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These Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are just how a cookie should be – chewy, sweet, and filled with chocolate in every bite. You’re going to love them.
Did you know that My Darling Vegan has over 400 recipes? 400?!
I only just found this out when I dug around the backends of this website. 5 years and 400 recipes. I’ve been busy.
And do you want to know the craziest part? In those 400 recipes, I don’t have a classic vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. I’ve got Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, even a Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie but no old-fashioned, chewy, chocolate-filled cookies just like you and I remember.
Until today. Yep, this week we are starting out right with these Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies {Video}
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
These cookies are sweet and chewy with the perfect salty chocolate flavor. And you’re going to love how simple they are. They can be made in just 20 minutes with 9 ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success. (<<affiliate link)
- Baking Soda
- Coconut Oil – While I recommended coconut oil, any neutral flavored oil or melted vegan butter would work.
- Brown & White Sugar–
Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements.
- Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with equal amounts of mashed bananas or a variety of other egg replacers.
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Vegan Chocolate Chips
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe you will need basic baking equipments such as mixing bowl, utensils, baking sheets, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step One – Mix Wet Ingredients.
Start by combining your melted coconut oil and sugars. In a large bowl whisk together the oil and sugars until the sugars begin to dissolve and you have a smooth consistency. At that point, add the applesauce and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
Step Two – Combine Dry Ingredients.
Mix together your flour and baking soda. Once the baking soda is well incorporated, sift your dry into your oil/sugar mixture. With a wooden spoon, mix them together until a thick dough forms. Do not over-mix.
Fold in those chocolate chips.
Step Three – Bake the Cookies
Roll the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons in size. Place them on a baking sheet and press them down ever so slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, pulling them out when they are slightly underdone. They continue to harden as they cool. This is the secret to getting chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Serving and Storing
Serving – These cookies can be served immediately or you can first let them cool completely.
Storing – Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing – You can also store the dough in the freezer for fresh baked cookies every day! To do this, roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Let the cookie balls freeze completely, at least 2 hours, before transferring them into a large ziplock bag to be stored for up to 2 months. This way you can pull out a couple of cookies at a time to bake as you please!
Tips and Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Placing these between the baking sheet and your cookies will not only prevent sticking, but it will also encourage the cookies to bake faster on the outside giving you that soft and chewy middle.
- Bake cookies at a slightly higher temperature than normal (375 F). This also will encourage the edges to bake faster creating a light shell around all that chewiness.
- Bake for less time. I always recommend taking your cookies out when they are slightly underdone. Cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet as they cool. You can tell cookies are done when they are slightly brown and flattened but still have a bit of wobble.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This is the final touch in creating that perfect chewy texture.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 rounded cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine brown and white sugar with coconut oil and salt. Stir until sugars are evenly hydrated. Add applesauce and vanilla extract, siring to combine.
- Sift the flour and baking soda into the sugar/apple sauce mixture and mix until the flour is evenly incorporated and a thick dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop about 2 rounded tbsp of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2" between cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are lightly brown. They should be slightly under-baked. This will give the cookie the chewy texture.
- Pull cookies from oven and tap a few times on the counter to allow the cookies to flatten slightly. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Placing these between the baking sheet and your cookies will not only prevent sticking, but it will also encourage the cookies to bake faster on the outside giving you that soft and chewy middle.
- Bake for less time. I always recommend taking your cookies out when they are slightly underdone. Cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet as they cool. You can tell cookies are done when they are slightly brown and flattened but still have a bit of wobble.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This is the final touch in creating that perfect chewy texture.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Cam Evans says
Awesome cookies. Neighbors and family absolutely loved these chocolate chip cookies. And so easy and quick to make is just a bonus.
Shreya says
Hie ,excellent recipe but can these be made gluten free?if yes pls suggest the blend of flours .TIA
Sarah McMinn says
I would suggest using a 1:1 gluten free flour blend like this one.
Denice says
These are the best and easiest recipe I have found. They turn out perfect every time. Mine aren’t as pretty but they taste amazing. Thank you for another great recipe
Kathie says
Hi! I haven’t made these cookies yet, but we are really trying to get away from sooooo much SUGAR and these have over a cup. I will try them but with monk fruit instead of the sugar.
Jen says
These baked up beautifully and had the perfect amount of browning and spread (I did chill the dough in the freezer for a bit first). I had my doubts that a recipe this simple would be good but my family absolutely loved the cookies. They all had looks of surprise as they ate them and enthusiastically said that they were one of the best chocolate chip cookies they’d ever had (vegan and non-vegan)! I can’t believe I didn’t have to whip vegan butter or use flax eggs! And all this time I’ve been baking with vegan butter, flax, tofu… I feel duped! It doesn’t have to be complicated to get a tasty vegan dessert! Thank you!
Sarah says
I’m so glad you liked these and found new ways to bake vegan!!
Rachel says
BEST. EVER.
dani says
these are DELICIOUS! Excellent cookie recipe. I am still learning to cook vegan and am super intimidated by baking, with all the weird ingredients in most recipes, but none of that in this one, and they turned out perfect. I have to limit sat fat for dietary reasons (following OMS diet) so I used grapeseed oil instead of coconut oil and they still came out great. Thank you!
GIna says
Dani – grapeseed and coconut oil have the exact same amount of saturated fat per serving.
Camille says
Ok best chocolate chip cookie recipe!!! So happy with how declious these are. I almost ate too much dough. Didn’t leave myself with enough to bake my cookies haha.
Tree says
Holy Chocolate Chip-Oly! These are incredible! Gourmet? Oh yes, I’d say so. This is the first chocolate chip recipe I’ve come across that came out so perfect! Texture, taste, simple and descriptive recipe. All 5 stars! Thank you so much!
Sarah says
I used a banana instead of applesauce because I ran out and it was amazing!! A perfect snack. They ended up a bit chewy and only spread a bit. Thanks!
Silvia says
I’ve never made an apple sauce before and I can’t find an apple sauce recipe on your website. How do I make it? Can I just blend raw apples with water and lemon juice? What would the ratio be?
Saying hi from Europe 🙂
Sarah says
Apple sauce is readily available in the US so I rarely have made my own before. If you can’t find it, you can follow this recipe to make your own.
Karen says
These did not turn out at all. The dough spread to the whole pan and just bubbles. I don’t know what happened! I bake all the time and have never had this happen
Sarah says
Sorry to hear that; I don’t know what happened either! I’ve not heard of anyone else having this problem.
Taylor says
Maybe ur baking soda has expired
Tierra says
That at the top is 2 and 1/4 cup flour i think not just 2 1/4 cups
Momma A says
I had the same problem when I made them tonight. They taste great, but they were just super thin and spread out on the baking sheet.
Sarah says
Did you use 2 and 1/4 cup of flour? I can’t imagine why this is an issue. The cookies and dough should be fairly thick and hardly spread at all.
Sarah says
I think the applesauce can affect it, if you use a sweetened applesauce there is more sugar so always go with unsweetened.
Sarah says
There is more sugar, but not enough to significantly affect the taste or texture.
Nicole says
These turned out really well. Make sure you use two and one fourth cups. The dough seemed a little too soft, so I chilled it in the freezer until it set up. Don’t worry about your dough being to cold or hard. When I wished at a restaurant we would put frozen cookie dough straight into the oven. They turned out perfect. Tastes just like non-vegan cookies.
Flo says
Recently decided to go vegan. Made these cookies for my team at work and they couldn’t tell they were vegan cookies! Easy recipe and they taste amazing!
Sarah says
That’s great! So happy to hear about your switch to veganism, too!
Kristen Blau says
Wow, I recently decided to be vegan and on the list of things I would miss eating was homemade chocolate chip cookies. These are just as good, if not better! Thank you so much for sharing and creating such a delicious recipe.
Sarah says
I’m so glad you liked them! Best of luck on your vegan journey.
Laura says
These are amazing!! I didn’t have applesauce though so I used a mashed banana mixed with a splash of almond cashew milk (1/2 cup banana) delish. Nice and chewy. Would maybe even be good with nuts.
Ellen says
Could you suggest an alternative to applesauce? Or would they work ok without it?
Sarah says
You could try a flax or chia “egg”. Here is my guide to replacing eggs which might help you find the best alternative. https://www.mydarlingvegan.com/replacing-eggs/