Despite my love for cookies, I don’t have many cookie recipes on the blog, so I’m excited to share this recipe for Chocolate Chunk Vegan Pantry Cookies!
I wanted to create an “everything cookie” packed with all my favorite cookie mix-ins, a cookie that was indulgent and 100% satisfying (but maybe still a tad bit healthier than your standard cookie). This is that cookie!
Table of contents:
1. Why you’re going to like these cookies
2. Ingredient notes
3. Substitutions for this recipe
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Recipe card with notes
PS: If you’re looking for more scrumptious chocolate desserts, I highly recommend my Bakery-Style Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins, my decadent but wholesome Vegan Chocolate Mousse, or my five-ingredient Vegan Fudge!
Why you’ll love these cookies
Everything cookie. These cookies truly have everything you love in cookies: chocolate, nuts, oats, chewy dried fruit. Yep, it’s all in there!
Indulgent but sort of healthyish. Despite being vegan and made with some better-for-you ingredients like vegan butter, flax eggs, almond butter, coconut sugar, and oatmeal, these cookies are very indulgent. Max, who’s not vegan and specifically asked for “not healthy cookies” gave them his seal of approval.
Edible dough. Like all eggless cookie doughs, this cookie dough is not only safe to eat but also incredibly delicious. The recipe says “makes 24 cookies,” but you’ll probably end up with 22ish cookies because the dough needs to be snacked on.
Easy to customize. As you can find in the section below on “substitutions,” these cookies are easy to adapt to what you have available in your pantry.
Ingredient notes
Vegan butter
Vegan butter not only brings that chewy texture you associate with a chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie, but also a delectable buttery taste that isn’t often associated with vegan baked goods.
The recipe calls for bringing the butter to room temperature. To make the softening process quicker, simply slice the butter into small pieces. It’ll come to room temperature in about 15-20 minutes.
Almond Butter
I adore baking with almond butter. Like vegan butter or oil, it’s a source of fat, so it brings richness and moisture to the cookies. But it also brings a subtle nuttiness to the batter that I just love, especially in these cookies.
You want to make sure that use a smooth/creamy variety, not a crunchy variety, and stir it well before adding it in. I prefer almond butter brands that have no added oil or sugars, but if yours does have added sugar, you maybe want to use a tablespoon less of sugar.
Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar
To keep these cookies a little healthier, you can use coconut sugar, which is a low GI sweetener. However, I do prefer them slightly better with sugar, as it has more moisture than coconut sugar and therefore makes the cookies moister (in a good way).
Flax Eggs
When I want a baked good with a chewy texture, my go-to egg replacement is a flax egg. I think it works perfectly in this recipe to create a cookie that has chewy edges but slightly gooey, soft centers.
All-Purpose Flour
I was lucky enough to run out of flour shortly before self-isolating took effect, so I bought a huge bag of flour shortly before it became a hot commodity!
Full disclaimer: I have not tried making these gluten-free but I suspect they should work with an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour. But again, I can’t guarantee how they’ll come out (if you try it, please leave your feedback below!).
Vegan Chocolate Chunks or Chips
I used vegan semi-sweet chocolate chunks from Enjoy Life Foods, though I typically would opt for dark chocolate chunks, such as these Whole Foods 365 brand of dark chocolate chunks. Since I haven’t been to Whole Foods in a month and it’s hard to get groceries delivered in NYC right now, I used what I had (I have an Enjoy Life vegan chocolate stash in my freezer, no shame!).
If you don’t have chocolate chunks, of course chocolate chips works just as well. And if you don’t have those either, you can just chop up some dark chocolate or vegan chocolate into small pieces.
Walnuts
A chunky everything cookie needs some kind of nut, so I chose walnuts for a few reasons. One, they’re the healthiest nut IMO (packed with omega 3 fatty acids); two, they’re relatively inexpensive for nuts (especially if you buy walnut pieces instead of whole walnuts); and three, I have a decent amount of walnuts at home.
Currants or Raisins
I used currants because I had some in my pantry, but I also like how tiny they are so they don’t take up too much space in the cookie. In an oatmeal raisin cookie, the raisin is front and center. But these are not oatmeal raisin cookies, so I want the raisin element to be more of a background element that you taste but that doesn’t overwhelm.
And since raisins are bigger than currants, I thought the currants would be more unassuming in the cookie (they were). That said, if you don’t have currants, raisins are totally fine. If you have the time (I know you do right now!), you could chop up the raisins into smaller pieces.
Substitutions for this recipe
Almond Butter
You can use another nut butter, such as peanut butter or cashew butter. Peanut butter will give them a marked peanutty taste. You could also use tahini for a nut-free variation. The tahini brands I regularly use are Soom Tahini, Seed + Mill, and the Whole Foods 365 brand (affiliate links). If you typically refrigerate your tahini, bring it to room temperature and stir well.
Flax Egg
No ground flax meal at home? Try making a chia egg! Just use 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 5 tablespoons water. Stir and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes until it thickens into a gel-like texture.
Mix Ins
You can substitute vegan/nondairy chocolate chunks with chocolate chips, or just finely chop up your favorite chocolate bar.
If you don’t have walnuts, pecans would be the next best substitute. If you’re allergic to nuts, omit them entirely or substitute with something like sunflower seeds or hemp seeds for a nice crunch (and be sure to use tahini in lieu of the almond butter).
As I mentioned above, if you don’t have currants, you can chop raisins into smaller pieces. But you could also use dried cranberries or cherries!
Tips for making this recipe
1. Start by removing the vegan butter from the fridge so it can come to room temperature. Then make the flax egg and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Once you’ve mixed the dry and wet ingredients, the dough should be fairly thick but still a bit moist. If it feels dry or crumbly, add in a splash of plant milk until it moistens up a bit. I find that using brown sugar (in lieu of coconut sugar) makes for a slightly more moist dough.
If you give these Chocolate Chunk Vegan Pantry Cookies a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Sending you all positive thoughts, warm wishes, and hugs from a safe 6-foot distance!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Chocolate Chunk Vegan Pantry Cookies
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- 6 tablespoons (84g) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (96g) smooth/creamy almond butter, stirred well*
- 1 cup (150g) brown sugar or coconut sugar**
- 2 tablespoons (14g) ground flaxseed meal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (can sub with gluten-free all-purpose flour)***
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups (145g****) old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free rolled oats as needed)
MIX-INS
- 5 ounces (142g) vegan chocolate chunks or vegan chocolate chips, divided*****
- 3/4 cup (84g) walnuts or pecans, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup (75g) currants (or raisins, preferably chopped into smaller pieces)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the vegan butter from the fridge to come to room temperature. Whisk together the flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons (72 mL) water until well combined. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to help it gel and set. These are your “flax eggs.”
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C. Line two half-sheet pans or large cookie trays with parchment paper.
- Cream the wet ingredients. Use the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl with an electric handheld mixer. Add the softened vegan butter, almond butter, and coconut sugar or brown sugar and beat well until the ingredients are well incorporated. Add in the flax eggs and vanilla extract, and mix again until everything is well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the oats to combine.
- Combine the wet and dry. Add the flour-oat mixture to the butter mixture. Using the mixer on low speed, beat until the dough is well combined.1. NOTE: The dough should be thick yet still a bit moist, but if the dough appears very dry and crumbly (likely a result of adding too much flour), add in a spoon or two of plant-based milk to give it some moisture.
- Fold in the mix-ins. Using a silicone spatula, fold into the batter all but 1 ounce (all but 28g) of the the chocolate chunks/chips, along with the walnuts/pecans and currants/raisins. Set aside the remaining chocolate chunks/chips.
- Use your hands or a 2-tablespoon cookie scooper to scoop the dough and roll into uniform-sized balls. Line them on the baking sheet (up to 12 per half sheet) and gently press down on the dough a bit to slightly flatten. Add a piece or two the reserved chocolate chunks/chips in the center.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. They’ll look somewhat unbaked, but they’ll continue firming up a bit as they rest. Remove from the oven immediately sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt, if desired. Let the cookies rest in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Devour. Best when still warm :)
Notes
Gm! I would like to make these for a holiday cookie exchange and wonder if the batter does ok frozen?
Thank you!
Hi Serena, these cookies should be fine frozen! Form them into balls ahead of time to make it easier to cook them in the oven later on. They’ll obviously need a couple more minutes to cook, so just check on them as they go!
5 Stars!
Thanks, Brittany!
I have made these cookies the past two Friday evenings (while drinking wine, of course)! I love how I always have the ingredients handy. SO good warmed but also love them cold. Thank you for this delicious recipe Nisha!
That’s so great to hear, Brittany! Thanks for sharing :)
Hello,
Is it okay to omit the currants or raisins? And if so do I need to substitute it with more nuts or chocolate?
Hi Layla, you don’t need to substitute with anything. You can just omit them! These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to changing up the mix-ins.
I have followed many different chocolate chip cookie recipes- vegan and otherwise. My husband said these are his favorite and I can throw away any other recipe. So basically, I’ll have this recipe memorized within the year.
Hi Erica, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Definitely 5 stars! Sorry, I must’ve missed that. Is there a way to edit?
You just left a star rating on that comment so that’s great, thank you!
Great recipe! I really like these because they don’t use a lot of oil/butter unlike to many other recipes. They taste so good!
My take on vegan cookies us so much similar to this recipe but yours is much better. I also made a twist there by using dates instead is sugar 😃
One of the best cookies I’ve ever made! I used peanut butter because I didn’t have any almond butter and the cookies came out really delicious.
This cookie is everything! I’ve been looking for soooo long for a cookie recipe with all my favorite ingredients.
Thanks! Yum
Delicious!! Subbed gf all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup coconut shreds instead of the raisins and sprinkled sea salt on top. Chewy, but have a little crunch from the walnuts and chocolate chips. Seem almost like a variation of decadent oatmeal cookies, definitely going to be in the regular cookie recipe rotation!
We love these cookies! We are transitioning to a plant-based diet and your recipes make doing so delightful. I’ve made these twice. the second time I used an extra tablespoon of water in my flax egg and did warm water instead of refrigerating–I felt like my flax egg turned out better that time. What a great recipe! Thank you. I love your website.
I tried the recipe the first time I saw your post on Instagram about them and I was amazed to try a flax "egg" for the first time and succeeding. For some reason, I thought it was more complicated to do than it really is. Also, my husband often told me he didn’t think vegan baking could be moist so I showed him how moist these cookies were :) TWICE ! :)
Today, you posted again about those yummy cookies, and I had to make them again and they tasted super yummy yet again ! :)
I used whole wheat pastry flour and they turned out great! Thanks for posting the recipe again, my daughter LOVES them too ! :)
I tried the recipe and replaced almond butter with peanut butter ( as thats what I had in my pantry). I also added cardamom powder along with cinnamon as recipe calls for (which tasted heavenly). Came out gooie out of the oven, let it cool for about 5-7 minutes as I couldn’t wait longer to just eat them! Stored extra dough in freezer, so now I can enjoy cookie in about 12 minutes when craving kicks even! Absolutely delicious recipe!
We don’t have plant butter. Any sub work? Coconut oil?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried coconut oil myself, but the texture of solid coconut oil is fairly similar, so I think it should work! Happy baking!
I only had white gluten-free flour but I’ve made these twice and they’ve turned out great both times! I used a chia egg both times too as didn’t have ground flax, but that still worked well. I needed to leave them in a bit longer than the recipe though – 14 minutes seems to be perfect. Thanks for the detailed recipe guidance and helpful alternatives!
Wow these look so good! I think I have all the ingredients to I’m making these today! Thank you:)
These might be my new favorite cookie!I am a big time savory over sweet person, so I don’t often bake, but these cookies are incredibly easy to make. There are basically three steps: 1) prep vegan alternatives 2) cream wet and mix dry and 3) put wet and dry together, add mix-ins. Really simple, and well-laid out recipe so you don’t have to scroll up and down a billion times when using your phone for reference.
I hadn’t used almond butter in cookies before, but they add a nice nutty taste without being overpowering. Very good base with the oats.
My mix-ins were a bar of chocolate I crunched up, coconut shreds, walnut chunks, and dried cranberries. SO good, and all things that were on their last leg in my pantry. Consider me a cookie convert– maybe I’ll always have some of these in my house…. ;)
Yummy!! Can’t wait to try! I used Gluten Free Flour!!
The best cookies ever! Easy to follow recipe as well as the additional notes!
Aww thank you Gaby! So happy you love these cookies and that the recipe was easy to follow!
This recipe is easy to follow and very flexible! I didn’t have raisins or currants so left them out and used cashew butter in place of almond butter. They are delicious!
I’m so glad to hear that :) Thank you for your feedback. Cashew butter would be amazing. I need to get my hands on some or make it myself :)