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.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies, ever! I used a vegg egg instead of flax egg. Worked great! Thank you for an A+ recipe!
Glad you loved the cookies, Emily! Thank you!
These are very very good! Heed Nora’s advice not to over bake these…. I did mine at barely 10 minutes, and for me,… using my oven, they are baked perfectly.
I did not use chocolate chips but chopped up good quality chocolate bars. About that, I substituted one for one and the cookies are full of chocolate in the middle, a little like eating a chocolate bar with a bit of cookie! That’s not such a bad thing!
All in all, I am very satisfied with this recipe, as I am most of Nora’s recipes. I always check Nora’s website first if I’m looking for a recipe and I am never disappointed! Thank you Nora!
Hi Nancy. I appreciate your taking your time to share your comments! Thank you for using my recipes!
Wondering if I can make these without a mixer????
You could, just make sure your vegan butter is pretty soft to start with, and use a strong spoon. You will get a bit of an arm workout, and maybe even need to use your hands at the end, but it will work!
My husband and I just recently went vegan and these are literally better than the pillsburry ones I’m addicted to lol thank you for making the transition to veganism easier. ??
Hi Heavin! I’m glad you love the cookies. These are a favorite in our household! Thanks for using my recipes! Enjoy them, and happy cooking!
I’ve tried many vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one is the best I’ve found hands down!
Hi Chris! I’m glad you love the cookies! Thank you!
These are so delicious !! It’s hard for friends and family to believe that they are vegan. I’m sensitive to cocoa so I use carob chips and they taste just the same! Perfect with a glass of plant based milk when they’re fresh out of the oven!
Hi Ashley. I’m glad the cookies are delicious for you! Thank you for taking your time to share!
Okay, so today is 2/1/21 and we’re getting snowed in here on the East End of Long Island. With that being said, I decided to FINALLY make these cookies. I gotta say, you hit it out of the park with these! I’ve been trying to find a chocolate chip cookie that I actually like with no eggs, oil or butter – I despise flax seed. So, I substituted by using 1/2 cup mashed banana for the butter and 1/4 cup plain club soda for the egg (first time substituting club soda for an egg) and WOW they came out perfect & delicious! I cooked them for 12 minutes like you said and let them sit for 5 minutes before taking them off the tray – just like you said. THANK YOU!
Hi Linda. Sounds like a good day for baking! I’m glad you love the cookies! Thank you for taking the time to share your review . Stay safe and warm!
Made these yesterday and they are so dangerous in the sense that they are perfect egg-free chocolate chip cookies. They do not taste vegan and they do not break apart or dry out your mouth like other egg-free cookies. The flax egg was a life saver and did not affect taste. Perfect level of vanilla (used real vanilla paste for rich flavour) and an abundance of chocolate chips. These came together extremely nicely. Recommend for vegans and people with egg allergies. Gonna try these with brown butter next time.
Hi Aaron. Thank you for your detailed review! I appreciate you taking the time to share! I’m glad you love the cookies. They are a favorite amongst my family!
Do I need to use cornstarch? I am planning on making these today as a snack or dessert thanks! ?
You could leave it out if needed. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
We loved them! The recipe was so simple and delicious! I will definitely be making these again and soon!
Thank you, Kanya. I’m glad you loved them! Thank you for sharing!
Omg I did it. They were amazing. My family enjoyed them and then I told them they were vegan lol they couldn’t believe it.
Hi April. I’m so glad you and your family loved the cookies! Thank you!
Wow!!!!!!!! These are amazing!!!! I had to take out dairy from my diet to see if it helps the flare ups of my rosacea and I was CRAVING chocolate chip cookies ✨✨✨Thank you
Hi Tannya. I’m glad you love them! Thank you for sharing!
What can I use as a substitute for flax-egg? We have anaphylatic allergies to eggs, dairy, flaxseed chickpeas/peas/lentils and nuts. I’ve tried using 3 tbsp of the vegan “just egg” substitute (is made with mung bean) but not sure if that’s the right proportion. They seem pretty stiff.
How about ground chia seeds? They work quite similar as flax. Just egg should work pretty well, I think that amount should be about right, but I haven’t tried it myself. You could use applesauce, the cookies may be a little soft but still good.
These are some of the best cookies I’ve made period. Store-bought pre-made or from scratch! And they are vegan! I would say I used 2 tbs of water instead and 1 cup of chocolate chips instead as well. 10/10.
I’m glad you love the cookies! Thank you for sharing!
Perfection
Thank you!
Can I substitute the flaxseed with a 1/4cup of applesauce? Trying to find the right measurement!
You might be able to but the texture of the cookies will be softer and a bit different.
Delicious! I did have to add some almond milk, however, since the batter was too dry.
Hi Hali . I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!
Omg, I just went vegan and made these. Best cookies ever, wow. Thank you!
Hi Lloyd. Glad you love the cookies! Thank you!
These are ridiculously good.
Thank you, Christy!
This is my new favorite ccc recipe, I think ever. I am always so hesitant about making new ccc recipes, they always turn out so cakey, but for this one! this one is perfect! It is slightly crispy on the outside, but SO chewy on the inside. Pure perfection. Thank you, Nora!!!
These were amazing! Chewy on the inside but a little crispy on the outside. I wasn’t too sure before they went in the oven because my dough was very crumbly but it was absolutely the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried! Thanks so much!
Hi Kaylee. I”m glad you love the cookies! Thank you!
What brand of vegan butter do you use? I find that it makes a difference.
I use Earth Balance, Melt and Country Crock the most often. I’ve also used Miyoko’s with success.
100000% the best cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. It’s fool proof! I’ve made them twice and they came out amazing both times. Everyone who had one raved about it. Thanks for creating a great recipe
Hi Zaria. I’m glad you love them! Thank you for using my recipe, and for sharing!
1 cup of chocolate chips worked for me. i used mini chocolate chips and they were enough.
delicious! i can’t believe they’re vegan!!
I looove these cookies they’re perfect. My dad made these for me and I just had to know what the recipe was. Thank you! They’re the best!♡
I’m glad you love them, Dani! Thank you!