This is the best vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe ever! Easy to make in 1 bowl, no chilling required and they turn out perfect every time. Soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips!
If you are in need of a simple, straightforward yet incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe, look no further. Tried and true, these are the most perfect vegan chocolate chip cookies in the world and everyone who tries them agrees!
This recipe is one of the most popular on my site with 350+ 5 star reviews! I hope they become your go-to vegan cookie.
If you love chocolate chips as much as I do, make sure to check out these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip Muffins and Vegan Edible Cookie Dough!
What makes these vegan cookies so perfect?
- They are SO soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips. They aren’t too flat, and they aren’t too puffy and cake-like. No one would guess they’re vegan, unlike some cookie recipes I’ve tried.
- They’re made in 1 bowl.
- No chilling time is required for the dough. So you can have cookies to eat FAST!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Flax egg – This is your egg substitute and is perfect for creating chewy, delicious cookies without eggs. JUST Egg works in place of flax/water, as well as other egg substitutes. Non-dairy milk, applesauce and yogurt work as well in a pinch. Use 4 tablespoons instead of the flax egg.
- Vegan butter – I’ve made these cookies with countless brands, including my homemade vegan butter, and they all work great. You can try substituting coconut oil, but it does change the texture quite a bit and the flavor won’t be the same. If you want to use coconut oil, try these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
- Brown sugar – For the best flavor and texture, use brown sugar. If you must substitute it, granulated sugar works okay (though I’d add a tablespoon of molasses) as well as coconut sugar.
- Vanilla – For flavor, of course.
- All purpose flour – Most of the time I just use plain flour, but if you need them to be gluten free, you can substitute a gluten free flour blend. I’ve had good luck with Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur and Better Batter. Don’t sub almond flour, but go make these Almond Flour Cookies instead.
- Cornstarch – This helps the cookies be extra soft and chewy. May substitute tapioca starch or arrowroot, or leave it out if needed.
- Baking soda
- Salt – I use salted vegan butter most of the time, but if you are using unsalted butter, increase the salt from 1/4 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Non-dairy chocolate chips – Check the ingredients list on the package for things like milk fat, butter oil, etc. I like Trader Joe’s brand which happen to be vegan, as well as Enjoy Life. Sometimes the store brand will be accidentally vegan and inexpensive. Chopped chocolate also works (I often use a mix).
How to make vegan chocolate chip cookies
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar, then mix in the flax egg and vanilla. Add the flour, and then sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda and salt on top of the flour.
Mix on low to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips/chunks. Mmmmm… cookie dough perfection!
Roll the dough into 1-2 tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop, then roll with my hands). Place on parchment lined or greased baking sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until barely golden around the edges. The cookies will seems underdone, but they firm up as they cool and you want them to stay soft so be careful to not over bake.
For smaller cookies, bake for less time. For extra big cookies, add a few minutes of bake time.
Enjoy the cookies warm with a glass of almond milk or crumbled in vegan ice cream with a drizzle of caramel, perhaps. I usually sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top as well.
Frequently asked questions
The cookie dough should be soft and mushy, but not too wet or too dry. You should be able to easily roll it into balls. If it feels too wet, add a few tablespoons of flour at a time until it’s just right. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon or two of non-dairy milk.
No, not all chocolate chips are vegan. They often contain dairy. Make sure to check the package list for things like butter oil, milk fat, and so on. Enjoy Life brand are always vegan, as are Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chips, Guittard, Kirkland Brand and some others. You can also use vegan chocolate bars and chop them up for chocolate chunk cookies.
No, I never chill this cookie dough. I’m much too impatient! It’s just not needed here, but if you want to chill it, I’m sure it will be fine. The cookies will come out much thicker.
They will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature, if you don’t eat them all before then! Store in a covered container. They also freeze well.
How to freeze cookie dough for later
Roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze in a freezer friendly container. When you want to bake cookies simply preheat the oven and bake, adding a few more minutes since the dough was frozen. No need to defrost the dough.
Baked cookies also freeze well and are wonderful straight from the freezer. I love having frozen cookies to throw in my kid’s lunch box on school days.
Other cookie mix in combinations
This is a great cookie base recipe for all kinds of combinations! Try:
- Adding chopped walnuts and/or coarse sea salt on top
- Vegan white chocolate chips and dried cranberries
- Add dried blueberries and a little lemon zest
- White chocolate and macadamia nut
- Monster cookies – add a few tablespoons of rolled oats, vegan M&M type candy, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a few tablespoons chocolate chips.
Want more incredible vegan cookie recipes?
Find all of my vegan cookie recipes here: Vegan Cookies. Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2.5 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats (or spray with oil.)
- Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to make your flax egg.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
- Add the vanilla and the flax egg and mix to combine.
- Next, stop the mixer and add the flour. Sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda and salt on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed, and mix until just combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips to incorporate, either by hand or using the mixer.
- Roll the dough into balls, about 1-2 tablespoons each. Place on the prepared pans and bake for 10 minutes (12 minutes for larger cookies), until they are barely golden around the edges. Do not over bake! They will be puffy and lightly colored.
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. The cookies will firm up as they cool, and become the most perfect chewy cookies ever! Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- You can use the amount of sugar as listed (1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar), or less to your own taste. Some people seem to prefer only 3/4 cup, while others enjoy the 1 1/4 cups. I’ve tried both and they work well either way in my opinion!
- Cookies will stay fresh for 3-4 days, if they last that long. Store in a covered container. They also freeze well.
- Freezer cookie dough – Freeze cookie dough balls to have on hand to make just a few cookies at a time! Simply cook for 1-2 minutes more, no need to thaw.
- If using unsalted vegan butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Other mix ins – Feel free to add chopped walnuts, or use white chocolate chips instead, dried fruit, whatever you feel like. This is a great base recipe for all kinds of combinations.
- Recipe inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Nutrition
* August 2025: Several people commented that the recipe didn’t need as much brown sugar as originally listed ( 1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar.) If desired, you can use less sugar. Sometimes I use just 3/4 of a cup of packed brown sugar and they work well.
Nice but as other comments say, the sugar/flour ratio is quite high. I used just over half the sugar amount and still found it a bit sweet. Similarly, too many chocolate chips for my preference but it can be eyeballed.
I didn’t have flaxseed so I used chia instead. No issues there!
Very tasty and quick recipe.
Thanks Nora!
Hi! I’m wondering what you landed on for a nice adjusted flour/sugar ratio? I just made these per the recipe and found them bitingly sweet! I’d love to know what’s worked for you to bring the sweetness down (ideally by a lot!!)
hi nora! this cute girl and i are debating what the cornstarch in the recipe is for? can it be left out of the recipe? or replaced with something else? love you
It just makes the cookies a little extra soft and thick! You can totally leave it out though. 🙂 Thanks!
Happy to see that in the metric system recipe the amount of sugar was changed!
These are the most amazing chocolate chip cookies, and they turn out great every. single. time! My kiddo and I are dairy-free and I explore vegan recipes quite often, and we’ve been making these for the past two years. This is my go-to cookie!
Keep coming back to this recipe time after time – and I rarely repeat recipes! Love how well they freeze.
I often leave out the flax entirely (and don’t substitute anything) and they’re still spectacular.
so delicious omg!!! easy and quick to pull together!
Amazing cookies!! I’m a vegan who’s been looking for good recipes and this is easily the best chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe I’ve found and super fast to cook. Be careful not to burn when they look still doughy!
Hi Megan. We love these cookies at our house as well! I’m so happy to know that you loved them! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora! Similarly to another comment- the brown sugar ratio in this recipe feels odd. The cookies almost taste just like brown sugar. I feel like it should be less? And more brown sugar then flour seems off? Anyways, still love all your recipes !!
Feel free to use some granulated sugar along with brown sugar, or reduce it somewhat for less sweet cookies, no problem. I don’t know what to tell you, these are a tried and true recipe I’ve personally been making for years and I’ve never had anyone say they taste like brown sugar… That’s interesting. But you can certainly adjust it to your own taste.
This recipe is PERFECTION! So easy and they came out absolutely perfect. Will be my staple from now on! Thank you for always making spot on vegan recipes!
Hi Margo. I appreciate you using my recipes, and am thrilled you are loving them! These cookies are a favorite in our home, and I’m thrilled you loved them! Thank you for your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking!
I really do think there is a mistake in the metric system recipe, it’s maybe worth checking it out? There is almost 100g more sugar than flour and from my understanding, in the US customary there’s more flour than sugar.
The recipe works great for me with the adjusted sugar ratio and I make the cookies quite often.
Oh wow, thank you so much for pointing that out! I was planning to bake these cookies for a party and would’ve totally messed it up. There’s definitely a mistake in there! I would’ve used the metric version of the recipe and run into trouble. This really should be fixed.
Does not work at high altitudes.
would they come out any differently when using non-dairy yogurt instead of the flax egg? i want to try it out for the flavor, but i want to be sure they won’t be flatter and will still be thick and gooey yum
Hi Sasha. I have never tried using yogurt, so am not sure how they would turn out. Yogurt could potentially create a denser cookie. If you try it, let me know how it works for you!
So classic and yummy! I substituted the flour for King Arthur 1:1 gluten-free flour and the cornstarch for tapioca starch 2:1. Turned out so yummy! I’ve also made your GF chocolate chip cookie recipe and liked this one with the subs just a little better, although both are so tasty. These had the perfect chocolate chip cooking texture and look. I made two batches for a birthday party tomorrow! Thanks so much.
You are welcome, Jenny! It’s wonderful to read your positive feedback, and to know that you are loving the cookie recipe! Thank you for sharing your stellar review! Have fun at the party!
These really are perfect! The best vegan chocolate chip recipe I’ve found! Thank you!
You are welcome, Nicole! I’m glad you are loving them! Thanks for sharing your awesome review!
These cookies were great used for them for ice cream sandwiches and they worked perfectly Thank you, Nora!
Hi Aubrey. That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your great idea and stellar review!
Thoughts on swapping for GF flour?
It works very well!
These are delicious, however they did not spread out at all when baked, they just remained as cookie balls. Still very yummy but not what I was hoping for. As an aside, I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter. Could that have made a difference? Love your recipes, thanks so much!
Yes, this happened because you used coconut oil. Coconut oil is my least favorite for making cookies. Either the cookies spread way too much or they don’t spread at all, it’s very inconsistent in my experience. I do have a recipe specifically for Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies which works well, but I’d use vegan butter for this particular recipe if at all possible.
Can I use vegan marshmallows as instead of chocolate chips, or just add them for a s’mores kinda taste? If so, how much should I add?
You could add them instead of chocolate chips, or simply add some with the chocolate. I’d suggest about 1 cup or so, more if you omit the chocolate chips. Enjoy!
So easy, quick, and yummy! I was nervous that the non-chilled dough would spread, but it was perfect!!!
I accidentally melted the butter when trying to soften it but it was still fine!
I’m glad the cookies turned out perfect for you! We love them at our house! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful review and feedback!
Hi Nora, I’m wondering if you happen to have a recipe for crisp chocolate chip cookies? Or, can this recipe be converted to crisp and how would one do that? Thanks for your help,
Mary
Hi Mary! I don’t have a recipe for crisp chocolate chip cookies, yet anyhow though I have thought about it. I have over baked these cookies a few times and they get crispy, so it probably would work. I’d try making smaller cookies and bake a few minutes longer.
Perfect chewy melty cookies with walnuts for a bit more crunch. So easy too! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
You bet! We sure love these cookies at our house as well! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback! I’m so glad you love the cookies! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
These are the best cookies ever I’m 10 years old and I’ve made them,and there perfect!
Oh yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! And wow, you’re only 10 years old? That’s incredible!
This was a great recipe! I added walnuts and they were so moist and chewy!
Thanks for the cookie love, Kay! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
i have tried multiple choc chip cookie revipe and yours is by far the best. will definitely become my go-to cookie recipe from now on
Hi Geena. A favorite cookie in our home for sure! I’m thrilled you loved it and will be making it your go-to recipe! Thanks for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!
My husband has always asked why I don’t make chocolate chip cookies and my excuse is that they’re kind of boring. I finally decided to surprise him yesterday. I tried your recipe because you never fail me! I was worried because the dough seemed so dry…it was almost like gravel. But it did come together when I shaped it. And it baked great. They taste wonderful. I froze some and the rest won’t last 24 hours. Thank you, Nora!
You bet, Emily! I’m glad you decided to try the cookies, and that you loved them! Thanks for sharing your glowing review and recipe experience! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi there! Any suggestions to substitute for the vegan butter? It just isn’t an ingredient I always have on hand. Thank you!
It’s pretty key to making these cookies taste amazing. Some have used coconut oil, but the results are not the same. Usually cookies with coconut oil are kinda burned or too flat, or they don’t spread at all.