Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
These amazing chocolate chip cookies are miraculously vegan. They're easy to make with basic, wholesome ingredients (no mixer required).
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 10, 2025
For years, I’ve been searching for my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I want outrageously delicious bakery-style chocolate chip cookies that completely capture my attention upon first bite. I want a chewy middle, barely crisp edges, complex flavor, and rich chocolate chips.
I want all of that in a cookie recipe that’s easy to make. No mixer required. No creaming of softened-but-not-too-soft butter. No chilling the dough for 24 hours. I don’t have the patience for any of that. Sometimes a girl just needs a cookie!
These cookies are among the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. My cookie search is over. The crazy part? These cookies are vegan, so they’re free of the usual butter and eggs. I’m honestly shocked.
These amazing cookies are delicious and supremely easy to make. The dough needs a very reasonable 30-minute chill in the refrigerator, and let me tell you, they’re worth the brief wait.
Why This Vegan Cookie Recipe Works
There’s no butter or egg in this recipe, but you’d never guess it. How? Instead of butter (or vegan butter like Earth Balance), these cookies use melted coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil. The eggs are omitted with no downsides—these cookies still have the perfect texture and flavor without them.
For non-vegans like me, this means that the recipe is even easier to make than standard chocolate chip cookies.
For those with dairy or egg allergies, these cookies are a total game-changer. You can even make these cookies gluten-free by substituting Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose blend.
The remaining ingredients are simple and wholesome. You’ll need whole wheat flour, chocolate chips, sugar, coconut sugar or brown sugar, as well as your basic salt and leavening agents. I sprinkled my cookies with some flaky sea salt to make them even more irresistible.
Watch How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
My Recipe Substitutions
I can’t take full credit for this recipe. I was intrigued by the original recipe from the Ovenly Cookbook, via Food52. I made several adjustments to their ingredients and method.
I swapped whole wheat flour for all-purpose, which is undetectable in the final product. I also substituted coconut sugar for brown sugar, which is less refined (for those wondering, it is impossible to make bakery-style cookies using liquid natural sweeteners). I experimented with oils other than canola, which is highly processed and high in omega-6s.
I also found a chilling time shortcut. If you scoop the dough onto the sheets and then chill it, 30 minutes in the freezer works just as well as their 24-hour recommendation. That way, the recipe works with coconut oil, which solidifies at cool temperatures.
Coconut Oil vs. Olive Oil
Your choice of oil impacts the final product. I didn’t notice any textural differences during my recipe testing, but virgin coconut oil offers a slight coconut flavor. Olive oil tastes like, well, olive oil, especially when the cookies are warm.
If you enjoy the flavor of either of those oils on its own, I think you’ll love how they shine through in these cookies, making the flavor more interesting. I’m partial to coconut oil.
If you want cookies that taste like standard bakery chocolate chip cookies, use refined coconut oil or a neutral oil like avocado oil or safflower oil.
Cookie Dough Safety Note
Since the dough is egg-free, it doesn’t carry the usual risk of salmonella poisoning. However, raw flour can carry a slight risk for E. Coli or other pathogens. So, I don’t recommend eating this dough, either!
Here’s more information from the CDC about raw flour (thank you to Tara for sharing).
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
Here are a few more vegan cookie recipes and treats on Cookie and Kate. A few of them require a simple substitution like a flax egg to make them vegan, but I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the recipe.
- Lemon, Rosemary and Olive Oil Shortbread
- Pumpkin Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
- Healthier Gingerbread Cookies: See recipe notes.
- Monster Cookies: See recipe notes.
- Peanut Butter Oat Cookies: See recipe notes.
Please let me know how these cookies turn out for you in the comments. I hope they become your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, too, whether you’re following a vegan diet or not.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meet the best vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe! These cookies are easy to make with basic, wholesome ingredients (no mixer required). Recipe yields 13 large cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 ¼ cups vegan chocolate chips*
- ⅔ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil**
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine, then add the chocolate chips and toss to coat.
- In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar, regular sugar, oil and water. Whisk until the sugar has incorporated into the oil and the mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir just until combined and no more flour is visible (don’t overdo it).
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Fill an ice cream scoop two-thirds with dough (or spoon the mixture into even 2-inch mounds), and place the dough onto one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving several inches of space around each cookie.
- Freeze the cookies on their pans for 30 minutes, or chill them for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden, about 14 to 17 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and sprinkle the cookies with flaky salt, if using. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ovenly’s Secretly Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.
*Chocolate chip notes: Use dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand. If you’re not trying to make vegan cookies, I also like Ghiradelli’s bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips here.
**Oil notes: You’ll detect a light coconut or olive oil flavor in these cookies. Use whichever one you prefer. For completely neutral-flavored cookies, use a neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil or safflower oil.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose flour blend works well in this recipe.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’m not sold on these, which surprised me for this site. I found them to be very greasy, and for me they spread out quite a bit in the oven, becoming unpleasantly crunchy rather than chewy. Were I to make these again, I would half the oil (helps stop the spreading, reduces grease), lower the sugar as I found them a bit sickly sweet, and probably replace the oil with vegan butter for flavour. You can totally taste the wholemeal flour btw, but I quite enjoyed the toastiness it brought.
I’m sorry you didn’t love these as written. I appreciate your feedback, Evan.
Hello can i sub water for plant based milk?
Hi Nikki, these work the best as is. I hope you try them and love them!
These cookies are to die for – I have been looking all over for a cookie recipe that would stick, and it seems I finally found the perfect one! They didn’t even hang around for a full day, being devoured by ravenous children and adults alike.
Thanks a ton, Kate :)
You’re welcome, Sam!
Can the recipe be cut in half?
Hi Nicole! You could try freezing half the batch.
can i use maple syrup or more coconut sugar instead of white sugar?
Hi Ava, I tested this recipe several times and the recipe is best as written. I hope you try it!
Hi Kate,
just wanted to say I love your website. It always seems to have the recipes that I want to make.
I made these cookies for my friend’s birthday and they turned out well. I didn’t have chocolate chips at the time so I subbed cranberries in. I did ask my friend if she liked them (I definitely did) but she was being mysterious and didn’t answer me.
Anyway, thanks for posting this recipe out, it turned out fantastically!
How long can the dough be left in the fridge? Can I use it over the course of a week? Or best frozen after a few days? If frozen, how long should I let thaw before scooping onto the pan?
Hi! My recommendation is as the recipe states. I’m sorry to not be of more help! I haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure.
The perfect dairy free chocolate chip cookie. These are easy to make and very classic tasting. I made a few changes the second time around- add vanilla and 1/2T cinnamon, cut the chocolate chips to 2 cups and coconut sugar to 1/2 cup (I don’t like cookies that are too sweet). These are a crowd pleaser.
I’m glad you love these cookies, Melissa! I appreciate your review.
Do you think oat flour would work as a substitute for the ww flour in this recipe?
Thanks so much.
Carrie
Hi Carrie, I haven’t tried it but it may be a great alternative. Be sure to follow my How to Make Oat Flour.
Thank you for the recipe! It’s definitely a forgiving one. All in all a good recipe, but a few notes in case it’s helpful for anyone else:
I converted to metric and baked these – the dough was crumbly and a little iffy to work with and didn’t look like moist like the preparation images. I was worried – but I added a few tablespoons of plant-based milk to get it to stick together a little more and they baked just fine.
It didn’t flatten and spread in the oven like other cookies for me, but not a big deal, just brought them out towards the end and flattened with a spoon and popped them back in.
This recipe goes rock hard if you go past the baking time, but I don’t like my cookies looking pale. Rock-hard happened for me towards the 17 min mark, and was okay at the 14-15 min mark.
I made these with Ghirardelli milk chocolate (sweet) so I lessened the sugar and definitely could have gone even less.
Served these to carnivores without telling them its vegan and they liked it! Thanks for an easy recipe with simple ingredients that are already in most peoples’ pantries.
Only cookies I ever make these days. I’m a bit of a food snob and can confirm these are the best ever! Whenever I make them to give away I get asked for the recipe.
Super reliable recipe too, they always seems to come out the same. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful to hear, Cherie! I appreciate you sharing.
These are great and really forgiving cookies. I didn’t have chocolate chips so I made it like a sugar cookie then made a thumb print impression in the dough and filled it with a simple chocolate syrup made of cocoa powder, brown sugar, and a bit of flour. I also didn’t have granulated sugar so I substituted it with more brown sugar. They came out perfect. Crispy outsides and the syrup helped to keep the entire center chewy even when they had been refrigerated.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cyr!
Hi Kate
My cookies were delicious. Chewy, pillowy cookies. My inly issue was that they did not spread. I didn’t refrigerate them and cooked them immediately. Can you give me some insight. Thank you
Hi Sheila, these do require the chill noted in the instructions to turn out the best. I hope you try them again!
Hi Kate. I’m gonna try this recipe and I just wondered would all purpose flour work as I find it hard to get a hold off whole wheat flour and also would almond oil work in this recipe as I’m not a fan of coconut. Also in the recipe you stated this: ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Could you explain exactly how much water and oil is needed as I don’t understand thank you
Hi Ella, AP flour should work ok. I haven’t tried almond oil so I can’t say for sure or mixing different oils.
Hello
What’s the shelf life on these cookies?
Hi Delanna, you can freeze them to get them to last longer, or they should keep well for a few ays. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi! I’m planning on making these cookies, but my freezer is too small to store a baking tray, so I’m just wondering if I could possibly store the cookie dough (in the bowl) in my refrigerator rather than the freezer and as balls on a baking sheet. And I could just scoop them out unto the baking sheet the next day…
Hi Anya, I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. I don’t know if it will get cold enough. Let me know if you try it! You will need to work quickly getting the cookies on the tray.
As ever, Cookieandkate doesn’t disappoint. These were a huge hit among vegans and non-vegans alike! The perfect choc chip cookie!
For anyone wondering – I used melted vegan butter (I tend to taste and not love the coconut oil), and 1 cup white flour 1 cup whole wheat – so easy and so delish!
Thank you, Yaara!
Oh my gosh! These are incredible! It’s hard believe they’re made with whole wheat flour. To keep the glycemic level lower, I only used coconut sugar, and they still turned out great. Thank you for another fantastic recipe.
Thank you, Luisa! I’m delighted you enjoyed them.
I have to say that these cookies are the absolute BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. I have made them many times and they always turn out. Also, I have a son who is vegan so they are perfect for him too. Whether you are vegan or not, you need to try this recipe. You won’t regret it. One more thing…the salt on top of the cookie is so yummy!
Thank you for sharing, Susan! I’m glad you love them just as much as I do.
Third time I have made these awesome cookies!!! Husband loves them too! I use brown coconut sugar and coconut oil, dairy free dark chips, organic white flour and rest of the ingredients! They are spectacular!
I’m glad you both loved them, Katherine! Thank you for sharing.
I don’t usually have much luck with cookies, but these were so good. I used a mix of sugar, stevia, and Truvia brown sugar blend and made them as small cookies. I think I will be making these often!
Hi! I have a question – can these be frozen for later use?
I believe these would freeze well. Let me know what you think, Divya!
Hi
I have made these cookies several times and they’re the best !!!
Thank you for this recipe:)
I wanted to use orange chocolate chunks, would I need to change the recipe in any way? Add some orange zest? Orange liquor?
Hi V, I don’t have suggestions on making these orange cookies without changing the recipe. Sorry! I would be interested to hear what you try.
These cookies are great!! But, I could taste and smell the olive oil quite a bit. Next time I’ll try with coconut oil :)
Let me know what you think of them with the change, Rebecca!
Many Thanks .
Awesome recipe. Turned out great !
You’re welcome, Anita! Thank you for your review.
Is there a need to adjust other ingredients if less sugar or no sugar is added to the mix? What is the minimum amount of sugar required to achieve a good result?
Hi Charlene, changing or reducing the ingredients would require a new recipe as baking is quite precise. I recommend the recipe as written for the best results. I hope you try them!
Followed recipe to the letter. My dough was crumbles. I had to add more water just to be able to squeeze dough into balls to freeze. Final product-cookies remained in round balls and the inside was raw. There is either a wet ingredient missing from the recipe or the oil and water amounts are off.
Hi Sheila, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you sure you added the wet ingredients and not too much flour? I have made these several times with this final recipe without issue.
These are my favorite cookies, and everyone I’ve shared them with agrees they are amazing! I use coconut oil and brown sugar. Since the dough is really soft from the melted oil, I usually chill the entire bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or an hour before scooping, which makes the dough balls hold together better. I sometimes chill a bit more in the freezer on the pans but sometimes don’t, and they turn out well either way. We have lactose intolerance and now dairy allergy (my 1yo daughter) in my family, so I know we’ll be using this recipe probably forever. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thank you for sharing them! I appreciate your review, Emily.
Is freezing a must?
Hi Namrata, I recommend this recipe as written for the best result.
BEST RECIPE!!!!!!! SO GOOD!!!! MUST TRY!!!
Thank you, Angela! I’m delighted you love it.
I’ve been making these amazing cookies for several years and they are the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever!!! Thanks for all your amazing recipes!! Love your cookbook and have given it as a gift many times.
My nephew just got his own apartment as a sophomore in college and uses the cookbook all the time!
I’m happy to hear that, Dee! I appreciate your review.
Lovely recipe!
Thank you, Tannaz!
I LOVE IT I. Ran out of butter and eggs and you were the perfect website to tell me :)
Wow. These cookies were reeaaallly good. I left mine in the freezer for about an hour, so they took longer in the oven than the suggested 14-17 min. A hard outer surface was the result–perfect for dipping in milk, but still chewy on the inside. I will definitely make these again; probably in various flavors and additions. Just popped the remainder of the batch in the oven after being in the fridge for a day, so we’ll see how these ones bake; just wanted to let you know you hit this one out of the park. (I think your recipes are always solid), but these whole wheat cookies are surprisingly delicious. My husband gave his seal of approval as well. Thank you! (I used coconut oil. Also wished I had an ice cream scoop!)
I’m glad you loved them, Jolie!
These are easily some of the best cookies I’ve ever had! We try not to eat coconut oil so I used the EVOO and the flavor was on point. Thank you!!
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Kim.
I actually expected a disaster after mixing up the batter as it turned out very dry and crumbly. So I sprinkled in a bit more oil and a couple of tablespoons of water to moisten it …and it turned out fine! I’m trying to bake “healthy” treats for my neighbors and these cookies were too large for them (no they couldn’t trust themselves to eat half!), but I’ll try again with smaller cookies and maybe try subbing a little applesauce for some of the oil. I used a combo of avocado and EVOO, only chilled the dough about half hour. My hubby, who thinks that nothing is worth eating unless it is bad for you, didn’t care for them … but I thought they were darn good. I think my health conscious sister will LOVE them (and so will the neighbors when I do the portion control for them). Thank you for another great recipe Kate!!!
I was skeptical of these cookies… but love Kate’s other recipes so decided to give them a go! I was pleasantly surprised. The texture of the cookies is second to none – soft and oh so chewy. Delicious. They also seem to last longer than a regular cookie in that they still taste chewy (rather than crumbly) after a few days. Great recipe!
I’m glad you still made them and enjoyed them, Erica! Thank you for your comment and review.
Amazing cookie!! My 15 year old says this IS THE GO-TO recipe!! Then he added, what else can we make vegan?
These really are amazing! You can’t tell that they’re made with whole wheat flour at all—it just gives a nice nutty undertone. These are definitely going into our regular rotation!
Wonderful, Loryn! Thank you for your review.
These were really good! I followed the instructions with the one exception of mixing half white whole wheat and white AP flour. Grandkids approved and one is not a fan of coconut (I used coconut oil). Thanks!
This is the best cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. The cookies are moist and full of flavour. You’d never guess they were vegan. I cook for my vegan and non vegan friends/family and they all love them. I’m always asked for the recipe. I either use vegan choc chips or diary choc chips. These cookies are always on rotation. Thanks for such an amazing recipe, 10/10
I’m glad you think so, Liz!
How to make chocolate chip cookie recipe sugar free?
Thanks!
Alice
I made these and my batter came out crumbly. I just added more water to form the dough. I used canola oil and regular salt. Was this ok? They tasted good!
Any tips?
Hi, The canola oil could have impacted it. I’m glad you were still able to enjoy the taste!
These cookies are the best, I love the no butter flavour. They taste amazing.
Always a winner in our house.
That’s great to hear, Kim! Thank you for your review.
Ok, I hope this doesn’t make me sound like I’m losing it, but have the proportions of the recipe changed since you first posted it? These used to be my fail-safe, knock it out of the park EVERY TIME cookies. But the last handful of times I’ve made them the batter is super wet… I’m buying the same ingredients, what gives?!
Hi Brittany, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t changed this recipe, so I’m not sure what may be going on. Have you changed any of the ingredients your buying? Do you live at an elevation?
Yum!!
Subbed 1/4 of my oil with melted peanut butter. The rest was coconut.
Also subbed 1/4 of my choc chips with sunflower seeds to balance the sweetness…..I might try cashew pieces next time
I have a small freezer so found I couldn’t fit the tray of cookies in. Instead I cooked them straight without the cold step and they were awesome. Love a slight crunch in my cookies
Woah!! I made these not because they are vegan but because I love all recipes from C & K. I realized too late that I needed to chill them and don’t have room in my freezer and had a small child very excited for them, I stuck them in the fridge for 15 minutes and was sure they would turn into a mess when baked. I had added a handful of oats just to bind the batter a bit in case and put them into the oven. They were PERFECT. Crunchy, soft, delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Amy! I’m glad you loved them.
A little too much! Have you found a version with alternative sweetner like maple syrup?
Just tried these, but they didn’t turn out cakey, they are very flat and the edges carmellized. I can’t see why as I followed the measurements and ingredients as listed. Perhaps my freshly-ground flour was too fluffy and I should have doubled the amount of flour? Now that they are cool they are like hard candy rather than chewy cookies. This is the first time a c&k recipe didn’t work for me. Better luck next time!
It sounds like you may have had too much flour. How did you measure it? Or they may have been over stirred. I’m sorry you didn’t have great results!
Hi Kate, the cookies look delicious when done , however it seems the ingredient proportions are off. I followed it verbatum and it was a dry crumly mix. I had to add 2 vegan eggs substitutes and 1/2 cup oat milk to get a sticky batter, also they nver really flattened out to look like a cookie. Perhaps some vegan butter, hence no fat in the recipe?
Otherwise they’re great!
Best, Alex
Hi Alex, I’m sorry to hear that. How did you measure your flour?
I’ve made these many times. I’m a chocolate chip cookie fanatic. Give me cookies over cake any day. These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies ever so far.
I use avocado oil. Works great.
Only recommendation for people: this recipe does NOT double well at all. I tried that and they were not good and very dry. Better to make the whole recipe twice in two separate batches. I wanted a big batch and learned the hard way.
Also do not skip the flaked salt! Mistake!
And don’t use normal flour ever. White whole wheat gives it an amazing flavor that is unparalleled. I tried it without white whole wheat and I realized some of the magic is in that flour!
Thank you for this recipe. It actually saved us when our infant daughter had a milk protein allergy and was breastfeeding. My wife wanted cookies but couldn’t have dairy.
Fantastic cookies.
Hi Jason, That is interesting. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I’m glad you and you wife can enjoy them.