Super-Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been waiting to find the best, totally fool-proof vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe to share here on World of Vegan. I didn’t want to share just any recipe. It had to be the most delicious, that’s also easy to make using simple mainstream ingredients.
I’ve played around with many chocolate chip recipes over the years. Last year I even tried veganizing the “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies” from America’s Test Kitchen three different ways…but none made the cut.
That’s when I remembered the chewy, can’t-have-just-one chocolate chip cookies my hubby’s mom, Joyce Miller, makes every year for Christmas. She veganized the recipe for us and they are amazing.
I asked her if it’d be okay to share the recipe on World of Vegan, and she said “Of course!” Her recipe was already mostly vegan, except for the eggs. Well, anyone who has done some vegan baking knows replacing eggs in baking is easy-peasy!
Key Ingredients And Substitutions
Flaxseed Meal: To make these cookies entirely vegan, you can use a flaxseed meal (found at most supermarkets) mixed with water as an egg substitute. Alternatively, you can opt for a commercial egg replacer of your choice. When I made these with commercial vegan egg replacer (I used the brand Ener-G), the cookies came out a bit more cakey. The flaxmeal “egg” version fell more when they came out of the oven and were a bit more chewy and crispy (my personal favorite).
Crisco Shortening: Crisco shortening adds a unique texture and flavor to these cookies, but you can also use vegan butter for another vegan-friendly alternative.
Granulated White Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: These sugars provide the perfect sweetness and moisture to your cookies.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour or opt for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend if you have dietary restrictions.
Baking Soda: Baking soda acts as the leavening agent in this recipe, helping the cookies rise and develop a chewy texture.
Vegan Chocolate Chips: Select high-quality vegan chocolate chips that are free from dairy or other animal products. Many brands offer dairy-free chocolate options that taste just as delicious as traditional chocolate chips.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
This vegan cookie recipe couldn’t possibly be more simple. Just mix everything together with an electric mixer according to the instructions below, roll them into balls (1 tablespoon of dough for mini cookies, or 2 tablespoons for medium cookies), and bake!
I love using silicone baking mats whenever I bake cookies so they never stick to the pan. These silicone baking mats are game-changing—anyone who bakes (or roasts veggies) needs these. We just bought one for my mom-in-law (who created this recipe) for Christmas! Just make sure they fit the size of your baking sheets.
For an extra time-saving tip, buy these Crisco baking sticks that come in pre-measured one-cup packages so you don’t even have to measure out the shortening. You’ll have fewer dishes to clean too!
This recipe makes about 25 medium-sized cookies (2 tablespoons of dough each) or 50 mini vegan chocolate chip cookies (1 tablespoon of dough each). I know, this sounds like a lot of cookies. But trust me, they go fast. And that’s just more vegan cookie love you can spread all around!
Storage
This recipe is technically a double batch, but these cookies (and the dough) can easily be frozen. The cookies are great to bring to the office or gift to friends and neighbors. So while you can halve the recipe, I don’t see why you ever would. More cookies = more joy, am I right?
If you have leftover baked cookies and plan to consume them within a few days, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to store them for longer, you can refrigerate them. Be aware that this can make the cookies slightly firmer, but they’ll last longer.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- These classic sugar cookies made vegan offer the same delightful sweetness, perfect for decorating with dairy-free icing and colorful sprinkles.
- These vegan thumbprint cookies feature a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a delectable center filled with fruit preserves.
- Experience the best vegan oatmeal cookies, with a chewy texture and an abundance of wholesome ingredients for a satisfying treat.
- These elegant and crispy vegan Florentine cookies are a delicious blend of almond four, creamy vegan butter, and chocolate chips.
- Enjoy the airy perfection of almond meringue cookies that are completely vegan, providing a delicate crunch and rich almond flavor that will leave you wanting more.
- This recipe for vegan peanut butter cookie dough lets you relish the indulgence of raw cookie dough safely by crafting a vegan version with the irresistible taste of peanut butter, perfect for spooning straight from the bowl or turning into delicious, no-bake treats.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons of water, to make the vegan egg; or use commercial egg replacer for two eggs
- 1 cup Crisco shortening
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix the flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl or cup and allow to sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes. This will be your vegan egg.
- In a large bowl, cream the shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar together using an electric mixer until thoroughly combined and no shortening chunks remain.
- Add the flaxseed mixture and vanilla extract and mix until fluffy.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
- Stir in vegan chocolate chips.
- For mini cookies: using a tablespoon, measure out one tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball in your hands, and place onto a lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 minutes. Take them out before they turn golden so they remain a little chewy.
- For medium sized cookies: using a tablespoon, measure out two tablespoons of dough, roll it into a ball in your hands, and place onto a lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 16 minutes. Take them out before they turn golden so they remain a little chewy.
- Allow to cool before removing from the baking sheet and enjoying.
Notes
- These cookies can be enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but are also great stored in a container to be enjoyed throughout the week. You can freeze them if you want to save them even longer!
Nutrition
Vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe by Joyce Miller. Photos by Michelle Cehn for World of Vegan.
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Leave a Comment
is there a vegan sugar substitute for this? Because it’s calling for processed sugar
Hi Kimberly, Processed sugar can still be vegan but feel free to use any granulated sugar you prefer. For more information, here’s our guide to sugar as a vegan. Happy baking!
We make these every Christmas for the vegans in the family!! Everyone loves them 🙂
So happy to have a go-to, delicious and simple recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies! My family are HUGE cookie lovers and, though none of them are vegan, they seem to love vegan cookies. I can’t wait to make them a batch this weekend – yay!
We love these cookies…I make several batches and freeze them to always have them available. Everyone’s favorite.
SUCH A CLASSIC! I haven’t baked cookies in SO LONG and I’ll have to give these a shot :-). Thanks for sharing such a foolproof recipe for these!
Can it be the holidays already so I have an excuse to make these again and again? Love them so much!
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are out of this world delicious! My favorite recipe by far and only using ingredients I usually have on my pantry! Thank you, Joyce, for sharing it with us!