Perfect Vegan (& Gluten Free) Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Is there anything better than a cold glass of plant milk with a chocolate chip cookie still a little warm from the oven? Especially if the cookie is perfectly crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle? It took me a lot of trial and error to master this recipe, so I am delighted to finally be able to share it with you! Here are the ingredients you will need to make these amazing cookies for yourself:

I use Zulka brand sugar because it is inexpensive and clearly labeled as bone char free. I also use it to make my own vegan light and dark brown sugars!

You can use Freely Vegan GF flour once it is available, any of my 16 gluten free flour blend recipes (made with The Plant Based Egg), or wheat flour plus The Plant Based Egg (see the recipe notes below for the wheat flour directions.) The Plant Based Egg is an egg replacement that replaces eggs when baking with wheat flour, and it replaces both gums and eggs in gluten free baking. The Plant Based Egg won’t be available to order online until early May (www.freelyvegan.com), but I do have a limited number of bags and the ability to email an invoice prior to that if anyone needs to order The Plant Based Egg right away. Please send early order inquiries to theplantbasedegg@gmail.com.

I really like Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips, because they taste great, are accidentally vegan, and only $1.99 for 12 ounces. (Be sure of get the chips, though, because the chunks are not vegan.) You can use whatever chocolate chips that you like best though!

Combine the flour and baking soda in a mixing bowl and whisk them together. (This is also when you would add The Plant Based Egg if you are using wheat flour.)

If you want to be sure to make perfect cookies every time, get a digital scale and weigh your ingredients. See my post on why to use a scale for more info!

Add the three sugars, salt, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), salt, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl:

Beat on medium-low speed for about three minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and the sugar is starting to dissolve:

Beat in the plant milk one tablespoon at a time. I use Silk Original Soymilk.

Scrape down the bowl, then add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat it in on low speed:

Scrape down the bowl and the beaters:

Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and stir it in by hand with a sturdy spatula:

Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir it in as well:

Add your chocolate chips and chopped nuts, then stir to combine:

Cover your cookie dough tightly and chill for at least two hours and up to overnight. You can bake a few cookies right away if you can’t wait, but be aware that the dough will spread out too much. You can also freeze any dough you won’t use by the next day.

Once your dough has chilled, shape it into balls and place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking pan. Here, I have used 1/3 of the dough to make eight large cookies. My dough balls weighed about 68 grams each, but this will vary depending on whether you use a 10 or 12 oz package of chocolate chips and if you add the nuts or not. (The easiest way to know how much each dough ball should weigh is to write down how much your bowl weighs before you start making the cookies. Then weigh the bowl full of cookie dough and subtract the weight of the bowl plus 10 grams to allow for some dough sticking to the bowl. Divide that amount by the number of cookies you want to make, and that is how much each dough ball should weigh.)

Slightly flatten the dough balls (unless you are making little cookies as I will show below.)

The baking time will depend on the size of your cookies. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes if you are making large cookies as shown above, and for 10 to 11 minutes if you are making little cookies. In between sizes will require a cooking time in the middle. (It is always a good idea to bake a test batch of just a few cookies first to see how long they take for the size you are making in your oven.)

Place the baking pan on a rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about eight minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.

Here is a better photo to show how big the cookies are if you make 24 large cookies:

They are so good!

For these little cookies, I used a size 60 scoop which is the same as two level teaspoons. You will get about 120 cookies this size from one batch. Note: I use the scoop to measure the dough, then roll each piece into a ball. You do not need to flatten these little dough balls.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 11 minutes. Place the baking pan on a rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about eight minutes. You can then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling, but it is not necessary.

Here is a better photo to show how small these little cookies really are:

Enjoy!

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Perfect Vegan (& Gluten Free) Chocolate Chip Cookies!

These delicious cookies have perfectly crispy edges and chewy centers! Make them with either gluten free or wheat flour, depending on your dietary needs. 

Course Cookies, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Servings 48 cookies

Calories 155 kcal

Author Deborah Mesdag

Ingredients

• 425 g (3 1/3 c) Gluten Free Flour Blend (made with The Plant Based Egg)
• 7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) Baking Soda
• 224 g (1 c) Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
• 175 g (7/8 c) Vegan Sugar
• 145 g (2/3 c packed) Vegan Dark Brown Sugar
• 75 g (1/3 c packed) Vegan Light Brown Sugar
• 3.2 g (1/2 tsp) Salt
• 20 g (4 tsp) Vanilla Extract
• 80 g (1/3 c) Plant Milk (I use Silk Original Soymilk)
• 10 to 12 oz Vegan Chocolate Chips (I use Trader Joe's)
• 150 g (1 1/4 c) Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Instructions

1. Combine the gluten free flour blend (be sure to use a blend that is made with The Plant Based Egg) and baking soda in a mixing bowl and whisk them together. (This is also when you would add The Plant Based Egg if you are using wheat flour.)

2. Add the three sugars, salt, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), salt, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-low speed for about three minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and the sugar is starting to dissolve. Then beat in the plant milk one tablespoon at a time. (I use Silk Original Soymilk.)

3. Scrape down the bowl, then add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat it in on low speed. Scrape down the bowl and the beaters. 

4. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and stir it in by hand with a sturdy spatula. Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir it in as well.

5. Add your chocolate chips and chopped nuts, then stir to combine.

6. Cover your cookie dough tightly and chill for at least two hours and up to overnight. You can bake a few cookies right away if you can’t wait, but be aware that the dough will spread out too much. You can also freeze any dough you won’t use by the next day.

7. Once your dough has chilled, and you are ready to bake some cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape your cookie dough into balls and place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking pan. You can make any size cookies that you like as long as they are equally sized.  Be sure to leave sufficient space between your dough balls for the cookies to spread out while baking. Slightly flatten the dough balls if you are making larger cookies and leave them round if you are making little cookies.

8. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookies. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes if you are making 24 large cookies, and for 10 to 11 minutes if you are making 120 little cookies. (See the blog post photos to see how many of these size cookies fit on a half-sheet pan at one time.) In between sizes will require a cooking time in the middle. (It is always a good idea to bake a test batch of just a few cookies first to see how long they take for the size you are making in your oven.)

9. Place the baking pan on a rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about eight minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.

10. Let any leftover cookies cool completely before storing them in a Ziploc bag. They will keep at room temperature for several days, and can be frozen for several months. Frozen cookies make great lunchbox treats! I also like to keep frozen cookie dough on hand so I can bake up a few cookies at a time whenever I want them. Just let the dough defrost and then bake according to the directions above.

Recipe Notes

• To make this recipe with wheat flour, use the same amount of flour and add the equivalent of two eggs (9.6 g or 4 tsp) of The Plant Based Egg to the flour. Whisk together with the other dry ingredients. That is the only adjustment you need to make. (The liquid amount in this recipe has already been increased, so do not add extra as The Plant Based Egg package directions say to do. Those directions are only for recipes that include eggs and you are replacing them and veganizing the recipe with The Plant Based Egg.)

• If you are gluten free, you will need to use Freely Vegan GF flour (not available yet) or make your own gluten free flour with The Plant Based Egg. Using the right egg replacement (and not using flour that contains xanthan or guar gum) is essential if you want your cookies to have the perfect texture. The Plant Based Egg replaces both gums and eggs in gluten free baking.

• If you want to be sure to make perfect cookies every time, get a digital scale and weigh your ingredients. See my post on why to use a scale for more info!