Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now these are the BEST classic chocolate chip cookies (and they just so happen to be vegan, too).
Chocolate chip cookies are the quintessential baked good. They’re easy to make, portable, and a fan favorite amongst the kiddos and the adults. I’ve probably tasted close to 100 different chocolate chip cookie recipes- ones from my family’s family, ones from cookbooks, ones from online, ones from bakeries, ones from friends…. When you really think about it, all those chocolate chip cookies add up! And I have not met an avid homebaker who hasn’t tried multiple different chocolate chip cookie recipes. Baking something that familiar makes it difficult to feel satisfied with the end product.
In my kitchen, we have a few different chocolate chip cookie recipes we use for different occasions:
The “can-do” cookie recipe- it is a family favorite my mom’s family has used for nearly four generations, but it is still the “Christmas chocolate chip cookie” we almost exclusively use during the month of December. They’re a smaller cookie that uses only white sugar and baking powder, so they puff up a little more as opposed to spreading like a classic chocolate chip cookie. These are a crowd favorite since one recipe yields nearly 5 dozen, so the recipe is ideal for filling cookie tins to give to friends and family during the holidays.
My Aunt Annelise’s recipe- Aunt Annelise is an amazing baker and the irony is that she cut out sugar from her diet almost 10 years ago. As any good godmother should, Aunt Annelise sends a box of chocolate chip cookies to my sister’s dorm to give her a sweet taste of home studded with chocolate. Every time we attempt to make her cookies, they come out flat and crispy- not like Aunt Annelise’s.
Levain-style recipe- Every recipe developer has created their own version of the giant icon that is a 6-ounce chocolate chip cookie. It is absolutely monstrous! I, unfortunately, have not had the opportunity to try a signature from Levain Bakery because of my allergies and autoimmune disease, but my sister has and she approves of my dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free take. But, obviously, these are not chocolate chip cookies you make everyday or make to take to a friend's house.
Any recipe Isabella finds on Google- My sister, Isabella, is notorious in my house for making a recipe and never being able to find it again. No matter how good a recipe is, she will never be able to track it down to make it again. It’s a skill (and a sin).
There are even more chocolate chip cookie recipes that I’ve tried and failed. They either spread too thin when they cool and get crispy or they don’t spread at all and I’m left with almost a fluffy cookie.
What makes these Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies the best?
Texture- To me, the perfect chocolate cookie is soft in the center with chewy edges. In this recipe, both light brown and granulated sugars are used. Brown sugar is moistened with molasses which gives the cookie extra moisture for a gooier cookie, while granulated sugar caramelizes and makes the outside of the cookie slightly crispy.
Flavor- Adding a pinch of salt to any recipe balances flavors, especially in sweet desserts. Sea salt in chocolate chip cookies enhances the taste of the other ingredients and salted chocolate- say no more. Don’t underestimate the impact vanilla extract makes in chocolate chip cookies. The hint ensures that the dough surrounding the chocolate tastes like something and not just flavorless sugar, butter, and flour. Also, the type of chocolate added to the dough will add to the flavor of the finished cookie.
Chocolate- Chocolate is a major food group in my book. Choose your favorite chocolate- milk, semi-sweet, dark, etc.- to add to your cookie dough. The type of chocolate will determine how sweet and how rich the cookie will be. Chocolate chips will melt when baked, but the stabilizers will ensure the chips reform when cooled. Chopped chocolate will melt completely in the oven and result in a slightly flatter cookie with melty pools of chocolate. My favorite chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookies is wafers. Chocolate wafers are round chocolate discs. Similar to chocolate chips, chocolate wafers hold their shape, but remain meltier puddles of chocolate as if it was chopped from the bar.
What makes these Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies vegan?
A classic chocolate chip cookie typically involves creaming unsalted butter with sugar, adding eggs, then stirring in the dry ingredients and chocolate at the end before balling and baking. Vegan butter is used as a non-dairy, vegan substitute for traditional butter. Instead of an egg, a flax egg binds the dough together. To make a flax egg, mix ground flax seed meal with water and let sit until it thickens. (Find the method to make a flax egg here.) Finally, adding dairy-free chocolate chips of choice makes for a melty, vegan chocolate chip cookie.
Do I have to chill Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie dough before baking?
Nope! This is what makes this chocolate chip cookie recipe so easy! After the chocolate is stirred into the dough, simply scoop the dough into portions and bake! I like to use a small to medium cookie scoop (about 1 ½ to 2 Tbsp) to make uniform cookies. Sometimes, I refrigerate my chocolate chip cookie dough while my oven preheats just to set the dough before baking, but this minimal chill is not necessary. If you don’t have room in your refrigerator or freezer, it is not necessary and will not affect the cookies since this is a “no chill” recipe.
Tips for making the best Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use melted and cold butter
The temperature of your butter will determine the texture of your dough and affect how the cookies bake. You might think to yourself, “Why can’t I just use softened butter?” Essentially, combining cooled melted butter and butter from the refrigerator creates softened butter. Since this is a no chill cookie dough, you want to make sure the temperature of the butter won’t make the dough too soft where the cookies flatten to crisps in the oven.
Use a kitchen scale
Baking is a science. I highly suggest using the mass values as opposed to the cup measurements in this recipe. Measuring ingredients by mass in grams ensures the ingredients are measured exactly, so the finished result will come out consistent every time. A kitchen scale is a good investment every baker should own no matter your skill level. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure you pack your brown sugar, but don’t pack your flour! Instead, fluff the flour, scoop it into the measuring cup, and level it off.
Choose a high quality chocolate
Chocolate is arguably the most important component in chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate adds texture, flavor, and richness to a cookie, so use your favorite!
Use a cookie scoop
Using a cookie scoop ensures that all of the cookies bake evenly. I used a small to medium cookie scoop that measures 1 ½ Tbsp-sized dough balls. If you decide to make larger or smaller cookies, just be sure to adjust the baking time.
Do not overbake
Cookie 101 states that your cookies will become one shade darker once removed from the oven. Cookies need to set on the pan once they are done baking since their base of creamed butter and sugar needs to resolidify. Set the timer for the shortest amount of time (9 minutes) and check the color of the edges: if the edges are golden brown, the cookies are done. If the centers are not set yet, bake in 30 to 45 second intervals. When in doubt, underbake just to be safe.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt
Flaky sea salt sprinkled over the freshly baked cookies elevates these classic vegan chocolate chip cookies. Sea salt sticks to the melted chocolate for the most decadent salted chocolate bite.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a light cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream all the butter and both sugars for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. It will be slightly lighter in color.
4. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl. Add the prepared flax egg and vanilla. Mix to combine.
5. Add roughly 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients to the mixer and fully mix. Add the rest of the flour and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated, but not fully mixed.
6. Add the chocolate and use the rubber spatula to gently stir in the chocolate. At this point, the dough should be uniformly mixed with no streaks of flour.
7. Using a cookie scoop for uniform cookies, scoop cookies about 1 1/2" to 2" apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Chilling the cookie dough is not neccessary.
8. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the centers are just set. Remove from the oven and let set on the pan for at least 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, or let cool on the pan.
I like to enjoy a warm, melty, gooey cookie straight from the oven!
+ To prepare the butter for this recipe, I get one stick of vegan butter out of the box from the refrigerator, cut it in half, add 1 half to the bowl, and melt the other. After it is completely melted and slightly cooled, I add it to the stand mixer.
+ Click for directions for preparing a flax egg.
+ In these chocolate chip cookies, I used a 60% semi-sweet chocolate wafer, but any chocolate works. See the blog post for more suggestions.
+ This is a "no chill" chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I chill my scooped dough on the pan in the refrigerator or freezer while my oven preheats.
