Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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My dairy-free cookies have crisp, golden-brown edges and soft, chewy centers with pools of chocolate chips. Made in one bowl, even my non-dairy family members LOVE them.
I’ve baked plenty of dairy-free cookies over the years, but this recipe is the one I come back to anytime I need a classic bakery-style cookie. My sister has been allergic to dairy since she was a baby, so perfecting a soft, chewy, dairy-free chocolate chip cookie became a bit of a family mission. Luckily for her, grocery brands have vastly improved over the last ten years!
I took inspiration from my popular vegan chocolate chip cookies, but adapted them to include eggs (thank goodness she isn’t allergic to them). After testing different plant-based butter and flour ratios, I finally landed on a version that tastes just like the classic cookies we grew up with.
These bake up soft in the center with lightly crisp edges, and they’re endlessly customizable- I’m including 6 of my tried-and-true favorite flavors. The best part? Even those who don’t follow a dairy-free diet can’t tell the difference between these and traditional cookies. Just ask my partner, who manages to polish off an entire batch over two days.
Table of Contents
Dairy-free cookie recipe highlights
- No fancy equipment. All you need is a couple of bowls, a baking sheet, and a spatula.
- Simple, everyday ingredients. Just because these cookies have no dairy does NOT mean you need funky or complicated ingredients to replace them.
- Extra thick and chewy. The longer you chill them, the denser they will be.
What people are saying
★★★★★ – “Made this for a party, and NO ONE could tell they had no dairy in them. So good and easy” – Milan
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients for my dairy-free cookie recipe, along with kitchen notes. The complete list with measurements is in the recipe card.
- All-purpose flour. Sift the flour to remove clumps.
- Baking soda. To help the cookies stop overspreading, keep them on the thicker side.
- Vegan butter is the secret ingredient to making these cookies dairy-free! Be sure to use non-dairy butter from a block and NOT a spread. You want your butter to be softened but not melted. In terms of brands, I like to use Miyokos because it tastes and spreads like real butter!
- Brown sugar. Keeps the middle of the cookies soft while giving them a slight molasses flavor.
- Superfine sugar. Balances out the brown sugar and also gives them those slightly crisp edges.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips. If dairy-free butter were a secret ingredient, vegan chocolate chips are a close second.
Five simple ways to change up the flavor
My dairy-free cookie dough is super versatile, so with a few minor tweaks, you can completely transform the flavor. Here are five of my most popular ones:
- Peanut butter cookies. Replace half the dairy-free butter with smooth peanut butter.
- Oatmeal cookies. Fold in 1/2 cup of rolled oats, then sprinkle a handful on top before baking.
- Christmas cookies. Replace the chocolate chips with dairy-free candy buttons (preferably in red and green!).
- Girl Scout cookies. Coat the cookies in melted dairy-free chocolate and drizzle with peanut butter.
- Oatmeal raisin cookies. Fold through 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 1/4 cup of soaked raisins.
How to make dairy-free chocolate chip cookies
Step 1- In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients, then stir in chocolate chips.
Step 2- Scoop and roll 24 dough balls, place on lined trays, and bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are set.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the dough. The more you mix, the more gluten develops, and the cookies will become dense and chewy. Make sure to mix the dough only until the ingredients are combined.
- Let the dough chill. I know it may seem tedious, but trust me, chilling the dough is key to getting fluffy cookies. If you chill the dough for more than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
- Use room temperature ingredients. I’ve probably made a million cookies in my day, and let me tell you, using room-temperature ingredients makes mixing the dough WAY easier.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you’d like to freeze the cookie dough to make cookies later, I suggest portioning it into cookie dough balls, then letting them freeze on a lined baking sheet or plate. Once frozen, store them in a freezer-safe bag, then let them thaw for 2 hours before baking.
Technically, these cookies are not vegan because the recipe contains an egg. However, they’re easy to make vegan by swapping the egg for a flax egg or ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dairy free butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, sift the flour and add the baking soda and salt and mix together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the softened butter, brown sugar, superfine sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gently add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Fold through the chocolate chips.
- For thicker cookies, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the bowl for at least an hour (and up to two days). Or skip this step if you prefer thin cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the bowl of cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop out 24 portions of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the lined baking sheets and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just firm.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
More dairy-free desserts
More diet-friendly cookies
Originally updated June 2024
Easy to make and taste amazing! You would never know they are dairy free.
Right? Thanks so much, Cristi!
These were a great dairy free cookies! The batter was a bit sticky so I dipped the scoop in flour to help ease the transfer to the cookie sheet. Will be making again!
Ii will make these cookies just wont use sugar haha.
Can I use rice flour maybe?
The recipe is good but the cooling
part takes too long
Hi! Do you use salted or unsalted butter? If I cannot find unsalted, should I omit the 1/4 tsp salt? Thanks!
Hi! Do you use salted or unsalted butter? If I cannot find unsalted, should I omit the 1/4 tsp salt? Thanks!
Sorry! Either works, but yes, if it’s saltrd, omit the salt 🙂
Would vegetable oil shortening have good results as a.dairy-free butter substitute?
I haven’t tried- feel free to experiment and see 🙂
It was great although I used vegetable oil
Hi Arman,
Greetings from India…
I love your yummy recipes ❤️❤️…
Regards
Monica Joseph India
Thank you, Monica!