Dairy free chocolate chip cookies - chewy and delicious! If you want one of the best dairy free cookie recipes, you’re in the right place!
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And for more dairy free goodness, try my Dairy Free Banana Bread, my Almond Lemon Cookies, and my Vegan Couscous Salad with Charred Corn!
Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - Chewy with Crisp Edges!
If you want a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies without the dairy, these dairy free cookies are calling your name! They're a simple and yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe, soft and chewy in the center with a nice crispness on the edges. And this fantastic lactose free cookies recipe contains no dairy in the butter or chocolate chips!
Jump to:
- Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - Chewy with Crisp Edges!
- What is a substitute for butter in chocolate chip cookies?
- Do chocolate chips have dairy products in them?
- Dairy Free Chocolate Cookies Ingredients
- Equipment
- Tips and F.A.Q.
- More Dairy Free Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies -Chewy and Buttery!
- 💬 Comments
What is a substitute for butter in chocolate chip cookies?
Many of the best dairy free cookies recipes are made with coconut oil, but I think you'll love these if you want more of that buttery flavor! For these chocolate chip cookies, we're using vegan butter or butter-flavored shortening!
They are both made from vegetable oil, and they're both an ingredient that is easy to find in your local market. Plus, you won't miss out on any of that yummy buttery goodness!
Do chocolate chips have dairy products in them?
Yes, typically chocolate chips are made with milk fat, butter fat, or other types of dairy products. The key to making these dairy free chocolate cookies is to use dairy free chocolate chips! I've tried Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and Nestlé Tollhouse Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips and both worked great!
Dairy Free Chocolate Cookies Ingredients
- melted vegan butter - I like Earth Balance Organic vegan butter, or you can also use butter-flavored shortening. I haven't tried these dairy free chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil, so let me know if you try that instead!
- light brown sugar - I love the rich flavor of brown sugar in these dairy free cookies! Or if you just realized you're out of brown sugar, check out my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar!
- egg - make sure your egg is room temperature so that the dough bakes evenly.
- pure vanilla extract - make sure you use a good-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
- all-purpose flour - (measured by weight or fluffed using the spoon-and-level method)
- cornstarch - cornstarch is a secret ingredient for soft, thick cookies, and helps to keep these dairy free chocolate chip cookies chewy!
- baking soda - reacts to the acid in the brown sugar to give just enough lift to this recipe!
- salt - adding a bit of salt helps to bring out the flavors.
- dairy-free chocolate chips - I like using Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips -- you can use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
- flaky sea salt - this is optional, but I always like to top chocolate chip cookies with a little flaky sea salt to balance out the sweetness.
Equipment
To make these dairy free cookies, you'll want to grab a kitchen scale to help you measure your flour with perfect accuracy to get that chewy, gooey texture that you like. Also, an oven thermometer will help to correct any temperature disparities to make sure that your cookies bake perfectly. And a #30 cookie scoop helps to measure out your cookies to the exact size you'll need. You'll also want to grab a large baking sheet -- I use the Nordicware Baker's Big Sheet lined with a Silpat ¾ sheet liner.
Tips and F.A.Q.
The Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips that I like to use contain dried cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and dairy-free cocoa butter.
The regular Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips are made with milkfat, so they're not dairy free. But you can use Nestlé Tollhouse Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips in these dairy free chocolate chip cookies with great results!
Absolutely! I like to use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer for an easy substitute for eggs. Or you can make a flax egg and add that in to replace the egg!
I've got some of the best dairy free cookie recipes for you! Try my Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Banana and Cacao, my Almond Lemon Cookies, or my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies!
And for more ideas, check out my roundup up the 30+ Best Gluten Free Dairy Free Cookies!
If you like this recipe, you'll love my Lemon Lavender Cookies and my Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies! Or check out my Lemon Blueberry Cookies for an easy cake mix recipe bursting with fresh berries!
And if you love mix-ins, check out my Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Kitchen Sink Cookies! Or, for LOTS of cookie ideas, check out my roundup of the Best Cookies for a Cookie Exchange!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Dairy Free Recipes You'll Love
- Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Peanut Noodle Salad
- Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte (Starbucks Copycat)
- Pumpkin Nice Cream
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cup (167 g) all purpose flour - measured by weight or fluffed using the spoon-and-level method
- 2 teaspoon (4 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 8 tablespoon (112 g) vegan butter - melted (or butter-flavored shortening)
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar - packed
- 1 large egg - room temperature (see below for vegan substitution)
- 1½ teaspoon (7 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237 g) dairy-free chocolate chips - semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- flaky sea salt - for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
- Fold in dry ingredients gradually until dough comes together and is well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- Use a small cookie scoop to place scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, or until tops of cookies are set and edges are golden brown. For soft cookies, be sure not to overbake.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on September 27, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Noam says
My family loved this!
Chenée Lewis says
Yay! I'm so glad.
Ellen Murray says
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Since being diagnosed with alpha gal (no mammal=not butter) I have been searching for the perfect recipe...and I have found it!!!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂
Ashley says
Amazing!!!!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you!!
Chelsea says
I’ve been dairy free since January and haven’t given homemade cookies a try purely out of fear that they wouldn’t stand up the the real thing. I’ve already made this recipe twice and they are delicious!!
I am wanting to make a cookie cake for my father in law’s upcoming birthday. Any advice on turning this recipe into a cookie cake? Thanks in advance!
Chenée Lewis says
Hi Chelsea! I would use my Christmas Cookie Cake recipe and swap in vegan butter and dairy free chocolate chips the way you did with these dairy free cookies 🙂
Mila says
These cookies were fantastic, so chewy and delicious! I brought them to an open house, and no one could guess they were dairy-free.
Chenée Lewis says
That's awesome Mila! Thank you for giving them a try.
Tara says
I absolutely love how these came out!! I made them Monday night, I was wondering how long a shelf life they have? Thank you in advance 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
I would say they would last about 3 days at room temperature or 4 in the fridge 🙂
Elizabeth says
I love how you put the measurements in the instructions. That’s always on of the worst parts, having to scroll pack to the ingredients list to find the amount needed. I look forward to trying this recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks! I always find that helpful too!
Emily says
These cookies have me swooning, they are chewy, chocolatey, and delicious! Our children are going to be surprised to find these goodies tucked in their lunchbox at school!
Chenée Lewis says
Lucky kiddos! So glad you like them 😊
Zak says
Chenee we have been making these cookies for two years it is our go to delicious treat. Thank you so much
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you so much 🙂
Gabrielle says
Love how the ingredients are under the instructions! Amazing! Best cookies ever! We have a dairy and soy combo allergy and these are perfect for him! Allows him to participate in dessert time with success!
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful!! I'm so glad you all liked them!
MaryAnn says
Would the directions change if we substituted coconut sugar for the light brown sugar?
Chenée Lewis says
No they should be the same! 🙂
Lauren says
can i use canola oil instead of the butter? thanks
Chenée Lewis says
I haven't tried this recipe with canola oil, but I imagine it would work 🙂
Vanessa says
These cookies are amazing! You would never guess they’re dairy free. I followed the recipe exactly except didn’t melt the butter and refrigerated the dough between batches to prevent them from spreading and they turned out perfect!
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you liked them! Thanks!
Beverly says
I've made these twice now and they were delicious both times -- I'm so happy to have a dairy-free option for chocolate chip cookies. The first time I made them, they spread out quite a bit so the second time I didn't melt the butter and they held together better.
Chenée Lewis says
Awesome! I'm so glad they worked out for you!
Carrie Robinson says
These chocolate chip cookies look perfect! 🙂 Wish I had a batch of them in front of me right now.
Katey Wiseman says
Hands down best dairy free cookie I’ve ever tasted. I used plant butter and the chocolate chips recommend in the recipe, and you would not even GUESS it’s dairy free. My whole family (even the non lactose intolerant members) adore them.
Chenée Lewis says
This made my day! I love these cookies too!
Gianne says
The texture is perfect - soft and chewy on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. The chocolate chips melt in your mouth. I can't believe they're dairy-free! 10/10!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm so glad you like the cookies!
Nathan says
This is an incredible chocolate chip cookie recipe! You wouldn't even know it's dairy free either. My new go-to for sure!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it.