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.
Do you have a great way to store these cookies! I want to have them tasting absolutely fresh tomorrow!!
I have made these three times. The best batch was when I made them 2 tablespoons each in size. I am usually a big dark chocolate lover in chocolate chip cookies but the dough of these cookies is best using milk chocolate. Also, these cookies needed more salt to create flavor. I added …and extra 1/4 teaspoon. I think and extra 1/2 teaspoon is best. I left the doughballs round, did not flatten them at all, and baked the dough cold from the fridge.. also the flour should be scooped directly from the bag (do not use spoon and sweep method). With cold dough, the cookies caramelized on the edges but the center was soft. Without butter, more flavor is created by allowing the sugar to caramelize during baking. If these cookies do not caramelize, there is surprisingly little flavor unless you add more salt.
I don’t know what I didn’t wrong :( The cookies wouldn’t stick together and spread all the way out into one giant rectangle. I put the dough in the freezer for 30 min but the dough was very oily… to the point the Olive oil was sweeping out of the cookies I had scooped out after I took it out of the freezer. Maybe I didn’t add enough flour or I over stirred? Thought they were a bit sweet too…
Hi Emma, Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. Your measurements may have been slightly off and over stirred as you noted.
It is a great recipe but with WAYYY too much oil… I used less than what was in the recipe but all I could taste was olive oil (cookie dough) Hopefully the cookies won’t be like that (they’re in the freezer rn)
Hi Kate.
This recipe is great – thank you. I used to have a recipe for choc chip cookies that had no egg but lost it years ago! I think no egg makes for a less cakey biscuit. For me, the recipe is perfect – definitely salty enough and the dark choc was good. I used olive oil as I don’t like the way coconut oil tastes. I think it is important to make an emulsion with the oil and sugar – if you don’t, the oil separates out of the cookies. I flattened mine a bit prior to cooking and I was really happy with the result. Thank you. We have no allergies but just like to eat simple fresh food and you seem to do the same. I too love vegetables! Thanks for all your ideas. Kind regards, Myffy (Perth, Western Australia)
MY favorite dish here is the stuffed shells those are the best thing u have here on this website
AWESOme cookies thank u for the awesome recipe and u should keep making even more deserts and of my favorite cookies thank u Kate
This is an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe! The cookies had a crisp outer shell and a gooey, chocolatey inside. They were really easy to make and only took a couple minutes! Totally worth it.I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a great go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, everyone in the family loved them. Thank you.
Can you do half olive oil and half coconut oil? How would that turn out? I don’t have access to butter, but I do have a olive oil but not enough. I
Hi Camela! Combining the two should yield a nice cookie as long as the olive oil isn’t intensely flavored.
I did that the first time I made the cookies. They were great!
These cookies are amazing for sure. Lots of great flavor!
Excellent!
Thank you, Pam!
I live in Italy. I made these chocolate chip cookies a few months ago and they were delicious !
I love reading your healthy recipes and your funny comments. The photos are beautiful!
Im trying to make it with Coconut flour, has anyone done it? Wondering if its the same exact process… Thanks ya’ll
Unfortunately, coconut flour isn’t a 1:1 substitution.
Hi, just wondering what would happen if I bake the cookies right away without freezing them first? I don’t have enough space in my freezer
You won’t get the desired result, sorry! You can put them in your refrigerator to for 24 hours.
I wanted chocolate chip cookies but we were out of eggs. A quick search led me to this recipe and it’s just wonderful. I used chocolate chunks and a few peanut butter chips because that’s what I had. I followed the recipe using coconut oil and added a smidge extra salt per a previous comment. Cookies were PHENOMENAL. 10/10 would make again.
I love to hear that, Lindsay! Thank you for your comment and for sharing. I appreciate it.
Hello! Wondering if you could use vegetable oil in this recipe? I know it’s not the world’s best oil, but working with what I have here at the moment :)
It could work! I hate to say without trying it to give it my stamp of approval, but it does typically work as a replacement. Let me know how it goes for you!
I did it with vegetable oil and it works perfectly! :)
Me too! I used conola oil. These were literally the best chocolate chip biscuits I’ve ever made!!!!!!
I wasn’t sure about these as I put them
In the oven because the dough was pretty crumbly and I didn’t have regular sugar so I added a little extra brown sugar, but WOW! These are so good. I used coconut oil and I love the added flavor.
Hooray! I’m excited you loved them, Erin.
I am OBSESSED with these cookies. Cookies are one of my favorite things on earth, and I thought I would try this recipe just to do something new. These are now the only cookies I will make. I have made them for many people and every time they say it is one of the best they have had. The coconut really adds something special! Thank you Kate for making my world more delicious!
You’re not alone, I am too! These are just the perfect thing right now, too.
Hi there! I don’t have brown sugar. Any way I can substitute with honey or extra white sugar? Thanks!
Hi! Unfortunately, a wet sweetener doesn’t work well here.
I just made the cookies and they are delicious. I made them for me and my sisters and we all enjoyed them. I was a little worried about the olive oil but they turned out amazing.
Mine turned out the same … disappointing
Hi Miller, I’m sorry you didn’t love this one.
These are amazing chocolate chip cookies! I did tweek a few things, but not much. Hard to believe a butter and egg less cookie could be delicious and very good texture!
*I added 1 cup dark chocolate chips
*I only added 1/3 cup plus a 1/2 of a 1/3 cup coconut sugar
*I only added 1/4 cup brown sugar – I don’t like things too sweet – but with this combination – was perfect.
*I used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 olive oil – did not taste the coconut personally. Which is ok, like it both ways – coconut flavor or no flavor.
Thanks for all the great recipes. Your site is a lifesaver. Can this cookie dough be frozen for future use? Cheers!
Hi Ted, I didn’t try it. However, you could see if others have and what their results were by checking the comments.
Froze the dough balls so that we could make 1 or 2 at a time and to keep me from going ham on a whole plate of cookies (no self control). Cooked at a slightly lower temp for a while longer and they were perfect. So good. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Ted,
How long did you freeze them for? I am interesting on baking them one or two at a time too and wanted to know how long they would keep in the freezer.
Hey Anna!
They only lasted 2 weeks…but that’s because we ate them all! Not sure about shelf life beyond that…
Awesome!!!!!!!! I used half spelt and all white sugar. Can I refridgerate or freeze the dough for future use?
Hi Ellie, I’m not sure freezing this long term for future use as I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Hey there! I recently tried freezing the dough for future use. It will bake just the same after about a month, but any longer than that will result in a darker and crunchier cookie. Still delicious! Also, I’d let the dough sit out for just a few minutes before baking. Not too long, though!
These cookies are a game changer! I have recently gone dairy and egg free due to an allergy and am so thankful I found this recipe! They turned out perfectly crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. I reduced the sugar by 1/3 and still found them sweet enough.
These are the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! The fact that these are vegan is a mega bonus, because I recently became vegan. I used all-purpose flour and they turned out so nicely. I’ve made these cookies two or three times now, and I’ve found that if you pre-roll them before putting them in the fridge you have a much easier time than rolling them after they’ve chilled! Can’t wait to make more of your vegan goodies!
Two inch mounds sounds ENORMOUS for cookies! Are you sure about that?
Yes, I’m sure :)
No egg??
No egg! Crazy I know, but they work and are delicious.
I just made these today. Came out pretty well! I used regular all purpose flour and brown sugar. I think next time I’ll reduce the sugar as it was pretty sweet. Loved the coconut flavor and so did my husband! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, I have made these cookies a few times and they are such a fabulous hit. I use the 1-1 Gluten free Bobs baking flour and they turn out great every time.
What is the best way to store them after please an how long will they last? (they are usually gone within a couple days you see in my house!)
Wonderful, Helen! Thank you for your comment and review. I’m glad they worked so well for you.
Ok. I mean…ok I don’t even know how these cookies have no dairy and are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. How how how???? Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. They are. I’m very particular. But these. Oh my gosh. Both my wife and I think these are basically the best ever. Amazing recipe. Amazing. Follow it to the letter so it doesn’t fail. To the letter!
Delicious! They turned out so well. Will definitely make these again. Thanks!
What if I didn’t chill them?
Hi Leonie, chilling helps ensure that these cookies don’t spread too much while baking. Hope yours turn out great!
OMG Amazing!! Im going to gain so much weight in Isolation!! Haha! But it will be so worth it! And FYI your website is my go too all the time, always winner recipes, THANKYOU!
I found the batter super dry and I was worried about how they would turn out, but they’re pretty good! Very sweet :)
I’m happy they still turned out for you, Sherelle! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
We used extra virgin olive oil and substituted the white sugar for raw sugar. We also used compound cooking chocolate cut in to chunks instead of chocolate chips
Turned out great! Now I just have to find a suitable hiding spot so my kids don’t eat them all in one day.
I tried the cookies with refrigerating over night and when they came out of the oven they were amazing! Unfortunately after they cooled down they became really hard. I dont know if I baked them too long or if they were not thick enough.
Anyway, gonna try them again and see how they turn out with less time! ☺️ thanks for the recipe!
Can I substitute 1:1 with all purpose flour?
Also i don’t have brown sugar? How much more white sugar as replacement?
Hi! All-purpose flour should work fine. You could try replacing the brown sugar with white sugar (same amounts), but the spread of the cookies may be affected. I have not tried to be sure.
So yummy! They came out perfect. Was very happy. Used brown sugar & olive oil. Thank you, this recipe is a keeper!
These cookies are delicious, are used the coconut oil and the brown sugar. I also added a small amount of butterscotch chips. I baked all of the cookies as directed, then froze half the batch. They are just as delicious when you let them thaw out of the freezer, or toss it in the microwave.
Mmm i made these cookies with my friend and they were nearly gone by the time she left!
I made these and they are amazing! And I had everything in the pantry which was a huge score. I used neutral coconut oil and 1 cup of dark brown sugar in total. Thanks Kate!
These are my go to stuck-at-home cookies! I haven’t been able to get eggs in 3 weeks but at least I can still enjoy homemade chocolate chip cookies!!! I also add a splash of vanilla to the recipe. Terrific recipe!
My coockies ended up quite hard – are they meant to be crunchy?
Hey Shanti! No, I wouldn’t describe these as crunchy. Sounds like your cookies were in the oven a couple minutes too long. It’s also important to measure the flour correctly (sounds like you may have used more than I did)—I stir the flour to loosen it up, then spoon it into measuring cups and level off the top.
not inedible, but I will never be making these again.
Hi! Can I substitute wheat flour with oat flour 1:1?
Hey Rochelle! Good question. I have not tried. I don’t think it would work well, since this recipe is more dependent upon the gluten in regular flour for structure (it doesn’t contain eggs).
Can I substitute self rising flour for all purpose if I omit the baking soda and powder? Hope that’s not a silly question.
Hi Samantha! I don’t typically recommend self rising flour in my recipes as the specific brands you buy can vary with the amount of baking powder and it’s super important to have the exact amount of baking powder for baked goods. Sorry!
I came across this recipe because I am completely out of eggs. So, for some reason, I was awful at following directions today, perhaps it was my kids distracting me. I used avocado oil and brown sugar and didn’t notice until I threw the brown sugar in, that brown sugar requires less. I scooped out about half 1/3 cup, so I was able to save myself there, but then I failed to gather the freezing of the dough before baking. I doubted the turnout because the dough was more like a batter. After I had about 6 cookies on the sheet, I made a bit more flour mixture and added it in until it became more like a dough. After baking, the batter dough surprisingly still turned out yummy, but spread out. The rest of the cookies were perfect. Had the perfect crisp to them and soft inside. I will definitely try these again and follow the recipe right next time.
Substitute of brown sugar or coconut sugar
This is my first comment ever on any cooking blog. I always make the recipes but don’t usually partake in the social aspects.
However, these cookies inspired me to comment. I have been experimenting and making different versions of chocolate chip cookies for 15 years and while some have been very good they were still missing something.
This recipe makes the absolutely perfect chocolate chip cookie for me. Recipe saved and will be my go to for the rest of my years.
While I am at it, thank you for a wonderful food blog. I have made many meals from your recipes and also appreciate the occasional nod to KC culture (I used to live in Lawrence but have since moved out the area).
Here is to many more meals, memories, and belly rubs for our pets…
Cheers!
I’m so excited about how delicious these turned out. I used a 50/50 mix of olive oil and melted Melt plant-based “butter,” and the cookies came out SO GOOD. I left them in the freezer for about 90 minutes, so I had to up the baking time to 21 minutes. I have been using another vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe for the last twelve years, and never really loved it. This will be my new go-to recipe, for sure!
The cookies were excellent. However is 309 cal. a cookie correct?
Glad to hear it, Margarete! Yes, the nutritional information is correct if your batch yielded 13 large cookies.
These were really fun to make because they are different than a regular cookie! I used white flour just to see how they differ than regular butter cookies. Family liked them! Will make them again!
Oh and the flour is scooped from bag not spoon and sweep
These were amazing! When I made them they were not half as wet as the pictures so I worried they wouldn’t come out right. But using the ice cream scoop was a great way to compact them. I did remove 1/4 of each sugar because I prefer it like that, but it was still SO delicious! They were SO VERY tasty. I LOVE THESE COOKIES. I’m definitely saving the recipe for later. It was really hard not to eat a bunch of them… gah. So delicious! :0)
Can these be made with a sugar sub being a diabetic
These are awesome. I Tried half chocolate chips and half dried cranberries it was yummy. Also tried substituting the white sugar for blended dates( dates+ little bit of water) turned out awesome.
Would applesauce work as a replacement for the oil?
Hi Pooja, I haven’t tried it with this specific recipe. I believe it has worked for some in others. I would suggest seeing what other readers may have tried. Baking can be quite tricky and any small change can make it not turn out.
Made them with olive oil and dark chocolate turned out amazing this will defo be my go to recipe from now on. family loves them. left them in the oven for 10 minutes and they were perfect.
This is an awesome recipe!
I live in a City in Metro Manila called BGC where I can walk to some very good restaurants, bakeries and cafes. I never really had to bake my own cookies before. But as I write, the entire island of Luzon is still on lockdown. Most cafes and restaurants are closed. The restrictions in BGC are quite oppressive– we aren’t even allowed to walk our dogs or go for a run, even if the parks are empty. Military trucks are going around with sirens, and soldiers are yelling unintelligible warnings even if most residents are indoors and the streets are empty. It’s quite depressing.
So finding a recipe for delicious cookies, using ingredients that I had in my pantry, really made my day. You have no idea! Thank you, Kate. These are better than store-bought cookies! And so easy to make.
I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup bread flour because it’s what I had in my pantry. I also chopped up bars of Milka chocolate because I didn’t have semi-sweet baking chocolate chips. And I didn’t freeze the dough, I just refrigerated it for an hour. But the cookies turned out really well, the edges were crisp and inside, it was soft and chewy. Cornish sea salt flakes sprinkled on top take the cookies to a whole new level.
Thank you, too, for many of your other recipes: the sweet potato chili, the creamy roasted cauliflower soup, the vegan pancakes and waffles– I love them all, and Im not even vegan!
All the best to you and all your readers. Stay healthy and safe.