These soft, chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies are simple to make with everyday ingredients and dangerously moreish.
Biting into a warm, soft chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven is one of those small, perfect moments. In a world that often feels hectic, it’s nice to create more of those moments at home.
Everyone has a different idea of the perfect cookie. I prefer mine soft with a little chew and no snap at all. I like large chunks of chocolate that stay intact and melt slightly in the centre when still warm.
The trick to soft, chewy cookies is removing them from the oven early. If you wait until they’re browned or feel completely set, they’ll be too firm. Pull them out while they are still very soft — so soft you couldn’t lift them from the tray without them flopping. Trust me: they’ll firm up on the tray within minutes and will be perfect to transfer to a cooling rack shortly after.
This recipe started life as a sour cherry cookie from the Observer Food Monthly by the brilliant baker Dan Lepard. I adapted it to be vegan by adjusting the basic ratios and replacing the eggs, and since then it’s become my go-to base for many cookie variations, including this chocolate chip version. A few favourite swaps are listed further down.
What you need to make your Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Dairy-free margarine — Use a good-quality block margarine rather than a soft tub spread. Blocks like Flora Plant Butter or Naturli Vegan Block work well because they contain less water and behave better in baking.
Sugars — A mix of soft light brown sugar and a little caster sugar gives chewiness and a crackly top. If you only have one type, caster or all light brown will still make excellent cookies.
Vanilla extract — Real vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference over synthetic vanilla essence. A decent bottle is worth having in the pantry.
Dairy-free yoghurt — Use unsweetened yoghurt; the dough is sweet enough already.
Rolled oats — These add chew without making the cookies taste overtly “oaty.” Use medium or small rolled oats; if you only have jumbo oats, blitz them briefly in a blender.
Dark chocolate chips or chunks — Check labels to ensure they’re vegan. I often chop a bar of dark chocolate into large chunks rather than using tiny chips — larger pieces stay intact and give those gooey pockets of melted chocolate when the cookies are warm.
Variations
This dough is very versatile. A few favourite swaps:
- Mango and cashew — Replace chocolate with 50g dried mango and 70g cashews, roughly chopped.
- Cranberry and pistachio — A festive mix: swap chocolate for 50g dried cranberries and 70g unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped. Add 1 tsp cinnamon if you like.
- Raspberry and white chocolate — If you can find vegan white chocolate, chop into chunks and add 50g freeze-dried raspberries for a tart-sweet cookie.
Freezing
The dough freezes very well. Spoon dollops onto lined trays and freeze them solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen — add a few minutes to the bake time. If they need help spreading, gently press them with a fork after about 5 minutes in the oven.
What other vegan cookies can I bake?
Cookies are great to bake with kids: they’re quick, hands-on and ready to enjoy warm. A few of our favourites that work well for families include almond and raisin cookies, seeded maple spice cookies and simple two-ingredient cookies. Other popular options are peanut butter cookies and jammy star (or batman!) biscuits — simple, fun and reliably well-loved.
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If you liked that…
You might also enjoy other simple vegan recipes from The Veg Space, like peanut butter cookies, lemon drizzle cake, florentines and coffee & walnut cake.
Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kate Ford | The Veg Space
Ingredients
- 110 g dairy-free block margarine
- 180 g light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon dairy-free yoghurt unsweetened
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g rolled oats
- 100 g dark chocolate chips or chunks check they are vegan
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) / 325°F / gas mark 3.
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Line two large baking trays with parchment or greaseproof paper.
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In a mixer or large bowl, beat the margarine, sugars and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
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Beat in the dairy-free yoghurt.
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Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine.
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Add the oats and chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
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Spoon dollops (about a dessertspoon each) onto the trays, leaving plenty of space for spreading.
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Bake for 12 minutes or until just starting to colour. They should still be soft when removed; they’ll firm up as they cool. Leave on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Try one while it’s still warm.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 129kcal
Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
Protein: 2.2 g
Fat: 2 g
Sugar: 14.1 g
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For more quick and easy vegan recipes see the book Vegan in 15 by Kate Ford.
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