Thanks to #bakingscience, over two dozen tests, a careful blend of ingredients, and a little baking magic, we’ve arrived at the perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Every bite is textural heaven, with soft and gooey middles, crisp edges, and a serious chewiness throughout. 

And their flavor? These cookies are rich and buttery, with notes of caramel interspersed with melty pools of dark chocolate and flaky sea salt.

I can’t think of anything better. It’s truly my ultimate chocolate chip cookie! And they can even be made gluten-free, YAY! 

Table of Contents:
1. Baking Science
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe card with notes

a hand holding a large vegan chocolate chip cookie with other cookies in the background.

Watch: How to Make Amazing Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies — literally the best I’ve ever had
Chocolate Chip Cookies — literally the best I’ve ever had

With over 160K views on YouTube, these chocolate chip cookies are a huge hit with my audience. I hope you love them just as much!

Baking Science = The Perfect Cookie

No shortage of research and testing went into this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. I spent days if not weeks reading about cookie science from the experts and only then we got started with recipe testing:

Armed with research, my recipe tester Callie and I tested every practical variable:

a) chocolate chips vs. chopped chocolate vs. chocolate feves
b) browned butter vs. creamed butter vs. coconut oil
c) brown sugar vs. white sugar vs. both
d) the ideal time to rest cookie dough before baking
e) various oven temperatures
f) gluten-free alternatives
g) different vegan butter brands

All in all, we baked 300+ cookies to develop our perfect grown-up chocolate chip cookie that has:

– a soft and rich middle
– lovely crispy edges
– wonderful chewiness throughout
– a deep caramel-esque flavor
– big melty pools of chocolate

Here’s just a very small sampling of some of the variables we tested.

6 chocolate chip cookies, tested for different rest times and types of chocolate.
Testing different types of chocolate on cookies baked immediately. Winner: chocolate bars.
3 vegan chocolate chip cookies, different results based on the type of chocolate used.
Testing different types of chocolate on cookies baked after 24 hours. Winner: still chocolate bars (but all were great).
Six vegan chocolate chip cookies with different results based on oven temperatured used.
Testing the effect of oven temperature. Winner: classic 350ºF.
sheet pan of 8 chocolate chip cookies labeled with different testing variables.
Multi-variable testing! Winner: 1/4 cup dough + flax egg only + baking soda only
baked vegan chocolate chip cookies on a red surface, center cookie torn in half.

Ingredient notes 

ingredients for dark chocolate chip cookies on a green table, ingredients labeled.

Vegan butter

You’ll rarely find a chocolate chip cookie recipe without butter…and a lot of it. Most cookie recipes either use creamed, softened butter or melted butter…or a variation of melted butter: browned butter. In our tests, browned butter was the clear winner.

Melting butter, as opposed to creaming it, produces a more pronounced chewy texture. Taking the melting a step further to browning adds a more mature, nutty, and caramelized flavor.

We recommend butter sticks, not in a tub (the sticks are formulated to mimic dairy-based butter better).

Tips for browning vegan butter

Vegan butter doesn’t brown the same way as dairy butter because it doesn’t contain milk proteins, but it will still become slightly darker in color and nutty in aroma after 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the brand used.

Use a stainless steel or light-colored skillet or saucepan so you can see the color change. 

Sadly, our favorite vegan butter brand (Violife) was discontinued as of summer 2026, but we recently re-tested this recipe with Earth Balance buttery sticks, which are widely available, and it worked great!

The butter doesn’t brown as much as dairy-based butter but still changes a color a bit (and the flavor improves over time).

NOTE: If your butter is unsalted, use a bit of extra salt, a heaping ¾ teaspoon instead of ½ teaspoon. 

Flax egg

We tested these cookies with a few other vegan egg replacers and found that flax eggs (ground flaxseed mixed with water) worked the best. They bind the dough together and, when baked, give the cookies a delightful chewiness, which is typically what eggs do.

All-purpose flour 

No fancy flour is needed here. All-purpose flour worked best at giving the cookies a classic chewy-soft texture.

Gluten-free? Check out the FAQ section to find out which flour substitutions work best.

Dark brown sugar + cane sugar

There’s a reason why most chocolate chip cookies combine brown sugar and white sugar: white sugar only = thin and crispy cookies; brown sugar only = the cookies don’t spread much so you have a soft, almost cakey center.

Here, a 2:1 ratio of dark brown sugar to white sugar delivers soft centers, chewiness throughout, and nicely crisped edges.

Shopping Tips: For strictly vegan cookies, buy organic sugars (at least in the US, where conventional sugars are typically processed with animal bone char). If you can’t find dark brown sugar, light brown sugar still works well.

Baking soda

Baking soda (AKA bicarbonate of soda outside the U.S.) helps the cookies spread while baking, leading to evenly baked cookies that aren’t too thick.

We tested a variation of this recipe with baking powder as a substitute, and it gave us cookies that were puffy and cakey—no thanks! 

How to tell if baking soda is fresh

Combine ¼ tsp baking soda + 2 teaspoons vinegar in a small bowl. If it bubbles immediately, it’s still fresh.

If you see no bubbles or only slight bubbles, it’s time for new baking soda. 

Bittersweet or dark chocolate

In our many tests, the best cookies were made not with chocolate chips but with dark chocolate bars, somewhere in the 60% to 75% cacao content range.

Chopped dark chocolate bars offer several advantages over chocolate chips.

  1. Most chocolate chips contain melt-resistant chocolate → cookies with localized pockets of chocolate.
  2. In contrast, chopped chocolate bars = melty chocolate pools and chocolate interspersed throughout the dough 😋
  3. Chopped chocolate bars melt better → more moisture in the dough → the cookies spread a bit more and don’t end up cakey.
  4. It’s easier to find dark chocolate in bar form than in chips, which prevents the cookies from being overly sweet.

Pure vanilla extract and sea salt

I always pair vanilla and salt together in desserts because they work together to bring out the other layers of flavors. Without them, the flavor would be a bit flat.

A little flaky sea salt sprinkled on top of the freshly baked cookies also balances the sweetness and enhances the dark chocolate flavor. We love Maldon flaky salt—just a little goes a long way!  

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Step-by-step instructions

Brown the butter: Add the vegan butter to a light-colored skillet or saucepan. Turn to medium heat and allow the butter to melt, stirring occasionally.

Once foamy and at a bubble, stir or swirl the pan frequently, or until it gives off a nutty aroma and is slightly darker in color. Immediately pour it into a bowl, then refrigerate for ~30 minutes to bring the butter to room temp.

Tip: Wait until the butter cools to room temp or your dough will be too sticky!

Next, make the flax eggs: whisk the flaxseed meal with warm water. Set it aside to gel. 

Meanwhile, coarsely chop the chocolate. 

Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. 

In a large bowl, combine the flax eggs, cooled brown butter, brown sugar, cane sugar, and vanilla. 

Beat the liquid ingredients with an electric mixer until well combined, thick, and gooey.

Use a silicone spatula to fold half of the dry ingredients into the fluffy wet mixture until no dry spots remain. 

Add the remaining dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and fold until just combined.

Scoop out cookie dough rounds with a ¼ cup measuring cup (or a large cookie scoop like this or this) onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. No need to space them out since they’re going to chill. 

Refrigerate until cookie dough balls are set. Afterward, you can transfer them to a reusable bag or container and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 72 hours.

12 chocolate chip cookie dough rounds on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.

When it’s time to bake:

Preheat your oven and line a sheet pan with parchment. Space 6 cookie dough rounds on the pan, leaving 3 inches (7.5 cm) of space in between each (these babies are going to spread).

6 vegan chocolate chip cookies spaced 3 inches apart on a sheet pan.

Bake until the edges are golden brown and a bit set but still gooey and soft in the center, 14 to 16 minutes. 

Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for another 5 minutes.

six large baked chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan.

Tips for nailing this recipe

TL;DR: the 2 most important tips

The best cookies have two important features: (1) chopped chocolate bars (not chips) and (2) the dough has rested in the fridge for 24 hours or longer. 

So, if you don’t have time to refrigerate the cookie dough: it’s even more important to use chopped dark chocolate over chocolate chips.

Or, if you only have access to chocolate chips, not dark chocolate bars, it’s even more important to rest the dough for 24 hours or longer.

digital drawing of an oven.

Resting the dough is the most important thing you can do

When the cookie dough rests in the fridge, the flavors meld together and the dough gets hydrated, giving you a cookie with significantly better flavor (more complex, richer, caramel-like) AND significantly better texture (crisp edges and the chewiest, gooey-ist center; not at all cakey or thick).

Tips for resting cookie dough

If you’re really short on time, even a shorter rest of 8 hours (or even 2 to 4 hours!) makes a difference. Or, if a 12 hour rest works better for your schedule, that’s totally fine. 

You can refrigerate the cookie dough for up to 72 hours. Any longer than that, and the rested cookie dough should then go into the freezer.

Life hack: Need a cookie NOW? Bake one cookie after making the dough but save the rest of the cookie dough rounds for tomorrow or the next day. 

one cookie on a sheet pan that says "no rest" and one cookie that says "24 hr rest"
Look at the difference! And the differences in taste & texture are even more obvious than the visuals.

Use dark chocolate bars (not chocolate chips) 

In our many tests, dark or bittersweet chocolate bars between 65-75% gave us the best result. If you prefer things a bit sweeter, use 60% dark chocolate. If you prefer less sweet desserts, use chocolate in the 75+% to 80% range.

If you only have chocolate chips: a few important notes:

(1) use dark chocolate chips (anything below 60% cacao, and these will be too sweet);

(2) refrigerating the dough for 24 hours (or longer) will dramatically improve the cookies. 

In our tests, cookies made with chocolate chips that were baked immediately were underwhelming in flavor and were thicker, puffier, and cakier. Luckily, after a 24-hour rest, though, the cookies improved A LOT. 

Large cookies > small cookies (by a long shot)

Here’s why: larger cookies don’t bake through as quickly as small cookies, which means you get gooey, soft centers paired with irresistibly crisp edges—a perfect balance of textures.

On the other hand, small cookies bake too evenly, resulting in a uniform texture that lacks depth. And the fine folks at America’s Test Kitchen agree.

Worried the big cookies are too much for one sitting? No problem! Share with a friend, or slice them in half for a smaller treat. Trust me, this is infinitely more satisfying than settling for a batch of tiny cookies.

Measure with a digital scale 

If you have a kitchen scale, use it to measure all of the ingredients. Not only is it more precise than measuring cups, but you will have fewer dishes to wash (win-win!). 

Don’t bake on warm pans

Let your sheet pan cool to room temperature before putting more cookie dough balls on the pan. Warm sheet pans will cause the cookies to spread more.

To speed things up, simply run your pan under cool water.

Resist the urge to overbake

Pull the cookies out of the oven when the edges are just starting to set, but when the middle is still soft and gooey. They’ll continue to bake a bit on the pans for ~10 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really have to wait 24 hours to bake these cookies?

As much as I want you to indulge in these cookies as quickly as possible, letting the dough rest for 24 hours really does make a big difference (check out the Tips section for more on this).

Even an 8- or 12-hour rest makes a big difference. Really short on time? In our tests, even a 2-hour rest yielded a better cookie than a cookie baked immediately.

And cookies rested for 48 hours taste even better, so you can always “prep” the cookie dough and bake them a couple days later.

If you can’t bake the cookies with 72 hours of refrigeration, though, you should freeze the cookie dough.

What kind of vegan butter should I use?

We recommend using vegan butter sticks, as they are formulated to mimic dairy butter in baking better than the margarine or butter in tubs.

Our long-time favorite butter brand, Violife, was recently discontinued. Luckily, our recent tests with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks turned out great (in fact, my partner Max thinks the cookies made with Earth Balance are even better).

I don’t have access to vegan butter. What can I use instead? 

Use the same amount of refined coconut oil (12 tablespoons / ~150g) instead. 

The cookies won’t have the same amazing flavor without the browned butter and won’t be as chewy with crisp edges, but they’ll still be tasty (and will NOT taste like coconut if you use refined coconut oil). 

I’d also recommend using good-quality dark chocolate to compensate for the loss of flavor and texture.

The coconut oil will harden in the dough, so before baking, let the cookie dough balls sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or until pliable. If the dough balls have lost their shape, reshape them into balls before baking.

How do I make these chocolate chip cookies gluten-free?

Good news! Our gluten-free test worked out very well!

Replace the 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 ⅓ cups (192g) of gluten-free all-purpose flour and ⅔ cup (76g) of oat flour (certified gluten-free). 

It’s also important that your gluten-free flour blend contains xanthan gum, something like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour or King Arthur’s Measure for Measure GF Flour (affiliate links). 

In our testing, we also found that the gluten-free dough was a bit sticky, so you will likely need to refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes before shaping it into balls.

Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes. 

Do I have to bake one pan at a time?

Baking one pan of cookies at a time yields the best texture. This is because hot air doesn’t circulate as efficiently in an overcrowded oven. 

That said, if you’re in a real rush, you can arrange a rack in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. Remove one pan from the oven (closing the door in between to avoid too much heat escaping), then remove the other pan. 

Switch the pans’ positions on the racks for even baking and browning, and bake for another 8 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a bit set but still gooey and soft in the center. 

My cookies didn’t spread very much. What gives?

There could be a few potential reasons for this.

(1) Your baking soda isn’t fresh. To test if it’s fresh: combine ¼ tsp baking soda + 2 teaspoons vinegar in a small bowl. If it bubbles immediately, it’s still fresh. If you see no bubbles or only slight bubbles, it’s time for new baking soda.

(2) You accidentally used baking powder instead of baking soda.

(3) You didn’t chill the browned butter for long enough. Make sure it’s not warm!

(4) The brand of butter makes a difference. In our tests, Earth Balance buttery sticks didn’t spread quite as much as our previous favorite butter, Violife, but the flavor/texture ended up being great.

Recommendation: After baking, if your cookies don’t appear to have spread very much, try the Sarah Kieffer’s pan-banging technique to encourage a bit more spreading (video instructions here): lift up the pan about 4 inches and bang it down on the oven rack or kitchen counter several times. 

What’s the best way to store and reheat the cookies?

If eating within 1 day: store the cookies in an airtight container or sealed ziploc bag on the kitchen counter. 

Storing for more than 1 day? These are best stored in the freezer.

1) Stack cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container, separating each one with a piece of parchment paper, then freeze.

2) Take as many cookies as you want to eat out of the freezer.

3) Defrost by setting each cookie on a paper-towel, without the cookies touching. They defrost in ~10 minutes and taste almost identical to freshly baked cookies.

To warm the cookies in the oven: place on a sheet pan (lined with parchment for easier cleanup) and heat at 350ºF / 175ºC for 3 to 5 minutes, or until warm.

You can microwave the cookies but I think the texture isn’t as good. 

Can I freeze leftover cookie dough? 

Absolutely. Shape the dough into balls, chill in the fridge for 24 to 72 hours per the recipe, then freeze any dough balls you don’t bake.

Freeze the balls on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. 

Can I bake frozen cookies? 

Yes!

Best results: thaw frozen cookies in the fridge until softened (~ 24 hours). If they have thawed but are still a bit hard, let them sit at room temp for 15 to 30 minutes, then bake.

Don’t have time to thaw in the fridge? Let the frozen cookie dough balls sit out at room temp for 30 minutes, then bake for 16 minutes, or a bit longer.

I prefer crispy cookies / softer, fluffy cookies. What should I do differently?

For crispier cookies:

1) Use more cane sugar (white sugar) than brown sugar. For this recipe, use 3/4 cup (155g) cane sugar. And ¼ cup + 2 TBSP (80g) dark brown sugar, tightly packed.

2) Use 3 TBSP dough (54g) per cookie instead of 1/4 cup (72g).

3) Reduce oven temperatuer to 325ºF / 165ºC.

4) Don’t use parchment paper on your baking pans.

For softer, fluffy cookies:

1) Use all brown sugar, no cane/white sugar. Since dark brown sugar can be a little potent, I recommend ~ half light brown and half dark brown sugar (117g of each).

2) Add 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch to the dry ingredients.

3) Use 3 TBSP dough (54g) per cookie instead of 1/4 cup (72g).

You may need to refrigerate the dough before scooping into rounds.

Can I use less sugar?

My recommendation is no. This is because sugar doesn’t just bring sweetness; it also lends structure and moisture. Reducing the amount of sugar will impact the texture of these cookies…and not in a good way.

For a less sweet cookie, use a darker chocolate: 75 to 80% dark chocolate.

chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper with one of the cookies torn in half.

More delicious vegan cookies! 

If you loved these Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies as much as we do, please give the recipe a rating and review below! And of course, tag me with your remakes on Instagram!

Introducing

Big Vegan Flavor

Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.

Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 12 jumbo cookies
4.9 from 154 votes

Made it? Click the stars to leave a review!

Get ready to enjoy the best vegan chocolate chip cookies of your life. Crisp edges give way to an ultra-soft, gooey center, with rich, buttery flavor and dramatic pools of melted dark chocolate in every bite. Tested dozens of times for maximum enjoyment!
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Ingredients 

  • 12 TBSP (168g / 1.5 sticks) vegan butter, sliced into thick pats (see Note 1)
  • 2 TBSP (14g) ground flaxseed meal
  • 70 mL (~5 TBSP) warm water
  • 6 oz (170g) 65% to 75% dark chocolate (see Note 2)
  • 2 cups (250g) spooned and leveled all-purpose flour (see Note 3 for GF)
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¾ tsp baking soda (make sure it's fresh, see Note 4)
  • ¾ cup (155g) organic dark brown sugar, tightly packed (see Note 5)
  • ¼ cup + 2 TBSP (80g) organic cane sugar
  • 1 TBSP (15 mL) pure vanilla extract (not imitation extract!)
  • Flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions 

  • Brown the butter first, as it needs time to cool: Add sliced butter to a stainless steel or light-colored skillet or saucepan. Turn to medium heat. Swirl the pan or stir with a silicone spatula occasionally until melted, foamy, and at a bubble (~ 2 ½ to 3 minutes).
    Heat for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring frequently until nutty in aroma and slightly darker (it won't fully brown like dairy butter). Turn off the heat before it starts foaming up the sides of the pan.
    Immediately pour into a medium bowl to stop cooking, scraping out all of the butter from the pan with the spatula. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until no longer warm but still in liquid form (if the butter is warm, the cookie dough will be sticky).
  • Line a large plate or mini sheet pan with parchment paper and place in the fridge to chill.
  • Make the flax eggs. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal with 70 mL warm water (this is ~ 5 heaped tablespoons).
    Whisk well to combine and rest for 15 minutes, whisking again halfway through and once more at the end of the 15 minutes.
  • Coarsely chop the dark chocolate (some variation in small/large pieces is nice).
    Reserve 12 pieces of chopped chocolate to press into the top of each cookie.
  • Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda until well incorporated.
  • Wet ingredients: Once the flax eggs have gelled and brown butter has cooled, add both to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, cane sugar, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, gooey, and thick, about 30 seconds (or use a whisk and arm power for ~45 to 60 seconds).
  • Combine: Remove the beaters and switch to a silicone spatula. Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold with a silicone spatula until just combined.
    Add the remaining dry ingredients and chopped chocolate (minus reserved 12 pieces for topping). Fold together just until no dry spots remain. If the folding becomes difficult, use your hands to finish the dough.
    NOTE: The dough should be thick but somewhat soft, not stodgy.
  • Scoop out cookie dough rounds. Use a large cookie scoop to measure out ~72g per cookie dough round. OR, use a ¼ cup measuring cup: level off the top and use a small silicone spatula to get the dough out of the measuring cup.
    TIP: If the dough is too sticky to handle, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, then shape.
  • Chill the dough: Place the dough rounds on the lined plate from the fridge*, but no need to space them out right now. Press a piece of reserved chocolate into the top of each cookie.
    Refrigerate for 24 hours, or up to 72 hours. If short on time, chill for as long as you can (even 2 hours will give you a better cookie than baking immediately).
    *Once firm, you can transfer the dough balls to a ziploc bag and refrigerate.
  • To bake: preheat the oven to 350ºF / 175ºC and arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
    Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, or you can leave it bare if your pan is well-worn and made of aluminum or nonstick (see Note 6).
    Add five or six cookie dough rounds, spacing them 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart, as they’ll spread quite a bit.
  • Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and a bit set but still gooey and soft in the center (16 minutes if you prefer a slightly crispier edge).
    TIP: If the cookies have not spread much, lift the pan up by ~4 inches and bang it against the oven rack or your kitchen counter several times—this helps them spread a bit more.
  • Finish: While still warm, sprinkle cookies with a little flaky sea salt.
    Cool in the pans for 10 minutes (5 minutes if lined with parchment), then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 5 more minutes.
  • Cool the pan and bake remaining cookies (or freeze dough to bake later).

Video

Chocolate Chip Cookies — literally the best I’ve ever had
Chocolate Chip Cookies — literally the best I’ve ever had

Notes

  1. Since publishing this recipe, our favorite vegan butter (Violife) has been discontinued. That said, we’ve tested these with Earth Balance buttery sticks and they work great.
  2. Chopped dark chocolate bars = much better than choc chips. For more details & substitutions, check out the Ingredient Notes and Tips sections (tips #1 and #2).
  3. Check out the FAQ for gluten-free instructions.
  4. If the baking soda is not fresh, your cookies won’t spread. Combine ¼ tsp baking soda + 2 tsp vinegar in a small bowl. If it doesn’t fizz up immediately, it’s no longer fresh. 
  5. I love dark brown sugar b/c it has nearly double the molasses content, but light brown sugar still works well.
  6. Unlined sheet pans yield slightly crisper edges. But if your pan is new or not made of aluminum or nonstick, line the pan with parchment paper; otherwise, the cookies stick.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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386 Comments

  1. Amy says:

    4 stars
    These cookies are delicious! However, they did not flatten out but rather stayed round. The dough did seem dry when it was finished being mixed. I used the recommended butter and double-checked all measurements. Bad baking soda or something else?

    1. Tiffany says:

      I’ve made these 4 times and once this happened to me. Not sure what happened, as it was the 3rd time I made them. But try the recipe again. It is perfection.

    2. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      We’re glad you enjoyed the cookies, Amy!

      And yes, if your cookies didn’t spread, your baking soda might have expired. The baking soda is the primary ingredient that helps cookies spread (the secondary ingredient would be the white sugar and butter, but they play a smaller role).

      And just confirming you used baking soda, not baking powder? Baking powder will make the cookies puffy and not spread as much.

      If you’re not sure if your baking soda is still fresh, try combining ¼ teaspoon baking soda + 2 teaspoons vinegar in a small bowl. If it bubbles immediately, it’s still fresh. No bubbles? It’s time to buy new baking soda.

      Best of luck next time!

      1. Amy says:

        5 stars
        Hi Kaitlin- A quick update…I had a chance to make a new batch of cookies. I used new baking soda and it did the trick! They spread out this time and were just as delicious as the first time.

        1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

          That’s great to hear, Amy! 🙂

  2. Angela says:

    5 stars
    Sooo delicious! I’m glad I made a double batch! The dough was a bit sticky for me, and I worried that I needed more flour. But after resting (20hrs, but have plans for the rest to bake after 72 🙂 ) these came out perfect. Texture, sweetness, saltiness, chocolatiness were all divine – even for the nonvegans in my family.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Angela!

  3. Lisa says:

    Hi can I use real butter instead of vegan butter ? My husband doesn’t eat eggs so I would use flax seed eggs but real butter. Has anyone tried this? Thanks

  4. jean says:

    5 stars
    Made GF and white flour versions. I actually like the GF one better! Best GF chocolate chunk ever!! Used Trader Joes pound plus dark chocolate and Pamela’s 1:1 flour cuz Grocery Outlet had it and it’s very similar to Bob’s. Did have to add 1/4 tsp xanthan. No other changes. I only got one bite and my GF friends happily took the rest!

  5. Karl says:

    Hi, question in the instructions #8 Refrigerate the pan. Once the cookie dough balls have set, you can transfer them to a ziploc bag

    How long should you refrigerate the pan for the cookie dough balls to set before throwing them in a ziploc bag and chilling for 24 hrs? And the pan should be chilled before scooping them on, to set?
    Thanks!

    1. Nisha says:

      Hi Karl,

      It helps to chill the pan before adding the cookie dough balls, especially as the weather warms up and kitchens can be hot (this is the last line of step 1).

      For me, the cookie dough balls take ~ 1 hour to firm up, then I toss them in a ziploc bag (or whenever I remember).

  6. ATL Brownie says:

    Awesome recipe and turned out great – but a bit greasy? Is that normal?

    1. Nisha says:

      Hi there, it may depend on the brand of butter you used, but it’s hard to say since I’ve never had that experience.

      What was the texture of the cookie dough before shaping into balls? If you watch the video (in the blog post right above the section “more delicious vegan cookies”), you can see what the ideal texture should be–the dough is quite thick and stiff, not liquidy or greasy.

      If your dough looked significantly different, then the next time I would use more flour, starting with 2 tablespoons more flour and adding a bit more as needed.

    2. Ray says:

      Mine also turned out REALLY greasy… I even added extra flour but it didn’t help. I wonder if it’s because I used a different brand of vegan butter sticks (earth balance)?

      1. Tim says:

        2 stars
        Same happened to me. I was so precise with ingredients and they are so so greasy. Really disappointing

      2. Nisha says:

        Hi Ray, it could be the butter brand, but during our testing period, we did try this recipe with earth balance butter and didn’t have a greasiness issue. We did prefer Violife butter because it had better flavor and browned better.

        What was the texture of the cookie dough before shaping into balls? If you watch the video (in the blog post right above the section “more delicious vegan cookies”), you can see what the ideal texture should be–the dough is quite thick and stiff, not liquidy or greasy.

        If your dough looked significantly different, then the next time I would use more flour, starting with 2 tablespoons more flour and adding a bit more as needed.

  7. Connor Blacksher says:

    5 stars
    I previously had tried to veganize the Tasty “best chocolate chip cookies” recipe and it was good, or good enough. After trying this, I instantly forgot everything I knew about this recipe. Thank you for creating the absolute perfect cookies. I can’t use any other recipe ever again.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for the amazing comment, Connor! 🙂 We are thrilled you are such a fan of the cookies.

  8. Laura says:

    Question!!! We tried this recipe with two normal eggs instead of flax seed. It came out VERY liquidy, so we refrigerated it hoping would solidify into something we could scoop and bake. It did, but the cookie was very bready and puffy. Do you know what might have gone wrong?

    1. Nisha says:

      Hi Laura, since I haven’t baked with eggs in almost 9 years, I’m not entirely sure. Flax “eggs” are designed to be a substitute for eggs in baking in terms of adding structure, but baking is very precise so substitutions like this don’t always work out. The consistency of beaten eggs was probably thinner than the flax eggs designed for this specific recipe. Eggs also add leavening properties in addition to structure, and too much leavener can cause cookies to be puffy or bready.

  9. Bhagyashree Taleka says:

    5 stars
    This chocolate chip cookie is soooo good. Turned out to be perfect with crispy outside and gooey inside just like the description 🙂 Loved it !

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Bhagyashree. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  10. Margie says:

    Hi. I can’t eat flax. It makes me extremely bloated and gassy. Can I use another egg substitute in this recipe? Thank you!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi Margie, I would try one of these two options:

      (1) A chia “egg”: use the same amount of chia seeds as flax meal and same amount of warm water. Whisk together using the same instructions and wait 10-15 minutes to gel, whisking once or twice in between. If the chia egg is really thick, add a little bit more water.

      (2) Use plain unsweetened vegan yogurt. About 6 to 7 tablespoons (85 to 100g). You can fold that in with a silicone spatula after mixing the browned butter and sugars. We haven’t tried that ourselves, but based on our research, we think it could work decently well.

      Hope that helps!

  11. Sheila says:

    5 stars
    Trust the recipe! The best. No subs and wow blew us away. Best cookie for vegans and non vegans alike.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      We appreciate your feedback and support, Sheila. Thank you for leaving a review!

  12. M H says:

    5 stars
    Hello, I used to make cookies that are run of the mill like the one you compared with in the video. I have to say tour recipe makes me feel proud and empowered that I too can also bake beautiful and delicious baked goods.

    My chocolate (chopped bar – Theo brand) did not melt like yours. What brand did you use and/or recommend?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi, so happy that you felt proud and empowered when you baked these cookies! We have also used Chocolove and Tony’s Chocoloney dark chocolate, and both have melted well. Hope that helps!

  13. Aileen says:

    5 stars
    Unbelievably delicious! These were absolutely phenomenal! Best vegan cookies ever! 100% must-make recipe.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi Aileen, we appreciate the wonderful review! 🙂

  14. cindy says:

    5 stars
    Yummmm, very tasty. For some reason they didn’t spread , so I smooshed them with my spatula when I realized it around 12 mins into the baking. Worked perfectly . They needed more time also. Probably a me thing. I’ll make them again for sure

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi Cindy, I wonder if your baking soda might have expired? The baking soda is the primary ingredient that helps cookies spread (the secondary ingredient would be the white sugar and butter, but they play a smaller role).

      And just confirming you used baking soda, not baking powder? Baking powder will make the cookies puffy and not spread as much.

      If you’re not sure if your baking soda is still fresh, try combining ¼ teaspoon baking soda + 2 teaspoons vinegar in a small bowl. If it bubbles immediately, it’s still fresh. No bubbles? It’s time to buy new baking soda.

  15. Bianka says:

    5 stars
    These were SO good. My family is still raving about them, a day later. Brought them to Easter brunch and they were gone in minutes. Definitely adding them to my rotation for every special occasion, birthday, holiday, you name it!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi Bianka, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!

  16. Cierra says:

    5 stars
    Officially my favorite cookies ever. I will never make another chocolate chip cookie again! Even my sister, who works at a bakery, said these were amazing. THANK YOU!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Cierra!

  17. Murti says:

    4 stars
    It was fine, but the brown butter flavor didn’t really come through. I followed the recipe exactly, even using the recommended brand of butter.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Hi Murti, sorry to hear the recipe didn’t quite live up to your expectations, but we appreciate the feedback nonetheless.

  18. Catherine Beaucaire says:

    5 stars
    I have juste made these and OMG they are too delicious. Best chocolate chips cookies I have ever had. Thank you so much Nisha!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      What a compliment, Catherine! 🙂 Thank you so much!

  19. Savannah H. says:

    5 stars
    I had my monthly book club last night and it was my turn to host. Usually the guests bring over food so the host doesn’t have to cook or bake, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try your cookies. Not a crumb was left (I am the only vegan in the group too)! Everyone begged for the recipe. I gave it to them of course! Oh, I used 65% dark chocolate, which was just sweet enough without being too sweet. I also omitted the espresso powder and used a bourbon vanilla extract (so good!).

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for the thoughtful review, Savannah! So great to hear the cookies were loved by all.

  20. Adrianna says:

    5 stars
    You should change the title of this post to “never make another chocolate chip cookie again.” It is that good. I didn’t have espresso powder and I only had light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar, but still so amazing.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for the sweet review, Adrianna! 🙂