Learn how to make the BEST tried & true Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies that are thick and chewy in the middle with perfectly crispy edges.
Friends… they’re FINALLY here! Say hello to the Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies– thick, soft, chewy, crispy, chocolate-y… everything you could ever want in a chocolate chip cookie. These are the cookies that one my boyfriends heart and thats saying a lot because he’s kind of a cookie snob.
Now, the very first batch I ever made for him… I never wrote down the recipe. I literally just used my basic level knowledge on cookies and veganized it in my head. Replacing the butter for coconut oil, using aquafaba instead of eggs and making sure to use vegan sugar. Mixing all these ingredients together until the dough looked like cookie dough and tasted like cookie dough. Into the oven they went and well, I guess they came out good because we went on another date… and look at us now 🙂
For a long time, we tried to recreate the recipe but it just never came out right. Too dry, too thick, too chewy… so for his birthday I spent over 3 days testing over 9 cookie doughs, temperatures AND baking trays until I bit into the 10th batch of cookies and literally jumped out of the house screaming hallelujah!! This was the one.
He bit into the cookie and word for word this was what he had to say: “THIS!! THIS!!! These are BETTER than the first cookies you ever made me OMG”. Needless to say I was pretty damn happy and proud of myself.
I know I usually only post healthier cookies here on the blog but I HAD to share this recipe. I even had over 10 of my friends on instagram try them and give me feedback and 98% of them said they wouldn’t change a thing.
Okay, now that I’ve boasted about how perfect these cookies are… Let’s make these damn delicious vegan chocoalte chip cookies.
Ingredients to Make the BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve tested multiple different combination of ingredients and ratios, and the ingredients list below is what we have found to produce the best soft, chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookies that tastes EXACTLY like a traditional chocolate chip cookie.
First, we’re using a combination of granulated cane sugar and organic brown sugar. Granulated sugar gives these cookies a crispy exterior. The brown sugar and coconut oil keeps them moist and chewy in the middle.
Now for the liquid that goes into these cookies: aquafaba OR coconut milk OR both. The coconut milk provides an additional richness to these cookies, and I’m convinced that the aquafaba is the ingredient that makes these cookies extra chewy. However, I have made them using all coconut milk and all aquafaba with great success depending on your ideal chocolate chip cookie. Want more richness? Use all coconut milk. Want chewier cookies? Use all aquafaba.
And of course, since these are classic chocolate chip cookies they also contain all purpose flour (gluten free if needed), vanilla, baking soda, salt and chocolate… and a pinch of fancy sea salt if you fancy.
How to Bake the Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you follow the tips and instructions on this recipe, these cookies are easy peasy to make AND all you need 8-9 ingredients. Here’s a quick run down of how to make these vegan cookies:
- Mix Wet Ingredients: sugars, aquafaba, melted coconut oil and vanilla.
- Mix in Dry Ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips/Chunks: just enough so that the chocolate is dispersed evenly throughout the cookie dough.
- Chill in the Fridge for 30 Minutes
- Roll into Balls: For super thick and chewy cookies, roll them into tall balls (refer to photo below)
- Bake & Cool: Let the cookies bake at 350 F for 10-13 minutes. Then let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
You can make chocolate chip cookie dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Simply make the cookie dough as directed and portion them out onto a baking tray and cover with reusable wrap. Place the tray of cookie dough in the freezer for 3 hours. Then you can transfer them into a freezer safe bag. When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature while the oven is pre-heating and bake as instructed. You may need to add 1-2 more minutes depending on how frozen the dough is.
How to Properly Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
After the cookies have comepltly cooked, store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Alternatively, freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month.
Tips to Make Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use +2 Kinds of Chocolate: Chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, jumbo chocolate chips, chopped chocolate… etc. Trust me– not only do you get slightly different flavours from the chocolate but it also just makes it so much more fun to eat. Puddles of chocolate in one spot and stuffed with mini chunk in another bite.
- Roll the Cookie Dough Balls Tall: Probably my FAVOURITE tip (thanks mom!!). This creates the PERFECT thick and chewy centre with crispy edges. The bottom of the ball bakes first which spreads out (making them crispy because they touch the hot pan for longer) and the top kind of melts downwards and stays chewy.
- Bake in Small Batches: I have found baking the cookies in 6-8 batches work the best. Anything more, the cookies just don’t turn out as perfect as I’d like.
- Use a Light Coloured Baking Tray: Using a dark (black) coloured cookie sheet makes them brown more and faster. Using a white baking tray keeps them super pale. I use a slightly tinted aluminum cookie tray which I find creates the perfect golden brown cookies and evenly bakes.
- Do Not Over Bake!!: This one is key to soft and chewy centred cookies. They will look soft and puffy right out of the oven with a slightly browned spot but will continue to cook on the hot sheet out of the oven and end up golden brown. If you do like slightly crispier cookies, wait until the edges are slightly golden brown.
The Ideal Temperature for Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 350 F (180 C): This is the most common temperature used for chocolate chip cookies that creates chewy middles and crispy edges.
- 375 F (190 C): Sometimes when I want more crispy cookies, I bake them at 375 F for around 9 minutes until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown.
The Ideal Baking Time for Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lower End (8-9 minutes): softer + chewier cookies
- Higher end (10-14 minute): the longer they bake the more crispy the cookies will get
Helpful Equipment to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Food Scale: For best results, use a food scale and weigh ingredients.
- Parchment Paper / Silicon Baking Mat: To ensure the cookies don’t stick to the cookie pan.
- Cookie Scoop: For consistent sized cookies to ensure all the cookies bake evenly.
- Cookie Baking Tray: A light coloured baking tray for even baking and so the cookies don’t get too browned.
- Wire Cooling Rack: To let the cookies cool properly without getting soggy.
Craving More Vegan Cookies? Don’t Forget to Try These Cookies!
- Healthy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
- Vegan Matcha Cookies
- Vegan Snowball Cookies
If you recreate this The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Learn how to make the BEST tried & true Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies that are thick and chewy in the middle with perfectly crispy edges.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic granulated cane sugar (100g)*
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (110g)*
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (112g)*
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk / aquafaba or a combination of both, room temperature (90ml)*
- 2 tsp vanilla (10g)
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour (270g // gluten free all purpose mix if needed)
- 1 tsp baking soda (5g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chunks/chips (120g)
- fancy sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cane sugar, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, aquafaba/coconut milk and vanilla until combined.
- Sift in the all purpose flour and baking soda and add in the salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet using a folding motion with a large spatula. This helps with not over mixing. Mix until the batter looks almost fully uniform.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. until evenly dispersed throughout the batter. This also finished off mixing the batter.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or wrap and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C)*
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out the dough into equal sized balls (around 50g each) and roll into a tall ball (refer to photos).
- Place the cookie dough on a lined baking tray leaving 2 inches between each cookie and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until there are golden brown spots.
- Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer onto a wire rack to let them cool completely before eating.
Notes
- Cane sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar or maple sugar however the texture will not be as crisp around the edges.
- Brown sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar or maple sugar + 1/2 tbsp molasses.
- Be sure to use aquafaba/coconut milk that is warm or at least room temperature so that the coconut oil does not solidify.
- I use a combination of coconut milk and aquafaba for the perfect chewy moist texture. You can use all coconut milk for ultra moist cookies or all aquafaba for chewy cookies. Nutritional Information
- Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer)
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: vegan, gluten free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 216
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 9.3g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30.5g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 2.4g
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: vegan chocolate chip cookies
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Hii,
Is the temperature for a fan oven or an oven with upper and lower heat?If you know what I mean haha I translated it from dutch).
Hi Anne!
The temperature is for a conventional oven, not a convection oven. I’m not sure how a fan oven would work for these cookies ( I think fan oven is convection oven?). I would set the temperature to 325 and bake it for the same time. See how the cookies look and adjust as needed. I hope that helps, good luck!
This delicious!
★★★★★
These are sooo good! Dangerously so! I made them with aquafaba and 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour because I didn’t have quite enough white. Absolutely delicious.
★★★★★
Hi Avni,
So happy you enjoyed them- thank you! <3
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
literally the BEST vegan cookies I’ve ever eaten, let alone baked myself! 🤩 crispy on the outside with the perfect amount of chewiness on the inside. 😍 They’re basically an even better version of the chocolate chip cookies I used to get from a subway before going vegan.
p.s. it’s impossible to only eat one at a time 🤤
★★★★★
Hi Monica!
YAY this made me so happy. Thank you so much, I’m so so glad you enjoyed 🙂
These cookies are amazing!! The combination of aquafaba and coconut milk results in cookies that are nice and crispy on the outside, but still super soft and chewy on the inside. Never tried baking with aquafaba before so I was a bit skeptical, but these are SO GOOD! Definitely worth a try 😋
★★★★★
Hi Micaela,
Thank you so much for the positive feedback- so happy you enjoyed!! <3
These were so nice! Fed them to my housemates, friends and uni lecturers and they all loved them! Well done, Lisa 🙂
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Hi Maggie!
Ah, super excited that you enjoyed these cookies with everyone! Thank so so much for the review <3
In the body of the post it says 350C 😉
Hi Justen,
So sorry- it’s updated!
pro tip: double up the recipe whenever you make these because one won’t last. the cookies were so good i ate the entire first batch minutes out of the oven… no regrets. just deliciousness. THEY’RE SO GOOD AND CHEWY! how is that even possible?!
★★★★★
These were perfect! And super easy, too. I’ve been experimenting with chocolate chip recipes since I went vegan and they haven’t been quite right. These are the only ones I’ve felt like are comparable to, well even better than, the typical non-vegan nestle ones I used to make. Delicious!
★★★★★
I made these today, I used soy milk instead of coconut milk and aquafaba as I was too lazy to defrost the aquafaba haha.
They turned out really delicious, however the first 6 I cooked using the tall ball method and they didn’t melt down much at all and were quite fat and puffy, still delicious. The second batch of 6 I left as regular balls and flattened them just a little but and they were still pretty puffy and didn’t get thinner. I’m wondering if it’s just the soy milk? I’ll definitely be making these again as they were so easy and tasty so good! Crunchy outside and chewy inside.
Hi Tracey!
Thanks for making these cookies. I’m glad you thought the flavour was tasty! I did intentionally make them thicker in the middle to keep them chewy but they shouldn’t be like bulging balls. I’m looking at my notes and the soy milk one did stay a bit thicker but it may have something to do more with the temperature. Some ovens are have a higher temp than others– you could try baking them at 375 to see if that helps! 🙂 Thank you for the feed back.
The first time I baked vegan cookies they didn’t turn out that good so I didn’t attempt to bake any again – until I saw your recipe!
And I’m SO glad I did, these were absolutely delicious and that’s coming from a cake preferer 😂
Thank you for your vegan recipes which makes it more fun for me to be vegan ❤️
★★★★★
Hi Diana!
Oh yay so glad you tried them too! <3 Thank you so much for the rating and feed back 🙂
would chilling the dough overnight make it more gooey?
Hi Harsha!
I’m not too sure as I haven’t done that before. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
These are amazing. They don’t last 3 days in my house. I made them for my boyfriend, but I had to make another batch for him. My parents, brother, and his girlfriend ate them all. I am getting bombarded to make them every week. 🤣❤
★★★★★
I really wanted to love these, but the cookies kept turning out too puffy and thick. I tried the tall ball method, regular ball, and even flat. The flavour was a bit lacking as well, unfortunately.
Hey Sarah!
I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out for you. What kind of flour did you use? Or did you change anything? It might be the temperature of your oven or not enough liquid/moisture to let them spread out more.
These are great! Been trying a lot of vegan cookie recipes and this is the best I’ve found. I think using coconut oil adds a nice flavour to them.
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them <3 🙂
Hi! Have you tried with gluten free all purpose flour? How do they turn out? I want to try it with my gluten free all purpose 1:1 sustitution, but I don’t want to waste the flour. Do they turn out basically the same? Thank you!
Hi Jo!
They have a slightly different in texture, just slightly softer but they do work! 🙂
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten! And trust me, underbaking is the move if you want soft and gooey cookies! Also, you can barely taste the coconut oil in here, but if you’re sensitive to the coconut oil taste look for “neutralized” or “deodorized” coconut oil next time you’re at the shop.
★★★★★
Oh YES. I love chewy cookies and under bake them by 1-2 minutes too and they come out super gooey- so glad you enjoyed them!
These really are the BEST chocolate chip cookies! Even my non-vegan husband thinks so. I’d never baked with aquafaba before and was a little skeptical, but it worked SO well! Most definitely making these again.
★★★★★
Question: could earth balance or a vegetable oil be used instead of coconut?
I would use earth balance! Veg oil may make the cookies spread more 🙂
I love this recipe! These really are the BEST vegan cookies, and the BEST cookies in general! Definitely give this recipe a try it’s super easy and the cookies are delicious 🙂
★★★★★
Hi! I accidentally used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. I realized it when the dough was a little stiff. I added a splash of almond milk to loosen it up. Do you think the cookies will come out ok?
Hi Ellen! I haven’t tried it with coconut cream so I can’t say but should be fine. It might not spread out as much, I hope they turned out well!
Of all the “Best” vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve tried (more than 7, less than 63), this is the Best, no quotation marks needed. I do prefer my cookies more crunchy, so I followed the advice provided to get crunchier cookies. They were delightful,
★★★★
So so so gooooood! And so easy to make. The recipe was really clear.
★★★★★
I made these recently and they were absolutely delicious! I think the aquafaba makes a big difference and makes it very similar to egg based chocolate chip cookies. My non-vegan friends gave them the highest reviews as well and couldn’t stop eating them.
★★★★★
Hi Lisa! I’m going to attempt to make these cookies this weekend but I’m a bit confused about how much aquafaba / coconut milk to use if using both? How many ml / gram of each will I need? 🙂
Hi lucy,
Sorry for the confusion! Use a total of 90ml of either coconut milk or aquafaba. So if doing half of both, 45ml of each 🙂
This was the third recipe., that I made from your website in the past two days. As a Japanese mom, your recipes are helpful, inspirational, and oh soooooo delicious. Breakfast Banana Oatmeal Cookie, Kung Pao Tofu and this! These cookies are seriously so so so good. I am just curious – does the fact that you like to cook / eat good, healthy food – have anything to do with what your mom/dad/family cooked for you as a child ?
★★★★★
Hi Yukiko!
So happy you enjoyed the recipes, thank you so much!! Hmm, I think so. My mom always made us homemade lunches and we went out to eat as a treat here and there so I really appreciate home cooking. Cheers!
hello was wondering what temperature to bake for a more gooey texture and should baking time be shorter?
also did you use equal amounts of aquafaba and oil to get the moist and chewy texture ?
Hi Angel!
Temperature is still 350 F. Baking time would be the lesser time listed, you could even go a minute shorter but you don’t want it to be too undercooked either. Also, yes. Total amount divided by two!
I substituted coconut oil with vegetable oil (rapeseed) and some unsweetened soy milk for the coconut milk because that’s all I had. They turned out great. The oil meant they would spread out a lot in the oven so I remembered to leave a lot of space between them on the pan. They turned out delicious and the raw dough was also tasty. I was tempted to save some raw dough to mix with icecream, but I’ll have to make another batch! So tasty!
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe. My family loved it. It remembers them from the cookies you can buy from the supermarket or the ones from Subway. I subtitued the chocolate chips for leftover brownie chunks. I am looking forward to bake your other cookie recipes!
★★★★★
It was my first time using aquafaba in a recipe and it was absolutely delicious! I’ve added a bit more to my batter to make it less dress. I definitely recommend this recipe and will be making it again.
*less dry
★★★★★
These were delicious! It was my first time using aquafaba in a recipe and will definitely make this recipe again.
Awesome recipe!!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 PS. the tall balls trick totally worked!
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Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour?
I haven’t but if you use whole wheat, you may need to increase the amount of oil liquids by a couple tablespoons because it does absorb more moisture. 🙂
These are my favorite cookie and my friends love when I make them! Thanks for sharing this treat with us. Tonight I made a triple batch and decided to use the weight measurements. After it seemed light, I noticed that your recipe multiplier doesn’t adjust the weight from a single batch to a double or triple :(. I was able to calculate it in my head once I noticed the problem, but wanted to share.
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Hi Sarah, Thanks so much for trying this recipe and letting me know that the double/triple feature isn’t working. I’ll look into fixing that ASAP but I’m so glad you and your friends still enjoyed them!
My first time using aquafaba in a recipe. I have been plant based for a couple years now. I have made lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes. This is the number one top recipe I have tried. I made a double batch one day ago. They almost gone. Everyone in my family loves them. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★