This is the best vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe ever! Easy to make in 1 bowl, no chilling required and they turn out perfect every time. Soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips!
If you are in need of a simple, straightforward yet incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe, look no further. Tried and true, these are the most perfect vegan chocolate chip cookies in the world and everyone who tries them agrees!
This recipe is one of the most popular on my site with 350+ 5 star reviews! I hope they become your go-to vegan cookie.
If you love chocolate chips as much as I do, make sure to check out these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip Muffins and Vegan Edible Cookie Dough!
What makes these vegan cookies so perfect?
- They are SO soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips. They aren’t too flat, and they aren’t too puffy and cake-like. No one would guess they’re vegan, unlike some cookie recipes I’ve tried.
- They’re made in 1 bowl.
- No chilling time is required for the dough. So you can have cookies to eat FAST!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Flax egg – This is your egg substitute and is perfect for creating chewy, delicious cookies without eggs. JUST Egg works in place of flax/water, as well as other egg substitutes. Non-dairy milk, applesauce and yogurt work as well in a pinch. Use 4 tablespoons instead of the flax egg.
- Vegan butter – I’ve made these cookies with countless brands, including my homemade vegan butter, and they all work great. You can try substituting coconut oil, but it does change the texture quite a bit and the flavor won’t be the same. If you want to use coconut oil, try these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
- Brown sugar – For the best flavor and texture, use brown sugar. If you must substitute it, granulated sugar works okay (though I’d add a tablespoon of molasses) as well as coconut sugar.
- Vanilla – For flavor, of course.
- All purpose flour – Most of the time I just use plain flour, but if you need them to be gluten free, you can substitute a gluten free flour blend. I’ve had good luck with Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur and Better Batter. Don’t sub almond flour, but go make these Almond Flour Cookies instead.
- Cornstarch – This helps the cookies be extra soft and chewy. May substitute tapioca starch or arrowroot, or leave it out if needed.
- Baking soda
- Salt – I use salted vegan butter most of the time, but if you are using unsalted butter, increase the salt from 1/4 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Non-dairy chocolate chips – Check the ingredients list on the package for things like milk fat, butter oil, etc. I like Trader Joe’s brand which happen to be vegan, as well as Enjoy Life. Sometimes the store brand will be accidentally vegan and inexpensive. Chopped chocolate also works (I often use a mix).
How to make vegan chocolate chip cookies
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar, then mix in the flax egg and vanilla. Add the flour, and then sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda and salt on top of the flour.
Mix on low to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips/chunks. Mmmmm… cookie dough perfection!
Roll the dough into 1-2 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop, then roll with my hands). Place on parchment lined or greased baking sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until barely golden around the edges. The cookies will seems underdone, but they firm up as they cool and you want them to stay soft so be careful to not over bake.
For smaller cookies, bake for less time. For extra big cookies, add a few minutes of bake time.
Enjoy the cookies warm with a glass of almond milk or crumbled in vegan ice cream with a drizzle of caramel, perhaps. I usually sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top as well.
Frequently asked questions
The cookie dough should be soft and mushy, but not too wet or too dry. You should be able to easily roll it into balls. If it feels too wet, add a few tablespoons of flour at a time until it’s just right. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon or two of non-dairy milk.
No, not all chocolate chips are vegan. They often contain dairy. Make sure to check the package list for things like butter oil, milk fat, and so on. Enjoy Life brand are always vegan, as are Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chips, Guittard, Kirkland Brand and some others. You can also use vegan chocolate bars and chop them up for chocolate chunk cookies.
No, I never chill this cookie dough. I’m much too impatient! It’s just not needed here, but if you want to chill it, I’m sure it will be fine. The cookies will come out much thicker.
They will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature, if you don’t eat them all before then! Store in a covered container. They also freeze well.
How to freeze cookie dough for later
Roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze in a freezer friendly container. When you want to bake cookies simply preheat the oven and bake, adding a few more minutes since the dough was frozen. No need to defrost the dough.
Baked cookies also freeze well and are wonderful straight from the freezer. I love having frozen cookies to throw in my kid’s lunch box on school days.
Other cookie mix in combinations
This is a great cookie base recipe for all kinds of combinations! Try:
- Adding chopped walnuts and/or coarse sea salt on top
- Vegan white chocolate chips and dried cranberries
- Add dried blueberries and a little lemon zest
- White chocolate and macadamia nut
- Monster cookies – add a few tablespoons of rolled oats, vegan M&M type candy, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a few tablespoons chocolate chips.
Want more incredible vegan cookie recipes?
Find all of my vegan cookie recipes here: Vegan Cookies. Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2.5 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups non-dairy chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats (or spray with oil.)
- Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to make your flax egg.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
- Add the vanilla and the flax egg and mix to combine.
- Next, stop the mixer and add the flour. Sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda and salt on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed, and mix until just combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips to incorporate, either by hand or using the mixer.
- Roll the dough into balls, about 1-2 tablespoons each. Place on the prepared pans and bake for 10 minutes (12 minutes for larger cookies), until they are barely golden around the edges. Do not over bake! They will be puffy and lightly colored.
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. The cookies will firm up as they cool, and become the most perfect chewy cookies ever! Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Cookies will stay fresh for 3-4 days, if they last that long. Store in a covered container. They also freeze well.
- Freezer cookie dough – Freeze cookie dough balls to have on hand to make just a few cookies at a time! Simply cook for 1-2 minutes more, no need to thaw.
- If using unsalted vegan butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Other mix ins – Feel free to add chopped walnuts, or use white chocolate chips instead, dried fruit, whatever you feel like. This is a great base recipe for all kinds of combinations.
- Recipe inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Nutrition
This post has been updated in 2024 with improved photos, better writing and more tips/variations.
DO u have to add ground flaxseed
I haven’t made them without it, they are your egg substitute.
ok thank u , i cant eat flaxseeds so thats why i was asking.
ok thank you imma make them today, i cant eat flaxseed so that is why i was asking 🙂
best vegan cookie recipe hands down! i’ve tried so many recipes and non of them really compared to non-vegan cookies. but these do!! delicious
Thanks so much!
Hi!! fellow vegan here. i don’t live in the usa so i use a food scale, how many grams of butter do i need to use? over here we don’t have vegan sticks of butter. thanks and plz reply cuz i need to make these for christmas in 4 days!
Hi Kathy! The grams for 1/2 cup of vegan butter is about 113 grams. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Do you think Miyoko’s touch of sea salt butter would work or be too salty?
It would work, I always use salted vegan butter.
Amazing!! Another great recipe
Best ever! Love these!
Definitely my go-to vegan choc chip cookie recipe.
I did 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c coconut sugar for total of 1 cup.
Also reduced my chocolate by just a bit.
I like this dough baked after being in the freezer, but delicious either way.
Nice recipe
Hi! Could you use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
You can, but the cookies will come out a bit different than using vegan butter. Sometimes they can be greasier and a bit more flat.
Omg these are best cookies I’ve ever made. 12 minutes did perfect and I added a little more butter and a little less chocolate chips but WOW they are so amazing. Thank you. I love all your recipes!
So happy you enjoyed the cookies!
I made these today for a niece. I’ve never cooked with vegan butter before or knew flaxseed and water could sub an egg. I am so impressed with the tase! Turned out just as you said they would. Reallyyyyyy delish. And I did use TJ choc chips, but I added a few pecan pieces. Love nuts in my cookies…..
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Can you use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
You could, but of course they will taste very “whole wheat” like, and be much more dense. I’d try to use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat if possible.
Wow, these really are perfect!! If you’re a chewy cookie person like me, you’ve found your go-to recipe.
These are just like the cookies I used to get from grocery store bakeries.
Funnily enough, that’s exactly what I was craving when I came across this!
Thanks so much! 🙂
(P.S. if any Canadians are reading this, the PC The Decadent semisweet chocolate chips are vegan and they’re amaaazing in these.)
You’re welcome!
Will this work with a different type of flour – whole wheat or almond?
Whole wheat could work, but they will taste like whole wheat and be very dense. Almond flour doesn’t work well here. A gluten free mix does though!
amazing cookies but i’d suggest using less chocolate chips. there were so many that there were leftover chips in the mixing bowl that i couldn’t fit in the cookie balls. saying that, maybe my measuring cups are just too big aha.
always a fan of nora cooks!!!
Thanks Felicia! I manage to squish them all in the dough. 🙂 Less is totally fine though!
These are seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever had! (both vegan and non-vegan) I give them to my non-vegan friends and they like them more than regular chocolate chip cookies. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
easy and tasty. I think if I used Miyoko’s would give it 5 stars (but expensive). I think I’m the only one who thinks Earth Balance has a chemical flavor?
Thanks! I don’t notice it at all, but if you are looking for a less expensive option than Miyoko’s (which I agree is amazing!!) try Country Crock. I’ve been really impressed with their sticks lately.
I can only get vegan butter in a tub, how do I measure the amount, do I just scoop it out and put it in a measuring cup and squish it down.
Yes, that is what I do if I have to use the tub. You could also weigh it if you have a kitchen scale. Thanks!
These are legitimately better than non-vegan, traditional chocolate chip cookies! They are the best I’ve ever had! They are chewy and so delicious. My family prefers them to other ones as well.
Thanks so much!
Everyone in the household loves these. Great recipe. I was looking for a vegan dessert and this was a home run.????
Oh.my.gosh! Seriously! Your recipes keto coming up first on my Google searches. First the pecan pie, now these cookies. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! 🙂
You’re welcome!
Best cookie I’ve had in ages. As a pregnant woman I really shouldn’t be indulging like this, so after 4 cookies my husband took the tray. LOL. These are amazing. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Simply “THE BEST VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES EVER”
My husband and I could not stop eating them! I had to make another batch next day. After trying so many recipes I finally found the PERFECT one!!!! Thank you. = )
You’re welcome!
is your website all vegan? Just a question?
Yes. 🙂
Truly delicious! I grew up loving Original Toll House but now that I am Vegan these hit the spot; and so easy to make. I froze half of the recipe in easy to bake balls ready-to-go!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I’m making these for my egg-intolerant niece for tomorrow and sadly, my cookies have come out flat and crisp around the edges like a few others have mentioned. Is there any way to remedy this by tomorrow? Or do I need to start over from scratch? I measured the flour by the spoon-in and level-off method. Perhaps I should have scooped it up in the cups instead? So far, the cookies taste delicious! Just needs he right shape and consistency now. I’d appreciate your help!
If you are measuring the flour correctly and not making any substitutions, then I think you are starting with vegan butter that is way too soft, making your cookies flat. All you need to do is either start with less soft butter, or stick the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll and bake. It works every time! 🙂