These old-fashioned chunky chocolate chip cookies have delicious crispy edges and tasty cake-soft chewy textures. Each cookie is packed with dark chocolate chips and sweet vanilla flavour.
These home-made vegan cookies are similar to the US Toll House chocolate chip cookies, as well as those yummy nostalgic chocolate cookies Grandma would have baked.
No eggs or butter are required for these irresistible chocolate chip cookies which are lovingly prepared with everyday pantry ingredients.

Quick origin of chocolate chip cookies
It is claimed that the first chocolate chip cookies date back to 1938 and were first baked by the cookbook author Ruth Wakefield, who also worked at the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts.
The menu at the Toll House already contained an option for a butterscotch chip cookie that was served with ice cream, and so Wakefield was looking for a tasty change. Butterscotch was replaced with a bar of broken up Nestle chocolate and the new cookie was a huge success.
The cookies were titled chocolate crunch cookies and were featured within Wakefield's 1938 edition of her recipe book Toll House Tried and True Recipes.
Wakefield eventually sold the rights to the chocolate chip cookie recipe to the food manufacturer Nestle. As payment Wakefield received $1 and a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate!
Soon after, Nestle began publishing the Toll House cookie recipe on the back of the packaging for Nestle chocolate chips or morsels.
Nowadays, there are many recipes and variations for the Toll House chocolate chip cookies, with some recipes adding nuts, different types of chocolate, and some cookies being more crisp or softer than others, with various degrees of thickness and thinness.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies
This recipe for chocolate chip cookies is more chunkier than the original Toll House cookie as I was going for a more cake-like soft texture while still retaining the crispy edges. Think of those chunky homely cookies that Grandma would have proudly baked with love for her family and friends.
Of course being vegan cookies, no eggs or butter is required yet neither are special egg replacers needed either. Just everyday pantry ingredients are the only essentials required for the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie: flour, baking powder, sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla, margarine, plant milk, dark chocolate chips, and golden syrup.
What is a good golden syrup alternative?
Golden syrup is a relatively inexpensive baking ingredient in the UK, but if your outwith the UK it may be found in British themed stores, the international food section of some food stores [e.g Walmart] either instore or their online store, or on Amazon.
Alternatively light molasses, rice or date syrup are good golden syrup substitutes.
Can I use maple syrup instead of golden syrup?
Maple syrup has a more intense flavour, is less sweet, and has a thinner texture compared to golden syrup and is possibly better at replacing golden syrup as a drizzle for pancakes and crepes, compared with baking.
However, it may be possible to use maple syrup as a golden syrup replacement for cookies, but it would be an experiment. I will update this post once I have tried the chocolate cookies with maple syrup.

How to prepare old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies
These vegan choc chip cookies are so easy to prepare and quick to bake.
Cookies can be enjoyed warm after allowing them a few minutes out of the oven to firm up!


First, cream the margarine, brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla together by beating with a mixing spoon for a few minutes.
The mixture may curdle but that doesn't matter and will fix itself after the flour is added.
Next whip through the golden syrup and milk.


Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Tip the flour mixture into the creamed margarine.
Also add the chocolate chips.
Mix everything together.


Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop up heaped spoonfuls of mixture and place on the lined baking trays.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until medium golden and firm to touch. Although cookies will firm up more once cooling.

After 10-15 minutes resting on the baking tray the cookies should be firm enough to remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Or enjoy tasty warm cookies.
Recipe notes
Storage
Chocolate chip cookies will store well within a cookie jar/tin/airtight tub for 5 days, possibly a few days longer. Cookies can be stored for longer if wrapped in kitchen foil or food wrap and placed into a food container and kept refrigerated.
Or freeze for up to 3-4 months. Cookies defrost very quickly at room temperature so are ideal to store within the freezer for when those unexpected visitors show up.
Cookies can be enjoyed warm or refreshed, by popping into in a warm oven for a few minutes. Or air-fry on a medium-high heat for a few minutes or until warmed through.
Any margarine designed for baking or cooking, that does not contain animal-based ingredients, is perfect for vegan cookies. Vegan butter is also fine as long as it states on the packaging that it can be used for baking or cooking.
Many supermarkets own brand of baking spread/margarine are also suitable for vegans and are less expensive, so can be a good choice as they usually work just as well compared to branded margarines.
Margarines or spreads that state 'lite' or 'reduced-fat' etc, are generally not that great for baking and cooking, as some of the fat may have been replaced with additional water or other ingredients.
Soya, oat, almond or rice milk are perfect choices for vegan cookies. It doesn't matter too much whether your milk is sweetened or unsweetened.
However, technically, any plant milk that you normally use can be added to vegan cookies, as the plant milk is simply a liquid that replaces the dairy milk.
Any chocolate chips, drops, buttons or morsels that are labelled vegan can be enjoyed on a vegan diet.
Although, some supermarket own-brand of chocolate chips may not be labelled vegan but still contain vegan-safe ingredients.
So, it is worth checking the labels as some chocolate that has the vegan label is likely to be much more expensive compared with unlabelled accidently vegan chocolate.
A product may be regarded as 'accidently vegan' if it contains no animal-based ingredients yet is not officially identified as vegan and it may/or may not have a vegetarian label. A company has to pay extra money for a vegan label so some prefer not to have the added expense or they may not wish to identify there product as dairy free in case of issues with consumers allergies, etc.
Also, if vegan chocolate chips are too expensive a cheaper bar of dark chocolate [either labelled vegan or accidently vegan] can just be broken into even size pieces and used instead of chocolate drops. The end result will be just as good.
When looking for 'accidently vegan' chocolate in the supermarket or food stores, look out for these ingredients that indicate the chocolate has animal ingredients:
* whey powder
* milk solids
* milk powder
* milk fat
* anything stating as from or derivative of *dairy* or *milk*
* lecithin [that derives from animal products] [although soy lecithin is vegan]
* lactose
* goat or sheep milk
**This is not an exhaustive list and there are likely other animal based ingredients that are found in chocolate that are not listed here**
**This list is not exhaustive and other vegan-friendly ingredients not listed here are likely to be discovered in chocolate**
Some accidently vegan chocolate may state 'may also contain milk' which is generally an allergy disclaimer, as the product was prepared in a factory where milk products are also being manufactured so cross-contamination may occur. Unless dairy allergies are an issue then the chocolate can generally be deemed safe for vegans.
* soy lecithin [emulsifier]
* cocoa butter
* cocoa mass
* cocoa solids
* fat-reduced cocoa powder
* raw cacao butter
* raw cacao powder
* cacao nibs
* essential oils such as orange or mint
* maltodextrin
In some countries, such as the US, some sugar products are refined using bone char which is obtained from ground cattle bones, so is not regarded as vegan.
Although in the UK, most of the sugar brands do not use bone char so most UK sugar varieties can be regarded as fine for vegan diets. Brands such as Tate and Lyle, Silver Spoon and Billington's different types of sugar are all vegan.
However, some icing sugar or Royal icing sugar may contain eggs so do check the packaging. For a vegan icing [powdered] sugar try Tate and Lyle icing sugar.
If your from the US or outwith the UK, and are concerned about bone char in sugar, then it is best to check with the the sugar manufacturers to see if they use bone char in the sugar refining process.
Or source organic sugar products which are not processed using bone char. Also coconut and beet sugar do not use bone char.
For more information check out peta.org Is sugar vegan post for a list of US sugar manufacturers that do not use bone char.
If for some unknown reason you would like some creative ideas on what to do with some leftover chocolate chip cookies, although this is an unheard of concept for most families, then here is a few ideas:
* the original Toll House cookie recipe was intended to be crumbled over ice cream, so an easy yet delicious dessert would be a scoop of vegan ice cream with a sprinkle of broken chocolate chip cookie chunks or mix the cookie pieces through the ice cream
* add some choc chip cookies to a home-made vegan milkshake and blend, use a little extra crumbled cookies as a topping
* make home-made choc chip cookie truffles:
First, squash the cookies together back into a dough, use a food processor or crush with a rolling pin or tin can. Although, these cookies are moist enough so it should be easy enough to squash back into a dough using just use your hands.
Mix through a little vegan cream cheese just enough to make everything stick together, and easily roll up into cookie balls. The cream cheese is not essential and the cookie dough balls will be just as good without this addition.
Dust the cookie dough balls in cocoa powder or icing [confectioner's sugar]. Or first dip the cookie balls into melted chocolate and then cover in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or desiccated coconut. Pop into the refrigerator to set. These little tasty make-shift truffles would be great for a party or movie night.
* use a food processor to turn the cookies into small crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the frosting of any cakes, cupcakes or buns that need decorated. Or add to vegan ice-cream, yogurt, etc.
* making chocolate brownies? once the batter is in the baking pan push in pieces of broken cookies all over the surface, the brownie will cook and the cookies will meld into the gooey brownie and be delicious
* some desserts such as cheesecakes and those with biscuit/cookie pie crusts etc, use crushed cookies, [or biscuits if your in the UK e.g digestive biscuits] so perhaps use crumbed chocolate chip cookies instead for the recipe
* add chunks of broken cookies to a refrigerator cake bake or chocolate bark

More old-fashioned tasty vegan baking
Old-fashioned Golden Syrup Loaf
Old school dinners jam and coconut sponge
Recipe

Old-Fashioned Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheets/baking trays lined with baking parchment
- small ice cream scoop or tablespoon
- Mixing bowls
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 90 grams vegan margarine
- 75 grams granulated sugar [or caster sugar]
- 55 grams dark brown sugar [or light brown sugar]
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 tablespoon golden syrup
- 2 tablespoon soya milk [or oat milk or your usual milk]
- 225 grams plain flour [all-purpose flour]
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 150 grams dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 Fan/ 180C/ 356 Fahrenheit/ Gas 4.
- Line the cookie sheets with parchment or baking paper.
- Add the margarine, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whip until well combined with a mixing spoon. This should take a few minutes of brisk mixing. [a hand mixer can be used if necessary]90 grams vegan margarine, 75 grams granulated sugar, 55 grams dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Add the golden syrup and milk and give it all a good mix.2 tablespoon golden syrup, 2 tablespoon soya milk
- The mixture may look curdled or split but it will be fine and will fix once the flour is added.
- In a separate bowl stir the flour, baking powder and salt together.225 grams plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Add the flour mix to the margarine mixture, along with the chocolate chips.150 grams dark chocolate chips
- Stir just until combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon scoop up some heaped cookie dough and place onto the baking tray in mounds. Leave about 2-3cm between each cookie.[for large chunky cookies each scoop will weigh around 55-60 grams and the dough should be enough for 10-11 cookies].[There is no need to press the cookie dough down as chunky is what we're going for, so if there is some dough left share it out by just topping the cookies with a little extra dough]
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden.If using a fan oven check the cookies at the 11-12 minutes mark as fan ovens tend to bake a few minutes faster.My cookies were ready between the 13-14 minute mark using an electric oven [180C].
- Leave to cool on the baking sheets until the cookies are firm enough to remove [about 10-15 minutes] and place onto a wire rack or similar to cool completely. Or enjoy a warm cheeky cookie as bakers prerogative!
Notes
- Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients can vary.
- Store chocolate chip cookies within a cake or biscuit tub, tin or jar, for around 5 days.
- Choc chip cookies can last for a few more days if wrapped in greaseproof paper or kitchen foil and stored within the refrigerator.
- If left too long and the cookies have gone a little stale, just refresh in the oven or an air-fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Perhaps enjoy the warmed cookies crumbled over a scoop of vegan ice-cream. Or blend with vegan chocolate milk for a chocolate cookie milkshake.
- Cookies can be frozen for up to 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Baked these tasty old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies?
We would love to know how you got on. All comments very much appreciated.
Sharing a photo on social media?
Tag us in using #traditionalplantbasedcooking or @traditionalplantbasedcooking
So we can admire your great baking!
Thanks so much, Jacq x
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