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 taste amazing but were so flat! I will try to cool the dough before cooking them next time or possibly adding more flour. The taste reminds me of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies I used to eat in high school. Very good!
That can happen if your vegan butter was too soft to begin with, or if your house is warm and the dough gets too warm. You can always refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or so and then roll and bake for cookies that will come out thick every time.
Holy, moly. Spot on, Nora!!!!!!!
Thanks!
Any idea if this would work with another type of flour? Maybe almond? Thanks!
These won’t work with almond flour, but I do have another vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe using almond flour. Or spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or even a gluten free mix works here.
The BEST vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried in the past 5 years of eating vegan, and I’ve tried them all! Both my nonvegan fiancé and I agree, these are the best! Thanks, Nora!
You’re welcome!
these cookies literally changed my life. my omni boyfriend and room mates all lost their minds over how amazing these cookies are
That’s so great!
I made these on a whim after a long day in the kitchen (I almost skipped it because it was getting too close to dinner time, but in the end I made them because the vegan butter had been sitting out all day). The dough was super quick and easy and it yielded maybe 18 cookies (I used the tablespoon to make the chalks and they were a great size. These are so tasty! A bit of a crispiness on the bottom with chewy insides. Really nice texture. They didn’t last long in my house, they were a hit with the vegan and the omnivores! Will make again,
That’s so great!
This is the Beat cookie recipe I’ve made so far! I’ve tried several cookie recipes since going vegan for 1yr and this one is it! It gave me the taste and texture I’ve been looking for. I added nuts, berries and a little protein to them as well. Thanks so much for this recipe! In dSharing it today online on my IG Page ladylfree36, I’ll yah you!
♥️????
I’m so glad you like it!
Absolutely delicious. I was nervous that I brought them out too early because they looked very underdone but they were SO GOOD.
That’s so great!
I made these twice. I am the only one in my family on a plant based diet, but the second time I made them I had to make a second batch because everyone loved them/ate them.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies vegan or not. I subbed 1/4 c applesauce for the flax egg out of curiosity. I made a second batch a few days later but with the flax egg and subbed chopped dates and pecans with 1/8 tsp of allspice. They tasted amazing but they were really flat this time. Could it have been the flax egg? Or the dates? I’m curious if you have any ideas. Thank you so much for all our recipes. They are fantastic!
I’m so glad you enjoy the cookies! They actually probably turned out flatter the second time because your vegan butter happened to be softer, or even that your home was warmer. To make them puffy and thick every time, refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies, that will always help! Thank you.
I’d l0ve to make these with the addition of nuts, coconut and oats… what adjustments do you suggest so they won’t be too dry?
I’d probably just add a little of everything in, I’m not sure of the exact amounts, but I don’t think they will be dry unless you add a lot of oats and coconut, so maybe just a few tablespoons of those.
My family LOVED these! Vegans and non-vegans alike. Even impressed my grandfather who constantly asks if what I’m giving him is “real food.” Pleased a pretty tough-to-please crowd!
Best vegan CCC recipe I have found so far and will by my only go to recipe at that. I used only vegan butter instead of oil and my cookies did not turn out flat. The outside had a bit of a crunch while the inside was soft and gooey. My cookies were rolled bigger so I took them out of the oven at 12 minutes. So stinken delish!
Amazing. These were so simple and SO delicious. When I started the recipe (and my 4 year old’s heart was already set on making cookies), I realized we were out of brown sugar. I subbed in coconut sugar and it took it up another notch – just a hint of earthiness and a tad less sweet. My husband thought they were some of the best cookies he’s had!
That’s so great! Thanks for the comment!
These were amazing! We had to add some extra flour to the recipe but other than that they tasted great! We aren’t vegan but we have an egg allergy so it is easiest to just bake vegan.
Made these cookies and they are so delicious! This is gonna be my go to recipe from now on. Even my non-vegan family members said they liked it and would have never guessed they were vegan. I do have one question. I wanna make a bunch of cookies to take with us for a camping trip but was wondering if I could DOUBLE the recipe?
I’m so glad they’re good! Yes, you can double the recipe. I do it all the time!
Can’t wait to try these! ? Can I make these as cookie bars? Do you have a time or pan recommendation?
Hmmm I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it can be done! Maybe a 9 x13 inch pan for 20 minutes or so? But I’d have to test it to know for sure.
These are amazing!!!!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! We baked them in an air fryer (360 for 7 minutes) and they tasted so good!!!!! They are a different texture that way (crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside) but are soo good! We froze the rest and will enjoy them one at a time ? Thank you!!!
You’re welcome!
Amazingly perfect! I consider myself a chocolate chip cookie tasting expert!!
Thanks!
These are amazing. They baked up beautifully and taste so good. This will be my go-to. Thank you so much for sharing this. Absolutely delicious!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Wow! What a wonderfully delicious and simple recipe. My new go-to!
Good recipe. I think I might reduce the butter and replace the flax with an egg replacer because they seem slightly oily and I can taste the flax. No biggie; just a little tweaking.
These cookies are beyond perfect!! OMG, we all love them. Only change I made is decrease the sugar to 1 cup & add 3 kinds of chocolate chips..Why not?!?!
I would dare to say all of your recipes are a success at my house. Thank you for making vegan cooking easy!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the great comment!
Damnnnn Nora, you’ve done it again! This is the most delicious cookie i’ve ever had, thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
Sooo good! These are soft and chewy and the perfect thickness. The first time I made them they weren’t browning so I baked for 4 minutes longer. They still tasted great but they did get hard. Take them out even if they look raw. They do firm up as promised! Thanks for another great recipe, Nora!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!