Learn how to make the BEST tried & true Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies that are thick and chewy in the middle with perfectly crispy edges.
Friends… they’re FINALLY here! Say hello to the Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies– thick, soft, chewy, crispy, chocolate-y… everything you could ever want in a chocolate chip cookie. These are the cookies that one my boyfriends heart and thats saying a lot because he’s kind of a cookie snob.
Now, the very first batch I ever made for him… I never wrote down the recipe. I literally just used my basic level knowledge on cookies and veganized it in my head. Replacing the butter for coconut oil, using aquafaba instead of eggs and making sure to use vegan sugar. Mixing all these ingredients together until the dough looked like cookie dough and tasted like cookie dough. Into the oven they went and well, I guess they came out good because we went on another date… and look at us now 🙂
For a long time, we tried to recreate the recipe but it just never came out right. Too dry, too thick, too chewy… so for his birthday I spent over 3 days testing over 9 cookie doughs, temperatures AND baking trays until I bit into the 10th batch of cookies and literally jumped out of the house screaming hallelujah!! This was the one.
He bit into the cookie and word for word this was what he had to say: “THIS!! THIS!!! These are BETTER than the first cookies you ever made me OMG”. Needless to say I was pretty damn happy and proud of myself.
I know I usually only post healthier cookies here on the blog but I HAD to share this recipe. I even had over 10 of my friends on instagram try them and give me feedback and 98% of them said they wouldn’t change a thing.
Okay, now that I’ve boasted about how perfect these cookies are… Let’s make these damn delicious vegan chocoalte chip cookies.
Ingredients to Make the BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve tested multiple different combination of ingredients and ratios, and the ingredients list below is what we have found to produce the best soft, chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookies that tastes EXACTLY like a traditional chocolate chip cookie.
First, we’re using a combination of granulated cane sugar and organic brown sugar. Granulated sugar gives these cookies a crispy exterior. The brown sugar and coconut oil keeps them moist and chewy in the middle.
Now for the liquid that goes into these cookies: aquafaba OR coconut milk OR both. The coconut milk provides an additional richness to these cookies, and I’m convinced that the aquafaba is the ingredient that makes these cookies extra chewy. However, I have made them using all coconut milk and all aquafaba with great success depending on your ideal chocolate chip cookie. Want more richness? Use all coconut milk. Want chewier cookies? Use all aquafaba.
And of course, since these are classic chocolate chip cookies they also contain all purpose flour (gluten free if needed), vanilla, baking soda, salt and chocolate… and a pinch of fancy sea salt if you fancy.
How to Bake the Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you follow the tips and instructions on this recipe, these cookies are easy peasy to make AND all you need 8-9 ingredients. Here’s a quick run down of how to make these vegan cookies:
- Mix Wet Ingredients: sugars, aquafaba, melted coconut oil and vanilla.
- Mix in Dry Ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips/Chunks: just enough so that the chocolate is dispersed evenly throughout the cookie dough.
- Chill in the Fridge for 30 Minutes
- Roll into Balls: For super thick and chewy cookies, roll them into tall balls (refer to photo below)
- Bake & Cool: Let the cookies bake at 350 F for 10-13 minutes. Then let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
You can make chocolate chip cookie dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Simply make the cookie dough as directed and portion them out onto a baking tray and cover with reusable wrap. Place the tray of cookie dough in the freezer for 3 hours. Then you can transfer them into a freezer safe bag. When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature while the oven is pre-heating and bake as instructed. You may need to add 1-2 more minutes depending on how frozen the dough is.
How to Properly Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
After the cookies have comepltly cooked, store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Alternatively, freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month.
Tips to Make Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use +2 Kinds of Chocolate: Chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, jumbo chocolate chips, chopped chocolate… etc. Trust me– not only do you get slightly different flavours from the chocolate but it also just makes it so much more fun to eat. Puddles of chocolate in one spot and stuffed with mini chunk in another bite.
- Roll the Cookie Dough Balls Tall: Probably my FAVOURITE tip (thanks mom!!). This creates the PERFECT thick and chewy centre with crispy edges. The bottom of the ball bakes first which spreads out (making them crispy because they touch the hot pan for longer) and the top kind of melts downwards and stays chewy.
- Bake in Small Batches: I have found baking the cookies in 6-8 batches work the best. Anything more, the cookies just don’t turn out as perfect as I’d like.
- Use a Light Coloured Baking Tray: Using a dark (black) coloured cookie sheet makes them brown more and faster. Using a white baking tray keeps them super pale. I use a slightly tinted aluminum cookie tray which I find creates the perfect golden brown cookies and evenly bakes.
- Do Not Over Bake!!: This one is key to soft and chewy centred cookies. They will look soft and puffy right out of the oven with a slightly browned spot but will continue to cook on the hot sheet out of the oven and end up golden brown. If you do like slightly crispier cookies, wait until the edges are slightly golden brown.
The Ideal Temperature for Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 350 F (180 C): This is the most common temperature used for chocolate chip cookies that creates chewy middles and crispy edges.
- 375 F (190 C): Sometimes when I want more crispy cookies, I bake them at 375 F for around 9 minutes until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown.
The Ideal Baking Time for Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lower End (8-9 minutes): softer + chewier cookies
- Higher end (10-14 minute): the longer they bake the more crispy the cookies will get
Helpful Equipment to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Food Scale: For best results, use a food scale and weigh ingredients.
- Parchment Paper / Silicon Baking Mat: To ensure the cookies don’t stick to the cookie pan.
- Cookie Scoop: For consistent sized cookies to ensure all the cookies bake evenly.
- Cookie Baking Tray: A light coloured baking tray for even baking and so the cookies don’t get too browned.
- Wire Cooling Rack: To let the cookies cool properly without getting soggy.
Craving More Vegan Cookies? Don’t Forget to Try These Cookies!
- Healthy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
- Vegan Matcha Cookies
- Vegan Snowball Cookies
If you recreate this The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Hungry for more? Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest for more deliciousness!
Print
The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Description
Learn how to make the BEST tried & true Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies that are thick and chewy in the middle with perfectly crispy edges.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic granulated cane sugar (100g)*
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (110g)**
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (112g)***
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk / aquafaba or a combination of both, room temperature (90ml)*
- 2 tsp vanilla (10g)
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour (270g // gluten free all purpose mix if needed)
- 1 tsp baking soda (5g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chunks/chips (120g)
- fancy sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cane sugar, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, aquafaba/coconut milk and vanilla until combined.
- Sift in the all purpose flour and baking soda and add in the salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet using a folding motion with a large spatula. This helps with not over mixing. Mix until the batter looks almost fully uniform.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. until evenly dispersed throughout the batter. This also finished off mixing the batter.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or wrap and place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C)*
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out the dough into equal sized balls (around 50g each) and roll into a tall ball (refer to photos).
- Place the cookie dough on a lined baking tray leaving 2 inches between each cookie and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until there are golden brown spots. To achieve crinkled edges, tap the pan on the oven rack a few times before taking them out of the oven.
- Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer onto a wire rack to let them cool completely before eating.
Notes
- *Cane sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar or maple sugar however the texture will not be as crisp around the edges.
- **Brown sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar or maple sugar + 1/2 tbsp molasses.
- **I started using vegan butter instead of coconut oil which I have found to yield a better crispy to chewy ratio with the perfect amount of spread. If you do not have vegan butter, you can still use coconut oil or a blend of coconut oil and vegan margarine. Be sure to use aquafaba/coconut milk that is warm or at least room temperature so that the coconut oil does not solidify.
- ****I use a combination of coconut milk and aquafaba for the perfect chewy moist texture. You can use all coconut milk for ultra moist cookies or all aquafaba for chewy cookies.
- Nutrition information disclaimer: is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer)
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: vegan, gluten free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 216
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 9.3g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30.5g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 2.4g
- Cholesterol: 0
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
Okonomi Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you purchase something through my amazon affiliate links, I earn a small commission that helps me produce consistent content at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my plant based kitchen!
I made these cookies and they were crispy and chewy. This will be my go to recipe when I want chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite. Thanks for creating such a good cookie.
Lisa is a genius when it comes to recipe development, I consistently return to this recipe for its sheer perfection!! Never disappointed!! These cookies taste better than any chocolate chip cookies I had growing up. I have tried making them gf/sugar free subs and they still come out perfect!
Thank you so much! Absolutely delicious 😋 😍