Vegan chocolate chips cookies and milk

Is there a more comforting bite than milk and cookies? Early evening, fluffy slippers, had sort of a non-descript day, gonna watch movies kind of comfort. The kind you reach for when you just want something good and easy and warm, when you want to melt into the couch and have chocolate melt in your mouth. These vegan chocolate chip cookies are that.

This recipe has been on the site since 2008 and it’s the one that taught me you don’t need vegan butter to make a great vegan chocolate chip cookie. Crinkly on the top, a little crispy on the bottom, soft in the center. The original uses canola oil, but you can use any oil you like, even olive oil. Vegan milk for the dough, one-bowl mixing method. Great for the no-dishwasher set.

If you want a more recent take on the genre, my vegan olive oil chocolate chip cookies are the next-generation version with a deeper, fruitier richness from olive oil instead of canola. Both are great. This one is the OG.

Easy vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe

“These cookies are psychotically good.” — lazysmurf

“They’re the best chocolate chip cookies yet.” — jd

“I went home and made these immediately, ate the whole batch, and then passed out in a cookie coma.” — Rebecca

Tips for the Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • The caramel step is everything. Mixing the sugar, oil, vegan milk, and tapioca flour for a full two minutes creates a chemical reaction that resembles smooth caramel. This is what gives the cookies their crinkly tops and chewy interiors. Don’t rush. A strong fork works, but a hand or stand mixer makes it easier — beat on medium for about 2 minutes until smooth and glossy. If your dough looks grainy or oily, you didn’t mix long enough.
  • Pull them at 8 minutes, no more than 10. They’ll look slightly underdone in the center. They’re supposed to. They keep cooking on the pan as they cool.
  • Any oil works. The original is canola, but olive oil, melted coconut oil, or any neutral oil will give you a great cookie.
  • Tapioca flour subs. Cornstarch or arrowroot work well in equal amounts.
  • Light metal baking sheets. Dark pans will overbrown the bottoms before the centers set.
Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ

This recipe has been on the site long enough to have actual FAQs. Here are the questions readers have been asking since 2008.

Can I use something other than tapioca flour? Yup yup yup. Cornstarch or arrowroot work well in equal amounts. Many readers have made the swap successfully.

My dough was really moist, not stiff. What happened? Climate, flour brand, and even how you measure can affect dough consistency. If yours is too wet to scoop, add another tablespoon or two of flour. They should still bake up beautifully.

Can I use a different vegan milk? For sure. Soy, oat, and rice all work. Almond is just what I used most often at the time, but any unsweetened vegan milk does the job.

Can I make the dough ahead and chill it? Yes, and many readers swear it improves the cookies. Refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days before baking. Some say a 24- to 72-hour chill makes them even better.

How do I store them? Airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze well — both baked cookies and rolled, unbaked dough balls.

How did I end up here? You searched for the best vegan chocolate chip cookies and the algorithm sent you to the recipe that’s been feeding vegan cookie cravings since 2008. You’re in good hands.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Isa Chandra
The classic vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe from Post Punk Kitchen. Crinkly tops, crispy edges, soft centers. Made with oil, no vegan butter required.
4.64 from 11 votes
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Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ⅔ cup canola oil or any neutral oil, or olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or your favorite vegan milk
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour cornstarch or arrowroot also work
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.
  • Mix together the sugars, oil, vegan milk, and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Use a strong fork or hand mixer and mix really well for about 2 minutes, until it resembles smooth caramel. There is a chemical reaction when sugar and oil collide, so it’s important not to rush this step. Mix in the vanilla.
  • Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda, and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a little stiff, so use your hands to really work them in.
  • For 3-inch cookies, roll the dough into ping pong ball-sized balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2½ inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes — no more than 9 — until they are just a little browned around the edges. I usually get 16 out of these, so I do two rounds of eight cookies. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!