The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everything you want in a chocolate chip cookie —crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and with puddles of gooey dark chocolate.

I’ve been working tirelessly on this recipe trying to nail down the perfect chocolate chip cookie minus the eggs and dairy. After the seventh and final test…I did it.

I wanted a cookie that wasn’t too soft yet still retained its integrity. I wanted it to be chewy and crispy, but not flat as a pancake or as crisp as a cracker.

The edges are perfectly crispy, the center is chewy and soft, and every bite comes with gooey dark chocolate.

The secret to these cookies and why they will be your new go-to?

Melted butter

I’ve tested this recipe with multiple measurements of room temperature butter and although they yielded a delicious cookie the texture wasn’t chewy or crispy enough. Adding melted butter added moisture to the cookie and when the dough is refrigerated overnight it adds chewiness to the final product.

Brown sugar and granulated sugar ratio

Dark brown sugar is the key component to achieve a chewy cookie. It’s because it holds high hygroscopic characteristics. In other words, it has a high ability to hold water yielding a moist cookie with a chewy texture.

Dark chocolate

Chocolate chips won’t cut it for this recipe. If you’re looking for those gooey puddles of rich chocolate then you’ll want to roughly chop up a quality dark chocolate bar. HIGHLY suggest this above any other options.

Vanilla extract

Yes, this recipe calls for 2 tsp of vanilla extract, and yes it makes a difference. What’s with all these recipes calling for 1 tsp? Vanilla extract adds so much flavor to cookies!

Refrigeration

If you really want a high quality, rich chocolate chip cookie you must refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, but ideally overnight.

This is key for a chewy and very flavorful cookie.

Once the batter is done, portion it out using a cookie scoop onto a lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Once you’re ready to bake it in the morning evenly space out the dough and bake away.

You will be baking at a higher temperature, but this will allow the cookie to get perfectly crisp on the outside.

Freezing

These cookies are also delicious from frozen! Once the batter is done, portion it out using a cookie scoop onto a lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Bake at 330F for 13 minutes until edges are golden brown. The middle may look a bit underdone, but that’s ok. It will continue to set as it cools.

If you’re looking for more yummy vegan cookie recipes, you’ll also love these Pistachio, Macadamia Nut, & Chocolate Chunk Cookies, these Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!


5 from 3 votes
The Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Refrigeration
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 27 mins
 

Everything you want in a chocolate chip cookie —crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and with puddles of gooey dark chocolate.

Course: Dessert
Keyword: cookie recipe, vegan chocolate chip cookies
Servings: 12 cookies
Author: Taavi Moore
Ingredients
  • ½ cup vegan butter, melted (1 stick of butter, melted)
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • 4-5 oz. bittersweet (60-70%) chocolate bar, roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to combine butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract.

  2. Add flour, corn starch, baking soda and powder, and salt. Combine on low speed until a soft dough forms. Fold in chopped chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (ideally, overnight).

  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to portion out dough on to a lined baking sheet. Evenly space out cookie dough on to two lined baking sheets.

  4. Bake for 12 minutes until tops are light golden brown. The centers may feel a bit underdone, but they will continue to bake out of the oven. Allow cooling on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

Storage + Freezing:

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp. for up to a week. Alternatively, store portioned cookie dough in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. 

When baking from frozen, bake at 330F for 13 minutes until edges are golden brown. The middle may look a bit underdone, but that’s ok. It will continue to set as it cools.

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4 Comments

  1. Giorgia
    January 4, 2021 / 5:35 pm

    Hi!!! What a beautiful recipe! One question : do you flatten the cookies with your palm before pitting them in the oven? Or just leave them ball-shaped and they flatten themselves once in the oven? Thanks

    • healthienut
      Author
      January 4, 2021 / 9:25 pm

      Great question, Giorgia! No you don’t need to flatten them before they go in the oven. They will flatten while baking 🙂

  2. Sara
    February 19, 2022 / 1:19 am

    5 stars
    The best chocolate chip cookies. Thank you for this great recipe.

    • healthienut
      Author
      March 15, 2022 / 8:24 pm

      So happy to hear, Sara!

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