These vegan chocolate chip cookies are the best ever! They are soft, chewy, slightly-crunchy, perfectly sweet and totally satisfying. They’re also super easy to make.
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy with just enough ‘crunch’ to be satisfying as you bite into them.
And these cookies were polished off at speed in our house! They’re always very popular.
And when you look at the cookie dough that these cookies make, then you really understand why people eat cookie dough as is. I just about managed to resist eating the cookie dough so that this batch of cookies could get made! But if you do just want to eat straight cookie dough then check out our divine edible vegan cookie dough.
If you love cookies as much as we do (and oh we really do love them!) then check out our vegan peanut butter cookies and our super popular vegan chocolate cookies too.
Ingredients You’ll Need For These Cookies:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter – is the best option for these cookies in terms of flavor and texture. Some readers have made it with coconut oil and reported good results but the best option is going to be vegan butter. You can also make your own homemade vegan butter which has coconut oil as the base ingredient.
- Vegan chocolate chips – you can use either vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks which is just a chopped up bar of vegan chocolate. We have made these cookies both ways or using a mix of chocolate chips and chunks. It works perfectly no matter how you do them. In some countries it can be a struggle to find vegan chocolate chips so in that case just chop up a bar of dark chocolate or vegan chocolate. Of course you don’t quite have the symmetry of perfect little chocolate chips but that’s okay.
- Soy milk – can be replaced with a different non-dairy milk.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- These cookies are soo easy to make.
- Add vegan butter and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream them together.
- Then add soy milk and vanilla and mix that in.
- Add all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt to a mixing bowl and mix it together.
- Then add the dry ingredients in with the wet and mix in by hand (not by actual hand, just using a spoon for this part instead of the electric mixer) into a thick cookie dough.
- Add in the chocolate chips and mix them into the batter.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls and place them evenly onto the parchment lined baking tray. Aim for 20 cookies.
- Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops are very slightly browned.
- When they come out of the oven, take a few chocolate chips and press them down into the tops of the still warm cookies.
- They’re still very soft when they come out of the oven, but they firm up significantly as they cool.
Recipe Tips
Measure your flour correctly. I recommend weighing your flour on a food scale for the best accuracy or, if you don’t want to weigh it, then make sure to use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop the flour and don’t pack it into the cup.
If the cookie dough is too dry to roll into balls then simply add in a tablespoon of non-dairy milk and try again. Depending on the brand of vegan butter that you use, your cookie dough could be the perfect consistency (as mine was) or a little dry.
If the brand of vegan butter you use has a lower water content (a firm brick or stick style of vegan butter vs a soft spread for example) then your resulting cookie dough may be too dry to easily roll into balls. If this happens, just add in a little more non-dairy milk, a tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency.
If the cookies didn’t spread then simply flatten them with a fork immediately as they come out of the oven.
When you cream the vegan butter and sugar together it is supposed to warm it up enough so that when you add the other ingredients you end up with a cookie dough that is fairly warm and pliable.
If your butter/sugar mix didn’t cream together for long enough and your vegan butter was very cold, or even if the weather is just very cold, it can end up that your cookie dough is too chilled and your cookies don’t spread.
Baking Time. Ovens do differ, so keep an eye on them. Soft and chewy is around 10-12 minutes. If you want them nice and crunchy you can leave them baking for up to 15 minutes.
Recipe Q&A
Yes! We have done it, check out our recipe for vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Keep them stored in an airtight container at room temperature and they’ll stay fresh for up to a week.
Yes, they are freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
Yes you can, keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days and then let it come to room temperature before rolling into balls and baking them as usual.
More Vegan Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- ¼ cup Soy Milk (60ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (175g) + more to press into the tops when they come out the oven*
Instructions
- Add vegan butter and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream them together.
- Then add the soy milk and vanilla and mix in.
- Add your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in by hand (don't use your electric mixer for this part) into a thick cookie dough.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix in to distribute as evenly as possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Roll into balls and place them evenly on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Aim for 20 cookies.
- Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and they are very slightly browned on top.
- When they come out of the oven, press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies.
- Allow to cool and firm up directly on the tray.
- Once properly cooled store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method (spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup). Alternatively weigh it on a food scale.
- Cornstarch has a softening effect on baked goods and this contributes to these cookies being very soft and chewy.
- If you can’t get vegan chocolate chips then just chop up a bar of vegan chocolate and use chocolate chunks instead.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes for a soft cookie. If you prefer them more on the crunchy side then you can bake them for up to 15 minutes. Ovens do vary though so keep a close eye on them.
- If your cookies didn’t flatten in the oven then just flatten them with a fork as soon as they come out of the oven when they’re still hot.
- This recipe was first published in 2016. It has been updated with new photos and clearer instructions but the recipe itself is unchanged.
Tara Costello says
Thanks for the recipe! I made them and they’re delicious. However, I followed the recipe exactly but the dough was very wet (I couldn’t form them into balls.) Any advice? 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Tara, I would add a couple of tablespoons of flour to counteract that if it happens again. I would assume the vegan butter used had a higher water content than what I used, which could have caused it to be more wet than my dough was. So glad they were still delicious though! 🙂
Rachelle says
Seriously no one would ever know these are vegan, they are absolutely perfect! So easy too. Perfect recipe, thanks.
Alison Andrews says
Yay! So glad you liked them, they are always a massive hit when I make them too. Thanks for the great review. 🙂
Felicity says
These are amazing! Just the right amount of chewiness in a perfectly soft and decadent cookie. In love right now. Thanks for the recipe.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks for the great review Felicity! 🙂
Jamie says
I made these for a colleague’s farewell and they were a complete hit! Perfectly chewy, like proper American cookies, I had to keep reminding people that they were actually vegan, because no one could believe it!
Alison Andrews says
Haha, that’s too awesome! Thanks so much for the wonderful review Jamie. 🙂
Annalisa Mappala says
My cookies were a success. My children loved them! They came out great.
I added a little more of the GF flour and they held up pretty well. I think next time, I will leave the milk for last and check the consistency.
Thanks Alison
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful news! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hannah says
Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar?
Alison Andrews says
Sure! 🙂
Mek says
can I use oil instead of butter?
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, possibly coconut oil but I’m not sure. You can make your own vegan butter to use in these cookies though. 🙂
Verónica says
Hello. I have always used coconut oil instead of vegan butter and the cookies have invariably come out wonderful. I wanted to share this with you, as at the beginning I was unsure how this would work. Also, thanks to your delicious recipes, Alison, I have fallen in love with baking. What makes me even happier is my being able to share all these lovely treats with my loved ones, except my adorable dogs of course! You have gained a new follower from thousands of kilometers away: Chile, South America! Thanks a lot!!!
Alison Andrews says
So happy you are loving baking and enjoying the recipes. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Tara says
Wow these turned out the best chocolate chip cookies that I’ve ever had, thank you so so much, also I made a batch by adding two tablespoons of peanut butter to the recipe, it gave the cookies a mild nutty flavor and made them softer, I love your recipes, I have tried a couple of them, and they all turned out amazing.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Tara! Thanks so much for sharing, so glad peanut butter was a tasty addition too. Thanks for the awesome review, and so glad you are enjoying the recipes. 🙂
Erin says
These are SO good! I used arrowroot flour for the cornstarch as it’s all I had on hand and they turned out AMAZING! Definitely one to print out and keep to make for all of my non-vegan friends.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So happy to heart his Erin, thanks a million for the great review! 🙂
Debby says
This is such a great recipe! My son has recently given up both dairy and eggs and has been frustrated by the options out there for treats. I have made this recipe three times since discovering it just three weeks ago. Great texture! I’ve been rolling them into fairly substantial sized cookies, perhaps a little larger than a golf ball. When baked they are about 3.5 inches in diameter, so a single cookie usually satisfies.
I have been refrigerating the dough before forming into balls. I do think it helps. I also have been making these cookies entirely by hand (i.e., no electric mixer.). They come together really well. Thank you so much for posting this.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Debby! So happy you have been enjoying these cookies, and thanks for sharing your tips. So great that you have been making them without a mixer too. Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
Deena says
Hi Alison- I doubled the recipe and guess what? My kids liked the cookies after they were baked even more than they liked the dough! They were soft and fluffy with a little bit of a thin crispy outside. The ones I took out of the oven a little sooner were soft without being crispy. I give these cookies a rave review! Thanks for the recipe and helping me bake something I could feel proud about!
Alison Andrews says
Yay! So glad the baked cookies were enjoyed even more than the cookie dough and also that you managed to double the recipe without any issues. Thanks so much for the rave review! 🙂
deena says
My 15-year-old son found this recipe. He wanted me to make it so that he could eat the cookie dough raw. I am not the best baker, but I followed this recipe and I think they came out great! It’s fluffy and creamy and taste like cookie dough, but there is nothing to worry about because there are no raw eggs! My kids love it and now they want me to bake some of it into cookies. Hope they come out as good as the dough:-)
Alison Andrews says
Hi Deena! I’m so happy everyone loved the taste of the cookie dough! I definitely think the baked cookies will be enjoyed just as much! Thanks so much for posting and the wonderful review. 🙂
Cari says
An absolute delight! If followed to the letter, using whatever plant milk you like (I like cashew), it creates the most delightful cookies! They’re soft on the inside with a touch of crunch encasing them, and stay puffy for a long time. I make these all the time and absolutely adore them!
On a side note, these cookies do not double batch well, you need to make two separate batches for double the amount of cookies. Otherwise they get all flat and dry, and we dont’t want that!
Thank you so much for publishing this recipe!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Cari, so happy you like the cookies and thanks so much for sharing your tips! Yes, it’s so weird that some recipes just don’t respond well to being doubled, but it’s definitely a fact that some recipes go like that! Thanks so much for the awesome review. 🙂
Robert millingham says
Good cookies for being vegan and all!
Overall pretty yummy.
Alison Andrews says
Glad to hear it! Thanks Robert. 🙂
Anna Temple says
I’ve just made the chocolate brownies (even made my own buttermilk) and they were awesome thank you so much ?
Alison Andrews says
So glad to hear it, thanks Anna! 🙂