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.
Abanan says
I made this and it was delicious! A few changes that altered the final result were:
– using half whole wheat AP flour and half unbleached white AP flour
– using half a flax egg rather than corn starch and decreasing the amount of milk to balance the liquid from the flax egg
– chilling the finished dough for about 10 minutes
I was very happy with the final result. It is the first time that I have even made a vegan cookie that did not completely flatten and melt to a brittle! Can’t wait to see what the next batch is like. I will probably use the base for other flavored cookies.
–
Alison Andrews says
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
Best vegan cookie recipe, highly recommend trying these and easy to bake !
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Emily! 🙂
Maria says
This is my all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!! Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Maria! Thank you! 🙂
Sophie says
I absolutely love these! Just wondering if they can be frozen (and the chocolate cookies) and if so is it best to freeze the dough or the cooked cookie… plus should they just defrost at room temperature? Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Sophie, yes the baked cookies can be frozen and you can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough, the best way is to roll them into balls and then freeze the cookie dough balls. You can then just bake them from frozen, allowing an extra couple of minutes baking time to account for them being frozen.
Deena says
I am baking a batch right now for the 6th time during the past few months. They are absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Yay! Thanks Deena! 🙂
Georgina says
This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve baked. I had to sub vanilla with almond extract because i had ran out of vanilla and i had no idea, and the substitution was not bad at all, but i only did 1/2 TBSP to ensure the extract did not overpower the other flavors.
Perfect, chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, cookies!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing and the great review Georgina! 🙂
Sara says
Thank you for this recipe, also substituted butter with coconut oil and 1 cup sugar with 2/3 . Killer!
Alison Andrews says
So glad to hear that, thanks for sharing Sara.
Itzel says
Great and easy vegan cookies recipe!
Princess says
hi I would like to try this recipe but I cant seem to find vegan butter at my local supermarket. Is there another substitute that I can use?
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, usually you can find a dairy free margarine and that will work just fine. Otherwise you can make a homemade vegan butter that also works great in baking. 🙂
Melissa Goodman says
I’ve made these cookies a handful of times now and they are seriously so delicious!!! I had my sister visiting from home and she made them with me and LOVED them…she went back home and has made them herself!! Lol. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these cookies. Today I added a TBSP of cocoa powder to make them chocolate chocolate chip cookies and they came out AMAZING!!! Probably my favorite cookies of all time. ♡♡♡♡♡
Melissa Goodman says
omg this has become my go to for everything vegan. If I’m searching a recipe and it’s not on here, I won’t make it!! Lol!! Love this site. I’ve made a lot of things from here. I have to remember to comment more. ♡
Alison Andrews says
Yay! Thank you so much Melissa! 🙂
Jo Gustafson says
Wonderful! 18 year egg and milk allergic college kiddo loved them! This website has become my ‘go to’ for everything! Thank you so much!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Jo! 🙂
Tzivi says
Wow! I’ve tried so many vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes, and none of them have done it for me. Til now. These are amazing and they totally do what they are advertised to do. I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and white sugar instead of brown – only about 2/3 of a cup. By the way, it’s so incredibly helpful that you post about potential substitutions. Wondering what the cornstarch does. Is that the secret ingredient? I will definitely be making these again. And again. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Rachel says
These came out so delicious! Today I’m making them again, but also adding dried cranberries and orange zest. They’ll be perfect for the holidays! Thanks so much.
Brittany says
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve been vegan for a year and a half but had been scared of baking this entire time, for whatever reason. I finally decided I needed to make some cookies and these were delicious. My boyfriend said they’re the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever had, and he’s a harsh critic! I wish I could post a picture of them here.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Brittany! I’m so happy to hear they were a hit! Yay! Thanks so much for the wonderful review. If you’re on instagram you can post a pic there and if you do please tag us so we definitely see it. 🙂
Olivia says
These are the best! I tried so many vegan cookie recipes, but they always would turn out hard. These are just perfect! If you follow the recipe it will turn out perfect
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Olivia! 🙂
Kare says
Hey, i totally love your website. Your recipes are really good. A lot of explanation. Unfortunately, my cookies were a disaster. They were so liquid. I had to add extra (a lot) flour which made the cookies in the end so dry. I’ll try again with an other type of butter and sugar. I never ever came to the point where you had a creamy texture. Mine, was very dry ( it looked like there was too much sugar in it). I want this recipe to work????
Alison Andrews says
Hi Kare, I’m so sorry to hear they weren’t a success! did you make any substitutions of ingredients?