These truly are the best vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies ever! The cookies are slightly crispy around the edges and soft and chewy inside. Best of all they need just eight ingredients, one bowl, and are so easy to make!
Your eyeballs won't pop all the way out of their sockets and you certainly won't sprout blue fuzz all over your body, but you'll know just what goes through the Cookie Monster's brain when you sample one of these delicious vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These are truly the best. Barely crispy around the edges but mostly soft and chewy, and they are studded with enough vegan chocolate chips to make you go om nom nom nom.
If you love vegan cookies, be sure to also check out my other chocolate chip cookie recipes like this vegan banana chocolate chip skillet cookie, vegan sourdough chocolate chip cookies, vegan banana cookies with white chocolate chips, and this vegan white chocolate and gluten-free skillet cookie.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love these cookies
- They are really, really scrumptious. Soft, thick, yummy chocolate chip cookies studded with gooey chocolate chips. What's not to love?
- They are super easy to make. You need just eight ingredients and one bowl for these tasty cookies.
- You don't need any special ingredients. The ingredient list is simple and you don't even need any egg replacer, like flaxmeal, chia seeds, cornstarch or EnerG to make this recipe.
- They can be healthy. Swap out whole wheat flour for half the all purpose flour. The kids won't know and you get points for being super mom or dad!
- Everyone will love them, guaranteed. Serve these delicious cookies to non vegan friends or family members and watch them disappear! I make them all the time for my son's school events and they are gone in minutes.
Expert tips
- Don't overmix the cookie dough after adding in the wet ingredients. This ensures that you do not accidentally develop gluten strands in the flour, which would make the cookie bready. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry with a spatula, not a whisk, and stop as soon as the dough comes together and there is no dry flour in the bowl.
- These are drop cookies, so you just need an ice cream scoop or a spoon to drop them on the baking sheet. Or, for a nicer shape, you can roll them up into cookie dough balls. They'll spread nicely while baking into perfect rounds.
- Line the baking sheet with a silpat sheet or with parchment paper. This will ensure you can lift out the cookies easily after they bake.
- The cookies will be soft once they come out of the oven. Let them stand on the baking sheet over a rack for 10 minutes, then gently lift them off the baking sheet and to a rack where they will continue to firm up.
- The cookies are perfect with unbleached flour or with whole wheat pastry flour but for some added complexity and even more flavor you can sub out a half a cup of the flour with almond flour.
- I use avocado oil because it's a healthy fat and flavorless. You can also use an equal quantity of melted vegan butter. Coconut oil is acceptable.
- The applesauce subs for some of the fat you might have added to this recipe, and it gives the cookies even more flavor and tenderness.
- These cookies are crispy and golden around the edges and soft and chewy at the center. We love them that way! But the texture of chocolate chip cookies is a matter of much debate and preference. This NPR article talks about the science behind baking your chocolate chip cookie to the exact texture you like: it's an informative -- and delicious -- read.
Ingredients
- 21/2 cups all purpose flour. If you want healthier cookies, swap out half the flour for whole wheat flour, or replace all the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil. I use avocado oil. You can also use melted butter.
- ¾ cup applesauce: Applesauce makes these melt-in-the-mouth tender.
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract: Adds a lovely, wholesome flavor.
- 1 ⅓ cup sugar. I use vegan cane sugar or turbinado sugar or coconut sugar, but any sugar of your choice will work. You can also use maple syrup for more richness.
- 1 ¼ cups semi sweet vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Make sure you read the labels to ensure they are dairy free.
How to make vegan chocolate chip cookies
1. Whisk all dry ingredients--flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt--in a bowl.
2. Add the wet ingredients-- sugar, oil, applesauce and pure vanilla extract.
3. Use a spatula to mix until combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop out mounds of cookie dough on a parchment-paper-lined or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake each batch of cookies in the oven for 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, gently, using a spatula, transfer them to a wire rack where they will continue to cool and firm up.
Storage and freezing instructions
- Room temperature: The cookies can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to a week.
- Refrigerate: Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to four days. Baked cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to four weeks.
- Freeze: Cookie dough can be frozen for up to two months. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to six months in an airtight container or in a freezer bag.
Recipe FAQs
I have recipes for keto vegan chocolate chip cookies and grain free chocolate chip cookie recipe on the blog. Both are gluten-free.
Yes. I've also made these with olive oil and with coconut oil. Olive oil is great, but coconut oil tends to add a stronger flavor I am not crazy about. If you don't mind the flavor you can definitely use it.
Use whole wheat pastry flour, preferably, because it's got a lighter texture and won't create dense cookies. Alternatively use a mix of half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour.
More vegan cookie recipes
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Bowls
- Cookie sheet or baking tray
Ingredients
- 2½ cups unbleached all purpose flour (Use half white and half whole wheat flour for a healthy cookie. Or replace all the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup turbinado sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 ¼ cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients-- sugar, oil, applesauce and pure vanilla extract-- to the bowl.
- Use a spatula to mix until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop out mounds of cookie dough on a parchment-paper-lined or silpat-lined baking sheet.
- Bake each batch of cookies in the oven for 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, gently, using a spatula, transfer them to a wire rack where they will continue to cool and firm up.
Recipe notes
- These are drop cookies, so you just need an ice cream scoop of a spoon to drop them on the baking sheet. You can just mound them, or, for a nicer shape, you can roll them up into balls. They'll spread nicely while baking into perfect rounds.
- These cookies are perfect with unbleached flour or with whole wheat pastry flour -- I make them with both -- and for some added complexity and even more flavor you can sub out a half a cup of the flour with almond flour.
- I use avocado oil in these cookies, because it's a healthy fat and flavorless. But I've also made these with olive oil and with coconut oil. Olive oil is great, but coconut oil tends to add a stronger flavor I am not crazy about. You can also just use an equal quantity of vegan butter.
- The applesauce subs for some of the fat you might have added to the recipe, and it gives the cookies even more flavor and tenderness.
- Line the baking sheet with a silpat sheet or with parchment paper. This will ensure you can lift out the cookies easily after they bake.
Pooja
This was an amazing recipe! The cookies turned out so soft and chewy. I didn’t have molasses but I’ve heard light brown sugar gives a chewier taste so I added a tbsp of that and they came out wonderful! Thank you for this amazing website!!
Vaishali
Hi Pooja, so happy to hear!
Kate
These were so simple to make and they taste incredible! They’re perfectly fluffy inside while having a crispness on the outside. I will definitely be making these again!
I only needed 1cup of sugar and chocolate chips and they turned out lovely. No regrets here!
Vaishali
Kate, awesome, so happy you enjoyed them.
Annette
FYI, Guittard makes chocolate chips that do not contain dairy or palm oil. I find them at Target, Safeway and most markets. Most chocolate chips these days are made with inferior chocolate and taste horrible, but Guittard is still yummy.
Vaishali
Thanks for the great tip Annette!
Moreen T
This is an awesome recipe! I have been making these cookies for my family for the past couple months. My entire family loves it, including my two finicky young sons. Thank you for the recipe. God Bless you always.
Lusi
Hi! Can you substitute the applesauce for mashed banana or will the flavor be overpowering?
Vaishali
You will have some banana flavor but it should taste great.
Mya
Hi Vaishali,
Is it ok to use 2.5cups of oat flour instead of the wheat & almond flour?
Thanks!
Vaishali
Hi Mya, you might find it difficult for the cookies to bind, with only oat flour. If you want to go gluten-free, an all purpose gluten-free flour could work better.
Vasudha
Hi Vaishali,
I stumbled upon your site and I have gone crazy ever since. Can't wait to try each one of your recipes.
In this recipe, why do you use molassis? Can I choose not to add it? Or is there a substitute for this?
Big fan,
Vasudha
Vaishali
Hi Vasudha, thanks for the kind words! The molasses adds deep, rich flavor, but yes, you can totally leave it out. Hope you try the cookies! 🙂
Cathy
Hi, Would you know how long do they stay fresh in a sealed container. I am hosting a vegan baby shower, would love to make them in advance? Thank you!
Vaishali
Cathy, about a week. You can refrigerate for longer.
jcjabdj
What can I substitute the wheat flour for?
Allergic.
Vaishali
You can try a gluten-free flour mix. If you do, I'd love to hear how they turn out.
Priya
Hi vaishali, made the cookies last weekend. Best cookies I have ever baked. Thanks a lot.
Vaishali
That's awesome, Priya, so glad you tried 'em!
Shauna
Hi! What would be your suggested substitute for the almond flour? I have an allergy..thanks!
Vaishali
Shauna, try coconut flour.
Priya
Hi vaishali
Can I substitute almond flour with app flour?
Vaishali
Hi Priya, yes, that's fine.
Ruth
OMG Vaishali! These really are the best chocolate chip cookies. I made these for my son, who is lactose-intolerant, and this recipe is going to replace my regular one. Thank you, thank you.
Vaishali
Ruth, that's lovely to hear. Thanks for letting me know!
wolp
I also have a question. Is the calorie count 120 calories or 120,000 (kcal) as stated in the beginning of the recipe.
120,000 sounds too high, so i'm betting on a typo?
Vaishali
Hey Wolp, thanks for the question! I've left my science days far behind, so this question really messed with my head (in a good way) and I spent a good part of this morning researching it. Here's what I found: a kilocalorie, or a kcal, in Britain, is the same as a calorie listed on American nutrition food labels. So whenever you see a calorie on our food labels here, it is actually a British kilocalorie, and yes, we are supposed to be consuming 2000 kcal per day, according to the USDA. Here's one little snippet of info that might make it somewhat clearer:
Namrata
Cookie recipe with just 1/4 cup of oil 😮 ? Whoa that's amazing! Normally cookie recipes call for more oil so I seldom bake them. This one I should try! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Vaishali
Hey Namrata, yes, the applesauce really helps keep these cookies from drying up and subs nicely for the oil. Hope you try!
Aimee Brimmer
I'm with you on the oil. I think you definitely have to consider your source. I believe coconut oil is a healthier choice than any animal fat. That said, its still a fat, so I just practice moderation. Although, these cookies look awfully tempting, lol! The look lovely! I have a question though. In your blog post you mention there is only 1/4 cup of oil in the cookies, but in the recipe, it calls for 1/2 cup. Which is the correct amount? Thank you. 🙂
Vaishali
Hey Aimee, that was a typo-- sorry! It is 1/4th of a cup. Corrected now!
Aimee Brimmer
Thanks so much! 🙂