Sweet Loren's Cookie Dough Review: Can Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Cookies Really Be That Good?
Sweet Loren's was born in 2007 after its namesake survived cancer. In her quest to eat more healthfully and still satisfy her sweet tooth, Loren developed plant-based cookie dough recipes that are made with carefully sourced, clean ingredients.
Each recipe is Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, non-GMO Project-Certified, and kosher. The products are manufactured in a dedicated gluten, wheat, dairy, peanut, and tree nut-free facility. They are also made with sustainably sourced palm oil.
That's a lot to love, but how do they compare with conventionally made cookie dough? We put three of Sweet Loren's cookie dough flavors to the ultimate taste test, including the Gingerbread, Sugar, and Chocolate Mint varieties. We evaluated them on how well they baked, aroma, texture, and flavor. Read on to see how they fared and whether you should add these plant-based cookie doughs to your upcoming shopping list.
What does Sweet Loren's Sugar Cookie Dough taste like?
Sweet Loren's cookies can be baked from a refrigerated or frozen state. We baked all of ours from a frozen state, which added approximately three minutes to the baking time listed in the instructions. Initially, we were concerned by the inconsistency in the sizes and shapes of the sugar cookie dough. We thought this would make them bake unevenly. It did not.
While the instructions include baking times for a chewy or crispy sugar cookie, we opted for the former. We removed the cookies from the oven when they had puffed up and were no longer moist but still not completely set in the center, like brownies. They firmed up as they cooled, but they also flattened quite a bit, becoming almost like a wafer.
The aroma of these sugar cookies is very vanilla-forward. Their texture had a crisp exterior and a perfectly chewy interior. The flavor is where these cookies really shined though. We never would have known these were plant-based and gluten-free if you had not told us. There was no hint of graininess or vegetable-forward flavor, which is not uncommon with gluten-free baked goods. They were sweet without being cloying and as good as any sugar cookie we have ever eaten.
What does Sweet Loren's Gingerbread Cookie Dough taste like?
While we thoroughly enjoyed the sugar cookies, they were simple in flavor. We like something with a bit more spice to it. Enter the gingerbread flavor cookie dough. We also baked these from a frozen state. Like the sugar cookies, they were irregular in size and shape but baked uniformly. These were also barely set but still gooey in the center when we removed them from the oven and finished setting up as they cooled.
These cookies flattened even more than the sugar cookies did. While we baked these cookies as is, you can roll this dough out into shapes before baking if you plan to use it for making a gingerbread house. The slightly crisp exterior and chewy center make it ideal for this purpose.
The aroma of these cookies was divine, rife with vanilla, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. And as good as they smelled, their flavor was even better. The hint of sea salt was just enough to juxtapose the sweetness while playing beautifully off the strong spices. Again, we would never have known these cookies were plant-based and gluten-free if you hadn't told us.
What does Sweet Loren's Chocolate Mint Cookie Dough taste like?
If we had to pick a favorite cookie among the varieties we sampled from Sweet Loren's, we would choose chocolate mint. These cookies are a seasonal variety that is not available year-round, so we might even suggest stocking up and storing some of them in your freezer.
The chocolate mint cookies were more uniform in size and shape than the other two. We also baked them until they were just set but still soft. They firmed up as they cooled and flattened out about the same amount as the gingerbread cookies did. This did not impact their texture, which was moist and chewy.
The aroma of these cookies as they baked made us feel like it was Christmas morning. Peppermint oil can often overwhelm every other flavor if it isn't used sparingly. The balance of peppermint to chocolate in these cookies was quite masterfully executed. And the little confectionary drops were the perfect accent. Again, you could have fooled us into believing this cookie had all the gluten, eggs, and dairy of a conventional cookie.
Nutritional information for Sweet Loren's Cookie Dough
Sweet Loren's sugar cookies contain 120 calories per cookie, 5 grams of fat, 45 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Like all of these cookie doughs, they are made in a dedicated facility free of gluten, wheat, dairy, peanuts, and tree nuts.
The gingerbread cookies are 90 calories per cookie. They also have 3.5 grams of fat, 70 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
The chocolate mint cookies are also 90 calories per cookie. They have 4 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
Sweet Loren's cookies are made without artificial flavors and with pure cane sugar or molasses. They are also made with a proprietary flour blend containing oats, tapioca, and potato starch. And because these cookie doughs are egg-free, they can be consumed raw.
Where can you find Sweet Loren's Cookie Dough and how much does it cost?
Sweet Loren's cookie dough can be purchased in the refrigerated dairy aisle at grocery stores nationwide. Each pack includes 12 cookies and retails for $6.49, though prices may vary. Additionally, you can obtain the dough online by the case. Each case contains six packages and retails for $45. And for those who want to mix things up, several variety packs are available, including one with 12 mini cups in three flavors. These variety packs also retail for $45 each.
These cookie doughs can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen. If refrigerated, they should be used by the best-by date on the packaging. When frozen, they can be stored for up to two months beyond the best-by date. Never refreeze the cookie dough once it is thawed.
Because the cookies do not contain any preservatives, they do not have a long shelf-life once baked. It is recommended that they be placed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to a week, or they can be frozen for up to two months.
The final verdict
So, can a plant-based, gluten-free cookie taste good? You bet it can. We'd pit these Sweet Loren's cookie doughs against their gluten-full, non-plant-based rivals any day. They were shockingly great, even if you don't need to cut gluten, dairy, or eggs out of your diet. And while we loved them all, we gave the chocolate mint variety extra brownie points.
The thing that impressed us the most about these cookies was their texture. Gluten-free baked goods can often be dry and lack elasticity. That's not the case here. These were moist and had great chew. We also appreciated that despite being plant-based, they had no residual vegetable-forward flavor or grittiness that lingers on your tongue and teeth.
Overall, we'd say these cookies were a home run. We can't wait to sample all the other flavors, and we highly recommend you try out one of their seasonal variety packs while supplies last.