Our BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

This classic chocolate chip cookie is the perfect cookie.

I have tried dozens of recipes, and made countless variations, all to bring you the best vegan cookie recipe. Paired with a tall glass of cold milk, it’s a timeless afternoon snack.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is easy and simple, with no funny ingredients or extra steps. Best of all, it tastes just like an old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie. But without any egg or dairy of course!

How to Make the Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

A chocolate chip cookie is my absolute favorite cookie. I have baked so many recipes from the web, and from every vegan cookbook I own. I even made a spreadsheet to analyze all the variations I tried!

All so I could deliver to you the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate chip cookies are often a spur of the moment baking decision. I stripped these down to the basics to give you the simplest recipe. It’s quick and easy, so you can pop out a batch of cookies whenever the mood strikes you. You don’t need any fancy ingredients or to wait that agonizing time while the dough chills.

But they still taste like grandma’s cookies.

A bit of history

The very first chocolate chip cookie ever was made by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in 1938. That famous recipe rapidly became a household favorite. The cookies were sent overseas to soldiers fighting during WWII, and then letters flew home across the country asking for more.

The Toll House cookie survived remarkably unchanged over generations. It’s the classic recipe, with variations published on the back of Nestle Toll House chocolate chips.

So, why mess with a good thing?

Well, the original recipe asks you to refrigerate for TWO DAYS. I dunno about you, but I can’t plan out my cookie cravings that long in advance.

No need to chill

When I first started cataloging chocolate chip cookie recipes, I had two categories: those that needed to chill, and those that didn’t.

And I never wanted to make the ones that need an agonizing wait in the fridge or freezer.

So, these cookies use coconut oil, which stays solid at room temperature. That way the cookies keep their shape and don’t spread out all over the pan like cookies that use melted oil.

And of course, most non-vegan chocolate cookie recipes use egg. That original Toll House recipe uses three!

Egg replacer

At some point in my baking career, I got annoyed with having to mix up the ground flax with hot water, and then wait for it to congeal. And those half-used containers of applesauce would go bad in my fridge.

So, I started trying out cookie recipes and just…skipping the egg replacer.

And guess what I found out?

They work just fine!

So, one fewer ingredient to worry about. In these cookies, we just skip any egg replacement!

Instead, just add a bit of extra oil for the fat and moisture, and the cookies still rise just enough and hold together easily.

FAQ

Can I eat the dough raw?

Unfortunately, no, this cookie dough is not safe to eat raw. It doesn’t have any egg, of course, so you might think you’re safe from salmonella. However, raw flour itself is sometimes contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella, and is not safe to eat raw.

Is chocolate vegan?

Yes! Chocolate is vegan. Of course, chocolate often has dairy milk (or milkfat, or milk solids) added, which makes it not vegan. Make sure to check the ingredients to see if your chocolate has any dairy.

Why are my cookies all puffy?

Cookies get puffy and cake-like for a few different reasons:

• Make sure you didn’t use self-rising flour by accident. (This contains yeast!)
• Check to see if you used baking powder instead of baking soda.
• Too much flour or too little liquid. If you packed the flour you might have ended up with too much. Make sure the dough isn’t too firm or hard.
• You can always flatten the cookies with your fingers before they bake to make flatter cookies.

Why did my cookies spread out and flatten too much?

There are several different culprits for cookies that spread out too much:

• Too much liquid or too little flour. Your batter should be moldable, and not sticky or mushy.
• Expired leavening. Check the expiration date on the baking soda. (You did remember to add the baking soda, right?)
• Melted coconut oil. If the coconut oil is too warm to start, it will be fully liquid and the cookies will spread out instead of holding their shape. If your kitchen is too warm and you find that the coconut oil is liquid, stick it in the fridge until it solidifies.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Sugar

I use a mix of brown and white sugars for these cookies. I love the hints of molasses from the brown sugar, but don’t want it to be too dark.

The majority of sugar produced in America no longer uses animal bone char. But it can be tricky to determine if any brand is actually vegan because the manufactures and refineries vary from one batch to the next.

When in doubt, any organic or unrefined sugar will always be vegan. And any beet sugar or coconut sugar will also be vegan.

You can use any combination of brown and white sugars that you have on hand and adjust according to how sweet you want it.

Also, feel free to try other sweeteners, like stevia or xylitol. The taste and texture will vary, but as long as you add enough chocolate chips, I’m sure you’ll get an excellent result!

If you substitute with coconut sugar or other large granules, be aware that it may take a couple of extra minutes to dissolve, so add a few minutes to the first step.

Flour

These cookies taste best with unbleached, all-purpose flour.

However, I often sub white whole wheat cookies to make them just a bit healthier, and you can hardly tell the difference. You can even use regular whole wheat flour, and they come out somewhat heartier, and still taste delicious.

I would avoid using any bread flour, as the higher protein content will make the cookies too tough and chewy.

Oil

For this classic vegan chocolate chip cookie, use refined coconut oil. Unlike virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil does not taste like coconut at all!

The original Toll House chocolate chip cookie uses Crisco, which is a hydrogenated vegetable shortening (and is actually vegan!). However, hydrogenated oils are never a good idea, which is why we use refined coconut oil here.

However, if you want something a bit exotic, these cookies do taste delicious with virgin coconut oil. And you can even add coconut flakes to top it off.

Chocolate Chips

You can use mini chips, regular morsels, chunks, or even chopped up chocolate bars.

Just make sure to check the packaging to see if there is any dairy listed in the ingredients.