Chewy. Soft. Chocolaty. Just a little bit salty. There’s a reason why everyone loves chocolate chip cookies so much—they’re pretty much the perfect cookie! But how do you take that classic chocolate chip cookie recipe and make it vegan? And how do you make sure those vegan chocolate chip cookies are just as satisfying as the original recipe? Well, it took quite a bit of testing, but I think I nailed it! Brown sugar delivers some extra moisture, which is important for that chewiness. And the cornstarch makes for a soft, tender texture rather than crispy—because there’s a time and place for crispy cookies, but for these vegan chocolate chip cookies, I was aiming for soft and chewy. As a bonus, the cornstarch gives the cookies some height, keeping them from going flat and spreading on the pan. Best of all, my vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe requires no fussy ingredients—that means no aquafaba, no flax eggs, and no pricy egg replacer!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
Vegan butter – Let the butter come to room temperature so it can be creamed with the sugars. Organic white sugar Brown sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar will work; a dark brown sugar will add more depth to the flavour of your cookies since it has a higher molasses content. Vegan milk – This will also need to be room temperature. Use any variety you like or have on hand! Vanilla extract Flour Cornstarch Baking soda Sea salt Vegan chocolate chips or chunks
What Makes a Chocolate Chip Vegan?
It’s common for chocolate chips—even dark and semisweet chips—to be made with milk fat or dry milk powder, which means they’re not vegan. Make sure you buy chocolate chips without these ingredients to make vegan chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Be sure to account for the chilling time when planning to make this recipe! Here’s what you’ll need to do: Mix the wet ingredients. Use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or whisk to cream the vegan butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the vegan milk and vanilla extract, then mix again for 30 seconds. Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix gently until fully combined (about 1 minute), then fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours. When you’re ready to finish the cookies, start preheating the oven to 350ºF. Form the cookies. Scoop out the cookie dough by the heaping tablespoon. Place the dough on baking sheets, allowing 3 inches of space for each cookie. Make sure the dough remains cold while you work; return it to the refrigerator if needed. Bake. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are pretty easy and unfussy, but here are some hints and tips to help you make sure they turn out perfect!
Working with chilled dough. If you chill the dough for more than 2 hours, it might be tough to work with. Let it sit on the counter a bit until it’s easy to scoop. Baking in batches. If you need to bake the cookies in batches, I recommend returning the bowl of dough to the refrigerator between batches to make sure it doesn’t warm up too much. Can’t find vegan butter? I developed this recipe with vegan butter, so I don’t recommend substituting oil. Try my Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe instead, which can be made with coconut oil.
How to Store
Keep these vegan chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze both the baked cookies and the dough. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving. To freeze the dough, form the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the dough is frozen through, transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight container. You can bake it from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time. Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
