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    Home » Vegan Recipes

    Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Published Jul 11, 2020 · Updated Oct 5, 2022 · 16 Comments

    6.0K shares
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    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. See my disclosure policy.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These are the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies! Easy, soft, a little chewy, and no weird ingredients - just your typical baking staples.

    A small pile of vegan chocolate chip cookies.
    Easy vegan chocolate chip cookies.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Directions
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Storing and Freezing
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Can you believe I've had my blog for over 6 years and have yet to post a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe?! Before going vegan, I really loved Pinch of Yum's cookie recipe, and have been working on the perfect adaptation ever since. Recently I really got to work and tested 12 different versions to bring you the best recipe.

    These amazing vegan chocolate chip cookies are so easy to make with basic accessible ingredients.

    I tested this recipe with applesauce, coconut oil, flax seed eggs, powdered egg replacer, cornstarch, and more. In the end, it was the simplest recipe that was the winner and for that, I am so happy.

    Trying to go vegan? Sign up for our (FREE) Vegan Beginner's Guide!

    If you're looking for a recipe for double chocolate vegan cookies, try this one!

    A tray of cookie ingredients
    Just simple baking ingredients needed. Not all chocolate chips are vegan, so make sure to read the label.

    Ingredients

    As promised, this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe only contains simple ingredients. No coconut oil, no flax seed or powdered egg replacer, no fruit puree, and totally nut-free! See the recipe card below for the full, detailed recipe.

    • Vegan butter: Softened. I prefer Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread or their Buttery Sticks but you can use your favorite. Substitute with coconut oil if you don't have access to vegan butter.
    • Granulated sugar (white sugar): Use organic to make sure it's vegan. Some sugars are processed with animal bone char.
    • Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar but dark brown will work fine, too.
    • Vanilla extract: My mom always told me to double the vanilla extract in baking recipes! If you do the same, no need to do so with this recipe because it's loaded with vanilla flavor. Pure vanilla extract is the best.
    • Non-dairy milk: My favorite milk to bake with is oat milk, but use your favorite or whatever you have on hand.
    • Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I have not tested it with gluten-free flour.
    • Baking soda: A leavening agent. Helps the cookie rise.
    • Salt: A bit of saltiness will add depth to your vegan chocolate chip cookies!
    • Vegan chocolate chips: Not all chocolate chips are vegan, so make sure to read the label. The good news is that many grocery stores do carry them! Kroger's has some under the Simple Truth label, and Enjoy Life is another brand of vegan chocolate chips.

    Directions

    The full, printable recipe can be found in the recipe card toward the end of this post.

    Process steps for making cookies
    More process steps for making cookies
    I like to use a hand mixer to make these because I think it creams the butter & sugar the best. You can also just use a spoon or break out the stand mixer.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. If I'm using a light-colored, non-stick baking pan I typically do not line it because there is no need, but I do line when using a dark metal baking pan to prevent overbrowning on the bottom.
    • Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
    • Mix in the vanilla extract and non-dairy milk.
    • Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
    • Fold in the chocolate chips.
    A close-up of chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
    You could also use chocolate chunks.
    • Roll the cookie dough into balls (I use about a heaping tablespoon worth for each cookie) and place on the baking sheet two inches apart. If the cookie dough is too sticky to roll into balls, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is smooth enough.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes. I usually bake for 11 or 12 minutes for a slightly golden brown bottom. If you want super soft cookies, stick to 10 minutes.
    • Let cool on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes.
    6 baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.
    Make sure to space them out on the pan to give the cookies room to spread.

    Tips and Tricks

    Need some help with your vegan chocolate chip cookies? I've got some advice:

    • If the cookie dough is too sticky to roll into balls, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is smooth enough.
    • If the cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, at a teaspoon of non-dairy milk at a time. (Sometimes the chocolate chips will make them fall apart while rolling, so make sure the dough is actually the issue.)
    • Let the cookies sit for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet before handling them. They are likely to fall apart before they cool a bit. Unless you're like my husband and don't care and insist on eating them as soon as they come out of the oven - in which case, enjoy on a plate with a fork.
    Cookies cooling on a baking rack.
    Because the cookies are super soft when they first come out of the oven, let them cool for a bit before handling.

    Storing and Freezing

    • Freezing cookie dough: The best way to freeze these cookies is to freeze them before baking them. Roll the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place the frozen dough balls in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
    • Baking frozen cookie dough: Place the frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet. Bake as instructed in the recipe card, but add a couple minutes to the baking time.
    • Storing leftover cookies: I recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can store them in the fridge to last up to a week.

    Want more chocolate-ly desserts? Try oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and easy vegan fudge next!

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!

    Recipe

    Close up of cookies

    Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Karissa Besaw
    Easy, soft vegan chocolate chip cookies!
    4.95 from 18 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, Vegan
    Servings 12
    Calories 240 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup vegan butter softened
    • ½ cup white granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
    • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ to 1 cup vegan chocolate chips semi-sweet

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. If I'm using a light-colored, non-stick baking pan I typically do not line it because there is no need, but I do line when using a dark metal baking pan to prevent overbrowning on the bottom.
    • Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
    • Mix in the vanilla extract and non-dairy milk.
    • Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
    • Fold in the chocolate chips.
    • Roll the cookie dough into balls (I use a heaping tablespoons worth for each cookie) and place on the baking sheet an inch or two apart.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes. I usually bake for 11 or 12 minutes for a slightly golden brown bottom. If you want super soft cookies, stick to 10 minutes.
    • Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes.

    Notes

    Recipe makes 10-12 cookies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 181mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 369IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Vegan Cookie Recipes:

    • Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
    • Vegan Sugar Cookies
    • Magic Cookie Bars
    • Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

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    About Karissa

    Hey! I’m happy you’re here! My name is Karissa and I’ve been cooking up delicious vegan food since going vegan in 2016. Not vegan and just want to eat more plants? We don't judge - everyone is welcome in our kitchen. Read more...

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Katherine Cornakovic says

      April 23, 2022 at 12:30 am

      I made them with gluten free flour(Bobs Red Mill All Purpose Flour) and added 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum.
      These are the best gf chocolate chip cookies I have made to date. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

      Reply
    2. Laurie says

      March 25, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      how much cocoa would you add to make these double chocolate chip cookies? would you need to make any other changes? these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever and would love to make them double choc for variation!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        March 27, 2022 at 7:38 pm

        Hey Laurie! Unfortunately, I have not tested this recipe with cocoa powder, but that's such a good idea. I'll add it to my recipe-testing list 🙂

        Reply
    3. Diana says

      February 10, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely recipe. I put 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup mini marshmellows (the really small ones that are for hot cocoa typically), and 3 chopped sheets of graham crackers in this to make it a smores cookie! I chilled the dough for an hour so they wouldn’t spread! Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Marcy K. says

      December 02, 2021 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted; vegan and non-vegan. All of your recipes on your site are excellent. Thank you for making the transition to a vegan diet easy and delicious!

      Reply
    5. Brittany Vela says

      November 24, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      These might be the best vegan chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had!!

      Reply
    6. Mary Ann says

      November 22, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      These are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies I've tried, and I have tried several recipes 🙂

      Reply
    7. Nic says

      September 06, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      4 stars
      The cookies are super delicious!
      I just think they are a little bit too sweet, maybe a little bit less sugar would make them perfect - I'm just starting in the baking world so I wouldn't know how to balance that with the other ingredients.
      I really love this blog, for sure I'll keep trying more recipes!

      Reply
    8. Hema says

      June 10, 2021 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are delicious and moist.

      Reply
    9. Ann says

      March 01, 2021 at 10:51 am

      Hi! What brand of sugars did you use? 🙂

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        March 01, 2021 at 11:39 am

        I usually use Zulka. It's not organic, but is vegan.

        Reply
    10. HollyAnn says

      February 22, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      We made this on a whim last night because we already had all of the ingredients. I'm glad we did! We LOVED them! The best part, no coconut 😉 Thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply
    11. Annie says

      August 01, 2020 at 1:23 am

      Thank you so much! These cookies are so delicious! I will for sure try other recipes on your site! 😀

      Reply
      • Muna Jedski says

        September 06, 2021 at 9:15 pm

        5 stars
        These were fantastic. Try the pancakes!

        Reply
    12. Tami says

      July 16, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Recipe looks good but I am trying to stay away from fats so whst is the best alternative to the vegan butter?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        July 16, 2020 at 1:50 pm

        Hey! I have not tested this recipe with oil-free options, so I am hesitant to make any suggestions. It -may- work with applesauce or peanut butter, but I can't say for sure.

        Reply

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