Let's clear something up right away. This is a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe, and no, you cannot taste the mayo. These Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft in the middle, chewy at the edges, and made without eggs, dairy, or a single specialty ingredient that you can't find at a regular grocery store. If you've been burned by vegan cookies that bake flat, dry, and sad in the past, this is the cookie recipe for redemption!
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If you love good dessert recipes, you are in good company here. Now, let me quickly preface, we are not a vegan recipe blog, but we have a lot of vegan family members that we cook for often and have some really great (and easy) swaps for a ton of recipes on our site. Sticking with the treat theme, my carrot cake recipe uses a base of mayonnaise instead of eggs, so all you have to do is swap regular mayo for plant-based mayo and, for the cream cheese frosting, use vegan butter sticks and plant-based brick-style cream cheese, and I promise you can't even tell a difference. For my rustic apple crisp recipe, you only have to swap in plant-based butter for regular, and my coconut cashew ice cream is made with homemade cashew milk and dairy-free from the start!
Why This Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Works 🍪
- No eggs, no flax eggs, no fuss. Plant-based mayo replaces the eggs entirely, so you don't have to mix and wait for a flax egg, and there's no weird, slimy texture to work around either.
- One bowl, no chill time, easy peasy. The dough comes together quickly in just one bowl and goes straight onto the baking sheet.
- Soft and chewy cookies, guaranteed. These bake up exactly like my chocolate chip cookies, soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate. They are pure perfection.
- Easy to find ingredients. Nothing in this recipe requires tracking down specialty ingredients, plant-based mayo, butter, and chocolate chips can be found at almost all regular grocery stores nowadays.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan Butter: Use the sticks, not the spread. The spread contains more moisture and will cause the cookies to melt and spread further while baking.
- Vegan Mayonnaise: The star of the show and the reason that these cookies don't need any weird ingredients like a slimy flax egg or aquafaba. It adds moisture, richness, and just enough fat to bind everything together perfectly.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: Double-check the label, not all chocolate chips are dairy-free, even if it looks like they are.
Find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Double Chocolate: Swap ¼ cup of the flour for cocoa powder for a rich, brownie-like vegan cookie.
- Add Nuts: Fold ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter with the chocolate chips.
- Finish with Flaky Sea Salt: Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with Maldon sea salt the second they come out of the oven.
- Funfetti Style: For a funfetti style vegan cookie, use vegan white chocolate chips instead of dark, and fold in ⅓ cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles (make sure the brand you buy is vegan, too).
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the plant-based mayo and vanilla extract, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 more minute.
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Step 2
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Beat until just incorporated. Add the vegan chocolate chips and beat on high speed for 5-10 seconds, until the chips are evenly distributed in the dough.
Step 3
Roll the cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls and space them on a baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms are just lightly golden brown. The cookies will still feel soft to the touch on top. Gently transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack as soon as they come out of the oven.
Step 4
Let cookies cool slightly before serving.
Expert Tips For The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Don't skip the slight underbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are just set, but the centers still feel a tad soft. The cookies will finish baking while they cool on the wire rack, and this is the single biggest trick for a chewy, soft vegan chocolate chip cookie.
- Use room-temperature butter. Cold butter won't cream with the sugar as easily. The butter will be lumpy, affecting both the texture and spread.
- Space the dough balls out. These cookies spread a bit as they bake, so give them at least 2 inches of room on the tray.
How To Store Cookies
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cookies can also be frozen, stored in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Mayonnaise is made from eggs, oil, and vinegar, so it is perfect for replacing eggs in baking. Plant-based mayo does the same job without any animal products.
Plant-based mayo is my go-to since it works perfectly as an egg replacer. But a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water) is a solid backup option if its all you have on hand.
Flat cookies usually mean the butter was too warm or the flour wasn't measured correctly. Cakey cookies are a sign of too much flour.
Use vegan butter sticks instead of spreadable vegan butter. The sticks have less moisture and perform more like regular butter in baking, while the spreadable vegan butter performs more like margarine.
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
These are links to regular cookies, but they can be transformed to vegan by replacing each full egg with ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise, plant-based milk, using vegan butter sticks, and substituting in vegan chocolate chips:
If you made these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (Chewy & Soft)
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup Plant-Based Butter Sticks softened
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Plant-Based Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Plant-Based Vegan Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips mini or regular sized
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the plant-based mayo and vanilla extract, beat again on medium speed until fully combined and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating on low until just incorporated. Add the vegan chocolate chips and beat on high speed for 5-10 seconds, just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll the dough into large golf ball-sized portions. Place on a large baking sheet, spacing the dough balls at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden brown. The tops will still look pale and soft, but that is exactly what you want.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.
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Notes
- Vegan Butter: Use the vegan butter sticks and not the spread.
- Vegan Mayonnaise: Plant-based mayo can be found in the condiments section of most grocery stores.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: Ensure the chocolate chips are clearly marked "vegan" or "plant-based" on the package.
- Avoid overmixing the cookie dough. It will be an airy, soft, light and fluffy texture. Overmixing can cause the cookies to bake up tough and hard.
- Be careful to not overbake the cookies. Pull the cookies when the tops are still slightly soft, they will finish cooking as they cool.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Eddie says
tastes the exact same as regular if not better! love these cookies.
Jessica says
These are an easy dessert and super delicious!