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 are the best cookies OAT. My only issue is every time they come out so oily? It must be a me issue but any advice is appreciated!
Thanks Molly! They shouldn’t be oily; what kind of vegan butter are you using? Use baking sticks for best results (I really love Earth Balance sticks, but I often use Country Crock sticks). And make sure the sticks are softened, but not at all melty when you begin. For thicker cookies and troubleshooting if your dough seems a little too moist and oily, stick the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll into balls and bake. Hope that helps!
My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! Very reliable. I always double the recipe and freeze balls for later. It goes without saying that they are a hit with the kids when my daughter has friends over. It’s super convenient to throw a few frozen balls in the oven- Maybe a little toooooo convenient, lol.
Hi Nicole. I’m so glad that you and your family are loving the chocolate chip cookies! We sure love them at our house as well! I agree it is wonderful to freeze cookie dough balls for a quick cookie bake! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and recipe experience! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
These cookies taste very nice. They spread out very nicely.
Initially, ~20 mins out the oven, I was disappointed as I felt like I could really taste the flaxseed. The colour is also quite dark compared to other cookie recipes, maybe because of the flaxseed too? However, after a few hours/the next day when the cookies are fully cooled, you cannot taste the flaxseed at all, which is good! Just writing this as a warning in case others have the same problem…!
I’d recommending using a vegan milk chocolate, I used dark chocolate (and it was slightly too much for me!) – next time I would use either slightly less dark chocolate or normal amount of milk chocolate.
Did you use dark brown sugar? Dark brown sugar will make the cookies darker in color, where light brown sugar will not. Either is fine, depending on your preference. I’ve never been able to detect the flaxseed personally, but I’m glad the taste of it went away for you once the cooled. I would also try using golden flaxseed, if possible, if you don’t want the flaxseed very visible. And ground, of course. Glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
This has become our go-to recipe and I’ve made these cookies so many times. I’ve started making my own butter and that still works well with this recipe. Last week though I was out of some ingredients, so I tried some substitutions. I used chia seeds instead of flax, and 3tsp baking powder instead of baking soda, and the cookies still turned out great! I also just noticed the note about reducing brown sugar, so I’m interested in trying that next time. I love that this is such a forgiving recipe.
I’ve made this recipe dozens of times now. I have my own little baking business in the UK and my customers snap them up. I’ve also made oat & raisin, and macadamia and raspberry. Perfect every time.
Simple, delicious, and easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!
A fantastic recipe for tasty vegan chocolate chip cookies that everyone can enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for taking time to share your terrific review and recipe feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Loved this simple vegan cookie recipe with perfectly gooey chocolate chips. Thanks for sharing!
You bet! I am thrilled you love the cookies! Thanks for sharing your glowing review! Happy cooking!
Came out great for my daughters event!
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing your great review!
These cookies tast amazing and I love the fact that it is a customisable, base recipe.
Can i just check, is your oven temperature for a regular oven or fan (forced) oven?
Thanks.
Hi Kerry. I’m so glad you are loving the cookie recipe! Thank you for your awesome review! All of my oven temperatures are for regular ovens ! Wishing you happy cooking!
Can I substitute a geound chia egg for a ground flax egg
Hi Rosa. Yes, you can use chia seeds if you prefer. I recommend that you grind them, unless you don’t mind having whole chia seeds in your cookies! Enjoy!
Hi Nora, I was wondering if I could replace butter with oil? If so would the measurements be the same?
I don’t think it will work well to make this recipe with oil. You could try my Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies if you prefer.
Hi Nora I made half of the recipe and it turned out great, but the cookies were extremely soft, and were not really holding a shape/breaking easily. Any tips?
It sounds like you either didn’t bake them quite long enough, or you were possibly trying to pick them up when they were still quite warm and hadn’t firmed up yet. Did you make any substitutions at all?
I did not make any substitutions, but maybe the butter was too soft? I used “melt” unsalted vegan butter. I just left it in the counter to soften. Would I add more flour next time to make the dough a bit firmer?
It could be the butter you used, yes. I’ve heard some poor results using Melt. I don’t have it at my local grocery stores so I haven’t used it in a long time, perhaps they’ve changed their formula. I don’t know that I would add more flour, but if using that butter again, perhaps chill the dough first for 30 minutes to an hour, then roll into balls and bake. It might help. If you can, perhaps try a different brand of vegan butter. Also, measure everything accurately and carefully. Hope that helps!
I absolutely love these cookies! They have the perfect taste and chewiness. I have only made them a couple times but they are already one of my favorite recipes.
I had trouble with these at first because they kept burning on the bottom. I decided my oven was running hot or maybe it was something to do with altitude and humidity (Boulder, Colorado). Anyway, I just baked a batch at 325 instead of 350 and they are perfect!
These cookies are so delicious Nora! Now I have to bake them all the time for my partner as payment after he does a job for me lol. And he’s not vegan! Everyone, vegan or not, Loves these cookies! I use a lot of your recipes. You are my first go to. So thank you very much for all the vegan deliciousness you provide! Enjoy your day!!
Hi Steph. Thank you for your support, and recipe love! I am so honored you are loving my recipes! I appreciate you taking time to share your glowing review, as well as your ongoing support! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
First off thank you Nora, I use so many of your recipes and they are great. For this one though, they taste really good but my cookies came out super hard, what would have caused that?
They will turn out hard if you bake them for too long, or if your oven temp is too high (some ovens run hot). But most often, it’s because you baked them longer than needed. They will be super soft and light colored when you should take them out of the oven; they continue to firm up as they cool. If you over bake, they will turn hard and crunchy as they cool. I hope that helps!
if i’m using egg replacer (bobs red mill) instead of the flax egg do i just use enough for what the bag says for 1 egg? or how much? Thanks!
Hi Eva. Yes, it would be one egg of replacer. Enjoy!
Hello,
Love the recipe, made it once and it was so popular.
Could I replace butter with peanut butter, at least partially?
I’ve never tried it, but it might work okay. It will definitely change the texture and taste of the cookies though. Thanks!
These cookies turned out amazing! My helpful tip: chill the dough for 15 minutes if you want thicker cookies, and use a cookie scoop for uniform size. I also added a pinch of sea salt on top before baking – it really enhances the chocolate flavor. Perfect for both vegans and non-vegans alike!
I love these cookies so much!! Has anybody tried making these gluten-free before? If so, how did they turn out?
I’ve made them gluten-free many times, and it has worked out really well! I prefer King Arthur Measure for Measure flour, or Better Batter.
The cookies look, taste, and smell delicious. In my opinion they are as good as, if not better than, any you can get from the store. They were also really quick and easy to make.
So perfect.
Your cups to grams dont match!
Ive made these cookies a few times and they are great its a great and easy recipe. Just too sugary but your grams to cups aren’t the same.
If you are following cups use – 3/4 cups not 1.1/4 cup!!
Otherwise delicious – recommend!
Perfectly soft and delicious!!!!
Is the oven temperature of 350 F meant to be Farenheit or Fan? Those of us who work with Celsius can’t assume it’s one or the other so it would help if you include both fan and standard temperatures.
Farenheit, not Fan. Hope that helps!
Thank you, it helps a lot.
These are insane!! Crispy edges with a soft, chewy, gooey center. The perfect cookie!
These are S tier !
Best vegan chocolate chip cookies I have EVER made! I always had an issue with other vegan recipes where the cookies turned out way too cake-like. This is the first time since being vegan I’ve been able to make a cookie that is soft and chewy. I only discovered this recipe recently but have already made so many batches for lots of different occasions, they never last long though! Perfect cookie recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you found the cookie recipe, and that you are loving it! This is one of our favorite cookies for sure! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and glowing review! Happy cooking!