Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy dairy-free chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges, soft centers, dairy-free butter, and plenty of dairy-free chocolate. A short chill keeps them thick and helps the flavor settle before baking.
Recipe by Non Dairy Dude
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cupDairy-free butter sticks, softened but still cool
- ¾ cupLight brown sugar, packed
- ½ cupGranulated sugar
- 1 largeLarge egg
- 1 largeLarge egg yolk
- 2 tspVanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2¼ cupsAll-purpose flour
- 1 tspCornstarch
- 1 tspBaking soda
- ¾ tspFine salt
Mix-Ins
- 1½ cupsDairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Finish
- ½ tspFlaky salt, optional
Instructions
- 1
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and fine salt.
- 2
In a large bowl, beat the dairy-free butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy and a little lighter. The butter should be soft enough to mix but not melty or greasy.
- 3
Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- 4
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed or fold with a spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
- 5
Fold in the dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. If the dough feels very soft, let it sit for 5 minutes before scooping so the flour can absorb some moisture.
- 6
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and place on the lined baking sheets. Chill the scooped dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours if you want deeper flavor.
- 7
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 F. Arrange chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- 8
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look a little soft.
- 9
If desired, sprinkle with flaky salt as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack.
- 10
Serve warm or cool completely and store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Dairy Substitutions Used
Classic chocolate chip cookies usually rely on butter and milk-containing chocolate. This recipe uses dairy-free butter sticks for structure and flavor, plus dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate. Eggs stay in the recipe because these cookies only need to be dairy-free, and the extra yolk helps replace some of the richness that dairy butter would normally bring.
Tips & Variations
Use dairy-free butter sticks: Tub spreads are often softer and wetter, which can make cookies spread too much. Sticks usually behave more like traditional butter.
Keep the butter cool-soft: It should dent when pressed but should not look shiny or melted. Too-warm dairy-free butter makes greasy dough and flatter cookies.
Chill the scooped dough: Thirty minutes makes a real difference with dairy-free butter. It reduces spread, improves chew, and gives the flour time to hydrate.
Check the chocolate label: Many dark and semi-sweet chocolates are dairy-free, but some contain milk fat, butter oil, whey, or shared-line warnings. Choose what fits your needs.
Chopped chocolate gives puddles: Dairy-free chips are convenient, but chopped dark chocolate melts into larger pockets and makes the cookies feel more bakery-style.
Pull them while the centers look soft: The cookies finish setting on the hot baking sheet. Fully set centers in the oven can mean dry cookies after cooling.
For rounder cookies: As soon as they come out of the oven, use a large round cutter or glass to gently scoot the edges into a round shape.
Make-ahead: Freeze scooped dough balls until firm, then store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350 F, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Flavor variations: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, swap some chocolate for dairy-free white chocolate, or add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
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