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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegan butter, slightly softened (from a tub, not sticks); 1 cup light brown sugar, packed; 3 tbsp granulated sugar; 1/4 cup plant-based milk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (240g, see notes*); 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Published: Apr 5, 2020 · Modified: Sep 4, 2021 by Kaylie Grace · 345 Comments

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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!

a stack of gooey vegan chocolate chip cookies

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: These chocolate chip cookies are made with vegan butter. I highly recommend using vegan butter from a tub instead of buttery sticks. I use the Earth Balance brand.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives the cookies a chewy texture, more moisture, and a slightly caramelized flavor. 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.
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.

white bowls filled with flour, sugar, vegan butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt on a white marble board

How to make the best vegan chocolate chip cookies

For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

First, we’ll add the butter and sugars to a bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream the ingredients together until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).

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 about 12 minutes on the middle rack in your oven. You should remove them from the oven while the center appears underbaked! They will de-puff and firm up while cooling (see tips below for making your cookies perfectly soft and chewy). Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before devouring. Enjoy!

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.

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.

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.

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:

two hands pulling apart a warm and gooey vegan chocolate chip cookie

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.

How to bake cookies at high altitude?

Did you know baking cookies at high altitude can cause them to overspread and brown too much? If you are baking at 3,500 feet or more above sea level, you may need to make adjustments. To prevent your cookies from overspreading, try adding 2 tablespoon flour and removing 2 tablespoon sugar from the recipe. Read Baking and Cooking at High Altitudes to learn more.

a hand holding three halves of gooey chocolate chip 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!