Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
These vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies have crisp edges, soft centers, and melty chocolate chips in every bite. Made with almond flour, oat flour, and coconut sugar, they’re made in one bowl and ready in 30 minutes!
Recipe At A Glance
- Ready In: 30 minutes
- Servings: 12 cookies
- Key Ingredients: Almond flour, oat flour, coconut sugar, vegan chocolate chips, vegan butter
- Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free
- Why You’ll Love These Cookies: Soft centers, crisp edges, and melty chocolate in every bite.
While I love peanut butter cookies, nothing beats a classic chocolate chip cookie.
I’ve tested these cookies countless times to get the texture JUST right: soft centers, crisp edges, and melty chocolate chips in every bite. I’m a firm believer that every bite should be packed with chocolate chips (just like in my cookie skillet – it’s a non-negotiable!). Best of all, they’re made without any eggs, dairy, refined sugar, or gluten.
Featured Comment
Best cookies I ever made and tried!! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
– Eli
Table of Contents
If chocolate chip cookies are your love language, you’ll also love my cookie dough stuffed dates, single serve chocolate chip cookie, and vegan chocolate chip cookie skillet.
What Makes These Cookies So Good
After lots of testing, I finally nailed the flavor and texture. Here’s why these cookies are a favorite:
- The perfect texture: Soft, chewy centers with slightly crisp edges (the best of both worlds!).
- No specialty ingredients: You don’t need a gluten-free flour blend or xanthan gum. The combination of almond flour and oat flour creates the perfect texture.
- Quick and easy: No mixer, no chilling, and no complicated steps. Just mix → scoop → bake → devour, all within 30 minutes.
- Vegan & gluten-free: Made without eggs, dairy, wheat, or refined sugar.
Ingredients You Need (and Why)
These cookies use simple pantry staples, but each ingredient plays an important role!
- Almond Flour: A naturally gluten-free flour that gives these cookies their soft texture (similar to my peanut butter cookies). Make sure you use blanched almond flour (which is made from skinless almonds) because it has a finer texture which creates a lighter cookie.
- Oat Flour: Gives these cookies a firm base while also keeping them gluten-free. I’ve made this recipe with homemade oat flour, but I recommend using store-bought oat flour because it’s more finely milled, resulting in a smoother cookie dough.
- Coconut Sugar: Adds natural sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor while keeping the cookies refined sugar-free. I also use it in my cookie skillet.
- Vegan Butter: Adds a rich buttery flavor, crisp edges, and chewy centers.
- Flaxseed Meal: Mixed with water to create a flax egg which helps bind the cookie dough together without the need for traditional eggs.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: No chocolate chip cookie is complete without them!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor we all know and love.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Using both helps the cookies spread slightly while still keeping a soft, chewy center.
- Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor stand out. Don’t skip the flaky sea salt on top!
Substitutions & Variations
While I definitely recommend making this recipe as written, here are a few swaps that will work if you need to adjust any of the ingredients!
- Coconut Sugar: You can substitute an equal amount of date sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar if needed.
- Vegan Butter: You can substitute melted coconut oil, but I definitely recommend vegan butter if you have it since it gives the closest flavor and texture to a classic chocolate chip cookie.
- Flour: I don’t recommend replacing the almond flour or oat flour since this combo creates the soft, chewy texture. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend won’t work the same way.
- Want thicker cookies? Chill the dough for 15 minutes before baking.
- Love extra chocolate? Press a few chips (or chunks) on top before baking.
- Sweet & Salty: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top after baking. It takes these cookies from delicious to why-cant-I-stop-eating-them?
- Add Nuts: Mix chopped walnuts or pecans into the dough for extra crunch.
How to Make the Best Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies come together in just a few simple steps: mix the dough, scoop, bake, and enjoy!
- Step 1: Add the coconut sugar, softened vegan butter, flax egg, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Mix until smooth and combined.
- Step 2: Fold in the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix until a cookie dough forms.
- Step 3: Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes, , until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Step 4: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They will continue to set as they cool. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet and salty finish!
My Tested Cookie Tips
I’ve tested this cookie recipe many times to get it just right. Here are my top tips!
- Use blanched almond flour: Blanched almond flour is made from skinless almonds, resulting in a light and soft texture. Regular almond flour can make the cookies slightly darker and more dense. FYI: most store-bought almond flour is already blanched, but double check anyway.
- Pay attention to your butter temperature: Softened vegan butter creates thicker, chewier cookies. Melted (or warm) butter will make them spread more and create a thinner cookie. So, adjust accordingly depending on preference.
- Tap the tray: A few minutes before the cookies are done baking, remove the tray from the oven and tap it on the counter. This helps the cookies spread slightly. Return them to the oven for the remaining bake time.
- Let them cool: Gluten-free cookies are very delicate when they come out of the oven, so let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5–10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
How to Store Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If your cookies aren’t gone within 5 minutes… here’s how to store any leftovers:
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days
- How to freeze cookie dough: Scoop and shape the cookie dough balls, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw at room temperature for 20–25 minutes, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- How to freeze baked cookies: Let the cookies cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through.
My favorite way to heat up leftover cookies? Place them in a warm oven for a few minutes until the chocolate chips get melty again. SO GOOD!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your cookies spread too much, your vegan butter may have been too warm when mixed into the dough. For thicker cookies, use softened (not melted) vegan butter. Already made the dough with hot melted butter? No worries! Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help the cookies hold their shape.
I don’t recommend replacing coconut sugar with maple syrup because they have different consistencies: coconut sugar is a granulated sweetener, while maple syrup adds extra liquid, which can change the texture of the cookies. If you need a substitute, use another granulated sweetener like brown sugar or date sugar!
Sure! Just keep in mind that vegan butter provides the closest flavor and texture to a traditional chocolate chip cookie.
I haven’t tried this recipe with a real egg since this is a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you try it, let me know how it turned out in the comments!
I don’t recommend it since almond flour adds fat and moisture that gives these cookies their soft, chewy texture. Using only oat flour will result in a dry, dense cookie.
This recipe was specifically developed for baking, so don’t eat the dough raw. For a safe no-bake version, try my vegan and gluten-free edible cookie dough!
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If you loved this recipe, try these cookie recipes next!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted, see notes
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup oat flour, use certified gluten-free if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens.
- Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, softened vegan butter, flax egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Fold in the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix until a dough forms.
- Scoop the cookies: Use a cookie scoop to scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press down with your hands to slightly flatten the cookies.
- Bake: Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the tray and give it a tap on the counter to help the cookies flatten slightly and get those perfect chewy edges. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 2–5 minutes (13 minutes is usually my sweet spot).
- Let cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to set properly. This is a crucial step. Since the cookies are made with almond flour, they need to set properly. Finally, move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use blanched almond flour: Blanched almond flour is made from skinless almonds, resulting in a light and soft texture. Regular almond flour can make the cookies slightly darker and more dense. FYI: most store-bought almond flour is already blanched, but double check anyway.
- Pay attention to your butter temperature: Softened vegan butter creates thicker, chewier cookies. Melted (or warm) butter will make them spread more and create a thinner cookie. So, adjust accordingly depending on preference.
- Tap the tray: A few minutes before the cookies are done baking, remove the tray from the oven and tap it on the counter. This helps the cookies spread slightly. Return them to the oven for the remaining bake time.
- Let them cool: Gluten-free cookies are very delicate when they come out of the oven, so let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5–10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Best cookies I ever made and tried!! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you loved these cookies! Hope you’ll try some more recipes 🙂
Loved them, perfect texture, balanced flavour, great results. Really delicious!!!!
Aww so happy that you enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for sharing Marian 🙂
Hi, can I use honey instead of coconut sugar?
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend swapping the coconut sugar for honey since honey is a liquid sweetener and coconut sugar is granulated, which would change the texture of the cookies. You can use brown sugar or any other granulated sugar instead and it should work just fine. Hope that helps. Happy baking!
These always make my day!! Easy recipe and soo tasty 😍
Awe, you know what they say about a cookie a day (ha!) so glad you love these!
These chocolate chip cookies were really good, but not as moist as a recipe I have had using maple syrup instead of coconut sugar, but I still liked them, no doubt.
#happyholidays
These cookies were good. #happyholidays.
Delicious!! Everyone in my family devoured them!
#happyholidays
I’m so happy to hear the cookies were a hit! Thanks for sharing, Adalyn. Merry Christmas 🎄
Hello, can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter as it’s not easily available where I live?
Coconut oil should work, just slightly melt it beforehand. Let me know how it goes!
I just made this tonight & it was so good! My parents ate it as well especially my father who took more! It was their first time tasting homemade vegan cookies. #happyholidays
Awe, what a special treat, I’m so happy to hear they were enjoyed by all! Thanks for sharing your kind review Diana ❤️ happy holidays!
You’re welcome, Megan. Happy holidays!❤️
Hi mam how to store this cookie if some leftover?
Store them in an air tight container for 2-3 days at room temperature (if they’re not already eaten by then!). You can also freeze them for longer.
I don’t need to use a flax egg. May I sub a regular chicken egg and if so, how many?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with a real egg, but I would use one egg (omit the flaxseed and water). Let me know how it turns out!
My favorite cookies ever! made them last night – so simple and easy!
Yay, so glad you love these cookies!