These are honestly the best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever made with SIMPLE ingredients that you won’t even know are vegan! Just one bowl and easily gluten free, these crispy edge and gooey center vegan chocolate chip cookies are for all eaters!
Think that chocolate chip cookies can’t be made vegan and healthy, and still taste like the real deal?
Well, these cookies tick all the boxes. I’m talking gooey. Chocolatey. Melt in your mouth. Sweet. And downright addictive chocolate chip cookies that just so happen to be undetectably healthy and vegan, along with being gluten free!
Are vegan chocolate chip cookies easy?
Short answer: YES! Honestly, I think making these cookies is actually quite easier than making regular cookies.
Plus these vegan cookies are made with the simplest ingredients, including applesauce and coconut oil!
What you need to make the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies:
To make the best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever, you’re going to need a few specific ingredients:
- Organic flour (or a 1-to-1 gluten free blend): you can make these vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies are just classic vegan chocolate chip cookies!
- Vegan butter or Coconut oil: this basically replaces butter in your classic cookie recipe.
- Unsweetened applesauce: the secret ingredient to making these vegan cookies irresistibly gooey and perfect! It might sound weird to make vegan chocolate chip cookies with applesauce, but trust me this is the key. Make sure there is no added sugar here because these cookies definitely are sweet!
- Coconut sugar: I love coconut sugar because it really reminds me of brown sugar in cookies.
- Chocolate chips: I use Lily’s Sweets for a low sugar chocolate chip that’s also dairy free.
- Dairy free milk: this is optional, but I find it helps to mix the batter together!
In terms of cookie baking equipment, I recommend the following:
- Hand mixer: this ensures that the applesauce, coconut oil, and coconut sugar get mixed and combined properly
- Bowl: these are one bowl vegan chocolate chip cookies!
- Silpat or parchment paper: this ensures that the cookies don’t spread too much. We’re not chilling the dough, which makes cookies made with coconut oil spread easier (otherwise they just don’t!), but we don’t want them spreading too much!
How to make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies from scratch:
What I love about this vegan cookie recipe is that it’s not far off from making regular chocolate chip cookies, even the gluten free version.
So if you’re a home baker just transitioning to more vegan baking, this recipe will be a piece of cake for you!
As with all of my recipes, the full written instructions as well as measurements are found down below in the recipe card. However, let’s go over the basics here!
- In a medium bowl, add in the vegan butter or coconut oil (not melted coconut oil!). Cream the butter until fluffy. Then add in the applesauce, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract, using a hand mixer again to mix together.
- Then sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and sea salt), and use a rubber spatula the ingredients together until you get a thick batter, like below. You can also add in the optional tablespoons of dairy free milk here to help with mixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Then chill the dough for 30 minutes. If my kitchen isn’t humid at all (and quite cold-especially in the winter!) then I can actually just bake these cookies without chilling the dough. However, in the spring and summer months, I find I definitely need to chill the dough. The dough should be “scoop able” almost like ice cream from the freezer but not quite as hard.
- Use a cookie scoop (I use a medium cookie scoop, but you can use any size) to scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies and sprinkle with a little sea salt!
It’s important to note that the baking time for these cookies will largely vary based on your kitchen and oven temperatures. Not every oven works the same, which is why it’s crucial you judge the readiness of the cookies based on how they look in your oven, and not necessarily by what the clock says.
vegan butter, coconut sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract combined sifted in flour and baking soda
folded in chocolate chips and chilled the dough cookie dough scoops (3 tbsp) baked chocolate chip cookies
Are chocolate chips vegan and where can I buy them?
Well sure they are, if you use the right ones! A common misconception is that chocolate is not vegan, when in reality, there are many chocolate brands out there that are vegan!
For the cookies in the photo, I used a mixture of a vegan chocolate bar that I roughly chopped, along with vegan chocolate chips that I placed into the cookie after baking.
You can go the 100% route, which I personally love because I just love the flavor and strength of 100% cacao, so try out Pascha Chocolate Chips if you’d like! They’re made with only cacao butter and cacao powder, making them vegan chocolate chips!
You can also use one of my favorite brands, Lily’s Sweets! They’re sweetened with stevia and also vegan, making them the perfect addition to these cookies. However, you don’t even detect the stevia, which I know is a flavor that turns most people off!
large cookie (3 tbsp dough)
Top Tips for Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature! If your applesauce is chilled and the coconut oil or vegan butter is room temperature, it will cause the oil to split and yield messy cookies.
- Spoon and level the flour: too much flour will result in cake-y cookies. Be sure to spoon and level your flour, NOT scoop!
- Swap in vegan butter for coconut oil: while I think that these cookies taste amazing with coconut oil, vegan butter, like Miyoko’s or Forager Project, adds a nice “buttery” taste that you would find in regular chocolate chip cookies.
- Make these gluten free! I’ve tried them using gluten free 1:1 baking flour, and they work perfectly!
- Need lower sugar? No problem! Reduce the sugar content by 25% for an even healthier vegan chocolate chip cookie!
- Look for crisp edges: don’t worry- they’ll still be safe to eat if the center is still soft in the middle! Leaving them slightly golden and soft in the middle directly after baking will allow for the perfect texture. Just allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes so that they firm up!
- Baking times: baking times will vary based on your kitchen and oven temperatures. Be sure to watch your cookies and bake according to your own oven.
- Using regular sugar will yield a lighter looking cookie
- Use a cookie scoop for perfectly shaped vegan chocolate chip cookies!
large cookie (3 tbsp dough) small cookie (1.5 tbsp dough)
How to store these vegan cookies
For storage tips, you have a few options for both baked cookies and cookie dough: room temperature, fridge, and freezer:
Room temperature:
- Store the cookies at room temperature on a plate and wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
- They’ll last for about 5 days at room temperature
Fridge:
- Store the cookies in an airtight container (this will keep them from drying out)
- They’ll last for about 7-8 days, depending on how cold your fridge is.
Freezer:
- Store them in a plastic airtight bag or container for up to 3 months
How to freeze cookie dough
If you decided to make the cookie dough but not bake the cookies just yet, you can store the cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
I recommend pre-scooping them into cookie dough balls for an easy fridge-to-bake method. However, you can also store the whole cookie dough in the freezer.
Just let the cookie dough thaw for about 2 hours before scooping!
And there you have it, folks! A delicious and healthy vegan chocolate chip cookie that’s gooey, sweet, and undetectably healthy.
If you tried these vegan cookies, let me know down below by leaving a comment, as well as a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others may find this recipe!
As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
I hope you love these cookies as much as I do!
Enjoy, and happy baking!
More vegan cookie recipes that you’ll love
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
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The best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever made with simple ingredients for the gooiest cookie! Made in one bowl and easily gluten free, these crispy edge and gooey center vegan chocolate chip cookies are for all eaters!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) vegan butter or coconut oil, room temperature
- 1 cup (154 grams) coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup (85 grams) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted and spoon & leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2–3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature, as needed
- 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add in vegan butter or coconut oil and use a hand mixer to cream for 3-5 minutes, until whipped. Then add in the applesauce, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the wet ingredients together until completely combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold together. Add in dairy free milk by the tablespoon if your dough needs a bit of help incorporating. You should have a thick and consistent dough.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Using a cookie scoop, and roll about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie for regular sized cookies, or 3 tablespoons of dough for large cookies onto the sheet.
- Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes (my oven, I bake them exactly 11 minutes each time for large cookies) or until the edges are lightly golden and are “set.” The middles shouldn’t be dough-y looking, but if they’re still soft, that’s perfectly fine.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. This allows the cookies to firm up to hold together.
- Sprinkle with extra sea salt and enjoy! Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days, a week in the fridge, or a month in the freezer.
Notes
Baking times: baking times will vary based on your kitchen and oven temperatures. Be sure to watch your cookies and bake according to your own oven. Here is an excellent post on how to tell if cookies are undercooked, done, or overcooked.
Coconut sugar: if you don’t have coconut sugar, you can swap in 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar.
Keywords: vegan chocolate chip cookies, best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever, vegan cookie recipe, vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies
Ok you are seriously some kind of magical baking fairy! 🙂 These look soooo gooey and delicious, and I love how simple the ingredients are!
★★★★★
You are so sweet!! I hope you love them!!
You do,know the Lily’s contains milk fat…
Hi Sally! Their vegan dark chocolate chips do not. They’re in the orange bag and are labeled baking chips. Some of their chips do contain milk fat, but many of their products are vegan. Just be sure to always read the label!
Hello! What do you think would be some of the best flours to use for this recipe! Dying to try! Thank you so much!
Hi Meg! Aw so wonderful to hear! So if you’re not GF, then just all-purpose flour works great! I love the organic AP flour by King Arthur 🙂 For GF, I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill GF Baking 1-to-1 flour (different from their GF flour), and if you’re doing Paleo, cassava flour works great!! Enjoy!
These are the most delicious cookies EVER. I baked them for a housewarming party and everyone couldn’t get enough!! Insane flavor and texture. You are amazing, keep doing your thing because you rock! I can’t wait to bake more of your recipes. Thank you SO much!!
Oh my goodness! This just made my day! Thank you so much for your kind words! Truly, my heart skips a beat STILL when people say they love my recipes! It’s just the best feeling 🙂 Thank you for being a part of the community, and enjoy!! 🙂
These look amazing. Can I use almond flour?
Aw thank you! So I haven’t tried this combo personally, but someone did mention they tried 1 1/2 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour. I can’t personally speak for this but others have said that it has worked for them!
These look absolutely amazing! What about substituting coconut sugar with maple syrup? Maybe adding less milk.
Thanks in adavance 🙂
Hi Valentina! Aw thank you! I can’t guarantee the texture of the cookies if you swap in maple syrup. If it were me, I would see if I could omit the milk, but I can’t guarantee the results!
I did a little less coconut sugar, added a big splash of maple syrup. Also used 1 cup oat flour 1/3 cup almond flour. less almond milk. turned out amazing!!
Aw this is wonderful!! Thank you so much!! Love to hear that the oat flour worked!
These are great thank you!! I used whole grain sorghum flour which made them soft like consistency but they melted in my mouth I love them:) do you think they would work with coconut flour too?
★★★★★
Aw my goodness thank you so much! That’s wonderful 🙂 I haven’t personally tried them with coconut flour, but if I were to try it, I’d try it with almond flour as well!
These are great thank you!! I used whole grain sorghum flour and they melted in my mouth, do you think they would work with coconut flour too? thank!
★★★★★
Literally just made these and they are sooo quick and easy to make…not to mention super tasty!
★★★★★
Aw this is wonderful to hear!! Thank you for the rating 🙂
Hello, I’ve been searching for a good vegan, low fructose, gluten free and refined sugar free chocolate chip cookie recipe and was so excited when I ran across this one! Until I realized that the recipe called for applesauce. I am fructose intolerant and can’t have apples. Would you possibly have any recommended alternatives?
Thank you! (:
Hi Hadleigh! Aw you are so sweet! I’m so sorry you can’t have apples but you can swap in 2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3-4 tbsp of water! If the mixture is too thick to mix, add in the 4th tbsp of water 🙂 Enjoy!
Aww thank you so much, you’re a Cookie Monster life saver!
I’m going to try this out, so excited! (:
YAY!! Let me know how they come out! 🙂 Enjoy!
Totally making these !!!!
I’m not GF. I have oat flour, almond flour and whole wheat flour…which one you think will work best ????
Also, don’t have coconut sugar, can I sub brown sugar 1:1 ???
😬
Aw I hope you love!! You can sub in brown sugar 1:1! For the flour- so I’ve only tested this with all purpose flour, gluten free 1:1 baking flour and cassava flour! If it were me, I would use the oat flour between the three of the choices that you have but I unfortunately cannot guarantee the same results as the recipe is written for! Wheat flour can at times be finicky so I think the best results would be with oat flour, but again I just can’t guarantee that it will work completely!
What’s the total amount of flour in gram?
Hi there! 210 grams total!
Would brown sugar or granulated sugar work in place of coconut sugar? And is it a 1:1 ratio?
Yes absolutely! Either of those options works, and at a 1:1 ratio!
Hi, I was following your previous recipe where it was your old vegan chocolate chip recipe and seems like you updated it. Can I have the old one, please?? it was soo good
Hi Christina! Yes! So the old version, the only thing different was the flour was 1 3/4 cup, and it was just coconut oil (instead of the option of vegan butter)! You can use an extra tbsp of DF milk too if you need!
These are perfect!
★★★★★
Aw I’m so happy to hear!! Enjoy, and thank you for the review!!
I made half a batch of this recipe and it makes 11 cookies. I used the measurement in grams but I think my batter was too light, I don’t know if I overbeat my butter or with my flour I should add more (I didn’t use Bob’s because it’s hard to find). But I just went with it and baked them in 2 batches. The first one I was using light-coloured baking sheet and my cookies flatten a bit and was super soft. The 2nd batch I used dark-coloured baking sheet and my cookies rose and didn’t collapse even after cooling down, and they’re firmer. Both are delish and melts in my mouth. But I just wonder why the first one turned flatter than the 2nd??
★★★★★
Hi Laras! What GF brand did you use? It sounds like it might have been the flour- I’ve tried this now with Bob’s and with King Arthur, but I know that GF 1:1 flours aren’t always 1:1! Also did you use a piece of parchment paper down on the baking sheet? I find that helps the cookies not spread SO much on a light colored baking sheet! You can also use a silpat! My guess is that it might have been the flour, but the darker colored baking sheet will definitely prevent them from spreading if they’re going straight onto the cookie sheet!
I’m in love!!! These are amazing, i had to stop myself from eating all of them. Best chocolate chip cookie recipe by far non-vegan and vegan.
★★★★★
Aw this is AWESOME!! So happy to hear it thank you for this review!! Enjoy! 🙂
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy a treat while sticking to the good stuff!
Thank you!
These are fabulous! I made them exactly as written and they turned out perfect. Slightly harder on the outside and moist in the middle. They didn’t crumble at all. Delish!! Thank you!
★★★★★
This is just wonderful!! Thank you so much for leaving this review! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Would I be able to use an egg instead of the applesauce?
Hi Deborah! Theoretically, yes, as 1/3 cup applesauce replaces 1 egg to make a recipe eggless, but I haven’t personally tested this recipe with eggs so I can’t guarantee they’ll come out they way they’re intended!