Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I’m trying to pick a favorite dessert, my mind darts between cakes, tarts, ice cream and pastries before invariably landing on chocolate chip cookies. A really good one is hard to beat, hitting all the right textures (crispy on the outside and soft in the middle) and flavor notes (buttery, brown sugar, chocolatey) in a convenient, portable form.

While it once seemed impossible to bake great cookies without dairy (butter!) and eggs, seasoned vegan bakers have made it possible through the intelligent use of oils, plant-based milks, and vegan products like chocolate and even sugar.

Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a balance of caramelized sweetness, rich chocolate and a hint of salt, that’s what I call a great chocolate chip cookie.

How to make vegan chocolate chip cookies

This recipe calls for melted and chilled refined coconut oil, which imparts richness. I use refined coconut oil as it doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor and is great for baking. If you don’t mind the tropical coconut flavor, use virgin or unrefined coconut oil.

The coconut oil is whipped up with vegan brown and white sugar, some plant-based milk and vanilla until creamy. This can be done by hand without an electric mixer.

No eggs are needed—the batter holds together well, and baking powder gives it a boost. Add the flour and then the chopped dark chocolate, creating delicious specks and gorgeous pools of melted chocolate. A sprinkling of flaky sea salt brings out all the flavors.

It is not necessary to chill the dough before scooping it into cookies. In fact, I don’t recommend it as it will solidify the coconut oil and make the dough too hard to scoop. Instead, scoop the cookies and freeze them for just 10 minutes right before baking. This keeps them from spreading too much during baking, resulting in soft, chewy cores.

Tips and Tricks

This recipe is easy, with just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of active prep time. Here are a few tips for the best results:

• I use vegan brown sugar and vegan cane sugar. Not all sugars are 100% vegan as most are processed with bone char. Look for sugar that is labeled vegan and/or organic. Organic Sugar cannot be made from bone char.
• If possible, weigh your ingredients with kitchen scales. It ensures that the dough has the right consistency. You can also weigh the dough balls, which will help them bake evenly.
• Chopped chocolate works well in this recipe as it offers a bit of chocolate flavor in every bite along with wonderful pools of melted chocolate. It also helps bind the dough together better than chocolate chips. It’s also easier to find vegan chocolate bars. Look for dark chocolate (about 72% cocoa) with no added milk.
• Do not chill the dough before forming the cookies. It becomes rock hard and difficult to roll into balls.
• If you don’t have freezer space, you can skip the 10 minute chilling before baking the cookies. They’ll get a little flatter, but still tasty. Keep an eye on them as they only take about 9 minutes to bake.
• If baking more than one baking sheet at a time, rotate them halfway through.
• Don’t overbake these cookies. They won’t brown as much as butter-based cookies; Rather, they turn slightly brown at the edges and bottom. Since there are no eggs, it’s better to slightly under-bake them (unless you like your cookies on the crunchy side). Check them at the 9 minute mark.

Swaps that work

If you have a coconut allergy or are also on a gluten-free diet, you can adapt this recipe.

• To make the cookies without coconut oil, swap it out for melted, cooled vegan butter. Note that the composition of vegan butter varies, so your results may vary. Consider waiting to add the non-dairy milk until the dry ingredients have been added. You may need less of this than the recipe calls for to make an easy-to-roll but stiff dough.
• For gluten-free cookies, try cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour mix like Bob’s Red Mill. Xanthan gum should be in it. You may need to add more non-dairy milk as gluten free flours can be on the dry side.

recipe variations

If you want to switch up the flavors a bit or add some crunch, try the following:

• Chocolate: Swap all or part of the chocolate for vegan dark chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate. A blend would provide a nice blend of flavors.
• Nuts: Add 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts.
• Raspberry: Add up to 1/3 cup lightly chopped freeze-dried raspberries.
• potato chip: Add up to 1/2 cup shredded potato chips, omitting the salt on top.
• Peppermint: Mix in 1/3 cup crushed peppermints and swap out half the vanilla extract for 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.

How to save the cookies

The completely cooled cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for about four days. They can be frozen, although once thawed, the texture isn’t as good.

You can freeze the batter later for baking. Shape the cookies and sprinkle with salt, pressing the salt slightly into the top to help it stick. Freeze them for an hour until firm and place in a ziplock bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.

To bake from frozen, let them rest on a parchment-lined baking sheet while the oven preheats. They don’t have to be completely thawed. Add about a minute to the baking time.