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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Print
The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Description
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 vegan butter, softened (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. To achieve crinkled edges, tap the pan on the oven rack a few times before taking them out of the oven.
- 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.
- **I started using vegan butter instead of coconut oil which I have found to yield a better crispy to chewy ratio with the perfect amount of spread. If you do not have vegan butter, you can still use coconut oil or a blend of coconut oil and vegan margarine. 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.
- Nutrition information disclaimer: is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer)
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- 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
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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I’m making this recipe for the third time today. It’s a hit amongst everyone. My wife says it’s better than the cookies from the bakery! Thank you, Lisa. Your recipes never miss.
hi! im an inexperienced baker, and i followed your recipe for the first time. i matched every ingredient by weight and substituted the coconut oil fully for melted vegan butter (i didnt understand how to incorporate softened butter into the liquid mixed sugar + coconut milk as instructed since the soft butter just mixed into smaller chunks, so it wouldnt distribute evenly through the dough). when i fully melted the butter, then mixed the liquids with the dry ingredients, the dough turned out glossy, and after refridgerating the dough as instructed it still melted into glossy puddles as it baked; nothing like how a real cookie should like in your photos. how do i prevent this in the future?
Loved this recipe so so much!! My boyfriend was also obsessed lol! I made with all brown sugar and they came out amazing but spread a bit less than pictured as a result.
100% recommend this recipe! Especially if you’re making chickpeas and have aquafaba to use! 🙂
Oh. My. Gosh. Incredible!!!
I’m an Executive Chef in the Merchant Marines, specializing in pastries. I have been vegetarian for 7 years, and I have recently made a switch to veganism. I am completely new to the world of vegan baking.
I used Country Crock Olive Oil butter (my go to butter for anything and everything now), half aquafaba half coconut milk, and I did a mixture of Lindt 70% hand chopped chunks and shavings with Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Lisa hits the nail on the head when she says that a mix of different kinds of chocolate makes the best chocolate chip cookies.
I personally thought that there wasn’t nearly enough chocolate in the recipe, but that is a personal preference thing. One of my favorite YouTuber content creator says “you measure chocolate chips with your heart” 😂🤣 I kept adding and I ended up with doubling the chocolate.
Whenever I make cookies, I beat the butter and sugars for about 5 minutes (I was taught to do this in culinary school, and it really does make a difference). I also make giant batches and scoop them out on a full sheet pan and freeze them, it makes my life a heck of a lot easier when baking for this many people. Cookie dough does get better as it marinates, typically 72 hours is the minimum for optimal flavor development.
I made the dough tonight… And I couldn’t wait to eat them, so I popped them in the oven right away.
Pure heaven. I can only imagine how good they’ll be once they’re marinated properly.
Thank you SO much Lisa for this awesome recipe!!!
Is it possible to make these with honey instead of the sugar? I’m on an anti-cancer diet and cannot have refined sugar.
I haven’t tried so not sure how they will turn out, but since honey is a liquid sugar I think they may spread a lot more. I would either add more dry ingredients or reduce the amount of honey.
Thank you so much for your recipe! DELICIOUS!!! YUM!!! I mashed your recipe with a couple others and tweaked as follows.
Wet: I substituted a fresh batch of cashew cream making the liquid 1/4 cup aquafaba plus 2 tablespoons cashew cream. I weighed wet ingredients and they were a little over, but close to measuring cups etc and so went with measuring cups etc instead of weight.
Dry: I used your exact weight for the flour, added 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 t black salt (kala namak), 1/2 t coarse salt.
I forgot to add to add the sea salt flakes sprinkled on top just before oven and will try it next time.
Spouse (not plant-based eater) loved these too, so we are set!
This is my go to cookie recipe! I sometimes use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer if I don’t have aquafaba on hand, but the aquafaba does something really magical that makes the cookies extra good. I’ve had success using Caputo’s gluten free flour mix and regular a.p. flour. Thanks Lisa for another stellar recipe!!! <3
If using aquafaba from canned chickpeas that are salted, does the amount if salt need to be adjusted?
Thanks!
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make! I creamed the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer before adding the rest of the ingredients, and used soy milk instead of coconut milk for the aquafaba mixture because that’s what I had. They turned out great!
I should also add that I compared this to another cookie recipe that used flax and cornstarch instead of the aquafaba and I think I like these more.
Amazing! My family loved these vegan chocolate chip cookies.. Thank you so much!