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 so good!!! I have made them several times now, they are great as is but sometimes I add some toasted pecans to the dough. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes Nora!
Hi Kelly. Toasted pecans sound like a delicious addition! I’m glad you are enjoying the cookies! Thanks for your wonderful review and comments!
This looks amazing. Any suggestions on how to make this a chocolate chocolate chip recipe by adding cocoa powder? My daughter loves the vegan ones from Whole Foods and I haven’t been able to find a copy cat recipe. Thanks!
I have a recipe for super chocolate cookies here: Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cookies.
I just made these cookies and they are the best gluten free, dairy free, vegan chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. I used Bob’s Red Mill flour, ground chia for the flax eggs and had to add 2 T of oat milk as the dough was very dry, but then the consistency was just right. I used Hu chocolate chips with no added sugar. This turned out so delicious. I had to cut the recipe in half as I only had 1/2 the amount of Myokos and 1/2 the amount of chocolate chips. But once I have more ingredients I will be making the full recipe. I am so excited to try more of your recipes.
Hi Lori. Welcome to my recipes! I’m thrilled you loved the cookies! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic review and comments! I hope you enjoy your journey through my recipes! Please reach out with any questions! Happy cooking!
I have such a hard time trying new cookie recipes because I always think “but I could have Nora Cooks chocolate chip ones instead!” This is the best recipe. People ask for the recipe every time I bring them somewhere. Good baked goods, in my experience, are such a good vegan seed to plant. Thank you for helping me be an ambassador for veganism with these.
How terrific you are loving my cookie recipe! We sure love them at our house! Thanks for sharing your wonderful comments and review! Happy cooking!
Used this recipe with coconut sugar (instead of brown sugar), with a little bit of honey (instead of molasses as you recommended if we were subbing with a more granulated sugar). Also had to hand beat/cream the butter and sugar together for the first step (as I didn’t have a hand mixer or table top one)!
This version is pretty good considering the adjustments – especially with coconut sugar making them more dark brown than a traditional cookie)
I’m curious — any other adjustments you would have made with coconut sugar – besides adding molasses as you suggested in the recipe notes?
Thank you for the recipe, allowed us to use some of the ingredients we are trying to finish off!
What’s the cornstarch for? I’m looking forward to making these.
Thanks
Hi Rosalie. The cornstarch helps the cookies be extra soft and chewy. You may substitute tapioca starch or arrowroot, or leave it out if needed. Enjoy the cookies!
Once again, your recipes blow my mind! There’s nothing I’ve made from your site that hasn’t turned out perfectly. I love how these are slightly soft and chewy without seeming undercooked. This was so simple and they turned out perfectly. I used dark chocolate chunks, and next time might add some flaked sea salt on top as well! My husband, not vegan, says they are the best he’s ever tried.
Hi Kimberly. I appreciate you using my recipes! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!
These cookies are wonderful! I’ve tried to make cookie cake and can’t seem to get it right. Do you have a recipe or advice for that? It would be such a special treat for my food allergic kiddo!
Thanks Lindsey! I should have a cookie cake recipe but I don’t yet, that sounds so fun. I have a recipe for a Skillet Cookie which is kinda similar you might want to check out. But I’ll get working on a cookie cake recipe, thanks!
Perfectly soft! I used about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips and let them bake for exactly 10 minutes. They looked barely baked but I trusted the instructions and they came out deliciously soft after cooled.
Thank you for sharing your baking experience and wonderful feedback and review! How awesome you loved the cookies!
Just made these cookies as written. Delicious! 🍪😋
hi nora! do you have any recommendations for how to bake this recipe at high altitude (denver, CO)? i cant seem to get chocolate chip cookies quite right 🤔
Hi Angel. Baking at high altitudes can make your baked goods need more liquid or moisture, so I would try adding 2-3 tablespoons of non-dairy milk at step 3 when you add the flax egg and vanilla. Hopefully that’s all you need to adjust for these cookies to come out perfect for you! You could also search information on high altitude baking and cooking for more ideas. Happy baking!
Hey there can i use a regular egg? Thanks!
Hi Ivette. It should work but I haven’t tried it since I don’t eat eggs! Try it with one egg. Enjoy!
I did…and phenomenal!!!! Since I’m not vegan just df/gf I replaced the AP flour for better batter gf blend, the cornstarch with potato starch (thats all I had) and there was zero dustiness with this recipe. I’ve tried others and while they were delicious they still looked slightly dusty/crumbly. This will become my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Thank you!!!!
Fantastic! You are welcome! Thanks for getting back with your wonderful feedback and review!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. And they freeze so well so that you can make a couple at a time.
Hi Seth. How terrific you love the cookies! They are favorites around our house! Thanks for your fantastic feedback and review! Happy cooking!
I make these at least once a week for family and they are gone quickly. Not sure if it’s my oven or not, but I had to make a slight adjustment. Once dough is completed, I put in fridge to chill. Then I set oven to 325. Once the oven is preheated, then I load the tray and cook for 10:45. They come out perfect every time, where as before the butter was leaking out and flattening the cookies.
Thanks so much for sharing, Merle!
The same thing happened to me yesterday! But I have baked them before with these instructions and they came out fine. I’m not sure what changed, but will try this! Thank you!
Another great recipe! I made a double batch and got 63 cookies (1 inch cookie scoop) out of it! Baked two trays at once using 2nd & 3rd rack, switching half way. I did find that the dough started to get warm nearing my last batches (cookies came out flat and like a chip but I surprisingly LOVED IT) so I think putting the third batch in the fridge to cool down a bit while the 2nd batch is baking would be ideal (if you prefer the original softer cookies over the chip like ones). Thanks again Nora!
You are welcome, Carrie! You were a busy baker! We love these cookies at our house as well! Thanks for sharing your great experience and feedback!
These are unreal!!! I am not vegan but made them for one of my vegan friends a while back, and they have become my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe! Everyone I make these for are amazed when I say they’re vegan. I use earth balance butter, and they always turn out perfect. Also pro tip try adding a tiny tiny tiny amount of almond extract (1/8 teaspoon) so yummy!
My cookies taste good but they are lacey and crisp on the edges like the butter ran out of them. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like your measurements were off, or you started with very, very soft or melted vegan butter. The butter should be softened but not at all melted when you start mixing. And make sure to be very careful with all measurements; cookies are very sensitive to even slightly too much or too little flour, butter etc.
I like to bake for my son’s work. They LOVED these! They’re easy and delicious. Easily my favorite chocolate chip cookie. 🙂
How wonderful for your son and his workmates! I’m so glad the cookies were a hit! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
Best vegan cookies ever!! They turned out perfect. My family loved them. They were so easy to make.
I’m thrilled the cookies were are a hit! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
Amazing, whole family loves them and they are perfect every single time
I’ve made this with regular flour as well as bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour (the blue bag) and they turn out perfect every time!
That is awesome! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!
Delish!
I would love to try this. How can I replace the butter?
Hi Emily. Coconut oil does work, however, the cookies will not come out with the same consistency. You may want to try my coconut oil chocolate chip cookies. Happy baking!
These were delicious!
I made these with oat flour. I ended up having to add an extra cup of oat flour so they were the right consistency but they turned out great! So yummy!
I’m glad the cookies turned out great for you with the oat flour! Thanks for sharing g your experience and great feedback!
These are always my go to for chocolate chip cookies, thank you so much! They’re always delicious.
You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your fantastic feedback!
Hi Nora! If I’m using an ice cream scoop to make Big Cookies, approximately how many will a single recipe yield? I’m trying to decide if I need to double the recipe!
I’m not exactly sure, maybe around 9 or so, depending on how big they are. I haven’t tested it to know for sure, but I’d probably double the recipe if you want more than 9 cookies. Sounds wonderful, enjoy!
Thanks so much for the quick reply Nora! I ended up getting 18 cookies (averaging 3-3.5″ diameter) with my ice cream scooper 🙂