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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)
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: Dessert, Cookies
- 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!
I’ve made this recipe twice. Once with all the original ingredients, and once with flax egg instead of applesauce. I may have added too much flour in addition, so the cookies were tastier the first time I made them, but still yummy both times. Love this recipe!
These came out AWESOME. The perfect chocolate chip cookies. I only had organic raw cane sugar (crystals), so I weighed it using the guide in the link you posted about how to weigh flour in response to an earlier comment. I blitzed 5.25 grams of raw cane sugar in the NutriBullet until it was fine (instead of using granulated sugar). I weighed the flour and brown sugar as well. I followed all of your instructions to a tee (aside from using unrefined coconut oil). Cookies look and taste amazing with a slight coconut fragrance and flavor. Thank you! This’ll be my go-to recipe for cookies going forward! (I NEVER comment on recipes, but these were DEF comment worthy!
Hi! I dont have applesauce. Is this recipe okay without it? Whats the best substitute?
We recommend using 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal tablespoons of water). We haven’t tried it ourselves, but other people have and said it works!
best cookies ever, my go to
Literally the best cookie I have ever eaten and made, and I’ve made a lot. I could eat the whole batch. This is my go to recipe. Everyone I’ve made them for is amazed how delicious they are. ❤you rock????
So im making the recipe right now they are In the oven although I did not let them chill very long possibly 30 minutes but I was reading the comments and everyone is saying they are delicious I am so excited to try !!!
i accidentally added 1 cup applesauce. its chilling right now in the fridge, any ideas how to fix this?
The best thing you could do would be to double the recipe!
Wow! Made these today. Used vegan butter. They are awesome. I am not vegan necessarily, my 22yr old is. I love to cook for her. Always tasty! My other daughter and her boyfriend didn’t even know they were vegan. Says a lot about how awesome they taste! Thank you!
Can these be made gluten free? Maybe cassava flour? If so what amount?
If you were to make them gluten-free, we’d recommend using a 1:1 GF flour blend.
I’ve made the batter and it is in the refrigerator. Can I refrigerate the dough for more than 2 hours, like overnight? I’d like to bake them in the morning.
Yes, that should be fine!
Would using olive oil turn out the same?
We haven’t tested it, but chances are it will affect both the taste and texture of the cookies.
The Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe are amazing, detailed and easy to follow. The results were unexpected. Very delicious. Thanks you!
Your recipe is FANTASTIC! I have been baking for a LONG time, And I have been trying to find a really good Vegan chocolate chip cookie and yours is it!!
I did not have any coconut oil so I used canola. Turned out perfect!!
Thank you again for your time and all you do!!
Heeey !
How are you !
I made these cookies lots of times and they are really so so delicious ! (I just reduce the sugar). Even my brother didn’t believe me when I said they were vegan !????
However, I just have a little problem : Mine don’t spread out ; they just stay in a bowl shape. That’s totally good too but what can I do to have a normal cookie shape ?
Byyye ! (Thank you so much for all your recipes ????)
Hey! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 If you want the cookies to spread out more, you can bake them without chilling them first. Hope this helps!
Hey, I just wanted to know if you can substitute the flour with oat flour or cassava flour. Thank you:)
We haven’t tested those options so we can’t guarantee the results. From our research, you can substitute up to 30% of all-purpose flour with oat flour, but a 100% swap may not work. Cassava flour is lighter and absorbs more liquid, so that might be tricker. Hope this helps!
mhhh soo delicious! Just made them – added a bit of sea salt sprinkle when they came out of the oven, did not bake more than 10 minutes and let sit a bit on the hot baking tray, then remove to let cool more or eat. I didn’t have white sugar on hand so as usual just substituted with an equal amount of brown sugar + molasses and it was perfect! Sooo much better also to eat raw than your edible raw cookie dough balls 😉
My absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie, vegan or otherwise.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had, vegan or otherwise. I happen to love coconut flavor so I used unrefined oil and it they turned out amazing. Thank you for the recipe!
I replaced the coconut oil with avocado oil and only chilled the dough for 30 minutes. The cookies turned out perfect! Very delicious. Just wanted to share in case anyone wanted to make a similar substitution.
These are great!! I accidentally made them with unrefined coconut oil instead of refined. I was a bit worried thinking they wouldn’t be good, but they were still great! They kinda smell like coconut but don’t taste like it! They are so darn good!! Thanks for sharing!