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The BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies ever! They are crispy on the outside yet soft, chewy, and ooey gooey in the center. Each bite is loaded with pockets of melted chocolate and full of rich flavor. This vegan cookie recipe is made with pantry staples and easy-to-follow instructions. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for vegans and non-vegans, alike!

Are you in need of a foolproof recipe for classic vegan chocolate chip cookies? Look no further; this will be your new go-to recipe. In fact, these cookies are my absolute favorite dessert. I’m a firm believer that you can never pass up a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. I’d choose these over the most extravagant dessert on any menu. They’ve got that childhood classic, incredibly delicious, tollhouse-cookie flavor paired with a 2020 “I’m a vegan” type of attitude, ya know? In translation: these contain no eggs, no dairy, and a whole lot of love!
I consistently bake these cookies for my non-vegan family members and they always adore them. I promise, nobody will be able to tell these cookies are made without eggs and dairy. They’re just as good – dare I say, better? – than the traditional thing.
These classic chocolate chip cookies are:
- Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and egg-free
- Crispy on the outside yet gooey and soft on the inside
- Loaded with melty chocolate chips in every bite
- Super easy to make / minimal steps required
- Made with pantry staples and no funky ingredients
- Kid-approved and non-vegan approved
- Best enjoyed fresh out of the oven or paired with ice cream (thank me later!)


What are vegan chocolate chip cookies made of?
- Vegan butter: You can’t make chocolate chip cookies without vegan butter, right? Well, ok, you can. But, who wants to live in that kind of world? I highly recommend using margarine – from a tub – rather than sticks of vegan butter. In my experience, margarine creates the best results.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar makes the best cookies. In particular, we’ll use light brown sugar. Be sure to pack it when measuring.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar or cane sugar is paired with the brown sugar to create a perfectly sweet flavor and chewy texture.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour, otherwise known as plain flour, is used for this cookie recipe. I have yet to try using gluten-free all-purpose flour, but I’ll keep you posted.
- Vegan chocolate chips: A dessert recipe isn’t complete without chocolate, and this one’s no exception to that rule. Use traditional vegan chocolate chips or a combination of mini chocolate chips + vegan chocolate chunks.
- Non-dairy milk: Any type of plant-based milk can be used – such as almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk.
- Vanilla extract: Don’t skip out on the vanilla extract. It’s essential for that warm, rich, classic cookie flavor we all love and adore. You can either use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise while baking.
- Salt: Just a dash is needed to balance the sweet flavors from the sugar and chocolate.

How to make the best vegan chocolate chip cookies
For the full recipe, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
First, we’ll add the butter and sugars to a bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the ingredients together until creamy and fluffy.
Next, mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Then, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the ingredients together to combine.

Mix in the chocolate chips, then cover the cookie dough with cling wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. After, scoop the cookie dough into 1-inch rounds. Use clean hands to roll the dough into balls. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased with oil.
Bake the vegan chocolate chip cookies for 10-15 minutes on the middle rack in your oven. See tips below for making sure your cookies turn out perfectly soft and chewy. Finally, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before devouring.


What is the secret to soft cookies?
For perfectly soft and ooey gooey cookies, do not over-bake them. The cookies should be removed from the oven when they appear slightly under-baked. Seriously, they should look as if they still need a couple more minutes in the oven. (In reality, they don’t!) If you want to achieve a soft and chewy center, remove the cookies at this point and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes on the hot baking sheet. Your cookies will firm up a bit and de-puff while cooling. After 5-10 minutes, they will have a perfectly crispy exterior with a soft, gooey, and warm interior.
I highly recommend baking these vegan chocolate chip cookies on the middle rack in your oven. From my experience, the cookies are crispier and crunchier when baked on a lower rack. If this is your ideal type of cookie, then go for it! But, to achieve a truly soft and chewy texture, use the middle rack only.

Why should you chill cookie dough in the refrigerator?
I know, it’s an annoying step. You read a recipe and think, “Ok, I can do that!” until you stumble upon the dreaded instruction to chill your dough. But, refrain from that heavy sigh and eye roll. We chill our dough for good reason here 😉 You don’t want to skip out on this step.
Why should you chill cookie dough in the refrigerator, you ask? What’s the point? Is it worth it?
- Better flavor. When you chill cookie dough in the refrigerator, the ingredients have extra time to come together before baking. This leads to a more concentrated, sweeter, and richer flavor.
- Less spread. Chilled cookie dough allows the butter to solidify and gives the flour time to hydrate. In turn, this leads to less spread when baking. The longer you chill the dough, the less the cookies should spread.
- Better texture. Chilled cookie dough leads to a chewier texture rather than a cakey texture.
How long should you chill cookie dough?
Are you short on time or just totally impatient? (No judgment, I hate waiting around for the dough to chill, too!) Well, even just 30 minutes in the refrigerator is better than nothing. I recommend allowing the cookie dough to chill for one hour or longer, but 30 minutes is enough to produce positive results. Alternatively, cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days – just make sure it’s well wrapped/covered tightly with cling wrap.

Is vegan cookie dough safe to eat?
Okay, so the pre-baked cookie dough is really damn good. Like, ‘let’s eat the whole entire bowl before it makes it into the oven’ type of good. Buuuut, let’s err on the side of caution and try not to eat the raw cookie dough, alright?
We’ve all heard that it isn’t wise to consume raw cookie dough. Many people believe this is due to raw eggs. If that’s the case, vegan cookie dough should be totally safe to consume, right? Unfortunately, no. It is still not safe to consume vegan cookie dough. Yes, raw eggs pose a risk, but so does raw flour. Raw flour can contain harmful bacteria that leads to food poisoning – and nobody wants a fun night of baking turning into a tummy ache or worse.
If you’re in the mood for some safe and edible cookie dough, check out these recipes:
- Edible Vegan Cookie Dough
- No Bake Cookie Dough Bars
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups
- Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls
Can you freeze raw chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yes, you can definitely freeze the cookie dough for later. I recommend rolling the dough into balls, then placing the balls in your freezer for 30 minutes. After, transfer them to a ziplock bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Store the bag in the freezer for up to one month. Keep in mind frozen cookie dough will require a few additional minutes in the oven while baking.

More vegan cookie recipes:
- Vegan Monster Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan S’mores Cookies
- Vegan Birthday Cake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Hawaiian Cookies
If you try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
Print
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies ever! They are crispy on the edges yet soft, chewy, and gooey on the inside. These cookies are loaded with pockets of melted chocolate in every bite.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, slightly softened (from a tub, not sticks)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plant-based milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 + 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (measured correctly, see notes)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together just until combined (about 1-2 minutes). Add the plant-based milk and vanilla extract. Cream together once more to combine.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Fold the ingredients together until evenly combined. Then, mix in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the cookie dough with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls and transfer to the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 11-14 minutes on the middle rack in your oven. Remove cookies from the oven while they still appear slightly underbaked. Once you remove them from the oven, let the cookies rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. They will firm up and de-puff while cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
- For soft and chewy cookies, do not over-bake them. Remove the cookies from the oven while they still appear slightly underbaked. Let the cookies cool on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes before enjoying. During this time, they will firm up and de-puff. The end result will have a soft and chewy center with crispy golden edges. So delicious!
- Be sure to measure the flour correctly. Flour should never be scooped or packed into a measuring cup. Instead, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and scrape off any excess using a flat object (such as the edge of a knife). For accurate measurements, I highly recommend weighing the flour. The original recipe calls for roughly 210g all-purpose flour. If you double or triple the recipe, be sure to adjust the weight of flour as needed.
- To prevent spread: Whipping too much air into the cookie dough will cause cookies to collapse and spread. The butter and sugar should be creamed until combined, only about 1-2 minutes. Also, chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes will prevent spread.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 245
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
Keywords: vegan chocolate chip cookies, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies
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Jessica
Can you use coconut oil to replace the butter/margarine?
purelykaylie
Hi, Jessica! I have not tried it with coconut oil, but that’s a great idea. It should work as long as you use solid coconut oil (not the liquid variety). I would recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour if you’re going to use coconut oil instead of butter. Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂 I’m going to test it myself and I will update the recipe once I have the results!
Ally
Amazing cookies, probably the best I’ve made so far!!! 10/10 would recommend!!
★★★★★
purelykaylie
So glad you loved them, Ally! Thanks for your sweet comment!! 🙂
Elena
Love them!! Super easy and delicious!
★★★★★
purelykaylie
Glad you enjoyed them, Elena! 🙂
Jennifer
The most amazing cookies. I had been craving cookies and the recipe popped in my inbox. I made them today and ate five of them before the second tray was done cooking. My daughter (non-vegan) loves them too. These are a winner and I have already shared it with my friends. The recipe, not my cookies.
★★★★★
purelykaylie
I’m so happy to hear you loved the cookies, Jennifer!! “The recipe, not my cookies” haha! I don’t like sharing these cookies either… 🙂
Sam
Could you substitute flour with almond flour?
Can’t wait to try, thanks!
purelykaylie
Hi, Sam! I have not tried this recipe with almond flour yet, but that’s a great idea. I use almond flour often in my recipes, so I think I’ll give it a try 🙂 There are a couple things you’ll want to keep in mind. Almond flour has more moisture than all-purpose flour and it can burn easily. Therefore, you’ll want to use more almond flour and keep an eye on the cookies while baking to ensure they do not burn. I recommend using 2 and 1/2 cups almond flour instead of 1 and 3/4. If you happen to give it a try, please let me know how it went! 🙂
isa
me muero de lo ricas que están, voy a salir de la cuarentena con 5kg extra
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Jajaja, estoy feliz de que ames las galletas 🙂
LeBella
I am addicted, this is my second time making these!
THANK YOU for a GREAT recipe.
Kaylie Grace
You’re welcome, LeBella! I am soo happy you love them! 🙂
Corina
These were the BEST vegan cookies EVER. I have seriously tried many recipes but these were devine. Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Corina! Woohoo! Thanks so much 🙂 I am so happy to hear you loved them!
Britt
I plan on using this recipe for a vegan picnic this upcoming Tuesday! Do you press down the dough before baking or leave them in rolled balls?
Kaylie Grace
Nope, do not press the dough down!
Maria
These were amazing! I’ve made them twice already
And they’ve been a hit. Would you know how long they will stay fresh in the refrigerator? I have a couple of friends stopping by in 2 days but I didn’t want to leave them out
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Maria! I am so happy to hear you love these cookies! I have not tried storing them in the refrigerator, but I think that’s a great idea. I am sure it will keep them fresh longer. Keep them stored in an airtight container and they should remain fresh for several days. Hope your friends enjoy them! xo
Raven
Believe the reviews!!! These are seriously the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever had. I’d put these up against anything!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Raven!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Phoebe
Hi! I had issues with mine melting in the oven, but I’m pretty sure it’s because I didn’t have any parchment flavor (so my fault, not yours haha). However, the flavor is perfect and I can’t wait to try to make these again! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Phoebe! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies 🙂 Parchment paper helps a lot! It is definitely the preferred method. Did you refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour before baking? That helps prevent spread. Also, be sure you measure the flour correctly. I like to use a scale in order to get an accurate measurement. 1 + 3/4 cups = 210 grams 🙂 Enjoy!
Paula
Hi! Quick question, would it be okay for me to use oat or almond flour? These look delicious and I’d love to give them a try!
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Paula! I have not tested this recipe with almond flour or oat flour. If you need to use a gluten-free flour, I would recommend a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour (such as the Bob’s Red Mill brand). Oat flour is grainer than all-purpose and almond flour has more moisture than all-purpose. If you’re going to try it, I would recommend incorporating both to balance it out. Try 1 cup oat flour + 3/4 cup almond flour. Don’t forget to chill the dough. Be sure to let us know how it goes! 🙂
Priscila
Hi, is there anything i can use instead of the vegan margarine? I am from Brazil and unfortunately it is not that easy to find this product here.
Kaylie Grace
Hey Priscila! You can try using coconut oil instead. It will be a little bit different, but it will still work 🙂 Let the cookie dough chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking them!
Mandy
These cookies turned out great first time! They look just as they do in the photo! After trying numerous vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes and not being entirely happy with any of them, this is definitely my go to recipe now! Extremely happy with this recipe! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Mandy! That is so great to hear! I’m happy you loved these chocolate chip cookies 🙂 Thanks for the review! xo
Rahma Y
Hi! I don’t have any kind of mixer, do you think these could somehow be mixed by hand? Or in a food processor?
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Rahma! You can mix it by hand but it will just require more work 🙂 Use softened (room temperature) butter so it’s easier to cream the butter and sugar together. Keep mixing it until the sugar is dissolved into the butter. Since you’ll be using room temperature butter, remember to refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking the cookies! Enjoy! xo
Angie
Hi. Already wrote but can’t see my comment =(
It is the first time ever I baked cookies, so exciting! Mine didn’t flatten down like the ones on your pic, could it be I used coconut oil instead of butter? And I found them a bit too sweet, can I just decrease sugar or need to add maybe something else? Thanks!
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Angie! Yes. If you used coconut oil, the texture will be a bit different than vegan butter. Make sure you are correctly measuring your flour. Too much flour will create cakey and puffy cookies, rather than flat and chewy cookies. If you have a food scale, it really helps to weigh the flour. You can decrease the sugar to 1 cup rather than 1 + 1/4 cup 🙂
Angie
Yes I measured everything with scale. Just bought some vegan butter so will try them again today! Thanks =)
Jen
Best , easy vegan cookies ever!!!!!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Wooohoo! Thank you, Jen! Glad you love them 🙂
navya
i tried this recipe today and OMG they turned out so good!! they had a crispy, crunchy outside and a chewy, soft, goey center that paired so well with the chocolate chips. plus, they actually flattened out while cooling and weren’t all puffy and casey like other cookie recipes i’ve tried. i didn’t have the full amount of vegan butter so i added a little bit of refined coconut oil and it turned out amazing! these are the best cookies i’ve ever had :)) thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
What a wonderful review! Thank you so much, Navya! I am so happy to hear you loved these cookies 🙂 I hope you make them again and again! xo
Rhiane Persaud
Fantastic cookie recipe! I doubled the batch to make about 30 cookies, which was a good call. I used raw sugar and white sugar because I didn’t have any brown sugar on hand which I think led to the cookies not browning as much as I would have liked, even when I baked them for a few minutes longer. But they were still perfect chewy, delicious cookies. Next time I’ll get my hands on some brown first.
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Rhiane! Thank you! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Yes, definitely use brown sugar next time for a more golden, soft and chewy cookie 🙂 Enjoy! xo
Wanida
These cookies sound scrumptuous. Is it possible for me to use coconut palm sugar, monk fruit and stevia in place of brown sugar and white sugar?
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Wanida! I have not tried monk fruit or stevia, but you can substitue with coconut sugar 🙂
Avondarcye
Hi, Why can’t we use the sticks rather than tubs, I got sticks that clearly say they can be used in baking?
Kaylie Grace
Hi! You can use vegan butter sticks rather than vegan butter from a tub. I just recommend the tub variety whenever making vegan cookies because I find it creates better results 🙂 Enjoy! xo
Izzy
Perfect cookies every time! I’ll be honest I don’t put the mixture in the fridge so they spread out a bit more but I like them that way. These cookies don’t last long in my house!!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Izzy! I’m happy you’re loving these cookies. I don’t blame you… it’s hard to wait for the dough to chill 🙂 Enjoy!
Sabina
These are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies!!! This is my third time making them. I did reduce the amount of sugar. I only used 1 cup and replaced the brown sugar with coconut sugar. Thank you for the recipe! ❤️❤️❤️🍪 🍪 🍪
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Sabina! Glad that sugar substitution worked well for you! 🙂
Beth
Hello! When I make cookies, they tend to be round and not flat as pictured. Any helpful tips? Plz lmk, I’m baking them tmr.
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Beth! You are likely using too much flour or whipping too much air into the butter/sugar mixture. Be sure to scoop your flour into the measuring cup rather than pack it in. It’s easy to accidentally use way too much flour otherwise. Don’t overmix the butter/sugar. It should only take 1-2 minutes, just until they are creamed together. Enjoy! 🙂
Katie Harrell
Hi! Is it ok to use vegan margarine instead of vegan butter? I know the fat content is different, so I wanted to know what you think. Thanks!
Kaylie Grace
Absolutely! Actually, I prefer using vegan butter from a tub (aka margarine) instead of the vegan butter sticks 🙂 Enjoy!
Katie Harrell
Ok, thanks so much!
Michelle
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had…and I have tried SO many….the famed ‘Tasty’ vegan cookies, etc. These are by far my favorite and so easy. I used a scale for the flour. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you so much, Michelle!! I’m thrilled to hear you’re loving these vegan chocolate chip cookies 🙂 Enjoy!!
Deja
I think the weighing scale of the flour is incorrect when you double or triple the recipe. Still a good cookie recipe!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Deja! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂 I just updated the notes and added a reminder to adjust the weight if you 2x or 3x the recipe. I’m curious – what weight did you use? Did you 2x or 3x the recipe?
Bianca
Why should we only use vegan butter from a tub and not a stick? All I have is vegan butter from a stick.
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Bianca! Vegan butter sticks will work, but I just recommend vegan butter from a tub. It produces better results. Enjoy! 🙂
Laura
So yummy. Thanks
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Laura! Enjoy! 🙂
Mandy
Great recipe! Have used it numerous times now and they always come out great and also really delicious!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you, Mandy! I’m so happy you’re loving this recipe! 🙂
Rose
I made these cookies last night and they really are the best cookies I’ve ever made! I prefer a soft, chewy cookie – so I baked them for 11 mins then let them sit on the sheet for 5 mins. I also didn’t have parchment paper -but I think the amount of butter in the cookies really saved them from sticking 🙂
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Thank you so much, Rose! I’m thrilled to hear you loved these vegan chocolate chip cookies 🙂
Jen
Best vegan cookie I’ve ever had. I do substitute the flour for a GF all purpose mix.
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Woohoo! So glad to see this great review. 🙂 Thanks, Jen! Enjoy!