The Absolute Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (2024)

Prepare yourself for the ultimate vegan chocolate chip cookies that are perfectly chewy, irresistibly chocolatey, and 100% vegan-friendly! Studded with gooey dark chocolate chips and a touch of flaky sea salt, these cookies are an absolute crowd-pleaser. Serve them fresh from the oven with a glass of your favorite plant milk!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• 100% vegan: Yes, you can still enjoy classic chocolate chip cookies on a vegan diet. We guarantee you won’t miss the dairy or eggs!
• Perfectly chewy: Thanks to the mix of granulated and brown sugar, these cookies have the perfect level of chewiness.
• Tried and true: You don’t have to worry about your vegan chocolate chip cookies being a flop. This recipe has been put to the test over 10 times!
• Easy to make: No fancy mixer equipment is needed, just a couple of mixing bowls and a baking sheet!

If you love vegan chocolate chip cookies, you should really check out our vegan oatmeal cookies, vegan peanut butter cookies, banana oatmeal cookies, and vegan oatmeal raisin cookies.

🍪 Chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies

These easy vegan chocolate chip cookies will turn anyone into a plant-based baking believer! Seriously, they are just as satisfyingly chewy and chocolatey as their non-vegan counterparts, without the need for dairy or eggs!

Oh, and did we mention how easy this recipe is to make? There is no stand mixer required here. Just melt the butter, mix everything together, chill the dough, and bake away!

Once baked, these cookies are ultra-sweet, salty, and rich. The golden edges provide just the right amount of crispiness while the center remains soft and chewy, studded with pockets of melted chocolate chips and flaky sea salt on top.

Serve your vegan chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven with a glass of plant milk, Hokkaido milk tea, or some coffee for the ultimate treat.

🍫 The best chocolate for chocolate chip cookies

When you’re selecting the chocolate to use for your vegan chocolate chip cookies, there are a few factors to consider. Let’s break them down to guide you through the sweet journey of making this crucial choice:

• Sugar content: The sugar content in chocolate significantly influences the final taste and texture of your cookies. In general, we suggest steering clear of high-sugar-content chocolate. Instead, opt for low-sugar chocolates such as dark or bittersweet. They are less prone to spread during baking, meaning your cookie will maintain more structure and have a richer flavor.
• Cocoa content: Chocolates with high cocoa content (70% or above) offer a robust chocolate taste with a slight bitterness that complements the sweetness of the cookie.
• Form of chocolate: The shape and size of your chocolate can impact the texture of the cookies as well. Chocolate chips result in well-defined pockets of chocolate in the cookies. On the other hand, chocolate bars or chunks tend to melt and spread throughout the cookies, providing a gooier texture.
• Quality: Always prioritize good quality chocolate. Higher-quality chocolates typically have fewer additives and offer a smoother, richer flavor, which can significantly enhance your cookies’ taste.

Remember, the best vegan chocolate chip cookie is the one that satisfies your personal taste buds, so feel free to experiment to find your perfect blend!

🌱 Why aren’t chocolate chip cookies vegan?

Your typical chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for butter, milk, and eggs — ingredients that are clearly not vegan-friendly. But, fear not, we’ve found the perfect substitutes to make these cookies 100% plant-based while maintaining the indulgent, comforting taste we all love in a cookie.

• Vegan butter: Butter plays a key role in giving the cookies their characteristic richness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. We’re using vegan butter in our recipe, which emulates it perfectly. Made from a variety of plant oils, vegan butter is now easily available in most supermarkets, making the swap incredibly easy.
• Plant milk: In traditional recipes, dairy milk and eggs are often used to add moisture and help bind the ingredients together. But who needs that when we have plant milk? It acts as the perfect vegan alternative here, providing the necessary moisture to the cookie dough. You don’t even need eggs!
• Chocolate chips: The absolute star of any chocolate chip cookie recipe is obviously the chocolate chips themselves. However, many brands contain dairy products, so it’s important to choose a vegan one. Look for dark chocolate varieties or specifically labeled vegan chocolate chips.

By making these simple swaps, you can make the best vegan chocolate chip cookies that taste just like traditional versions, if not better!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the cookies, providing structure and texture. If you need a gluten-free option, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
• Baking soda: This acts as our leavening agent, helping the cookies rise and spread, giving them their characteristic chewy texture. If you don’t have baking soda, you can use baking powder, but you’ll need to use three times as much.
• Fine-ground salt: Salt enhances the flavors in the cookies and balances out the sweetness. It’s extremely important for preventing one-dimensional cookies.
• Vegan butter: Just like regular butter, vegan butter provides richness, moisture, and flavor. Look for brands like Earth Balance, Miyoko’s Creamery, and Forager Project for the best results. If you can’t find vegan butter, use coconut oil, though the flavor and texture of the cookies will be slightly different.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and creates crispy edges. Not all granulated sugar is vegan-friendly, so double-check the package. Here is a list of bone char-free sugar brands, but just try to stick with organic brands if possible.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-like flavor to the cookies and keeps them moist. Dark brown sugar can be used for a more robust flavor.
• Soy milk: Gives the cookies a moist, tender texture. You can use any plant-based milk you like. Some other options include almond, oat, cashew, or pea milk.
• Vanilla: Adds a warm, sweet aroma that complements the chocolate. If you don’t have pure vanilla extract, you can use artificial vanilla, but the taste won’t be quite as rich.
• Chocolate chips: Dark, semisweet, or bittersweet chocolate chips can be used. Some vegan-friendly options include Kirkland, Enjoy Life, and Lily’s.
• Flaky sea salt: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the cookies enhances their sweet flavor even further. We really like Maldon, but you can use any variety.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan chocolate chip cookies

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients

Start by whisking the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. This ensures your dry ingredients are lightly aerated and evenly incorporated.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients

Next, you’ll need to melt your vegan butter (or coconut oil). Once it’s completely liquified, add it to another mixing bowl with the granulated and brown sugars. Whisk until you achieve a smooth, slightly airy mixture, then add the soy milk and vanilla extract.

Step 3: Combine the dough

Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, making sure to stir until just combined to avoid overmixing (we don’t want any tough cookies here).

Gently fold in the chocolate chip cookies until they’re evenly dispersed, then get that dough in the fridge! This step is important because it makes the dough easier to handle and helps develop the flavors.

Step 4: Form the cookies

Once the dough has chilled, it’s time to bake! Preheat your oven and line your baking pans. Use a cookie scoop (ours is 2 tablespoons) to form even balls of dough. This will ensure your cookies bake at the same rate.

Step 5: Bake the cookies

Pop the cookies in the oven for about 10 minutes, making sure to watch them towards the end of the baking time to prevent them from overbaking.

Once the cookies are baked, remove the pan from the oven and smack it down a couple of times to flatten the cookies and create ripples. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt, then transfer them to a wire rack after a few minutes on the pan. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥛 What to serve with vegan chocolate chip cookies

While these cookies are deadly on their own or with a tall glass of plant milk, you might want to try some other serving combinations like these:

• Tea & coffee: Pair your vegan chocolate chip cookies with a dirty chai latte, jasmine milk tea, taro milk tea, or hot chocolate.
• Cream: Serve a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top, or make a vegan chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich with dairy-free vanilla ice cream!
• Chocolate: Add a drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top or some extra chocolate chips or chunks for an extra gooey, melty flavor.
• Fruit: To balance the richness, serve your vegan chocolate chip cookies with a side of fresh strawberries, raspberries, or other fruits.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

For any leftover vegan chocolate chip cookies, follow these simple storage tips:

• Room temperature: For the best preservation of texture and flavor, we suggest keeping them covered at room temperature for about 2-3 days.
• Fridge: Storing cookies in the fridge can make them last a bit longer, but if you need to keep them longer than 2-3 days, we suggest freezing them.
• Freezer: Baked vegan chocolate chip cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just make sure they’re fully cooled and stored in a freezer-safe bag or container.
• Reheating: You can reheat the cookies in a 300F oven for a few minutes (always a great idea), or just enjoy them at room temperature.
• Prep ahead: The dough can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge for up to 48 hours. You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready to bake the cookies.

♻️ Variations

• Nutty: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the dough for a crunchy texture.
• Double chocolate: Add cocoa powder for a double chocolate chip cookie. Just remember to compensate for the added dryness.
• Fruity: Incorporate dried fruit like cranberries, cherries, or even mangoes.
• Zesty: Add orange or lemon zest for citrus-infused vegan chocolate chip cookies.
• Spiced: Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for a warm, spiced cookie.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Weigh your ingredients: If you remember nothing else, don’t skip weighing your ingredients! It is very important to have accurate measurements in baking to create consistent results.
• Spoon and level: If you don’t own a kitchen scale, scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it. Avoid scooping the flour straight from the bag or container to prevent adding too much.
• Don’t overmix the dough: Mix the batter until it’s just combined to keep the cookies tender and light.
• Chill the dough: This helps the cookies hold their shape, enhances the flavor, and prevents the dough from spreading too much while baking.
• Use a cookie scoop: A cookie scoop ensures the cookies will evenly bake at the same time. Plus, it helps create better ripples and texture in the dough as they cook.
• Leave enough space: Cookies spread as they bake, so make sure to leave a few inches between each dough ball on the baking sheet to prevent them from spreading into each other.
• Check your oven: Ensure your oven is correctly calibrated by using an oven thermometer. Even a slight temperature difference can affect the outcome of your cookies. This is why it’s best to determine doneness by how they look rather than rely on a timeframe.
• Test a single cookie: If you’re not sure of the oven temperature or baking time, bake a single cookie first to test. This can help you make any adjustments to the baking time or temperature if needed.
• Underbake slightly: The cookies will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet even after you take them out of the oven. Remove them from the oven when the edges are just turning golden brown and the centers are still soft.
• Rotate the pans: For even baking, rotate your baking sheets halfway through the baking time. This helps compensate for any hot spots in your oven.
• Line the pans: Don’t forget the parchment paper or silicone mats in this recipe! This prevents the cookies from sticking to the pan and ensures easy removal.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More vegan cookies

If you enjoyed these easy vegan chocolate chip cookies, take a peek at some more of our favorite cookie recipes like these:

• Cookie Monster Cookies: Chewy, tender, and fun icing-topped cookies!
• 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies: Easy-to-make, 1-bowl cookies.
• Ginger Molasses Cookies: Warm, rich, and perfectly spiced.
• Deep-Fried Oreos: Crispy golden batter that envelopes a creamy Oreo cookie.
• Tahini Cookies: Sweet and slightly bitter cookies that taste like sesame snaps.
• Mexican Sprinkle Cookies: Sugar cookies topped with rainbow nonpareils.
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies: The same chewy texture with an infusion of warming spices.