Make the perfect plant-based Chocolate Chip Cookies at home with this simple recipe! You will get delicious cookies with a chewy, gooey middle and crispy edges every single time.
Happy Friday, my loves, and welcome back for another installment of Vegan Baking Basics! Today, we are whipping up one of my all-time favorite desserts: Chocolate Chip Cookies! This recipe is simple, delicious, and makes some killer plant-based cookies. I'm not kidding when I say I have fooled many omnivores with these delicious treats. They are everything you could want from a cookie - chewy and gooey in the middle, with crispy edges, and a recipe that comes together quickly and easily!
So, confession - this recipe and these photos have already been on the blog for a few months, but now I just have the video and in-depth explanations to go with it! So if you see the same photos on more than one post, that is why 😉 And as always, you know my #VeganBakingBasics recipes are disguised in SEVERAL of my other recipes around the blog, so technically... these cookies are all over the place!
Here are some of my other creations that are made with the same cookie dough as these basic chocolate chip cookies -
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Vegan Copycat Levain Cookies
- Vegan Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Autumn Monster Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Tahini Swirl Cookies
- Vegan Cherry Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
What do I need to make vegan chocolate chip cookies?
The ingredients are a teeny bit more specialized this week, so let's break them all down!
- Vegan butter: cause you can't make cookies without butter, silly! I have been using the Country Crock avocado oil plant butter, but I've also used their almond oil variety with good results. EarthBalance is also a solid choice. I recently bought some Melt plant butter sticks, but haven't had the chance to play with them yet! As I mention in the video, you can substitute vegan butter with coconut oil if you would like.
- Vegan shortening: the yin to vegan butter's yang. These two work in perfect harmony to make the perfect cookie! The butter makes it soft and chewy, and the shortening gives it structure and keeps it from turning into a puddle. My two go-to brands are Nutiva and Spectrum.
- It may seem extra, but I do recommend splurging on a "clean" shortening for recipes like these. The flavor comes through in the final product, and you don't want a cheap shortening to ruin the whole thing for you!
- Aquafaba: you have heard me sing the praises of aquafaba before on this blog, and now it finally gets the spotlight in the series! Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas, and it is basically liquid gold when it comes to vegan baking. It works to bind everything together!
- You can use a different egg replacer, such as a flax egg or a store-bought vegan egg mix, if you want. Personally, I prefer the aquafaba because it is flavorless and has no texture (vs something like a flax egg or chia egg tends to bring its own flavor and grittiness to the table). It is also cheaper than buying a powdered mix to make fake eggs!
- Smoked salt: this is an optional but I love it so much! Adding smoked salt to my cookies adds an extra layer of flavor and a little somethin-somethin that you can't quite put your finger on, but makes the cookies extra addicting. I promise it does not make your cookies taste like barbecue! If you can't find it then regular ol' salt works just as well 🙂
Do I need any special equipment?
- A mixer: It is not strictly necessary, but I highly recommend a hand mixer or stand mixer for this recipe! You have to beat together the butters and sugars until light and fluffy, and that can take some serious arm power. It works by hand too, but it is much easier with a mixer.
- Silicone mats: these are optional, but I absolutely love them for baking! They are reusable and help your cookies come out perfectly baked and golden brown each time without sticking to the pan. Parchment paper works too!
- A cookie scoop: 1000% optional but I am a food blogger and you know I love being extra. A cookie scoop makes sure your cookies are all the same size and shape for even baking (and so that they look super cute!).
How do I make vegan chocolate chip cookies?
It takes just a few simple steps to make chocolate chip cookies at home!
- First, beat together your vegan butter, vegan shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar with your mixer (or by hand). This is called "creaming." You want to make sure you beat everything together until it is light, fluffy, and smooth!
- Next, stir in your aquafaba and vanilla extract.
- Then, mix in your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and mix it all up until you have cookie dough!
- For the final (and most important) step - add the mix-ins! Whether that is chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, peanut butter, nuts, sprinkles... this is the time to add it. Fold all your goodies in.
- There is one more thing you have to do before baking, and that is chilling the dough. This ensures that the cookies will keep their shape when baked and won't turn into puddles. You don't have to chill the cookie dough for super long - 20-30 minutes works! I like to scoop my cookies out first and have them chill on their baking sheets.
- Finally... time to bake! Pop your cookies into a preheated oven at 350F for 15 minutes, and that is it! Hello, freshly baked delicious cookies.
I think that is all, friends! Here is the full video outlining how to make these cookies step-by-step, with some extra tips and tricks thrown in 🙂 If you have any questions, be sure to drop me a comment and I'll be happy to help. Happy baking!
simple chocolate chip cookies - Vegan Baking Basics
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup vegan shortening
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon aquafaba chickpea brine
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ salt I love using smoked salt!
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together the vegan butter, vegan shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in the aquafaba and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until the cookie dough comes together. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips. Scoop out your cookie dough onto two baking sheets lined with silicone liners or parchment paper.
- Refrigerate cookies for 20-30 minutes until solid.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and delicious!
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