Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
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)

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!

broken open chocolate chip cookie on beige background with coarse salt

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!

beige plate with many vegan chocolate chip cookies and pink towel

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).

ingredients for vegan cookies with chocolate chips, labeled

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.

flour and other dry ingredients being added to beige mixture in bowl

Mix on low to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips/chunks. Mmmmm… cookie dough perfection!

chocolate chips and chunks on top of cookie batter in bowl

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.

scooping cookie dough with scoop from large bowl

cookie dough balls on a baking sheet before baking

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.

6 chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet out of the oven

Frequently asked questions

What should the cookie dough feel like?

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.

Are chocolate chips vegan?

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.

Does the cookie dough need to be chilled?

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.

How long will they last?

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.

a few cookies on a cooling rack with pink towel and greyish background

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.

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.

stack of several vegan chocolate chip cookies broken in half, grey background and pink towel

Find all of my vegan cookie recipes here: Vegan Cookies. Here are just a few of my favorites:

This post has been updated in 2024 with improved photos, better writing and more tips/variations.

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