Vegan Chocolate Cookies
These vegan chocolate cookies are all the yummy goodness of fudgy brownies in cookie form! They’re quick and easy to make with simple ingredients, and they bake up soft, chewy, and delicious every time! With chocolate chips tossed in, these double chocolate cookies will satisfy your chocolate cravings for sure!
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You can add chocolate chips for a double chocolate cookie, or leave them out for a simple vegan chocolate brownie cookie. Either way, if you like chocolate, these are sure to be your new favorite cookie!
Why make these cookies
These cookies are similar to my classic vegan chocolate chip cookies, but with cocoa powder in the dough and melted vegan butter to make them chewy like brownies.
These fudgy chocolate cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients, and you can easily make them gluten-free.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan Margarine – you can use any vegan margarine, but I find that the stick versions work best.
- Sugar – I use organic cane sugar, but brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any other granulated sugar will work.
- Cocoa Powder – I usually use Hershey’s or Trader Joe’s brand cocoa powders. For best results, use high-quality cocoa powder; cheaper generic brands sometimes don’t have as much flavor.
- Egg Replacer – You can use chickpea flour or flax meal mixed with water or any store-bought vegan egg replacer like Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. See my post on how to substitute eggs in any recipe for an egg replacement that works for you.
- Plant-Based Milk – any type will work, like soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk. For a mocha flavor, you can also use brewed espresso or dark coffee instead.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
- Flour – white all-purpose flour will give you the smoothest texture. You can also use whole wheat flour. Any grain-based gluten-free flour mix will also work. I do not recommend using almond flour.
- Cornstarch – to make the cookies soft and chewy after baking. You can use potato starch if you can’t eat corn. You can leave it out to make the cookies crispier.
- Baking Powder – to help the cookies rise a little. (not baking soda)
- Salt – for flavor.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – Be sure to read the ingredients on your chocolate chips to be sure that they are dairy-free. You can also chop up a dark chocolate bar and add the chocolate chunks to the dough.
How to make vegan chocolate cookies
Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 350°F (176 °C).
Step 2 – Mix together 1 tablespoon of flax meal and 2 1/2 tbsp of water (or any other vegan egg replacer equal to 1 egg) and set aside.
Step 3 – In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, sugar, and cocoa powder until well combined.
Step 4 – Add the flax egg, plant milk, and vanilla to the mixing bowl, then blend again until fluffy.
Step 5 – Sprinkle in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, then mix until it forms a thick dough, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 6 – Scoop out about 2 tbsp of the cookie dough and place it on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Press down to form the shape and thickness of the cookie that you want. (They won’t spread too much during baking.)
Step 7: Bake at 350°F (176 °C) for 10-12 minutes. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them with a spatula. Allow cooking on the countertop or a cooling rack.
Pro Tips
- For best results, use stick margarine. Earth Balance sticks, Mikayo, Country Crock plant-based butter, or the stick version of my homemade vegan butter work best.
- Melt the butter. Melted butter gives cookies a fudgy, chewy texture. If you want a cakier cookie, you can use softened butter instead.
- Sift the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder tends to get clumpy, especially in humid climates. To avoid clumps of cocoa powder, use a sifter or a metal mesh strainer to break them up before adding the cocoa powder to the cookies.
- Be sure to spoon-measure the flour. This ensures you don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup and end up using too much in the recipe.
Variations of chocolate cookies
You can swap out the chocolate chips in these cookies for any of the following.
- Dried Cherries
- Dried Cranberries
- Raisins
- Nuts
- Vegan White Chocolate Chips
- Crushed Candy Canes (Place on top for the last 5 minutes of baking.)
*For a mint chocolate chip cookie, swap out the 2 tsp vanilla extract with 3/4 tsp mint extract. (The mint extract is strong, so you don’t want too much.)
Storing and freezing
Store these vegan double chocolate cookies in a sealed container on the countertop for up to five days. You can also freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
*This recipe was inspired by the best chocolate fudgy brownie cookies by Cafe Delites.
Vegan chocolate cookie recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
For the flax egg
- 1 tablespoon flax meal, (or another egg replacer equal to 1 egg)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water, (to mix with the flax)
Other wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan margarine, (1 stick)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, (sifted if clumpy)
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup flour, (gluten-free mix if needed)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176 °C).
- Mix together 1 tbsp of flax meal with 2 1/2 tbsp of water (or another vegan egg replacer equal to 1 egg) and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 1/2 cup melted vegan butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder until incorporated.
- Add the flax egg, 2 tbsp. milk, and 2 tsp. vanilla, then blend again until fluffy. (A hand mixer works great for this, or you can stir with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.)
- Sprinkle in the dry ingredients (1 1/3 cup flour, 1 tbsp. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt), then mix until a thick dough forms and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop out about 2 tbsp of dough and place it on a cookie sheet. Press down to form the shape and thickness of the cookie that you want. (They won't spread too much during baking.)
- Bake at 350°F (176 °C) for 10-12 minutes. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them with a spatula. Allow cooking on the countertop or a cooling rack.
Notes
- For best results, use stick margarine. Earth Balance sticks, Mikayo, Country Crock plant-based butter, or the stick version of my homemade vegan butter work best.
- Melt the butter. Melted butter gives cookies a fudgy, chewy texture. If you want a cakier cookie, you can use softened butter instead.
- Sift the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder tends to get clumpy, especially in humid climates. To avoid clumps of cocoa powder, use a sifter or a metal mesh strainer to break them up before adding the cocoa powder to the cookies.
- Be sure to spoon-measure the flour. This ensures you don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup and end up using too much in the recipe.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Hello, these sound great but I have a question. What quantity chocolate chips or dried fruit? It’s not listed in the ingredient list, though it is mentioned to add in chips in the directions. I’m just looking for a guide so I know how much dried fruit to have. Thanks.
Your recipes are amazing! You are so detailed and it’s evident you really know your way around the kitchen. Full disclosure, I’m not vegan but I do enjoy my veggies and experimenting with vegan dishes!
I used this cookie recipe to make a double chocolate cookie whoopie pie – which I was oddly, specifically craving. I didn’t find any vegan whoopie pie recipes I liked for the filling so I used a non-vegan recipe and just switched out the egg whites for aquafaba per your suggestion. (4 tbsp aquafaba, 75 grams veg shortening, 128 grams confectioner’s sugar, dash of salt and a dash of vanilla – in case you want to try it.) It was definitely the perfect replacement.
I’ve also made your cream cheese, cheesecake pumpkin brownies (HUGE hit at my halloween party last year) and look forward to trying your butter! I live in Mexico and it’s hard to find many vegan/healthfood ingredients (and when you do they’re very costly) so your page is a blessing for me!
Question about chickpea flour: can I make this at home by grinding up raw, dried chickpeas? Would be way less expensive! Thank you again.
I’m so glad that you like my recipes, Stella! You can make your own chickpea flour, but you will need a flour grinder. I don’t think you can get the right consistency if you just try to do it in your blender and I think that it would ruin the blade unless it was a machine made for that. Enjoy! 🙂
Can use Self-raising flour substitute plain flour and baking power?
I have never tested it, but it may work.
Would applesauce work for a butter substitute? Any other sub. I don’t use any oils….
Thank you
very delightful and full of chocolate taste i love this one ..thanks for sharing
I’m so happy that you liked them! They are one of my favorite cookies. 🙂
OMG, you were right these taste just like fudgy brownies. My family loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you liked them! 🙂