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Perfectly chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies with soft centers, crisp edges, and warm, familiar flavour that will never disappoint. They’re easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes, and consistently reliable, making cookies that are golden, ooey gooey, and sure to disappear fast!
Dairy-free and egg-free, these cookies are so irresistible that everyone will request you make them again and again!
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Before you make these easy vegan chocolate chip cookies, I have to warn you: if you decide to make them, be prepared to make them over and over...and over. You’re going to love them, everyone you share them with will, too, and they’ll never stop asking for them. Ever.
I know that's a bold statement, but it's true for me. This has been my go-to vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. They are loved by all who try them, and I've made them so many times I can recite the recipe by heart.
But what’s not to love? Crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, plus melty chocolate chips when the cookies are still warm. It’s everything you want in a homemade chocolate chip cookie!
And the taste? Just like a really good, satisfying, classic chocolate chip cookie. Even though there's no dairy and no eggs, no one will be able to tell.
If you accept this cookie-making fate, let’s dive in and make them!
Here's What You'll Need
Some Important Ingredient Notes
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - This vegan cookie recipe was developed with all-purpose white flour.
To make them with gluten-free flour: Don't change this recipe, just follow my recipe for soft vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Unsalted Vegan Butter – Use vegan butter sticks, not the type that comes in containers / tubs, they're not suitable for these cookies. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before starting.
A Quick Butter Tip
Always start with slightly softened butter. Give it a gentle press with your finger. If it leaves a shallow indent, you’re good to go. If your finger sinks in too easily, the butter is too soft, so place it in the fridge until it firms up.
Brown and Granulated Sugar - Both contribute to sweetness and structure, but individually, brown sugar adds flavour, moisture, softness, and chewiness, while granulated sugar creates crisp edges and helps the cookies spread. Don't reduce either of them, and don't leave either of them out, everything is perfectly balanced.
Flax Egg - Some eggless chocolate chip cookies don’t require an egg replacement. I’ve made this recipe without one a few times to test it out, but the version with a flax egg is always far superior. The texture is chewier, and the cookies stay soft for longer. Don’t skip it.
Baking Soda - This ingredient is very important as it helps the cookies to rise a little, brown properly, and also helps them to spread. It's not interchangeable with baking powder, and it cannot be left out. Also, make sure it's fresh.
Now Let's Make These Cookies!
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, combine them, then add the chocolate chips.
Stir the chocolate chips into the dough. Take care not to overmix.
Chocolate Options
I use vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, but mini chips, chocolate chunks, or a chopped plain vegan chocolate bar all work well. You can even mix different types, just always use the same cup and weight measurement. Try a few options and see which you like best. If you’re unsure which brands are vegan, this guide will help: Are Chocolate Chips Vegan? (These Brands Are!).
No chilling is required for this cookie dough, so immediately after preparing it, scoop the dough onto your cookie sheet.
Continue until the cookie sheet is full. Don't overcrowd, leave enough space around each one so they can spread.
Cool Pan, Better Cookies
Never place cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet. Rotate between a couple of sheets or let the one you're using cool off between batches. Cooking one batch at a time may take a little longer, but you'll be rewarded with cookies that have the best possible texture and spread!
When the baking time has ended, carefully remove them from the oven and allow them to rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes.
OPTIONAL: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a large round cookie or biscuit cutter over one cookie at a time. Carefully and gently move the cutter in a slow circular motion, nudging the edges inward. This helps to round and smooth the edges.
Pull at the Right Time
For perfect, soft cookies, don't overbake them. When the baking time is up, they might look raw and seem like they need a few more minutes, but they don't. Trust the timing. Let them cool on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes, and during this time, they'll continue cooking, firm up, deflate slightly, and end up with crisp edges and the perfect soft, gooey, warm center.
After the resting time, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
If You Don't Want a Full Batch...
Check out my single-serve vegan chocolate chip cookie, or for soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies in a different form, try my easy vegan chocolate chip cookie bars.
Tips for Success
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements to make this recipe. (See the "Suggested Equipment" section in the recipe card for the scale I use and recommend.)
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared all of my tips gathered during testing and years of making this recipe, so you feel confident every step of the way. Be sure to read through the full recipe and the recipe notes before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
If You Give Them a Try...
I’d love to hear how your chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies turned out! Share your thoughts with a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of your remake on Instagram and tag me so I can see. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Perfectly Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (203g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted vegan butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup (134g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ - 1 cup (135g -180g) vegan chocolate chips (Use ¾ cup if you prefer fewer chocolate chips in each cookie, use 1 cup if you like lots in each cookie.)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper (if needed), set aside.
- Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Add flax egg and vanilla extract, blend again for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed with your electric mixer or a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough forms. Don't overmix.
- Add chocolate chips and stir until they have combined evenly throughout the dough.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), scoop the dough and place it on the cookie sheet. Don't press the cookie dough down.
- Bake for 9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will look underbaked, that's okay, they will finish baking as they rest on the cookie sheet.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 27 cookies when using a medium cookie scoop. A medium scoop holds 1.5 tablespoons of dough. If you don’t have a scoop, just measure out 1.5 tablespoons for each cookie to get the same amount. If you make them smaller or larger than this, the baking time will need to be adjusted accordingly.
- Store your cookies for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature. After 2-3 days, they will start to dry out and become crisper.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze cookie dough for later: Scoop the dough balls onto a parchment-lined sheet or plate and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To bake after thawing: Place the frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet and let them thaw for about 30 minutes. While they thaw, heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Once thawed, continue at step 9.
- To bake straight from the freezer: Place the frozen dough balls directly on a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven (350°F (177°C)) for 10 to 11 minutes, then continue at step 10.
- Nutrition info is based on 1 of 27 cookies with the recipe made as written, using ¾ cups chocolate chips, and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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