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.ย
- 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!ย 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 cookies are delicious. Mine came out darker than your picture but they taste amazing!!!ย
Thanks for sharing your review! I’m glad you loved the cookies!
Iโve made these cookies a ton!ย
Today I modified and just used coconut Oil instead of the vegan butter. They did not flatten at all and stayed in their form. Did I do something wrong?ย
Just took them out of the oven- Iโm sure they will be delicious but just curious if I should modify something.ย
Thanks Nora!! Love your recipes!ย
Hi there! Coconut oil works but the outcome is always different. Sometimes they get really flat and greasy using coconut oil, but it sounds like you had a different situation. Vegan butter works so much better here, so I would recommend that if possible for best results. Hope that helps, and thank you!
Absolutely unbelievable cookies. I have searched for so long to find a perfect vegan cookie recipe and here it is!
I’m so glad you love them! Thanks for sharing your review!
I tried the cookies this afternoon and they came out very crunchy.
Hey there, sounds like you over baked them! Like I say in the recipe, the cookies will appear underdone and soft but do take them out anyhow. They firm up as they cool, so to end up with soft cookies, you need to not over bake them.
My mix was very dry so I added a little (like 1 tbsp) of almond milk. They came out delicious but look nothing like the photo.ย
Make sure you measure everything correctly. I’ve noticed when I add milk the cookies come out a bit different, softer. Not bad, but I prefer them without any milk added.
makes really tasty and chewy cookies ๐
Thank you for sharing!
I’m not vegan and these are still my absolute favorite cookies to bake. They stay soft and don’t get super hard and crunchy after a day or two ๐
I am so glad that you love them! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I absolutely loved them! I need to be sure not to make these to often or I will gain weight. I couldn’t stop eating them. I used Trader Joe’s chocolate chips.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Nora, this is a fantastic recipe. Me and my girlfriend use your recipes all the time and they never fail. My favorite is the potato soup recipe you have. I just wanted to say you’ve helped us make being vegan a tasty and scientific endeavor. I’m currently an undergrad and I’ve used this recipe for a cool class where we run experiments with cooking and videotape the process. I tried this recipe with vegan butter vs. olive oil. I have to say, the olive oil ones didn’t spread as much as the butter ones did, and I also could hardly taste a difference. Anyways, thought you’d like to hear that. You’re awesome! If you want to watch my dorky video, let me know.
Love your recipes! Okay to add nuts to this one? And if so, can you suggest an amount?
For sure! I’d add about 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts.
A++++++. My search is over finally for the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I have digestive issues with regular refined sugars, so I have to use coconut sugar and I took the advice of someone else here in the reviews that using an egg replacer instead of the flaxseed meal made them cakey. They flattened perfectly and even though I had to add some coconut oil (about 2 tbsp), I got the coconut sugar to cream. I am so happy, and so is my hubby! BEST RECIPE EVER!! ๐
Yummy!!
Just made these cookies, followed your recipe to a T and they turned out so incredibly chewy and delicious! Thank you, itโs so hard to find good vegan baking recipes but yours always deliver! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your comments! Glad you love the cookies!
My go-to recipe they are great! I make them all the time, I actually prefer them over regular cookies!
Thanks for sharing your great review! I’m glad you love the cookies!
I was a little concerned that the mixture looked a little dry, but these cookies are absolutely AMAZING!!!! As are all of your recipes! ย Thank you!ย
Thanks for sharing your review Cindy! I’m glad you loved the cookies! Thank you for using my recipes, and happy cooking!
Hi! I was wondering how you measure your flour? I have attempted to make these 2x. The first time(scooped) it was too much flour and the second time (weighed) it was not enough. The flavor is great but the consistency has not been successful for me yet.
To measure flour, I spoon the flour into my measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Don’t shake it down or pat it down. And don’t scoop it out of the flour container, that can give you various results. I don’t weigh my ingredients, personally.
Omg bestttttttt cookies ever. I have been on the search the last couple years to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie. ย No cookie came out JUST right you know? Some were to cake like , some to sweet ,some to much like a sugar cookie with some chocolate chips thrown in. THIS is the recipe Iโve been searching for! I used mini chocolate chip and I swear these taste like public chocolate chip cookies ( they were my fav when I wasnโt vegan) my husband and friends were so shocked how good they were they flat out said how they couldnโt believe there were vegan. Thank you so much !!!!!! These are going in the family recipe box!ย
Hi Britanee. You are so welcome! I’m glad you and your family and friends love these cookies! They disappear around my house very quickly! Thanks so much for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
I made these today and they didn’t spread at all. I let them cool after the recommend 12 minutes in the oven and they were still raw inside. Any ideas why it didn’t work?
This happens when you started with vegan butter that was too cold, OR you accidentally added too much flour. Measure carefully and use softened vegan butter.
Im. In. LOVE. These are so good and gooey! I made them because I was bored and I have no regrets, I think I’ve found a new hobby lol!
I’m so glad you love the cookies! Thank you for your wonderful review – it made me smile so big! Happy cooking!
Absolutely the best chocolate chip cookies Iโve ever made, and theyโre VEGAN?! Wow!! I absolutely loved these and they turned out soooo good!! Picture worthy really! ย Better than every recipe for CC cookies Iโve ever made!ย
Thanks for sharing your fabulous review! I’m thrilled you loved the cookies! They are a favorite in my home for sure!
I ended up using 3/4 c of brown sugar and it was perfectly sweet. They don’t nearly look as yummy as yours do in the photos, but they are simply delicious! I’ll try flattening next time… I also ended up going with a real egg as I don’t eat dairy (hence the vegan recipe) but I’ll try the flax egg as well.
I’m glad the cookies are delicious for you! Thank you for sharing your review, Emily!
Amazing, one of my favorite recipes especially for my son who is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, and shellfish. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank for sharing your wonderful review Nathan! I’m so glad your son can enjoy the cookies, and that you both love them!
Can I use Bobโs Red Mill egg replacer instead of the flaxseed?ย
I think you could, but I haven’t tried it.
I did this and they just didnโt flatten… puffy and raw inside
Is it work with gluten free flour?
Yes, a gluten free all purpose mix works well.
True to the title. Theyโre perfect. I used dark brown sugar- and when everything was done being mixed it was a bit too crumbly so I went ahead and added in about 1/4 cup of almond milk and cooked them a little longer than the recipe calls for. They turned out UH-MAZ-ING.ย
Thank you for sharing your great review! I’m glad the cookies turned out amazing for you!
I love these! Iโve made them exactly following the recipe and they tasted so good! I was hoping to make them today but I sadly ran out of brown sugar- do you think regular granulated cane sugar will work in place of the brown sugar?ย
I’m glad you love the cookies! Unfortunately, using all cane sugar is not my favorite here, the cookies taste a bit weird and come out much less moist. Edible, but not great without brown sugar. Hope that helps!