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.
Love these! A chocolate chip cookie recipe that is both vegan and delicious. I have been hooked on store bought ready made dough for years and now I actually prefer these. I get excited to wake up and bake them
I get excited about these cookies, too! Thanks for sharing and I appreciate your review.
Amazing recipe! It was looking quite dry so I did add about another 1-2 Tbsp and they were absolutely perfect! Im quarantining with my boyfriend and he’s not much of a sweet tooth but he’s already eaten 2 fresh out of the oven! Will be my go to choc chip recipe! Good job!
Hello! Thank you for this recipe – perfect for a fridge thats getting empty (no eggs, no butter!). I did add vanilla, because I love it. However, I want to say that we (kids and adults) found these cookies WAY TOO SWEET! I usually cut sugar in half for recipes (because there is almost always too much and then thats all you taste), but for some reason didn’t do that for these. Loved the texture, and even the taste to a certain point – but would definitely cut the sugar in half to have more well-rounded flavour. Thanks again – I always love looking at what you’re cooking up.
Hi Kate!
I recently went to plant-based diet and am on the hunt for recipes that don’t use up all my Earth Balance tub!
I am going to try your recipe but I notice there is NO VANILLA? in the recipe. QUESTION: Why is that? Do other ingredients provide that flavor? If not, was thinking of adding some vanilla.
Thanks for your answer!
– Cate
Hi Cate! I know, it’s crazy, but I don’t think these cookies need vanilla. You can certainly add a teaspoon or two if you’d like, though.
Oh.my.gawd. these are quite possibly the BEST choc chip cookies recipe I have ever made!! I was sceptical at first as it was just too easy – I made them with my 5yo and they were beyond delish! Mrs Fields eat your heart out!!!
My son said the cookies reminded him of the Chick-fil-A cookies. He said he wants to make them using butter. How much would you suggest we use? Will butter work well with the recipe?
Hi there, you could try making them with an equal amount of melted butter, but I’m not sure how they’ll turn out. Please report back!
Can you make a video or advise about the consistency that should result. Tried not to over mix but end result was crumbly—probably because I tried to load it with raisins and cranberries (I cut the sugar) instead of chocolate. I hoped the mounds would spread out but they didn’t. They were still incredible, but they reminded me so much of scones.
I really liked to cookies , I added more cinnamon some more spices , I baked for 17 minutes at 365 . My oven is not really hot but next time I will bake it at 350 . Super crispy the way I like my cookies ..the only thing I had to use more water ..it was a little dry . I also used 1/4 coconut sugar 1/4 cane sugar , it was plenty sweet for me ..very good cookies .
I was looking for a regular old chocolate chip cookie recipe for my little kids. When I happened on this, I was super excited because all your recipes turn out amazing (I made a batch of your superhero muffins earlier in the day!).
These cookies are hands down beyond delicious! I’m vegetarian so I love a vegan dessert. My whole family loves these. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!!
Thank you! I’m glad you loved them.
AMAZING!
These were so so amazing! I halved the quantity and just used half the amount of sugar and they tasted so so good!
Great to hear, Aditi!
“I want all of that in a cookie recipe that’s easy to make. No chilling the dough for 24 hours. I don’t have the patience for any of that. Sometimes a girl just needs a cookie!”
“5. Freeze the cookies on their pans for 30 minutes, or chill them for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.”
That’s it. That’s my whole review of this recipe.
I’m sorry you don’t like this recipe. I appreciate your feedback.
To clarify on the logic—you don’t have to chill these cookies for 24 hours. You just need to freeze the cookies on the pans for 30 minutes. Otherwise, they spread too much.
“Up to 24 hours in the refrigerator” is included as an option for those who like to prep in advance. Would love to hear how your cookies turn out if you actually make them.
Thumbs up from our family, these turned out great! We used avocado oil. Lifesaver cookie recipe when low on ingredients!
During this time I run out of snacks and last night my husband and kids were asking if they could have cookies for movies night. I didn’t have any… I thought I’d make some and then realized I had no eggs so I searched for recipes of cookies without eggs and was so happy to find this! I used coconut oil, part of the sugar I substituted with honey and I didn’t realized I had to freeze the dough and since they were all waiting for the cookies I baked them Without freezing them. They came out sooooo good! My family loved them! I still have some dough left and I was able to freeze it and will bake them tonight. If the cookies last night were a total hit I can’t wait ‘til my family tries the ones made the way I was supposed to make them. Thank for thIs wonderful recipe!
Incredibly dry so disappointed:(
I’m sorry to hear that. What didn’t you like?
I made these and they are hands down one of my favourites EVER! The sweet and saltiness + coconut flavour = LOVE. I found it takes a bit of patience to get them into balls since the dough is oily rather than sticky, but not a problem. As mentioned in the recipe, the 30 min chill is totally worth the wait.
I made these l, the only change I made was I about tripled the salt and threw in a couple extra spoonfuls of flour, and instead of white sugar I used palm sugar and also used the dark brown sugar. and they are SOOO DELICIOUSSSS. Truly the best cookies I have ever had. Ate them all and made another batch in no time. And shared this recipe with people immediately. And so easy!! Thank you SO MUCH
Kate, just made some of the. Oat flour and wonder If that might work instead of flour for gluten feee people.our son is an ER Doctor. Ki have been baking for the gang once a week but have yet to make any gluten free products. If not this recipe, do you have a suggestion for cookies or muffins?
Hi Nancy! Good question. I have not tried oat flour here. Since this recipe is eggless, it might not work well. I’d suggest making my blueberry muffins or any of my muffin recipes, really. Most of them call for 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, so use 2 1/2 cups oat flour instead—should work well!
The recipe is amazing. Made them with my granddaughter. We love them especially my grandson had chocolate all over his face and hands. Thank you Kate! Will be making more soon.
Okay I never leave recipe reviews but these cookies truly are AMAZING so I felt compelled to. I went in search of a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe having just run out of eggs and butter. I figured I would find something to satisfy my sweet tooth, but would end up compromising on something – either they’d have a weird texture or an off taste. WRONG. They are crispy on the edges, soft in the middle and they are so delicious!
I used brown sugar and coconut oil. I did not use the extra salt on top. I thought it was odd that the recipe didn’t call for vanilla, but I don’t think they need it; the coconut oil adds that extra depth of flavor. I had them in the freezer for about two hours so I let them set out while I preheated the oven and ended up baking them for about 18 minutes and they came out perfect. I will definitely be making these again, whether or not I have butter and eggs!
These were amazing and I’m not a chocolate chip fan. Did wonder about one thing. They did not spread at all. Is that how they should bake? I expected them to spread- at least a it.
Hi Nancy, did you allow them to chill per the directions prior to baking?
Hi Nancy, yes, they should have spread a bit. Did you substitute a different kind of flour? If not, I’m wondering if perhaps you measured your flour with a heavy hand. I measure my flour by first giving it a stir to loosen it up, then spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife. If you scoop it into the cups, you could end up with up to 50% more flour, which could explain why your dough was more stiff than mine. If that doesn’t explain it, I am really not sure what else to suggest. I’m sorry! Hope you enjoyed them.
These are absolutely amazing! Great texture but make sure to whisk oil and sugar REALLY well before incorporating other ingredients, or else oil will separate from the cookie and dough will be incredibly oily. Tastes spectacular dipped in some milk! I refrigerated for 24 hrs+, but baked a portion after 4-5 hours of refrigeration, and they spread a lot and didn’t have the best texture, so I would definitely recommend refrigerating for as long as possible or following freezing instructions. After more than 24 hrs of refrigeration, there was a little bit of oil separation, but dough was the same as before when I was scooping, and no oil seeping during baking. You don’t notice the lack of eggs at all! Thank you so much for writing these recipes! I’m a huge fan of the blog and can’t wait to make more of your recipes.
Great recipe! I didn’t chill them and used olive oil and brown sugar and they turned out amazing!
I am making your recipe now but used oatmeal flour instead of flour and I have pancake looking cookies, they are in the freezer now but I don’t think they are going to work out
Hi Kate
I always prefer using oil in my baking rather than butter. These came out perfect. I reduced the sugar to only 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Crispy on outside and chewy in the middle. My boys loved it. Looks exactly like your picture. I am surprised about the calorie count for 1 serving though
These turned out fab! Used Avocado Oil. Baked perfectly and were absolutely delightful. Two thumbs up from my son and husband…I didn’t tell them they were ‘healthier’…until after they raved about them. As always, Kate, your recipes do not disappoint!
Amazing. Crunchy, crumbly, great tasting and without butter.
This tastes amazing! My sister is allergic to a lot of things and I usually struggle to find good allergy-friendly recipes for her, but this one is terrific! I made it with all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat, and worked super well! I also just put the coconut oil in the sugar mixture instead of melting, and added hot water instead of regular water if anyone wants to minimize dishes. It may differ though, as the coconut oil I used melts super easily(and I’m unsure about other brands). Just need to stir for a bit, pressing on the clumps if it isn’t working.
Today was my first time ever making cookies (How ridic) I’m so happy, they’ve turned out so well They’re delicious. Such a great recipe, I can’t believe they’re vegan!! Thanks so much
Would whole wheat pastry flour also work for this recipe?
Hi Liezl! I’m not entirely sure. Whole wheat pastry flour has a lower protein/gluten content, so the cookies would definitely be more tender. Since these cookies don’t have egg for structure, I’m concerned they might spread too much. Please report back if you try it!
I tried these but it had way to much oil in it and didn’t cook right
I made these today, I followed the recipe to the T. They turned out amazing! Very tasty and crisp on the out side and chewy in the middle. very sweet, but hey ITS A COOKIE..lol!
Could I chill these overnight?
That would work! See step 5.
I tried this recipe and came out reaaaally good!
Glad I got a nice dairy free recipe for cookies
I’ve tried before with almond flour but they come out quite heavy
This one is a keeper
Hi Ingrid! I’m happy you liked this one. And yes, almond flour doesn’t work as the best substitute.
Hi Kate.
I tried for my adult kids…1 a vegan, 1 not. Changed a couple if things. Used 72% bakers chocolate pulsed in food processor to make chunks. Substituted 1 cup whole wheat for 1 cup oats. Used coconut oil in my batch and added 1 tsp. Vanilla. Substituted almond milk for water and also used 3/4 cup stevia instead of white sugar or coconut sugar. Very tasty..may add nuts or shredded coconut next time. Thanks for a great cookie base to work with. It wasn’t too oily as some had mentioned rather held together nicely. Refrigerated overnight and baked fresh when guests arrived. I imagine that you could place in freezer bag after freezing individually, so they dont stick, and have on hand for a quick treat or drop in company.
Thanks, all the best. Lori
It’s a good recipe, I used extra virgin olive oil (and you can really taste it which I don’t mind) and a combination of brown and white sugar. The pastry seemed super greasy and it was falling apart so I wraped in tinfoil as a sausage and putbit in the freezer overnight. In the morning I sliced 2cm thick slices and baked 18min as said. The texture was perfect. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. I’ll be making it again but maybe with ginger or some other flavors. This combination of olive oil and chocolate didn’t blow our mindes.
Hands down, this recipe made THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies we have ever baked! It was slightly crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and dense enough to have a substantial cookie. There is no need to look for another recipe. I love that you don’t have to worry about softening butter. We use olive oil and it was still amazing. Thank you for sharing!!!
I tried these cookies today and it’s truly by far the best choco chip cookie I hav made , crispy and chewy , Thanku for the recipe
You’re welcome, Tanya! Thank you for your review.
The 1/2 cup sugar ingredient (white i assume) …what can i use to sub? White sugar is so awful for health!
Hi Raina, I’ve minimized the sugar as much as possible. You can replace it with packed coconut sugar if you’d prefer—the cookies just won’t be as fluffy and tender.
So my name is susan, im from Poland and i neeeeed to tell you that this recipe is amazing! I love the cookies(the only thing i changed is chocolate. I used a 70% and only about 100grams, but still this is one of my best recipes!) thank you sooo much
Absolutely the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I think the issue some people have with the oil is that they are not mixing it well. I also highly recommend Avocado oil. It does not have a strong flavor at all. I make them with a combination on raw sugar, brown sugar and coconut sugar. The recipe it fail proof and they stay fresh tasting for days!
Oops no baking soda! Could I use baking powder?
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! You can’t sub these for 1:1, sorry!
Yum! Love the coconut flavor and the crisp exterior, but soft interior. I did have problems, as others have mentioned, with the dough not holding together or being scoopable. Even though I made sure to double check my ingredients, measurements and emulsified the water, oil, sugar as another commenter recc’d. I spooned into my hands and pressed hard to bind it, then made balls, froze 30min, baked and they came out nice! Yum! Not sure I’ll make again. May go back to substituting egg in a more traditional Choco chip recipe.
I first found this recipe when searching for a recipe without eggs because I was out of them and craving cookies at 9:00 p.m. I just made them for a second time last night and they are such a hit with my boyfriend and myself! Amazing consistency and flavor. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and cut the regular sugar by 1/2 cup. My cookies were a little bigger than suggested so I ended up cooking them for about 19 minutes. I think I’ll try adding more salt next time per another reviewers suggestion. I will make these forever. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this one worked well gluten free for you, Caroline!
Taste was wonderful! I used coconut sugar instead of brown. However, they spread out so much! I was expecting a much thicker cookie based on the photo. Was is because I used coconut sugar?
Hi Sarah! I’m sorry to hear they spread out more for you. Did you follow the chill instrucitons?
Th best vegan cookie recipe I’ve found so far – they turned out perfectly! Thank you :)
*LOVE* coconut sugar
I have arthritis and traditional sugar is a ‘trigger’ … but the coconut sugar does not affect me!
I look forward to trying this recipe… (with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free)
I also recommend 2 brands of chocolate chips that have varieties that are gluten and dairy free: Simple Truth and Enjoy Life. A bit pricey, but worth it!
Made these today, my girls love them..
stayed well formed with putting them in the freezer before cooking.
Made with the coconut oil!
Fabulous thank you
I followed the recipe exactly but they came out super oily and tasted too sweet. Also i don’t know about y’all but there was like way too many chocolate chips. Sorry.
I’m so excited to make these, as I’v loved your recipes :)
Quick question:
1. I have a very small freezer. Could I roll the cookie dough into a log and freeze for up to 30min, then section off 2 inch mounds?
2. My oven has a fan, would you recommmend changing the baking time or temperature at all?
Thank you in advance Kate!
Hi Michaela! I don’t think that would work, but you could put them on any short of tray that would fit. Then, when the time is up place them on a cookie sheet for baking. Also, you will want to turn your fan off.