I'm ready to bet that these are the best vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies you'll ever make! They taste just like classic chocolate chip cookies with a gooey center and crispy edges – not crumbly, not falling apart, no weird taste, and no fancy ingredients! Plus, they are made in 1 bowl and don't need to be chilled before baking – YAY!
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Trust me I've tested countless cookie recipes in the 10+ years that I've been on a gluten-free diet. This is the ONE recipe that will leave you 100% satisfied and that you'll want to bring to every party. No on will gues that these are vegan and gluten-free.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan block butter: Make sure to use plant-based block butter and not a vegan spread. I'm based in Europe and have had great results with Solo Gourmet (based on palm and sunflower oil). You can substitute it with the same amount of melted coconut oil (⅓ cup, 50 g). Use refined coconut oil if you don't want the coconut flavor.
- Dark brown sugar: Note that, if you're based in Europe, dark brown sugar does not refer to unrefined cane sugar. It refers to a slightly wet, dark brown sugar with a higher molasses content. It's often called "cassonade" in Belgium and Canada, and "vergeoise" in France. See my tips if you want to learn how to make your own.
- Ground flaxseeds: Also known as flaxseed meal, replace the egg in this vegan cookie recipe. I like to make my own by blending 1-2 cups of whole flax seeds in a blender. I then store it in the refrigerator for my next baking recipes.
- Non-dairy milk of choice: I use unsweetened soy milk. Almond milk or (gluten-free certified) oat milk would work, too.
- Vanilla extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Gluten-free oat flour: It's a great alternative to all-purpose flour and provides nice crispy edges. Feel free to make your own oat flour by blending gluten-free in a blender if you don't have oat flour. It's usually cheaper too and works great in a Nutribullet.
- Almond flour: It provides that soft and gooey center. I've successfully made these cookies with white almond meal or brown almond flour (ground almonds with their skin). You can even use ground almonds run through a blender and sifted through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies a gentle rise.
- Salt: Adding it to the batter really makes a difference in enhancing the flavors. If you like salt on top of your cookies, feel free to add a sprinkle. I love French fleur de sel to sprinkle on top.
- Vegan chocolate chips: I personally prefer the chocolate pools created by a roughly chopped chocolate bar. My favorite is 70% dark chocolate, which is not too sweet, and not too bitter.
Elo's tips
- Vegan butter: The butter you use can make a huge difference in spreading. As mentionned aove, I've had great results with Solo Gourmet or (refined) coconut oil. If you're successfully making this recipe with another vegan butter brand, please share it in the comments with us.
- Vegan butter temperature: You really want to let the butter cool to room temperature before adding it to the cookie batter. Warm vegan butter will completely offset the texture of the cookies–especially since this is a no-chill recipe. To help it cool more quickly, you can transfer the melted butter to a cold bowl.
- Dark brown sugar: You can easily make your own by mixing 1 cup of crystallized white sugar (200 g) with 2 tablespoons of molasses. Combine with your hands or a spatula until there are no lumps and the sugar has the consistency of wet sand.
- Flatten the cookies: During the recipe testing process, my cookies didn't always spread well. I've found that pressing the cookie dough balls into disks with damp hands (to prevent the batter from sticking) makes sure they spread and rise evenly.
Step-by-step instructions
STEP 1: Melt the butter. Let it come to room temperature.
STEP 2: Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. No need to make a flax egg, you can add the ground flaxseeds straight to the bowl.
STEP 3: Stir in the dry ingredients. The best part about this recipe is that you can make it in one bowl. Add the gluten-free oat flour, almond flour, and baking soda to the wet ingredients and stir with a sptula.
STEP 4: Stir in the dark chocolate chips or roughly chopped chocolate bar.
STEP 5: Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. I like to use a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop) to do so. Make sure to leave enough space between the cookies as they will spread. I add 5-6 balls of dough per baking sheet and use 2 in total. Press them flat with your hands.
STEP 6: Bake the cookies for 10-12. minutes until they have spread and turned golden. Sprinkle with sea salt or fleur de sel. Let them cool to set before transferring them to a container or they might break.
Storage tips
Storage: If they last more than a day (which they usually don't at my house), I recommend storing these vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. They will stay fresh for 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the cookie into 1-inch (2,5 cm) thick disks for up to 3 months. Simply flatten the cookie dough balls with your hands before placing them in a zip bag. Make sure to press out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Once ready to bake, pop them in the oven at 350°F (180°C) without defrosting them.
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The recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Chill)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 g) vegan block butter see notes
- ¾ cup (110 g) dark brown sugar see notes if you're in Europe
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons plant-based milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour
- 1 cup (110 g) gluten-free oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (80 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Butter. Melt the vegan butter in the microwave at 20-second increments or in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter starts to melt, remove it from the heat and stir until it is fully melted. Let it cool until lukewarm (this is very important to obtain the right texture).
Wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground flax seeds, plant-based milk, and vanilla. Stir in the melted and cooled vegan butter.
Dry ingredients. Add in the almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
Cookies. Scoop out 12 balls of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or form balls with your hands. Press them flat into a thick disk with a slightly wet hand. Make sure to leave enough space between the cookie dough balls as they spread a little while baking.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. When you take out the baking sheet, tap it several times against the counter to flatten the cookies. Let them cool completely.
Notes
- Vegan butter: Make sure to use plant-based block butter and not a vegan spread. I'm based in Europe and have had great results with Solo Gourmet (based on palm and sunflower oil). If you're successfully making this recipe with another vegan butter brand, please share it in the comments with us. Thank you so much!
- Brown sugar: If you're based in Europe, dark brown sugar does not refer to unrefined cane sugar. It refers to a slightly wet, dark brown sugar with a higher molasses content. It's often called "cassonade" in Belgium and Canada, and "vergeoise" in France. You can easily make your own by mixing 1 cup of crystallized white sugar (200 g) with 2 tablespoons of molasses. Combine with your hands or a spatula until there are no lumps and the sugar has the consistency of wet sand.
Nutrition
Equipment
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Best cookies on earth
They truly are, aren't they?😄