderfully to mimic the texture of a more traditonal cookie. Mix up the sprinkles to celebrate any occasion on your calendar.

This is a fun recipe to try when you've grown your vegan pantry — it has tapioca flour and xanthan gum to mimic the thickening qualities of eggs. The result is densely chocolaty with a nice chew. You’ll want a glass of oat milk to enjoy with these.

These nutty treats have a great chewy texture, augmented by the tapioca flour and xantham gum, plus applesauce for moisture. And with a few extra mix-ins, you can turn these into bonus recipes like Vegan Rocky Road Chocolate Whoopie Pies — check out the Cook's Note for instructions.