Knowledge Base > Fran Costigan - Whisk, Whip, and Wow

Whisk, Whip, and Wow

Fran Costigan - Whisk, Whip, and Wow

This event was on Tuesday, August 05, 2025 at 1:00 pm Pacific, 4:00 pm Eastern

Get ready to elevate your plant-based dessert skills with none other than Chef Fran Costigan, the acclaimed Director of Vegan Pastry at Rouxbe! Join us for an exciting live session o… Read More.

Recorded

Question:

What is a good substitute for chocolate chips in cookies or muffins? Would dates work?

— Sue Baker

Answer:

That's a really interesting question because, you know, chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie, we would expect to find chocolate chips. But in muffins or another cookie, the uh, inclusions can be anything. Um, so a nice soft bits of nice soft chewy dates can work or almost anything, any kind of dried fruit or nut when I'm working with people who are allergic to nuts, for example. But I want that crunch. I use co uh, coconut nibs, which are, they have a texture like a nut and just a teeniest, little bit of a chocolate flavor. So yeah, that would work. I love dates.
Fran Costigan

Fran Costigan

Director of Vegan Pastry

FranCostigan.com