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These Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are as classic and delicious as chocolate chip cookies get! They’re perfectly chocolatey, soft & chewy, easy to make, and require just 9 simple ingredients. Plus, they’re made in 1 bowl and require no chill time.
We don’t want to brag, but making the best vegan chocolate chip cookies is one of our specialties (just read the 60+ 5-star reviews!). In addition to these classic cookies, we’ve also got Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and an ooey gooey Vegan Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for you to dive into next!
Safe to say, we’ve got you covered when a chocolate chip cookie craving hits.
What You’ll Need to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Coconut Oil – This will serve as the fat in this recipe. We use refined coconut oil because it doesn’t have a coconut flavor. So if you’re looking for good coconut oil to use, we recommend this one. If preferred, vegan butter is a good alternative.
- Sugar – We use two different types of sugar in this recipe—brown sugar and organic granulated sugar. Using both types of sugar helps create more depth in the flavor of the cookies. If you want to ensure that the sugar you are using is vegan-friendly, we recommend opting for organic sugar since it’s not processed through bone char.
- Applesauce – Believe it or not, apple sauce acts as a vegan egg replacer and helps bind everything together. Don’t worry – these cookies don’t taste like apples! To make sure your cookies aren’t overly sweet, we recommend using unsweetened applesauce. If you need suggestions on which applesauce to use, we like this one.
- Vanilla Extract – We use vanilla extract in this recipe, and most other baked goods, to enhance all of the different flavors in the recipe. The quality of vanilla extract is also a factor, so make sure you are using a high-quality one.
- All-Purpose Flour – We’ve found the best classic chocolate chip cookies are made with all-purpose flour. We like to use Bob’s Red Mill organic all-purpose flour, but any brand will do the trick! You can also use gluten-free flour for this recipe. We have more details on that in the notes of the recipe card.
- Baking Soda – When baking soda reacts with an acid, it produces carbon dioxide and bubbles, causing the cookie dough to rise. This will help give the cookies a chewy and coarse texture.
- Salt – Similar to vanilla extract, the salt in this recipe helps enhance the other flavors in the cookie. Optional: Try sprinkling flaky sea salt on top of your finished cookies if you enjoy the salty and sweet flavor combination.
- Baking Powder – The function of baking powder in this recipe is to encourage your cookies to spread up instead of out, making them more even and fluffy.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – You may be wondering…what brands of chocolate chips are vegan? Good news, you’ve got plenty of options. We like to use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can even use chocolate chunks if you prefer.
Equipment Needed:
- Medium Bowl
- Wire Rack for cooling your cookies
- Whisk
- Baking Tray
- Spatula
- Stand Mixer (Optional)
- Cookie Scoop
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream the oil and sugars together. In a large bowl, cream the coconut oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the apple sauce and vanilla. Mix again until combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients. In the same bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until a cookie dough forms. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula until well incorporated.
- Preheat the oven. These cookies bake at 350°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or a reusable baking mat. This recipe makes about 36 cookies, so you’ll likely need to bake in batches.
- Scoop your cookie dough. Using a 1 tablespoon-sized scooper, drop mounds of chocolate chip cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2” between each cookie dough mound. No need to press them down – they’ll spread perfectly on their own!
- Bake. Bake these chocolate chip cookies for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crisp and golden and the center is still soft. The cookies will seem under-baked, but they will firm up while they cool.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. We typically allow the cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack before digging in, but you can’t go wrong eating warm chocolate chip cookies either!
How to Make a Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar Gift Mix
If you’re baking these vegan chocolate chip cookies during the holiday season, you can’t go wrong with gifting these cute jarred cookie mixes! You can find the printable gift tag here! 🙂
It’s easy to put together, and our friends and family loved it when we gifted it to them. Just be sure only to put the dry ingredients in the jar.
Instructions
- Place 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic granulated sugar, 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed organic brown sugar, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips into a 32-ounce mason jar.
- Screw the lid tightly on the jar, then attach the gift tag that lists the wet ingredients. Download the exact one we use here!
Watch us make a variation of this recipe in our DIY Budget-Friendly Holiday Gifts Video on our Youtube Channel!
Vegan Cookie Recipe FAQs
How do I prevent my cookies from over-spreading?
Cookies spread as a result of the fat in the cookie dough melting. If your cookies tend to over-spread, two things could be happening. First, you may not have used enough flour. Or, the fat was too warm before baking. This is why we recommend using soft coconut oil or softened vegan butter over melted.
Why didn’t my vegan cookies rise?
If your cookies did not rise, it is possible your baking powder expired or the dough was overmixed. Baking powder is only fresh for about 6 months after opening. After this time, it loses its leavening power and can cause your cookies to fall flat. Similarly, whipping too much air into your vegan cookie dough will cause your cookies to collapse in the oven.
Can I freeze my vegan chocolate chip cookies?
Yes! You can freeze these cookies before or after baking. If you’d like to freeze the raw cookie dough before baking, we recommend pre-scooping them into individual cookie dough balls and flash freeze them on a baking sheet, then transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Then, bake the cookies directly from frozen for 1 to 2 minutes longer!
Similarly, freeze baked chocolate chip cookies after cooling completely and flash freezing on a baking sheet until frozen. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag, then thaw the baked cookies at room temperature!
Can I make these chocolate chip cookies gluten-free?
Absolutely. We’ve tested this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and had great results. You might like our Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Gluten-Free Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies too!
Storage Instructions
These vegan chocolate chip cookies store best in an airtight container at room temperature. When stored well, these cookies will last for up to 1 week.
For freezing instructions, read our above cookie FAQs or check the recipe card!
More Vegan Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy:
- The Best Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Pecan Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Vegan Pizelles
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies (3-Ingredients + Gluten-Free)
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
Print
Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies (3 dozen) 1x
Description
These Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are as classic and delicious as chocolate chip cookies get! They’re perfectly chocolatey, soft & chewy, easy to make and require just 9 simple ingredients. Plus, they’re made in 1 bowl and require no chill time.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup refined coconut oil* (see notes)
- 3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see notes for gluten-free option)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the coconut oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer (or a whisk) cream the oil and sugars together until fluffy.
- Add in the applesauce and vanilla, and mix well.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until a dough forms. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips until well incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Keep in mind that this recipe makes 3 dozen so you will need to bake multiple batches. See notes for freezing options.
- Using a 1 tablespoon-sized scooper, drop mounds of dough onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart (we fit 12 on each sheet and baked these in 3 batches). No need to press them down.
- Place into the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges brown. The cookies will seem soft but don’t worry, they will firm up while they cool. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute after removing them from the oven and then carefully transfer them onto a cooling rack using a spatula.
- Cool until set and then dig in!
Notes
- We opted for refined coconut oil in order to avoid the coconut flavor. Unrefined coconut oil will have a coconut flavor so just keep that in mind!
- We originally made this recipe with melted coconut oil but from your feedback, we updated this recipe on 5/22/21 to use room temperature coconut oil instead. This way, there is no longer the need to chill the dough and it speeds up the prep time so you can eat your cookies much sooner!
- If you would like to make these gluten-free, we recommend the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour. We tested this recipe with it and it was successful!
- If you would like to save this dough for later, you can freeze it! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a cookie scooper to evenly scoop mounds of the dough. You can line them up close together since you are not baking them. Once you have scooped out all of the dough, place the baking sheet into the freezer for 30-60 minutes (the longer the better). Remove the dough mounds from the trays and transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Be sure to keep note of when you freeze them + what time and temperature you need to bake them at! Since the dough is frozen, it might require 1 to 2 minutes or even longer for baking.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 week.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
they are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies i had, i added walnuts and it’s perfect!
These were excellent! Not sure what could’ve happened with those who said they didn’t rise. This worked out perfectly. I didn’t quite have 3 dozen though. I do think that the cooking time should be on the lesser side than longer.
These look soooo good and I cannot wait to make these for Thanksgiving! I am the only vegan in the bunch and I am hoping that they will be enjoyed by everyone. I want them to come out just like your picture lol. With that being said, was your dough chilled or not chilled to achieve the results shown in the picture?
So glad to hear that! In the photos the dough was not chilled! 🙂
OMG these were delicious!!! Everything about this recipe was spot on! My non vegan family approved also! This will be my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on. Thank you Jasmine!
Sooo good! I may have been a little heavy handed on the salt but that’s easily rectified. They are my new go too cookie!
I am not vegan but I love making vegan recipes. My boyfriend is vegan and I wanted to make a treat for him that he could eat with his diet! I must say, these were amazing. Both me and my bf cant stop eating these. I am a baker but can never seem to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, however these vegan ones came out perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
We have tried MANY vegan cookie recipes, but this was our favorite. Perfect for a egg, dairy, and peanut allergy kid. Thank you!!! Our winter will be alot cozier because of this recipe!
Do you think I could sub the apple sauce for bananas? Cheers!
Yes!
Hi. I live in the Global South, in a place where Applesauce is not readily available. So I’d either have to make homemade applesauce to use in this receipt or find an alternative. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Mashed banana or additional oil should work in it’s place! We have not tested the oil but the banana has been successful.
Loved your recipe, cookies came out fabulous! They stored nicely and remained soft for the followikg days. Thank you!
hi! If I sub vegan butter for the coconut oil, should I melt it?
Yes! 🙂
We just made these and they turned out perfect! So rarely does a recipe come out like the picture and these did! The kids loved them and we loved them. This will be my go to cookie recipe from here on! Thank you!!
Hi! Can I use sunflower oil instead?
Hi Evi! We actually have not tested this with sunflower oil so we can’t guarantee the results with that oil, sorry about that!
I have used sunflower oil many times for this recipe and it turns out just as good!
Sooooo good! I even made this recipe into a cookie cake for my husband’s birthday❤️????
I’m not a vegan, but wanted to try my hand at a vegan recipe, so I thought why not chocolate chip cookies! I followed the recipe and must say, not bad at all. I did not have organic white/brown sugar on hand or organic chocolate, so I used what I had in my pantry. Instead of 3/4 cup light brown brown sugar, I split it 2/4 cup light brown and 1/4 cup dark brown (I do this with my regular non vegan CC recipe as well). My applesauce was cold from the fridge, so imagine my surprise when I went to stir the sugar, coconut oil, and applesauce and found it hard as a rock, lol! Talk about sweating bullets. But fixed that easily by stirring the mixture. I thought I had used too much flour, didn’t weight it like I normally would but it came together nicely. The dough was delicious, hate to say I probably ate more of it than cookies. Baked 10 cookies, froze the rest of the dough for a rainy day. Adding this recipe to my stash.
I was hoping to see my comment asking if you have any idea why mine doesn’t spread each time and I’ve made them several times. The only change I’ve made is using canola oil instead of coconut. Do you think that’s why? Otherwise, the cookies are always good!
Hi Michelle, I have not tested these with canola oil but I would suspect that that change may alter the result of the cookies!
I just made this again this time with coconut oil and it seems that the coconut oil versus canola oil is what is responsible for the spread of the cookies. They are seemingly too soft so I’m sticking to my canola oil! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Very good cookie! I used coconut oil and brown coconut sugar instead of traditional brown sugar. I also used Kings Arthurs glutten free flour. They didnt spread at all. I had to press them down to get rid of the dome shape. Still was very tasty.
I have made this a lot of times and they never spread, always have that dome shape. Still very yummy so it’s not a problem but what could be the issue? They remain the shape of the scooper I use which has been described to me as “perfectly round.”
Literally just ate one right now out of the oven! So good! Also passed the 4 year old taste test. Newly vegan but in all honesty I haven’t had to change much, there are plant substitutes for everything!
I just took these out of the oven! They have risen too much haha, they look like little snow balls! I used organic all purpose flour… maybe I added too much baking soda or powder? Either way they still taste amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe
The dough is chilling in the fridge. Cant wait to bake them.
Just made these and they turned out perfectly! I didnt have enough coconut oil so i had to add a bit of avocado oil also (about 1/4 cup). I increased the chocolate chips by a 1/2 cup and skipped the chilling step. I rolled the dough into balls and baked for about 8-10 minutes. This will be my go-to recipe for sure!
How many eggs would you use instead of the applesauce?
We don’t cook with eggs, so I’m not sure!