Meet the dependable, bakery-style Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies you can bake any night. The edges set up crisp, the centers stay soft and gooey, and the chocolate runs a little when warm. The method is simple and repeatable with pantry ingredients. If you love classic cookies, this version delivers the same comfort without dairy or eggs.
The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
I recently made these and decided, again, that these are in fact the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Not just the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookies, but the perfect chocolate chip cookies in general, though yes, they are vegan. Highly recommended!
These cookies are just slightly crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. If you like them a bit more crispy, just cook them a minute or two longer.
How I serve it:
Serve them with a glass of almond milk, and eat it while sitting in bed reading a book. This is definitely my favorite way to enjoy a cookie, and it’s much more satisfying than just stuffing 3 of them in your face after lunch (yes. guilty.). These are cookies to be savored (but I won’t judge if you eat a few after lunch).
Here’s exactly how I make it.
Why I Love It
- Crisp edges, soft middles, melty chocolate
- No special equipment beyond a mixer and sheet pan
- Pantry-friendly and budget-conscious
- Consistent spread and color in a standard home oven
- Dough freezes perfectly for fresh-baked cookies anytime
You may also like: Vegan Caramel-Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies
What You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure for the classic chewy bite. A quality 1:1 gluten-free blend can work with slightly more delicate crumb.
- Baking soda: Lifts and spreads the dough for crinkly tops. Do not swap directly with baking powder.
- Fine salt: Balances sweetness and sharpens chocolate flavor.
- Plant-based butter: Provides richness and the crisp edge. Use a firm stick or block style that creams well.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture and toffee notes for chew. Light brown sugar works in a pinch.
- Granulated sugar: Helps edges caramelize and get crisp.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds the flavor and boosts the chocolate.
- Ground flax + water: Quick “flax egg” that binds without eggs. Chia seed works similarly.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
You’ll get clear cues at each phase so your Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies bake up perfectly.
Mix the Base
- Heat the oven to 350°F, 177°C. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment.
- Stir ground flax with water and set aside to gel.
- In a mixer bowl, cream plant-based butter with brown and white sugars on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. The color should lighten and the mixture should look airy.
- Whisk in the flax mixture and vanilla until smooth.
Dry Meets Wet
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry mix to the creamed base. Mix on low just until no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed, avoiding overmixing.
Scoop and Bake
- Scoop medium mounds and space evenly on the prepared pan. Aim for at least 2 inches, 5 cm, between scoops.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, rotating once. The edges should be set and lightly golden, the centers soft and slightly pale.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. The centers will finish setting as they cool.
Optional Chill or Freeze
- For thicker cookies, chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes before baking.
- To freeze, scoop onto a tray, freeze solid, then store airtight. Bake from frozen at 350°F, 177°C, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Variations
- Walnut crunch: Fold in chopped walnuts for texture. No time change.
- Espresso boost: Add a pinch of fine espresso to the dry mix for coffee-forward cookies.
- Sea salt finish: Sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky salt on hot cookies for contrast.
- Double chocolate: Swap a portion of flour with cocoa powder and use chocolate chunks.
- Bakery big: Scoop larger mounds and bake 1 to 2 minutes longer, watching edges closely.
Common Mistakes (And Fixes)
- Butter too warm: Leads to flat cookies. Start with cool room-temp butter that still resists a fingerprint.
- Overmixing after flour: Tough cookies. Mix just until combined.
- Overbaking: Dry centers. Pull at pale gold edges and soft tops.
- Crowded pans: Uneven color. Leave space and bake in batches.
- Wrong leavener: Baking powder changes texture and rise. Use baking soda as written.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make-ahead dough: Refrigerate up to 48 hours, tightly covered.
- Freeze scoops: Freeze solid, then bag airtight up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, add 1 to 2 minutes.
- Store baked cookies: Airtight at room temperature 3 to 4 days.
- Refresh: Warm on a sheet at 300°F, 150°C, for 3 to 5 minutes, or a quick air-fryer pass at 300°F, 150°C, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQS
Chilling is optional. It helps thicker cookies with a touch less spread.
That is correct. Edges should be lightly golden while tops stay a bit soft and pale.
Yes, but the cookies will spread less and be less chewy.
Use them. Chopped chocolate creates glossy puddles and great texture.
Butter was too warm or you over-creamed. Chill the dough briefly and bake on the center rack.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter Earth Balance, original (not whipped)
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly oil.
- Mix flax seed and water in a small bowl; set aside.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Cream butter and both sugars with a whisk for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir in flax mixture and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the sheet. Bake 12–14 minutes, rotating once, until bottoms just start to brown. Tops will look underdone—this is correct.
- Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
