25+ Vegan Cookie Recipes

Over 25 of the best vegan cookie recipes, all gluten-free and refined sugar-free too! From classic chocolate chip to soft gingerbread and fruity thumbprints, there are vegan cookies here for every season and every craving.

It is always cookie season around here, and these vegan cookie recipes prove you do not need eggs, dairy, or refined sugar to make truly exceptional cookies. Every recipe on this list is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and sweetened with coconut sugar or maple syrup. Most are also paleo-friendly, making them a great fit for a wide range of dietary needs.

The key to great vegan cookies is knowing a few simple swaps that work every time. A flax egg replaces a regular egg in virtually any cookie recipe, coconut oil or vegan butter stands in for dairy butter, and coconut sugar swaps 1:1 for white sugar with a richer, more caramel-like flavor. Once you know these, the whole world of vegan baking opens up.

If you want to explore further, the Refined Sugar-Free Cookie Recipes roundup has even more options, and the Gluten-Free Cookies roundup covers the full collection.

Tips for the best vegan cookies

Make a flax egg. Combine 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 2.5 tablespoons of water, whisk, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened and gel-like. This is the most reliable egg replacement for cookies and works in every recipe on this list.

Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop gives you perfectly even cookies every time, which means they bake evenly, too. A medium scoop works well for most recipes.

Chill the dough. Even just an hour in the fridge improves both the flavor and the texture of most cookie doughs. If you have time, it is almost always worth it.

Do not overbake. Vegan cookies, especially those made with coconut oil, can go from perfect to overdone quickly. Pull them when the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool.

Use parchment paper to line your baking sheet. This will make clean up a breeze!

Use quality chocolate. For any recipe with chocolate chips or chunks, use a good quality dairy-free dark chocolate. Chopped chocolate bars melt better than chips and give you those gooey puddles of chocolate that make a cookie truly great.