Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Get ready to fall in love with these vegan chocolate chip cookies! They have soft, chewy middles, crispy edges, and gooey chocolate in every bite.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies

These vegan chocolate chip cookies could give any cookies made with butter or eggs a run for their money. They’re lightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. Gooey, melty chocolate chips fill every bite, but even without them, these cookies would be delicious. The dough has a rich, warm flavor that’s perfectly accented by a pinch of salt.

These vegan chocolate chip cookies have become the first thing we make anytime we’re craving a sweet treat, and I’m SO excited that I’m finally sharing this recipe with all of you! Jack and I have had it on repeat for the last few months, and I think you’re going to love it. It calls for basic ingredients and takes under 30 minutes to make, but it yields really exceptional cookies. Even if you’re not vegan, you’re going to want to add it to your regular rotation.

Vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe ingredients

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients

These vegan chocolate chip cookies start as you might expect, with flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then, these key ingredients make them chewy, rich, and flavorful:

  • Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work here, but dark brown sugar adds a little something special. The cookies come out with a gorgeous golden brown color and a complex sweet flavor.
  • Coconut oil – My go-to substitute for butter in dairy-free cookie recipes, it makes these cookies moist and rich.
  • Vanilla extract – The chocolate chips may be the star of the show here, but we still want the dough to taste great! Vanilla extract gives it a warm depth of flavor.
  • Chocolate chips – As with homemade brownies, homemade chocolate chip cookies will only be as good as the chocolate in them. Look for good-quality dark chocolate chips for this recipe, such as Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels.
  • And last but not least…tahini! It’s the secret ingredient that gives these cookies their irresistible crisp/chewy texture.  I’ve made vegan chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter and almond butter in the past, and while the results have been delicious (see page 241 of Love and Lemons Every Day!), those recipes put the nut butter front and center. By contrast, the tahini totally blends in here. You won’t be able to taste it, but it’s what makes these cookies so darn good!

See the full recipe at the bottom of this post!

Vegan cookie dough in a bowl

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making this recipe is easy! Here’s what you need to do:

First, whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to mix until they’re just combined.

vegan chocolate chip cookie dough

Then, fold in the chocolate chips!

Cookie dough in a mixing bowl

Use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop dough balls onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, at 350 for 12-14 minutes, or until they’re lightly brown around the edges.

Finally, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

cookie dough balls on a baking sheet

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.
  • Don’t be afraid to chill the dough. By contrast, 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. Like in many vegan cookie recipes, 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 wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe

More Favorite Vegan Treats

If you love these vegan chocolate chip cookies, try one of these yummy vegan treats next:

Or check out this post for 30+ of our favorite vegan desserts!

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

rate this recipe:
5 from 54 votes
Prep Time: 11 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Serves 24
Get ready to fall in love with these vegan chocolate chip cookies! They have lightly crisp edges, chewy middles, and plenty of chocolate in every bite.

Ingredients

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

*Tahini brands can vary in thickness. If the dough is too thick, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons water. If it’s not thick enough to scoop, chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes. (My favorite tahini brands are Cedar's, Trader Joe's, and Seed + Mill)

Adapted from Weeknight Baking, by Michelle Lopez

99 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Anitra
    03.28.2022

    Hi, would raw honey work in this recipe instead of brown sugar? Thanks

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.30.2022

      Hi Anitra, no, exchanging dry and wet sugars throws things off, I would stick to the brown sugar on this one.

  2. Leia
    03.25.2022

    5 stars
    I keep making these again and again. They are my go to cookie recipe, the texture is amazing and the tahini gives it an awesome flavor. I usually just use canola oil instead of the coconut.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.27.2022

      Hi Leia, I’m so glad you’ve been loving them!

  3. Jennifer Miller
    03.12.2022

    5 stars
    These are so delicious! Been eating vegan for a month now and these were the first vegan cookies we’ve made and even the hubby loved them! We never ever want regular cookies ever again!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.13.2022

      I’m so glad you both loved them!

  4. Miriam Brown
    02.21.2022

    5 stars
    Absolutely one of the TASTIEST cookies I’ve ever eaten. My husband loves these.
    It’s a 10 STAR Cookie!!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.21.2022

      I’m so glad you both loved them!

  5. Lora
    11.14.2021

    5 stars
    Delicious. Loved them. Will definitely make again!

  6. Katie
    07.21.2021

    So delicious, thank you!

    How long do they last? Do you suggest refrigerating or freezing for any excess?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.21.2021

      Hi Katie, I like to freeze mine after the 2nd or 3rd day!

  7. Alyssa
    03.20.2021

    5 stars
    Amazing! Can’t believe they’re vegan. We froze a batch to bake a couple fresh occasionally.

    • Suzanne
      03.21.2022

      Hi, I would like to try this vegan cookie recipe but I am allergic to coconut. Can coconut oil be replaced by olive oil?

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        03.24.2022

        yep, you can!

  8. Erin
    03.10.2021

    5 stars
    These were absolutely amazing! I will be making these again and again. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.11.2021

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  9. natalie
    02.28.2021

    5 stars
    Omg! These are so good! The dough seemed a bit oily but they baked great! I also added chopped walnuts and rolled oats in mine! The tahini adds such a nice texture and rich flavor! Will definitely make again, thank you:)

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.01.2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  10. Casey
    02.19.2021

    5 stars
    Delicious and beautiful looking cookies.

  11. Lisa
    01.25.2021

    5 stars
    I made these today and they were so incredible! I was low on coconut oil, so I used olive oil instead and they came out so rich and hearty. The consistency of the cookie is perfection & my carnivore fiancé and his best friend loved too! Definitely will make again & again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.26.2021

      Hi Lisa, I’m so glad they were a hit!

  12. King.lesaa🦋
    01.04.2021

    To make half of the serving ( 12 cookies ) , should I half every ingredient in the recipe ?

  13. Simon Johnson
    11.06.2020

    5 stars
    These look awesome – definitely one to try! 😀

  14. Jennifer Van Camp
    10.26.2020

    5 stars
    So I missed the bit about this making 24 & ended up making 12 BIG cookies that cooked perfectly in about 11 minutes. Absolutely my top favorite chocolate chip cookie, vegan or not. Mine were cakeish but still chewy with crispy edges so, I mean Holy Sh*@! Definitely going to be my go-to every time. Thank you!!!!

  15. Shweta Pandey
    10.12.2020

    5 stars
    This looks so good, and totally doable! I love that it’s not so complicated.

  16. Sharon
    10.04.2020

    5 stars
    I just made these cookies with Olive oil and I used Truvia brown sugar. They turned out delicious!! Thank you!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.06.2020

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  17. Nicole
    09.06.2020

    5 stars
    My 13-year-old son made cookies using your recipes. It turned so good. 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.12.2020

      Yay! I’m so glad you all loved them!

  18. Zdrowomaniak
    09.01.2020

    Looks marvelous! Can I use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.01.2020

      I haven’t tried, but I’ve made them with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour and they’re great. I’d go that route.

      • Zdrowomaniak
        09.02.2020

        Thank you! I’ll try then. 🙂

  19. Madeline
    08.11.2020

    5 stars
    I made these with vegan butter (Miyoko’s brand) and they were excellent! I was a bit short on tahini so added almond butter as well and the taste is excellent. They did not spread so i flattened the second batch after using the cookie scoop and topped with a bit of sea salt.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.11.2020

      I’m so glad you loved them!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.