Our family favourite Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with rich dark chocolate brownie fudgy flavours. A batch of these cookies rarely last a day in our house and your guests will never guess that they are 100% vegan. A couple of home baked chocolate cookies and a glass of chilled oat milk is a tasty snack to leave out for Father Christmas along with the reindeers carrots.

These egg and dairy-free chocolate cookies are chunky, firm with crispy edges, and have a soft chewy crumb. If eaten warm soon after baking the chocolate chips are melty and delicious. Chocolate cookies are always firm favourites at parties, picnics, pack-lunches, afternoon or morning tea, buffets, pot-lucks, church fetes, bake sales and other fundraisers.
Jump to:
Origin of cookies
Cookies, somewhat similar to modern cookies, date back to at least the early 1700s, and were brought over to the American colonies by European settlers. The word cookie derives from the dutch word koekje which translates to mean little cake. Cookies were traditionally enjoyed on feast days and by the 1800s they were a popular treat to enjoy at New Years Eve and New Years Day, along with a cup of cherry cordial or juice.
Over in the UK, cookies are more commonly known under the general term of biscuits, which tend to be thinner and crispier in texture, however, we do tend to regard the larger, softer, chewier biscuits as cookies. Although, to confuse the situation further we do have a popular biscuit called Maryland cookies that are certainly not soft but are actually crisp and small more akin to a biscuit!
Also, biscuits date back even further than cookies as they have origins in the European middle ages. The word biscuit comes from the Latin panis biscotus which translates to bread twice cooked. For a medieval style biscuit do have a look at our Soul Cakes recipe post which is not actually a cake but a tasty biscuit dating back to medieval times!
For interesting information on the origin of chocolate chip cookies then do have a look at our Vegan Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
How to prepare
These double chocolate chip cookies are similar to old-fashioned homely chocolate chip cookies. They are prepared in one bowl and are quick to bake, and can be enjoyed warm soon after baking, once they have firmed up enough to pick up. For a special treat crumble up a warm just-baked cookie to a bowl of vegan ice-cream.

The ingredients you'll need to bake 11 delicious vegan chocolate cookies are - dark brown sugar, golden syrup, granulated sugar, margarine, plain flour, baking powder, instant coffee powder or granules, cocoa powder, plant-based milk, salt, a bar of vegan-friendly dark chocolate or chocolate chips. You will also need vanilla extract or essence but we forgot to add it to the photo above!
We often double the ingredients and prepare a double batch of chocolate cookies as sometimes a small batch of cookies is just not enough!
If required the plain flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour and the golden syrup can be replaced with maple syrup or a similar alternative.
Also, you can use any vegan-friendly or vegan chocolate you like. If using a bar or block of chocolate then do slice it up into smaller chunks.
We have baked many batches of these cookies as its our go-to chocolate cookie recipe as it never fails, and we have used chocolate drops as well as various flavours of vegan-friendly dark chocolate, dairy-free white chocolate, etc. A mixture of different chocolate types is especially nice.


Step 1: Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, margarine, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. With a mixing spoon or an electric hand whisk cream the ingredients together.
Step 2: Add the milk and golden syrup and whisk until combined.


Step 3: Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl on top of the creamed ingredients. Add the salt and coffee powder, and stir everything together using a mixing spoon into a cookie dough.


Step 4: Add the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and mix until they are just combined with the dough.
Step 5: Using an ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon scoop up the cookie dough and add them to a baking tray. You should get about 11 from this batch.


Step 6: Bake for 14 minutes and leave the cookies on the baking tray until they are firm enough to lift on to a cooling rack. Cool the cookies on the cooling rack.

Soon after baking but when cool enough to handle, the chocolate chips or chunks will still be melty and the cookies irresistibly gooey so if you like warm cookies then definitely have one warm. The next day the chocolate will have set firm.
Recipe notes
Storage
Double chocolate chip cookies can be stored somewhere cool and dry, within a cookie/biscuit jar/tub or food container, for 4-5 days. Or kept wrapped in greaseproof paper in the refrigerator for a few days longer.
Cookies will be fine frozen, wrapped in food-safe wrap or within an airtight container, for 3-4 months.
FAQ'S
Yes, you can bake our double chocolate chip cookies as gluten-free with a few considerations and changes to the ingredients. First, replace the plain flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Look for a blend that's designed to be a 1:1 substitution for regular flour. These blends typically contain a mix of rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, and sometimes xanthan gum, which helps to mimic the texture of gluten. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, consider adding a small amount - about ¼ teaspoon - to your recipe. Xanthan gum helps to bind the ingredients and improve the texture of the cookies.
Also, as gluten-free doughs can sometimes be more crumbly or sticky than their wheat-based dough, if your dough seems too dry, add a little more plant-based milk and if it's too sticky, add a little bit more flour. The dough should be able to be picked up with your hands without sticking too much.
You will also need to ensure that your baking powder is certified as gluten-free and check your cocoa powder and chocolate chips or bar just in case of any gluten ingredients.
Other considerations, is that gluten-free cookies may require a slightly different baking time so keep a close eye on them and look for the edges to firm up and the centers to set. Also, gluten-free cookies might have a slightly different texture than those made with regular flour as they can be a bit more fragile or crumbly, but they will still be delicious.
Gluten-free baking, especially converting wheat based recipes, can be a bit of an experiment, as different flour blends can behave differently. But don’t be discouraged if your first batch isn’t perfect as adjustments in moisture [such as the plant-based milk] or baking times might be needed and the 'failed' batch will still be very delicious and can be crumbled over desserts such as a bowl of vegan ice-cream!
Yes, you can definitely freeze the cookie dough for later and this is the perfect way to enjoy a warm just-baked cookie whenever you feel like it. It's also ideal if you don't need the whole batch all-at-once or won't be able to eat them all.
Here's a rough guide:
1. Make up your cookie dough as per the recipe instructions.
2. Use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon to portion out the dough into individual cookie sizes. This makes it easier to bake them directly from frozen.
3. Place the portioned dough balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure they’re not touching each other. Freeze them until they are firm, which usually takes about 1-2 hours.
4. Once the dough balls are firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Label the bag with the date so you can keep track of how long they’ve been in the freezer.
5. When you're ready to bake, you don't need to thaw the cookie dough. Preheat your oven as per the recipe, and place the frozen cookie dough balls on a baking tray. You will likely need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time since the dough is frozen.
6. The frozen cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for about 3-4 months. This gives you the flexibility to bake just a few cookies at a time or a full batch whenever you fancy.
Yes, our cookie recipe is a small-batch recipe as it prepares 10-11 cookies but each cookie is large and chunky. However, we have doubled up the recipe many times and baked 22 cookies, especially for our kid's school home-bake fundraising sales, and they are very popular and are guaranteed to sell out very quickly! So if you prefer a larger batch of cookies then simply double the ingredients.
Yes, the golden syrup can be easily substituted with brown rice syrup, date syrup, light molasses, agave syrup or maple syrup.
Coffee powder or coffee granules added to chocolate cookie dough intensifies the flavour of chocolate and gives a richer more complex taste. Although the flavour of actual coffee is not a prominent one rather it melds with the chocolate to create a subtle mocha flavour. So even if you are not a fan of coffee a little bit used in baking or even cooking can add a flavour boost so it is worth adding.
Yes, if preferred you can leave out the coffee powder and perhaps sub it for some vegan-friendly instant hot chocolate powder or chocolate milkshake powder. Alternatively, a vegan malt powder such as Horlicks vegan malted drink powder can be used and this will lend interesting malty flavours to the chocolate cookies.
Any type of instant coffee powder that is fine textured similar to flour or powdered sugar are great for cookie dough. An espresso instant coffee powder is the perfect choice.
Although, we do often use instant coffee granules for this cookie recipe and those work just fine added directly to the cookie dough.
However, do not use filtered fresh coffee powder the kind intended for using with a coffee filter, coffee peculator, coffee machine etc, as this type of coffee is not instant.
Some margarines depending on their ingredients [i.e. low fat] and temperature when mixing [i.e too cold] may split or curdle when mixed with other ingredients. When the different ingredients try to emulsify or blend together they may not be able to and so take on a curdled appearance. However, this does not mean that the bake is ruined as when flour or other dry ingredients are combined with the wet mixture, the cake or cookie mixture will often come together. Thankfully, the end bake is not affected by the ingredients splitting.
Dark chocolate is a type of chocolate that contains a higher proportion of cocoa solids and cocoa butter than milk chocolate, and it usually has less sugar. Unlike milk chocolate, dark chocolate doesn't contain any milk solids so this gives the chocolate a richer, more intense chocolate flavour, and a firmer texture.
The cocoa content in dark chocolate can vary greatly - typically ranging from 50% to over 90%. The higher the cocoa percentage, the less sweet and more bitter the chocolate will be.
Many dark chocolate brands, including supermarkets and stores own brands, may not be labelled vegan but still contain vegan-friendly ingredients. Some dairy ingredients to look out for include - milk fat, milk solids, butter oil or anhydrous milk fat, lactose, casein or whey.
Semi-sweet is a term more commonly used in the United States to describe a type of dark chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate typically contains around 40-60% cocoa solids and is a popular choice for baking such as chocolate chip cookies.
Outwith the US, chocolate with a similar cocoa content might simply be labeled as "dark chocolate" without the label of semi-sweet.
Yes, you can replace the dark or semi-sweet chocolate with any type of vegan or vegan-friendly dairy-free chocolate. We have used dark chocolate bars that are flavoured with mint, orange, raspberry, and salted Caramel - and just sliced those up into smaller pieces. We also like using dairy-free white chocolate.
One of our favourite cookie chocolate combinations was using a bar of Wicked Kitchen Salted Caramel chocolate and Tesco Free From White Choc Buttons to create vegan double chocolate salted caramel and white chocolate cookies.
Image below: A batch of home-baked vegan double chocolate salted caramel and white chocolate cookies cooling on a cooling rack. To see a photo of the insides of these cookies scroll down below the FAQ section!
Yes, there are different types of cocoa powder, and they vary mainly in their processing methods and flavour profiles.
1. Natural Cocoa Powder: This type is made from cocoa beans that are roasted, ground, and then processed to remove about three-quarters of their fat (cocoa butter). The resulting cocoa solids are then ground into a fine powder. Natural cocoa powder is acidic and has a rich chocolate flavour and lighter in colour compared to other cocoa powders such as Dutch-process cocoa. In recipes that call for bicarbonate of soda [baking soda], natural cocoa powder is often used, as the soda's alkalinity reacts with the cocoa's acidity to help with the leavening effect.
2. Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: Also known as alkalized cocoa, Dutch-process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. This process makes the cocoa powder darker, smoother, and more mellow in flavour. It's often used in recipes that call for baking powder, which doesn't require the acidity in natural cocoa powder to react. Dutch-process cocoa is sometimes preferred for its rich colour and smooth flavour in desserts that don't require a leavening reaction.
3. Black Cocoa Powder: This is a heavily Dutch-ed cocoa powder and is extremely dark but has a very mellow flavour, often compared to the taste of Oreo cookies. It's used in recipes where a deep, dark colour and a unique chocolate flavour is preferred.
Any type of cocoa powder that you can source from the baking aisle of your local supermarket or grocery store is fine for our chocolate cookies. We used Dr Oetker Fine dark cocoa powder which is prepared with 100% cocoa solids and is intended for baking.
Yes you can use cacao powder as a substitute for cocoa powder for our chocolate cookies but do keep in mind that cacao powder is less processed and so has a more intense, bitter flavour, so the cookies may be less sweet. It also contains more fat, which could slightly alter the texture of your cookies, possibly making them denser or fudgier.
Absolutely! Warm chocolate cookies are just the best treat especially during the holiday and festive seasons. Once the just-baked cookies have firmed up enough to be able to be picked up they can be eaten or perhaps crumble a hot chocolate cookie over a bowl of plant-based ice-cream. Baking your own batch of home-made chocolate cookies is a budget-friendly way to enjoy supermarket bakery cookies, deli cookies, or copy-cat Subway cookies at home.

Top tips for the best vegan double chocolate chip cookies
We have compiled a few top tips that we have used for baking our chocolate chip cookies to help you bake the ultimate chocolate chip cookies at home.
- Ensure ingredients like margarine and plant-based milk are at room temperature or at least removed from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before mixing. This helps them blend more evenly and helps avoid the mixture curdling or splitting. But don't worry if the mix does split [it has with us many times!] as the cookie dough will be just fine.
- Use any vegan-friendly chocolate that fits your budget as sometimes inexpensive supermarket own brands of chocolate is also vegan-friendly and bakes well.
- They say baking is a science, so accurate measurements are key. Using a digital scale does provide the most precise measurements especially for ingredients like flour and sugar so if you have one available do use it! And if you don't own one we do strongly recommend picking up an inexpensive scale.
- Don't over mix the cookie dough as it could lead to tough cookies. Just mix the ingredients until combined.
- Our cookie dough is a no-chill dough so it does not require time to chill in the refrigerator. However, if you are not baking right away you can store the baking tray with the cookie dough balls or the mixing bowl with the cookie dough, in the refrigerator for a short while.
- For even baking, place your cookies on the middle rack of the oven. If baking a larger batch of cookies that require multiple trays, you can rotate them halfway through the baking time. Alternatively, bake one tray at a time and just leave the second tray on the countertop as they will be fine waiting until the others have baked.
- A teaspoon of instant coffee powder can enhance the chocolate flavour without making the cookies taste like coffee - so do add it if you have it available.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set as they will continue to cook slightly and firm up after being removed from the oven. This is the key to a fudgy, chewy texture.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking or cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This lets them set and prevents them from breaking.
- Feel free to reduce some of the dark chocolate chips and add nuts, vegan white chocolate chips, or dried fruit to your dough to make the cookies your own.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, such as a glass cookie jar, to keep them fresh. If the cookies start to dry out, add a piece of fresh white bread to the container as the cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread.

Cookie recipe variation:
For this batch of our family favourite double chocolate chunk cookies we used a bar of vegan salted caramel chocolate and dairy-free white chocolate button, and the result was so delicious. Our recipe can be used as the foundation for many flavour combinations so do make the cookies your own and experiment with lots of different flavour pairings! It's so much better than purchasing expensive shop-bought or bakery cookies, and our chocolate cookies are an awesome copy-cat Subway option!
More vegan cookie recipes
For more useful cookie recipe notes and FAQs including the origin of chocolate chip cookies, what types of vegan chocolate, vegan margarine, and plant-based milk are best for chocolate cookies, then do check out our old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie recipe post.
For more easy egg and dairy-free traditional cookie recipes do have a look through our Vegan Cookies and Biscuits collection.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe

Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Baking tray [cookie sheet]
- Baking paper.
- Mixing bowl
- electric hand whisk or a mixing spoon
- sieve
- ice cream scoop [or a tablespoon]
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 90 grams margarine [we used Stork baking spread]
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 55 grams dark brown sugar [or light brown sugar]
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 185 grams plain flour [or all-purpose flour]
- 35 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt [we used sea salt]
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder [or coffee granules]
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup [or replace with maple syrup, brown rice syrup, date syrup, etc]
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk [such as soya or oat milk or your usual milk]
- 150 grams vegan dark chocolate chips [dark chocolate is also known as semi-sweet chocolate] [A chocolate bar sliced into small chunks can replace the chocolate chips or drops]
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 Fan / 180C / 356 Fahrenheit / Gas 4.
- Line the baking sheet with baking paper.
- Add the margarine, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Using a mixing spoon or an electric hand whisk cream the ingredients for a few minutes until thoroughly combined.90 grams margarine, 75 grams granulated sugar, 55 grams dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Next, add the golden syrup and plant-based milk and whisk or stir until combined.[If you use a mixing spoon the mixture may look split or curdled but this is fine and will fix itself once the dry ingredients are added. If using an electric hand whisk this is less likely to happen.]2 tablespoons golden syrup, 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
- Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl over the creamed ingredients. Add the coffee powder and salt.185 grams plain flour, 35 grams cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Stir all the ingredients together using a mixing spoon into a cookie dough. Mix until just combined as its important not to over mix as the cookie texture could end up tough.
- Add the chocolate chips or sliced up chocolate bar and incorporate into the cookie dough.150 grams vegan dark chocolate chips
- Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop up balls of cookie dough and place onto the baking tray leaving about 2-3 cm between each cookie. You can use your fingers or a small spoon to smooth the edges of each cookie if you preferred a neater look. The cookie dough will be enough to create 11 cookies. The balls of cookie dough do not need to be flattened as the cookies will spread a little during baking but will remain nice and chunky.
- Bake on the middle oven shelf for 14 minutes until firm but still soft on the inside. The cookies will firm up more as they cool.If using a fan oven check the cookies after 12 minutes to see how they are going as fan ovens tend to cook a few minutes quicker.
- Leave the cookies for at least 15 minutes on the baking tray or until they are firm enough to move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Of course warm cookies can also be enjoyed.
Notes
- Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Store the cookies within a cookie jar or air-tight food container for 4-5 days. Cookies will likely be fine to store for a few days longer.
- Cookies can be frozen for 3-4 months.
- If preferred the coffee powder can be omitted or replaced with vegan-friendly hot chocolate powder or vegan-friendly chocolate milkshake powder, or Horlick's vegan malt drink powder.
- For this cookie recipe we use a dark vegan-friendly chocolate but you can also mix it up and add some vegan white chocolate or vegan milk chocolate pieces. A mixture of different chocolates are particularly nice.
- Any vegan-friendly or vegan chocolate can be used for this recipe either a bar that has been sliced into smaller chunks or chocolate chips or drops. We have also used vegan-friendly flavoured chocolate such as - mint dark chocolate, orange dark chocolate, raspberry dark chocolate - and the cookies have been very delicious. Vegan chocolate covered peanuts such as those from Doisy & Dam [D & Ds] are also a great addition.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe. All comments and feedback very much appreciated. Thanks so much, Jacq x
Leave a Reply