These are the BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies ever! Soft, thick, and chewy cookies filled with chocolatey goodness—and so good, you don’t even need to be a vegan to love them. (They’re seriously my fave!)
Chocolate chip cookies y’all. I can’t resist them. Put a big plate in front of me and I’m sure to grab at least two. So you might consider me a bit of a connoisseur, and of ALL the chocolate chip cookies I’ve made over the years, these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies rank right up at the tippy-top. I honestly don’t even make any other chocolate chip cookies anymore. Just this recipe, it’s straight up addictive.
Looking for more vegan desserts? Try my Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, or this easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!
What Makes These Chocolate Chip Cookies the Best
These cookies are filled with chocolate goodness! My favorite time to eat them is about 5 minutes after they’ve cooled. They have just set and firmed up a bit, but the chocolate is still warm and gooey. Irresistible!
- Wholesome ingredients. Whole wheat flour, applesauce, and coconut oil make these cookies healthier than the typical version without sacrificing flavor.
- Perfectly chewy texture. Applesauce and coconut milk make these cookies so soft and chewy.
- Easy, one-bowl recipe. No mixer needed either! This means your cleanup is a breeze too.
What You’ll Need
This recipe doesn’t use any expensive vegan substitutes, just everyday ingredients! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Coconut oil – Measure it while it’s solid. If yours is melty (which can happen if it’s warm in your kitchen), you can pop it in the fridge for a bit.
- Vanilla bean paste – Use vanilla extract if you don’t have paste.
- Brown sugar
- Coconut milk – Make sure it’s full-fat! It helps with the rich, moist texture.
- Unsweetened applesauce – This is what replaces the egg in the cookie dough.
- Whole wheat flour – I just love whole wheat flour in these vegan chocolate chip cookies! It has a slightly nutty flavor that works so well with the chocolate.
- Ground cinnamon – My little trick for extra cozy flavor.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips – There are a ton of different vegan chocolate chip options these days, or you could buy a large bar and chop it up into chunks.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s what you’ll need to do to make these cookies yourself!
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla bean paste into a thick paste. Then, whisk in the coconut milk and applesauce until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; gently mix, then stir until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Shape. Portion the dough into two-tablespoon balls, roll, and gently flatten with the palm of your hand on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave a few inches between each cookie.
- Bake. Bake the cookies at 375°F for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
- Cool. Rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set before transferring to a rack.
Tips and Variations
I’ve got a few more notes on this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe!
- Add some nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts will add a little texture and nutty flavor to your cookies!
- Don’t over-bake. It’s totally fine if the cookies are a little soft in the centers when you pull them out of the oven. That’s what you want! They’ll continue to bake from the residual heat on the pan so the centers will set, but they’ll still be soft and chewy.
- Let them cool completely before storing. Otherwise, they’ll steam in the storage container and get mushy.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store your vegan chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 8–10 seconds.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 large cookies or 32 small cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Vegan, Brownies/Cookies/Bars
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate, these vegan chocolate chip cookies are a wholesome, delicious treat. They’re the best ever!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid (make sure it is not melted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (use vanilla extract if you don’t have paste)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips if you want fully vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl add coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Whisk together until well combined, will look like a thick paste.
- Then add in the coconut milk and applesauce. Continue to whisk until well combined; set aside.
- To the same bowl, add in the whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix (so the flour doesn’t fly everywhere) then continue to mix until the flour is completely combined and there are no dry patched. (FYI – The batter will be very thick!)
- Lastly, add in chocolate chips. Mix so the chocolate chips are evenly distributed through the batter.
- Scoop two tablespoon sized mounds of dough into your hand and form into a ball. Place ball onto prepared cookie sheet and slightly press down. Repeat for each cookie. Leave a few inches between each cookies for spreading.
- Bake cookies for 9 to 10 minutes (mine are perfect at 9 minutes), or until the edges are golden.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Baker by Nature
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 227
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 152 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
21 comments on “The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Could I use honey instead of brown sugar?
Hi Maria! Honey can work, but use about ¾ the amount of brown sugar called for since honey is sweeter and adds liquid. You may also want to reduce any other liquid in the recipe slightly. Texture will be a little chewier — still delicious! Technically, honey would make it not vegan but you could use maple syrup instead.
When you say coconut milk- do you mean the kind that is chilled in the carton or the thick kind in the can? I don’t want to screw them up- sorry if it’s a stupid question!
Not stupid at all. I get asked this all the time. Use the can version, it’s thicker and will help your cookies keep their shape.
Could I use Cassava Flour in place of Whole Wheat Flour? If so, will an adjustment need to be made from your recipe of 2 1/4 cups?
Hey Chris, I’ve actually never baked with cassava flour before so I’m not familiar with the ratios. Sorry.
My family loves this! I make them all the time. No one believes me when I say they are vegan
I love it when a recipe is family-approved! Not sure you can ever go wrong with chocolate chip cookies!
This is amazing! Enjoying my favorite cookies guilt-free!
I have been needing a new recipe for my girls to try, and this is perfect! They will love making these this afternoon!
I love baking with the kids! I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the cookies!
These are a MUST make!! They sound SO GOOD!!
If chocolate chip cookies are wrong, I don’t ever want to be right!
The best afternoon treat for my family! Looks so inviting!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe!
Finally a vegan cookie I think I might like. Maybe gonna make them tomorrow 👍🏻
Yeah!!! I hope you enjoyed them!
These look like they came straight from the bakery! Love a good chocolate chip cookie recipe! Yum!
Thank you so much! They taste as good as they look!
I am making a grocery list asap! I am so excited to try these. Love the addition of the applesauce and cinnamon.,
I hope you loved them. In our house, these are a definite favorite!