Decadent, soft, and chewy, these Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are simply the easiest cookie to make and perfect for chocolate lovers. Make them for vegans or non-vegans--everyone seems to gobble them up!
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Hey Internet, I have been testing and testing this recipe so much that I actually am getting a little sick of chocolate…
JUST KIDDING.
How could I get sick of chocolate? It’s simply amazing.
But no really, I did not get sick of these but I have been testing them A LOT trying to get the texture, flavor, and sheer amount of chocolate just right.
And well, I think we did it. No, I KNOW we did it. We ate half the batch just the other night as the final, final, this-had-better-be-it test.
And then I promptly decided we had to photograph the next day, and we did.
These vegan double chocolate chip cookies feature cocoa powder as well as semi-sweet chocolate chips AND chocolate chunks. So does that make them triple chocolate chip cookies?
Not sure. You don’t NEED to use chocolate chips and chocolate chunks, but I love the contrast in textures, shapes, and meltability.
You see, the chocolate chips melt INTO the cookie dough while baking and keep it moist.
The chocolate chunks on the other hand, pool into these little… uh… pools of chocolate.
Yes, you read that right. Pools of chocolate.
If that doesn’t get you excited… I’m not sure what will. Maybe it’s pulling these cookies fresh out of the oven and trying to force yourself not to sneak one.
I urge you not to though! These cookies, like my soft no-chill vegan chocolate chip cookies will continue to cook and set as they cool, so no touching for at least 10 minutes!!
OK enough gabbing about chocolate. Let’s make ‘em.
What You’ll Need
I try to go in order of what you’ll use when because I learned that’s best for the reader, even though in my brain I want to talk about the chocolate first because, well, chocolate. OK, Liz, calm down.
- Softened vegan butter or canned coconut cream: I highly recommend using softened vegan butter. I personally love the Miyoko’s vegan butter or the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. I haven’t personally tried any others with this recipe but any good vegan butter should work. It DOES need to soften on the counter for at least 10 minutes before you can cream it though.
- Substitutions: You need fat to make good double chocolate chip cookies. That’s just how it is. You can try these with pumpkin or applesauce if you need to, but I can’t guarantee anything.
- Organic cane sugar: I say organic because at least in the US, sugar companies are not required to state whether or not their sugar is filtered using animal bone char. So go with organic.
- Organic brown sugar: Same thing here. And yes, you need both sugars for that perfect taste and texture. Brown sugar makes it soft and rich and sweet and gooey, white sugar crisps those edges so you don’t end up with soggy or too-soft cookie.
- Ground flaxseed + water: I used a simple flax egg for this recipe, which is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Just mix this while you wait for your vegan butter to soften. Place it in the fridge to make it gel quickly, just don’t forget it in there like I did. You can let it set up on the counter, too, it will just take a few minutes longer. Oh, and other vegan egg replacements should work. I like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer for example. I’ve also recently started baking with Just Egg with good success.
- Vanilla extract
- Non-dairy milk: Use your favorite. This recipe is already pretty sweet, so I’d go with an unsweetened original flavor of non-dairy milk. I personally like to use soy milk since I always have it on hand (it’s what we drink/use in cereal too), but anything from almond milk to oat milk to flax milk will work fine.
- All purpose flour: I use plain unbleached all purpose flour--my favorite is King Arthur Baking Company All Purpose Flour. To make these gluten-free, try substituting a good quality gluten-free flour. I’ve heard marvelous things about Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, but I’ve personally had good results with King Arthur Baking Company Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour).
- Cocoa powder: FINALLY we’re talking about chocolate! I recommend a good quality cocoa powder because it will make good tasting cookies. I like simple Hershey’s cocoa powder, but I also regularly buy Whole Foods 365 cocoa powder or Trader Joe’s brand. I personally would not go with Dutch process as it’s pretty bitter in things like this.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both to create the perfect balance of soft, chewy, and a little rise.
- Sea salt: Actually any kind of salt works, but if you’re using table salt, you’ll always want to use half the amount that’s called for when the recipe says sea salt. The grains are much more finely processed in table salt, which makes each spoonful more than twice as salty as sea salt.
- Espresso powder: This is optional, but just a dash of espresso powder will really amp up that chocolate flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips and chocolate chunks: I said above you don’t need to do both semi-sweet chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks but I really think it’s better with half of each. Remember to check the labels to make sure they’re vegan. You can also just use chopped chocolate if you prefer.
How to Properly Measure Flour
We want to measure our flour by weight, not by volume. When you scoop flour out of a bag or tin with a measuring cup, you're packing it in there and not necessarily getting the same amount each time.
What's better is to use a food scale with a tare function (allowing you to zero out the scale after you've put the bowl on it so your bowl isn't playing a factor in your equation.
Working in grams, put your bowl on the scale and zero it out. Scoop the flour into the bowl until you reach the desired measurement.
How to Make Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Either spoon and level your flour or use a food scale. Digging or scooping your measuring cup into the flour container packs too much flour in. Too much flour will make dry, crumbly, bad tasting cookies. I’ve tried it, trust me. Not good.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 177 degrees Celsius) and line two half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Start by creaming together the softened vegan butter and the cane and brown sugars. While it’s possible to do this with a whisk, it’s much easier in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer fit with two beaters in a tall mixing bowl. Cream for at least 3-5 minutes, but you can go up to 10 minutes so that the sugar no longer feels gritty when rubbing a little of the mixture between your fingers, and when it starts to look slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula when needed.
- Now add in the gelled flax egg, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and espresso powder (if using) until just combined.
- Pour the dry mix into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. If the batter feels very wet, add a tablespoon or two of four and hand mix with a strong spatula until it’s the right texture. It should not stick completely to your hands, but it should not be a drier dough at all (like sugar cookie dough is).
- Now mix in the chocolate chips and chunks gently (remember we’re trying not to over mix), reserving some or saving extra from the packages to press on top of the formed cookies.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (or whatever size you’d like) to scoop out relatively even cookies onto your lined baking trays, giving each cookie AT LEAST 2 inches on every side because they will spread. Use your hands or your spouse’s hands to roll each scoop into a round ball.
- If you’d like, press a few chocolate chips and chocolate chunks into the cookie balls. Remember that if you just want little splotches of melted chocolate, you go with the chocolate chips. The chocolate chunks will create these little pools of melted chocolate on top which is just fantastic… I liked some of each, but you do you.
- Bake on the center rack in the oven for about 14-16 minutes. 15 minutes was the sweet spot for me. 12-13 is fine if you want REALLY soft, like melty cookies, and 17-18 would be fine if you wanted pretty darn crispy cookies. 14-16 or 15 minutes is the perfect spot between those two extremes. I would leave one tray out on the counter (away from the oven) and just bake one tray at a time. However if it’s very hot in your kitchen, you may want to bake them both at once, and just switch the trays’ positions halfway through the baking process.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, and I know this is hard… but let them cool for at least 10 minutes before trying them. They are completing the baking process and setting at this point. If you lift them too early, they can fall apart. I usually leave my cookies on the tray for 20 minutes before moving them with a spatula to a cooling rack or directly into my face. The chocolate is still melty at this point but I can pick up a cookie and it won’t fall apart in my hand.
- Store your leftover vegan double chocolate chip cookies in a cookie tin or other container for up to 4-5 days if they last that long. I have a hungry husband in the house, so they never really last for me unless I pose threats.
More Easy Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Vegan Matcha Cookies
- Vegan Mug Brownie
- Pumpkin Pie Vegan Custard
- Vegan Smores
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Coconut Almond Butter Cookies
- Vegan Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake
- Chocolate Bliss Balls
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Vegan Coffee and Walnut Cake
Anything Else?
As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do and so does Mr. Zardyplants. We keep making these over and over again because they are so easy and a great way to get your (my) chocolate fix.
The vegan double chocolate chip cookies are:
- Chocolaty (I’d hope!)
- Chewy yet soft
- Moist (quite sorry, no idea how else to describe this…)
- Fudgy
- Sweet
- Rich and decadent
- Easy to make
- And the perfect dessert for kids and adults!
Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!
<3 Liz
Save this for later on Pinterest!
Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Decadent, soft, and chewy, these Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are simply the easiest cookie to make and perfect for chocolate lovers.
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened (see note 1)
- ½ cup organic cane sugar (see note 2)
- ½ cup (packed) organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (see note 3)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice
- 200g (1 ½ cups, spooned and leveled**) unbleached all purpose flour (see note 4)
- ⅓ cup good quality cocoa powder (see note 5)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (see note 6)
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional (enhanced chocolate flavor)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (OR I used half chocolate chips and half chocolate chunks, see note 7)
Instructions
- NOTE: Either spoon and level your flour or use a food scale. Digging or scooping your measuring cup into the flour container packs too much flour in. Too much flour will make dry, crumbly, bad tasting cookies. I’ve tried it, trust me. Not good.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 177 degrees Celsius) and line two half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugars: Start by creaming together the softened vegan butter and the cane and brown sugars. While it’s possible to do this with a whisk, it’s much easier in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer fit with two beaters in a tall mixing bowl. Cream for at least 3-5 minutes, but you can go up to 10 minutes so that the sugar no longer feels gritty when rubbing a little of the mixture between your fingers, and when it starts to look slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula when needed.
- Add remaining liquids: Now add in the gelled flax egg, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. Mix until well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and espresso powder (if using) until just combined.
- Add the dry to the wet: Pour the dry mix into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. If the batter feels very wet, add a tablespoon or two of four and hand mix with a strong spatula until it’s the right texture. It should not stick completely to your hands, but it should not be a drier dough at all (like sugar cookie dough is).
- Add chocolate chips and chunks: Now mix in the chocolate chips and chunks gently (remember we’re trying not to over mix), reserving some or saving extra from the packages to press on top of the formed cookies.
- Scoop and roll cookie balls: Use a medium cookie scoop (or whatever size you’d like) to scoop out relatively even cookies onto your lined baking trays, giving each cookie AT LEAST 2 inches on every side because they will spread. Use your hands or your spouse’s hands to roll each scoop into a round ball.
- Add extra chocolate: If you’d like, press a few chocolate chips and chocolate chunks into the cookie balls. Remember that if you just want little splotches of melted chocolate, you go with the chocolate chips. The chocolate chunks will create these little pools of melted chocolate on top which is just fantastic… I liked some of each, but you do you.
- BAKE: Bake on the center rack in the oven for about 14-16 minutes. 15 minutes was the sweet spot for me. 12-13 is fine if you want REALLY soft, like melty cookies, and 17-18 would be fine if you wanted pretty darn crispy cookies. 14-16 or 15 minutes is the perfect spot between those two extremes. I would leave one tray out on the counter (away from the oven) and just bake one tray at a time. However if it’s very hot in your kitchen, you may want to bake them both at once, and just switch the trays’ positions halfway through the baking process.
- LET THEM COOL, AT LEAST A LITTLE: Remove the cookies from the oven, and I know this is hard… but let them cool for at least 10 minutes before trying them. They are completing the baking process and setting at this point. If you lift them too early, they can fall apart. I usually leave my cookies on the tray for 20 minutes before moving them with a spatula to a cooling rack or directly into my face. The chocolate is still melty at this point but I can pick up a cookie and it won’t fall apart in my hand.
- Storage: Store your leftover vegan double chocolate chip cookies in a cookie tin or other container for up to 4-5 days if they last that long. I have a hungry husband in the house, so they never really last for me unless I pose threats.
Notes
Note 1: I highly recommend using softened vegan butter. I personally love Miyoko's vegan butter or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. I haven’t personally tried any others with this recipe but any good vegan butter should work. It DOES need to soften on the counter for at least 10 minutes before you can cream it though. Substitutions: You need fat to make good double chocolate chip cookies. That’s just how it is. You can try these with pumpkin or applesauce if you need to, but I can’t guarantee anything.
Note 2: I say organic because at least in the US, sugar companies are not required to state whether or not their sugar is filtered using animal bone char. So go with organic. And yes, you need both sugars for that perfect taste and texture. Brown sugar makes it soft and rich and sweet and gooey, white sugar crisps those edges so you don’t end up with a soggy or too-soft cookie.
Note 3: I used a simple flax egg for this recipe, which is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Just mix this while you wait for your vegan butter to soften. Place it in the fridge to make it gel quickly, just don’t forget it in there like I did. You can let it set up on the counter, too, it will just take a few minutes longer. Oh, and other vegan egg replacements should work. I like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer for example. I’ve also recently started baking with Just Egg with good success.
Note 4: I use plain unbleached all purpose flour--my favorite is King Arthur Baking Company All Purpose Flour. To make these gluten-free, try substituting a good quality gluten-free flour. I’ve heard marvelous things about Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, but I’ve personally had good results with King Arthur Baking Company Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour).
Note 5: I recommend a good quality cocoa powder because it will make good tasting cookies. I like simple Hershey’s cocoa powder, but I also regularly buy Whole Foods 365 cocoa powder or Trader Joe’s brand. I personally would not go with Dutch process as it’s pretty bitter in things like this.
Note 6: Actually any kind of salt works, but if you’re using table salt, you’ll always want to use half the amount that’s called for when the recipe says sea salt. The grains are much more finely processed in table salt, which makes each spoonful more than twice as salty as sea salt.
Note 7: I said above you don’t need to do both semi-sweet chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks but I really think it’s better with half of each. Remember to check the labels to make sure they’re vegan. You can also just use chopped chocolate if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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