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.
These cookies really are the best, and so easy to make – I have the recipe memorized at this point. Whenever I bring these to a potluck or work event, all of my non-vegan friends and coworkers are blown away by how delicious they are. Thank you Nora!
You are welcome, Shane! These are definitely well loved cookies! I’m so thrilled that you and all your friends are loving them! Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and comments! Happy cooking!
Hi! I’m newly vegan and this will be my first fully vegan bake. Is it okay to make the flax egg at the same time as pulling butter out of fridge to warm? Or would it not work well to prepare it that much in advance?
Hi there! This is a great vegan recipe to start with, and I hope you enjoy the cookies. 🙂 You could make the flax egg 30 minutes ahead of time or so, it’s fine.
Hey Nora! Will this work with Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer instead of the flax eggs? If so, how many “eggs”?
Thanks, love your recipes!
I bet it would! One “eggs” worth will do. Enjoy!!
This recipe looks great! I’m going to make them four vegan son but he doesn’t want chocolate chips in them. Do I need to do anything to the recipe if there are no chocolate chips? Thanks!
No, you don’t need to do anything else. You can mix something else in if you’d like, like chopped nuts or fruit, but I guess you don’t have to. Enjoy!
I haven’t made these yet but they are on my list! I have a question though, I’ve tried to make several different vegan cookie recipes and even non vegan and while everything seems great going in the oven, the cookies turn to puddles and I’m left with delicious cookie ‘bark’ instead of a cookie. Only thing I’ve done different from these is use spelt flour; is that what’s causing them to melt? Do you have to use all purpose? Any insight would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Katie. Cookies can come out flat for a few reasons. First, because the butter was too soft or melted when you made the dough. Second, your measurements are slightly off. I suggest spooning flour into a measuring cup, then leveling it off with a knife for accurate measurements; do not pat it down or just scoop from a container of flour. Third, because people make substitutions or cut the sugar in half. You can also put the dough in the fridge if it seems really soft, for about 30 minutes, then roll and bake and that will make them thicker. I have never made these cookies with spelt flour, so am not sure how that would work. Hope that helps!
These cookies are insanely good! We do not usually eat vegan, and are chocolate chip cookie connoseurs. These are seriously impressive! I cannot wait to take these to the group this weekend.
Hi Marissa. Thanks for taking time to share your stellar review and comments! I’m so glad you loved my cookie recipe! It’s a favorite around here for sure! Wishing you happy baking!
I messed up making these but even still my family enjoyed them! Is one cookie 160kcal or just 170 calories?
Absolutely love this chocolate cookie recipe! And so do my family and friends who are non-vegan. I want to try different add-ins with the recipe, what measurements do you recommend for dried blueberries and lemon zest, dried cranberries and white chocolate etc. ?
Hi Megan. I’m so glad you are loving the cookies! You could add anywhere from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chopped nuts; 1/4 to 1/2 cup cranberries or blueberries, etc,; around 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. I hope this works well for you! Wishing you happy cooking!
I make these for my family all the time in pan cookie format, because I’m lazy. Always super delicious!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! I used soy milk as my egg substitute and I didn’t change anything for living in a high altitude and they turned out perfectly!
Perfect! Family loved them. This recipe is a keeper. It will now be the only chocolate chip cookie recipe i use!
I followed the recipe exactly except I chilled the dough before baking, and the cookies didn’t flatten out at all, I think for this reason. They came out quite thick, and not very chewy, like New York style cookies. They were still delicious though and I ate the whole tray by myself. Will try again soon.
Hi Zehra, did you try without chilling? Which did you prefer?
These are my absolute favorite cookies of all time! Every person I make them for says they are delicious. I make them so frequently! Great recipe.
Hi Emmie. I’m so glad you are loving the cookie recipe! We love them at our house as well! Thanks for sharing your awesome review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Literally the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I am curious if you had any suggestions or tips for using the recipe to make a cookie cake.
I have just the recipe for you! Vegan Cookie Cake. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These turned out amazing! Perfect for orthodox Christian fasting!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Do I need to make modifications if I am baking at altitude?
Baked these for a weekend treat for my family. I usually find most cakes too sweet, so I used a bit less sugar, and dark chocolate and walnuts. Absolutely amazing! I will definitely bake again, it’s so good that you can prepare in advance and just whip them in the oven for ten minutes, I’m going to be wow-ing my friends soon 🙂 (any excuse!) Thank you SO much 😊
Thank you for this recipe, the group I made them for LOVED them – I did use olive oil in place of vegan butter.
You are welcome, Farhana. I’m glad the cookies were a hit at your gathering! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience along with your terrific review! Happy cooking!
Best recipe for chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever made. Following recipes that are written in US measurements is sometimes tricky because the conversion to the metric system is off. This recipe has been a pleasure to try and find out that everything was converted beautifully. Thanks!
Hey Nora! My family and I have enjoyed many of your delicious vegan recipes. I was wondering, for this recipe, can I use coconut oil instead? If so, how much? And would I have to add a little bit of water to the recipe, to compensate for the lack of water in coconut oil, versus vegan butter? Thank you. 😊
Hi Lola! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my recipes! For this recipe, you could use coconut oil instead of vegan butter, but the cookies won’t turn out the same. They will likely be rather crispy around the edges, and may flatten a lot. It’s just not very consistent as a vegan butter substitute. You could try my Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies instead, which I created specifically for using coconut oil. I hope that helps!
These were super easy to make, I baked them for 10mins and they were perfect, Just golden on the edges, they seemed underbaked when I took them out but firmed up when cool. 10/10. will be making these again
Amazing!! Thank you <3
I’m not sure what went wrong. My cookies came out flat and are extremely crispy- not what I was expecting. They also taste too salty- I used Earth Balance and maybe should have adjusted the added salt down. I wanted to love these so much. This is first recipe on nora cooks that I haven’t been completely satisfied with.
Hi Cheryl! Cookies can come out flat for a few reasons. First, because the butter was too soft or melted when you made the dough. Second, your measurements are slightly off. I suggest spooning flour into a measuring cup, then leveling it off with a knife for accurate measurements; do not pat it down or just scoop from a container of flour. Third, because people make substitutions or cut the sugar in half. You can also put the dough in the fridge if it seems really soft, for about 30 minutes, then roll and bake and that will make them thicker. Hope that helps! I’m not sure why they tasted too salty, I haven’t heard that before. Double check all your measurements, but of course you can decrease the salt with no issue.
Could I use applesauce in place of the vegan butter?
I’m sorry, I don’t think that will go well but you can try. It will be a very different recipe altogether.
This has been my go-to recipe for years now. It’s absolutely perfect! You can use it for chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, or my family’s favorite – kitchen sink! It’s versatile easy and quick. It’s so good I bake these for client gifts at the holidays and get rave reviews. Great recipe!!
Hi Sarah. I appreciate you using my cookie recipe for all these years! Thank you for sharing all the different ways in which you use the base recipe to make delicious flavors! I appreciate your awesome review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Made these and my whole family loved them. Very happy with how they turned out! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I don’t have a stand mixer so I used household utensils but they still turned out great. Im gluten free as well so I used the Bobs Red Mill flour and it worked wonderfully. Thank you so much!
You are welcome, Frances! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience as well as your terrific review! We love these cookies in our house as well! Wishing you happy cooking!