The BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe! These easy cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips. Everyone will love them!
Everyone who tries these vegan chocolate chip cookies loves them. It’s not hard to see why. They’re lightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and packed with gooey chocolate chips. I think they’re the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve tasted, vegan or otherwise!
And these cookies aren’t just delicious—they’re also easy. You can whip them up with basic ingredients in less than 30 minutes (no chilling required!).
I’ve been making this vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe for years, and it’s still one of my favorite treats. I hope it becomes one of yours too!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe:
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Baking powder and baking soda – They help the cookies puff up as they bake.
- Brown sugar – Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar both work well here.
- Coconut oil – Virgin coconut oil will give the cookies a light coconut flavor, whereas refined coconut oil will have a neutral taste. If you prefer not to use coconut oil, you can substitute melted vegan butter. Because vegan butter is generally salted, you should then reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
- Tahini – The secret ingredient in these vegan chocolate chip cookies! Similar to eggs (or flax eggs), it helps bind the cookie dough together. But as a bonus, it adds rich flavor too.
- Water – For moisture.
- Vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
- Chocolate chips – I love dark chocolate chips here, but feel free to use semi-sweet if you prefer! And if you don’t have chocolate chips handy, a chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chunks will work instead. See my favorite brands of vegan chocolate below.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Where to Find Vegan Chocolate Chips
Heads up: not all chocolate chips are vegan. Check package labels when you shop to make sure you buy ones that are 100% dairy-free.
Thankfully, high-quality vegan chocolate chips are becoming more and more widely available. Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels are my favorites. You can find them online, at Whole Foods, and in many other major grocery stores.
Another great option is to use chopped vegan chocolate instead of vegan chocolate chips. Tony’s Chocolonely, Divine, and Endangered Species are just a few major brands that make excellent vegan chocolate bars.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making this recipe is easy! Here’s what you need to do:
First, make the cookie dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to mix until they’re just combined.
Then, fold in the chocolate chips!
Next, shape the cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop dough balls onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between cookies. They’ll spread a little as they bake!
Then, bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in a 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they’re lightly brown around the edges.
Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
- Tip: These cookies are extra-tasty dipped in a cold glass of oat milk or almond milk!
Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips
- Smooth/runny tahini is key. This recipe works best with runny tahini that will easily mix with the other ingredients. Tahini brands vary widely in consistency, so look for one with a smooth, pourable texture. (I like Cedar’s, Trader Joe’s, and Seed+Mill.) If your tahini is too thick, add 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of water to get the dough to come together.
- Chill the dough if you need to. If your dough is too thin to scoop into balls, stick it in the fridge! Various factors can affect the dough’s consistency (the thickness of your tahini, the temperature of your kitchen, etc.), so don’t worry if the dough is too soft. Whenever this has happened to me, I’ve chilled the dough for just 20 minutes, and the cookies have turned out perfect every time.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. These vegan chocolate chip cookies will be very delicate when you take them out of the oven. It’s tempting to reach for one right away, but if you let them rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, their texture will be better and their flavor will be richer. After 10 minutes, try one (or two), and transfer the rest to a cooling rack.
Storage
These vegan chocolate chip cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
They also freeze perfectly. Let frozen cookies thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or quickly defrost them in the microwave.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
You can also freeze the raw cookie dough balls! Bake off a few at a time so that you can enjoy a freshly baked cookie whenever you’re craving one.
Here’s how to do it:
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze the cookie dough on the baking sheet for 2 hours, or until firm.
- Transfer to an airtight container or bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Bake the frozen cookie dough balls according to the recipe. No need to thaw first!
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
If you love these vegan chocolate chip cookies, try one of these vegan cookie recipes next:
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Almond Butter Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Or any of these 15 Vegan Cookie Recipes!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup tahini* (see note)
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, coconut oil, tahini, water, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and use a spatula to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez
I made these as part of the Cooking Challenge and loved them!! I chilled before scooping and baked for 15 minutes! Super yummy and have a great nutty flavor.
So glad you loved them, Emily! Thanks for joining in!
This recipe is 10/10! My batter was runny so
I chilled it before scooping. I ended up cooking closer to 16 minutes and let them cool completely on the pan.
These are phenomenal!
My non vegan friends can’t believe they are vegan!
So easy to make also!
Hi Caroline, I’m so glad the cookies were a hit!
These cookies were awesome! I had some tahini to use up so decided to give them a try. All my coworkers loved them and wanted the recipe! ❤️
Love and Lemons is my go to – so many great recipes. Thank you!
I have been looking and looking for a recipe that uses Tahini and coconut oil so I made these cookies this afternoon! Your recipe is outstanding! I substituted the 6 tbsp. of water for 6 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce as I needed to use it up. So healthy and so delicious. Your advice to use a heaping cup of chocolate chips is a must from your recipe YUM! Thank you and just to mention I adore all of your other savory recipes too. ?
Hi Susie, I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes! Glad the cookies were a hit too 🙂
Haven’t tried making yet – but curious about any make ahead/freezer options? Once the dough is formed, could you put in the freezer?
Hi Charlotte – yep, you can!
Hi!!! I love this recipe for the lemon cookies!! I make it all the time. I am curious. What would be the best way to make these chocolate chip cookies gluten-free? Could I use almond flour or would it be better to use a one-to-one gluten-free flour?
Hi Kristin, I’m so glad you love the cookies! The best way to make this recipe gluten-free would be to use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. There’s also an almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipe in Love & Lemons Every Day if you happen to have a copy!
While ok these cookies do not seem like traditional chocolate chip cookies. They were cakey and thick – not thin, crispy and/or chewy. I would not make them again.
I just made these and they are incredible. I didn’t have regular tahini but I did have chocolate tahini (Soom Dark Chocolate Tahini with Sea Salt). I wasn’t sure about this, but as you said, once it cooks, you can’t taste the tahini and in this case, my cookies were like double chocolate chocolate chip. Since the tahini already had salt, I reduced the salt in the recipe by half. Turned out great. Thank you!
Hi Lynda, I’m so glad you loved the cookies. The addition of the chocolate tahini sounds AMAZING!
hi! I’d love to try these but I don’t have tahini, if I leave it out and chill the dough if it’s not thick enough would that be ok? or do you recommend any substitutes?
Hi Alex, I often use almond butter instead of tahini and add a little water if the dough is too thick. Hope that helps!
Can I substitute maple syrup for the brown sugar?
No, dry and wet sugars aren’t interchangeable without altering other ingredients in the recipe.
Been vegan for 13+ years & counting. Best CC cookie recipe I’ve tried, hands down. This is a keeper. Thank you!
Hi Wendy, I’m so glad you loved the cookies! They’re one of our favorites too.
Hello~
I really liked your vegetarian cookie recipe. It looks delicious!(/•w•\)
I want to try this at home but can I do without coconut oil?
You also said on the blog that you can use chocolate or brownie, but is there a difference in taste?
Also in the pictures the cookies look very tasty.
i will try soon?
Hi, you could substitute vegetable oil for the coconut oil here. We like to use dark chocolate chips in this recipe.
Love this recipe! Can these cookies be frozen? Thanks
So glad you enjoyed them! Yes, these cookies freeze perfectly.
can I use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of 1 teaspoon? Thanks
Hi Claire, we like the salty/sweet balance of 1 teaspoon, but if you want to use less salt, you can!
Thank you so much for this recipe , love these cookies!! Have you tried making these with a coconut or oat flour ?
Hi, I wouldn’t recommend subbing oat or coconut flour here. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that uses oat flour, you could try these carrot cake cookies or these pumpkin cookies.
Ohmygosh WOW! I am in cookie heaven. This recipe impressed me so much with how light and fluffy the cookies came out with such a classic chocolate chip cookie flavor. This is probably the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made plant-based or not. (side note – I used whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose flour and they came out perfect). THANK YOU!
Hi Kate, I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
Can I replace tahini with peanut butter? I love peanut butter cookies but can’t find eggless cookie recipe that has PB.
Hi Emma, our peanut butter cookie recipe doesn’t have eggs, I’d give this one a try instead!: https://www.loveandlemons.com/peanut-butter-cookies/
Wow! These cookies are soooo good! I just made a batch, and didn’t tell my husband they are vegan. He said he likes them more that the old Tollhouse recipe.
I’m taking a couple dozen to a meeting tomorrow — although I don’t really want to share them!
Hi Pamela, I’m so glad they were a hit!