The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (Seriously!)
September 13, 2026
These vegan chocolate chip cookies are rich, buttery, more incredible than any you've tried, vegan or not. Why? Browned butter and miso create a rich flavor that puts these cookies over the top, right into heavenly territory. Their soft middles and crisp edges will have you coming back for more over and over again!
What Makes These Chocolate Chip Cookies the Best (Actually)?
A few years ago, I tested nine of the most popular vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes on the internet. And while we came up with several good recipes, they were all missing something... they were lacking that buttery richness that makes a chocolate chip cookie great.
So I set out to bridge the gap and make a truly incredible vegan chocolate chip cookie. After much testing, this recipe is now my go-to.
Miso, brown butter, and brown sugar work together to create a rich flavor and a chewy texture with crisp edges that you will fall in love with. Enjoy them with a glass of non-dairy milk or top them with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce for an even more indulgent treat.
They’re the perfect classic cookie to add to your Christmas cookie platter. If you're leaving them for Santa, these cookies might just get you upgraded from the naughty list to the nice list.
This recipe isn't just the best for its taste. It's also super easy to make without any eggs or dairy. After you've browned the butter, you just need to combine your dry ingredients, whisk your wet ingredients, and mix the two together. Fold in your chocolate chips, chill, and bake. You don't need to make a flax egg or bring out your stand mixer for this one!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
homemade vegan butter: Make sure you use my homemade vegan butter recipe with cashews to ensure that your butter browns. Results may vary with store-bought vegan butters, but solids like cashews are what will brown when you heat the butter, so look for a product with cashews or another solid.
white miso paste: This enhances the rich flavor of these cookies even more; you can find white miso paste at an Asian grocery store or a health-food store like Whole Foods.
all-purpose flour: I recommend all-purpose flour for the best results; I haven't tested this recipe with alternate types of flour.
baking soda: This makes the cookies rise and creates a little bit of crackling on the top. Make sure your baking soda is fresh and still active.
vegan brown sugar: Using brown sugar makes these cookies chewy and soft with a rich flavor. I don't recommend substituting brown sugar with white sugar because white sugar seriously reduces the flavor and chewiness. In the US, look for organic sugar to ensure that it’s vegan.
non-dairy milk: You can really use any kind of plant milk you like in these cookies. I have used soy, almond, and oat milk with equally delicious results.
vanilla extract: I recommend real, pure vanilla extract, not imitation.
vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks: Use whatever shape or combination of shapes you like. Just check the label to make sure it's vegan (and I look for fair trade chocolate, too). Equal Exchange and Hu are both vegan and fair trade. Enjoy Life chocolate chips and chunks are certified vegan, and you'll also find that many chocolate chips aren't labeled vegan, but don't contain dairy ingredients (avoid milk fat or milk powder), like some Guittard chips, 365 Organic, Trader Joe's, or (in the US) Kirkland.
flaky sea salt: This is optional, but it tastes delicious with the contrasting sweet flavor of the cookies, and it makes the cookies look pretty, too.
Can You Actually Brown Vegan Butter?
Short answer: it depends. Many store-bought vegan butters can't be browned because they don't have solids that will brown. My homemade vegan butter recipe does brown quite nicely because it's made with cashews. If you want to use a store-bought version, I suggest you check the ingredients for cashews or other nuts that can be browned. However, since cashews are prone to burning, you'll want to use slightly lower heat than you would with dairy butter.
Can you make this recipe without browning the butter? Yes, this recipe absolutely works without browning the butter. But I highly recommend taking the extra time to brown and cool the butter, because the brown butter adds an incredible richness to the cookies.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
After cooling, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days (after that, their texture will be less than ideal). You can also freeze these cookies in a freezer bag or storage container, although that may also impact their texture.
If you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight bag or container for 3-4 days, then bake as usual (you may need to add an extra 1 minute to the baking time, since the dough will be colder).
You can also store the cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months and bake the cookies whenever you're ready. I recommend freezing them in balls so they'll defrost overnight in the fridge, then you can transfer them right onto your baking tray and bake. As with the refrigerated dough, you may need to bake for an extra minute.
More Incredible Vegan Sweet Treat Recipes
If you're making these chocolate chip cookies as part of a cookie platter, I have lots of delicious vegan cookie recipes for you to include. Try my chewy ginger cookies, matcha sugar cookies, or roll-out sugar cookies. You can also check out my collection of Christmas cookie recipes for more inspiration.
If you want some non-cookie sweets to add to your menu, here are some more ideas:
The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (Seriously!)
Yield12 cookies
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time1 hour, 30 minutes
Pin itIngredients
- 1/2 cup homemade vegan butter (made with cashews)
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (such as almond, soy, or oat)
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips and/or chocolate chunks
For Serving
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Add your vegan butter (a vegan butter that can be browned, like my homemade vegan butter) to a medium saucepan or pot and heat over low, stirring constantly. Don’t raise the heat too high, as cashews burn easily. After melting, the butter will first start to bubble, then foam, then as the foam reduces, solids will begin to brown at the bottom of the pan.
When the butter is golden-brown at the bottom with a small amount of foam on top (see photo for reference), turn off the heat and add the miso paste. Whisk to combine, then pour the mixture into a bowl or glass to cool off.
While your brown butter is cooling, prepare two baking trays with parchment paper.
After your butter has cooled, sift your flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, add your brown butter and miso, brown sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla, and whisk until it begins to lighten in color, as shown in the photos.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
Fold your chocolate chips or chunks into the cookie dough.
Roll your cookie dough into 12 balls (about 50 g. each), and place them onto your baking sheets.
Place the tray of cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Before the 30 minutes is up, start preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Bake the cookies for 12 to 13 minutes*, then set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, use a spatula to transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack to finish cooling. Finish with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes & Hints
I recommend switching to metric and weighing your flour in grams for the most accurate measurement. If you're measuring with cups, be sure to spoon the flour into the cup, then level it off with a knife; don't scoop the cup directly into the flour.
Bake for 12 minutes for chewier cookies, 13 for firmer cookies. Your baking time may vary depending on your oven and the baking sheet you use, so keep an eye on them and remove them when they start turning golden on top.
Nutrition Data
Serving Size 1/12 of recipe
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories 225 | Calories from Fat 99 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 11g | 14% | |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 35% | |
| Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 264mg | 11% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 28g | 9% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% | |
| Sugars 21g | ||
| Protein 2g | 4% | |
| Vitamin A 1mcg RAE | 0% | |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 0mcg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C 1mg | 1% | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium 1mg | 0% | |
| Iron 0mg | 0% | |
| Potassium 6mg | 0% | |
| Zinc 0mg | 0% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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