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.
I have made these several times now. These really are perfect!! I added walnuts to the mix recently and they turned out to be incredible. I love this recipe and almost have it memorized I think…
That’s so great to hear!!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it never fails- everybody loves them!
That’s so great to hear!!
The best cookies in the whole entire world
Oh my goodness! These truly are perfect chocolate chip cookies and they are vegan!! Incredible!! Thank you for this recipe!!
These are PHENOMENAL! And so easy! Thank you SO much for this recipe. My non-vegan family members were astounded – they couldn’t believe they were vegan.
Perfect! Thank you.
Legit the BEST chocolate chip cookies EVER…and I have tried many many chocolate chip cookie recipes. This is how a frequent go to for me.
Thanks so much!!
These were really good but initially found them a little hard. I added one extra flax egg and about 2 Tablespoons of soya (coffee) cream and that was the little extra thing they needed to moisten them up! Thank you for sharing! This is a keeper!
Would it be okay to use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?
It will change the flavor and texture of the cookies, but it will work I think. Brown sugar makes the cookies very moist and flavorful, but coconut sugar should do okay. I don’t like the cookies using all white sugar. Hope that helps!
You can make brown sugar with 1C white sugar and 1T molasses, or 2T molasses for dark brown sugar. This is exactly how brown sugar is made in the factory, so it should work great. Hope that helps. ?
This is truly the best tasting vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe I have tasted. I was looking for a chocolate chip recipe that doesn’t use coconut oil since I need to avoid saturated fats. Lo and behold Nora saves the day!
I’m so glad to hear it!! Thanks for the comment!
sooo delicious! I used bob’s red mill egg replacer instead of flax and they are divine!! thank you for the recipe
You’re so welcome!!
Hello Nora ^-^
I do not have flax seeds, but I have white chia seeds. Do you think I could use those instead?
Thank you very much!
Yes, I think that would work. It would be best if you could grind them up into a powder so you don’t have whole chia seeds in your cookies.
I found your recipe a few months ago and after one batch it was bookmarked and became my favorite! Thank you!
You’re welcome!!
Thank you!! A perfect chocolate chip cookie! Chewy not cakey or play doughy as I would describe some. Directions are easy to follow and bake time is perfect as written.
So happy you enjoyed the cookies, thank you! We make these all the time. 🙂
Hi Nora,
Could you please repost the previous recipe where we have to refrigerate the cookies for about 20 minutes or more?
Thank you!
It’s not a different recipe at all, but I did used to include chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking. I just don’t find that necessary after making them hundreds of times, but you can totally do it if you prefer! Thank you!
Oh ok, thanks for letting me know! I just found the texture different, but it might have been due to the weather. Made ice cream cookie sandwiches with this recipe 🙂
I’ve made these cookies about ten times. My family clamors for them. They are crazy good…my husband has the biggest sweet tooth and he likes these better than the old tried and true Tollhouse cookie. We recently found out my granddaughter is allergic to all dairy (cow, milk, goat) as well as eggs so your website has been the go to for my daughter and myself for desserts. My daughter says that these taste like the chocolate chip cookies that her Nana used to make. PS You definitely need to try Nora’s lemon bars. The crust is perfect. Another winner (although my family loves lemon, so I increase the lemon juice and zest and cut the sugar). Still delightful 😉
Thank you so much, this makes me so happy!
Could you sub almond flour
No, unfortunately it does not work well in this recipe, but I do use it in my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This was my 1st time making vegan cookies. I am 80-90% plant-based & am an avid home baker who just hasn’t started the transition with my baking. I made these according to the recipe and was very pleased with how they turned out. My first time using a flax egg and plant-based butter for baking and I am ecstatic to know these alternatives work. Thank you so much, Nora! My chocolate chip cookie obsessed husband approves and we will definitely make them again!
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the great comment!!
These were absolutely perfect! I made them for my son for his 21st birthday and he said they were the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever had!
That’s awesome, thank you!
I baked these yesterday and they’re sooo good! I will def be making these again for my vegan friends 🙂
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the comment!
I’m getting ready to make these delicious sounding cookies. I’m just curious, what is the flaxseed for? What’s its purpose? Thank you!
The flaxseed plus water is your egg replacer, and helps the cookies be chewy and not fall apart. Hope you enjoy!
These are a delicious traditional chocolate chip cookie. I was lazy and didn’t soften my butter ahead of time, but they still came out lovely. These will go in my regular rotation. Thank you. 🙂
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the comment!
I am in love with all of your recipes Nora!! Whenever I need a new vegan recipe, I run to your website. These cookies are especially tasty ? Thank you!!
You’re welcome!! Thanks for the great comment!!
These cookies are absolutely delicious and I’m so glad to find an amazing vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. My family did not believe me when I said I made them and they were vegan. A small thing was that the cookies were a bit too sweet for me though I’m normally a sweet tooth, but that is just my preference. Overall, such a great cookie recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Could I use coconut flour in this recipe? Or would it have to be all purpose flour?
I don’t think coconut flour would work here, but a gluten free mix would, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Flour.