Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These dairy free chocolate chip cookies taste like the buttery classic, with a thick and chewy texture and a crisp exterior, but we use vegan butter in place of dairy butter. This non dairy cookie recipe makes cookies that are so chewy, buttery, chocolatey, and gooey, that even your dairy-loving friends and family won't know the difference!

Since my husband is lactose intolerant and he loves chocolate chip cookies, this dairy free chocolate chip cookie recipe is requested frequently in our household. I tested several dairy free cookie recipes, and this one produced the best buttery flavor and chewy texture.

In fact, we prefer these over regular chocolate chip cookies! These easy homemade cookies are thick and chewy, with pockets of gooey, melted chocolate and a crisp exterior.

If you need vegan and gluten-free options, I've got easy substitutions for you below.

For more dairy-free cookie recipes, try my chocolate coconut macaroons, no butter brownies, and black bean chocolate cookies.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why These No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the Best
• 🧈 About Dairy Free Baking
• 🥚 Ingredient Notes
• 🥜 Cookie Variations and Substitutions
• 🔪 How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Butter
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍪 More Dairy Free Cookie Recipes
• Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

⭐️ Why These No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the Best

• Butter free chocolate chip cookies with a thick and chewy texture, crisp exterior, and loaded with gooey chocolate chips
• Quick and easy non dairy cookies with simple ingredients
• Make ahead/bake later instructions provided
• Tastes like a delicious classic buttery and gooey chocolate chip cookie but non-dairy
• Vegan and gluten-free options provided
• Freezer-friendly recipe

🧈 About Dairy Free Baking

When making dairy free cookies, both the butter and chocolate chips need to be substituted for dairy free ingredients in order to achieve the perfect cookie texture and flavor.

Because we're using vegan butter, we can easily swap equal parts butter for vegan butter for excellent results. You can also use (refined) coconut oil, but the texture will be different.

Dairy free chocolate chips are easily found in the grocery store (near the other chocolate chips) or online. In general, chocolate chips that are 60% cacao or higher are usually dairy free, but I recommend checking the ingredients list.

🥚 Ingredient Notes

• Vegan butter - I use the Earth Balance brand and find that it tastes very similar to real butter. You can find it in the butter section of your local grocery store. This brand of vegan butter includes salt, but if your brand doesn't contain salt, you might want to add a bit more salt, or add a pinch of flaky sea salt to cookies before baking.
• Eggs - Make sure to use room-temperature eggs. When eggs are room temperature they are easier to beat, which creates light and airy cookies. This is good! If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes and this will do the trick.
• Brown sugar - We use more brown sugar than granulated sugar in this recipe because it lends a deep molasses flavor and chewiness to our cookies.
• Vanilla extract - Adds deeper and richer flavor.
• Salt - If your vegan butter doesn't contain salt, you may need to add a bit more salt to your cookie dough.
• Dairy-free chocolate chips - You can find several brands of dark chocolate chips or chunks that are dairy-free in the grocery store these days, but I like Guittard's 60% chocolate chips the best.

🥜 Cookie Variations and Substitutions

• Make vegan cookies: Substitute the eggs with ½ cup unsweetened applesauce. Or, use flax eggs. To make flax eggs: mix together 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed and 6 tablespoons of water for the equivalent of two eggs. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, until mixture becomes gelatinous.
• Make gluten-free: You should be able to substitute your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend using a 1:1 ratio, but I have not recipe tested this. Substituting almond flour is always a little trickier, as it contains moisture, so the ratio of substitution will be different. Let me know if you give it a try!
• Use whole-wheat flour: Substitute up to ⅓ of flour with whole-wheat (substituting any more than this will produce dry cookies).
• Coconut oil. Substitute vegan butter with coconut oil. Make sure to use refined coconut oil for no coconut flavor.
• Make dairy free chocolate chip cookie bars: After chilling your dough, spread it into a parchment-lined 9"x13" baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 15-20 minutes, until the edges become a light golden brown. Let bars cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack by lifting parchment paper out of pan.
• Add mix-ins: Stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts, M&M's, mini-marshmallows, or your favorite candy when you mix in the chocolate chips for a fun variation.

🔪 How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Butter

*See recipe card below for printable instructions

Cream butter and sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add vegan butter, sugars, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined, 2-3 minutes. Turn off mixer, scrape down sides of bowl, and mix again for 2 minutes. Mixture should be light and fluffy.

Incorporate eggs: Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for an additional 2 minutes until well incorporated.

Add dry ingredients: Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until flour is almost absorbed.

Add chocolate chips: Remove bowl from stand mixer and use a rubber spatula to mix in chocolate chips by hand.

Chill dough: Cover bowl and chill dough mixture for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Prep and bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, place 1 tablespoon-sized balls onto baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges become a light golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• How to freeze: After completely cooled, place lactose free cookies in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
• Make ahead instructions: You can either refrigerate cookie dough for up to 48 hours before baking OR place cookie dough balls in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
• Don't overbake. When in doubt, it's better to underbake cookies. Take them out of the oven after 10-12 minutes, even if they look underbaked. They will continue to cook on the baking sheet after being removed from the oven.
• Use room-temperature eggs. This creates light and airy cookies. If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes and this will do the trick.
• Chill that dough. You might be tempted to skip this step, but I strongly recommend that you don't. 🙂 Chilling your dough before baking helps to solidify the fats and allows them to be absorbed into the flour, resulting in cookies with a thicker and chewier texture.
• Use a cookie scoop. If you want cookies that are all the same size, a cookie scoop is a great tool to use!

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍪 More Dairy Free Cookie Recipes

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