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!
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!
You'll love this vegan chocolate cookie recipe because it's...
- easy to make with simple ingredients.
- rich, chewy, and fudgy.
- easy to make gluten-free.
- the answer to your chocolate cravings!
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 or Trader Joe's brand cocoa powders. For best results use a high-quality cocoa powder, cheap generic ones don't have as much flavor sometimes.
- Egg Replacer - you can use flax meal mixed with water or any vegan egg replacer like Ener-G or Bob's Red Mill egg replacer.
- Plant-Based Milk - any type will work. For a mocha flavor, you can also use brewed espresso or dark coffee.
- Vanilla Extract - for flavor.
- Flour - white flour will give you the smoothest texture. Any grain-based gluten-free flour mix will also work.
- 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 for a crispier cookie.
- Baking Powder - to help the cookies rise a little.
- Salt - for flavor.
How to make vegan chocolate cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350° F (176° C).
- 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.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together melted vegan butter, sugar, and cocoa powder until incorporated.
- Add the flax egg, plant milk, and vanilla, then blend again until fluffy.
- Sprinkle in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt then mix until it forms a thick dough, then 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 out of the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them.
Pro tips for perfect chocolate cookies
- 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 get cookies without clumps of cocoa powder, use a sifter or a metal mesh strainer to break up the clumps of cocoa before adding it to the cookies.
- Be sure to spoon measure the flour. This ensures that you are not packing the flour into the measuring cup and using too much flour in the recipe.
Variations
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 your cookies
Store these vegan 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.
More vegan cookies that you'll love
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- The Best Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Millionaire Bars
Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese, butter, yogurt, and more check out my cookbook, “The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples!”
*This recipe was inspired by best chocolate fudgy brownie cookies by Cafe Delites.
Double chocolate fudgy brownie cookies made without milk or eggs.
- 1 tablespoon flax meal (or another egg replacer equal to 1 egg)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water (to mix with the flax)
- 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
- 1 1/3 cup flour (gluten-free mix if needed)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
-
Preheat your oven to 350° F (176° C).
-
Mix together 1 tbsp of flax meal and 2 1/2 tbsp of water (or any other 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 it forms a thick dough, 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 out of the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them.
- 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 get cookies without clumps of cocoa powder, use a sifter or a metal mesh strainer to break up the clumps of cocoa before adding it to the cookies.
- Be sure to spoon measure the flour. This ensures that you are not packing the flour into the measuring cup and using too much flour in the recipe.
