These dairy free chocolate chip cookies have golden edges and a soft chewy center! They have the perfect texture and taste like a classic chocolate chip cookie. The edges are slightly chewy and golden. The middle is soft and gooey. These cookies are truly the best easy dairy free cookies ever!

Dairy free chocolate chip cookies.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • These dairy free chocolate chip cookies are incredibly soft and chewy.
  • These one bowl cookies are easy and straightforward.
  • The crispy edges are complemented by the warm soft center.
  • These chocolate chip cookies without butter are completely dairy free!
  • They are bursting with dairy free dark chocolate chips.
  • These allergy friendly chocolate chip cookies work for many diets and lifestyles.
  • In addition, these dairy free cookies are gluten free, soy free, and nut free!
  • They are milk free and can also be made egg free.
  • For a Paleo version, check out these Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the ingredients and substitutions for these dairy free chocolate chip cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full recipe.

Coconut oil is used to keep these cookies dairy free. Use room temperature (slightly softened) coconut oil for best results. For no coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil. This is a great substitute for butter in cookies.

Both brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten this recipe. Coconut sugar can replace the brown sugar if desired.

Vanilla extract takes cookies from good to great. No substitutions here!

Eggs help these cookies stay together. To make egg free dairy free cookies, replace the 2 eggs with a total of ½ cup unsweetened applesauce. Check out these Eggless Cookies for more egg free baking.

For flour, use gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. Both work well.

A teaspoon of baking soda acts as the leavening agent. I do not recommend using baking powder in its place.

A little bit of sea salt goes a long way! Trust me on this one.

The dairy free dark chocolate chips are insanely delicious. I recommend Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips since they melt well and taste great.

If desired, omit the chocolate chips to make cookies without chocolate chips.

Dairy free cookies with chocolate chips.

Dairy Free Baking

Classic chocolate chip cookies utilize both butter and chocolate chips, which both contain dairy. These cookies use coconut oil in place of butter and dairy free chocolate chips.

Dairy free baking can be challenging since butter is out of the question. Butter acts as a baking fat when added to baked goods. Coconut oil is a great replacement! It is a heart healthy fat and acts very similarly to butter when baked.

Similarly to butter, the texture and state of the coconut oil is important. For these dairy free chocolate chip cookies, use room temperature coconut oil for best results. It should be slightly soft, but nowhere near melted.

How to Make

Step 1

First, beat together coconut oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.

Cookie dough in bowl.

Step 2

Add in eggs and beat until creamy.

Dairy free cookie dough in bowl.

Step 3

Then, add in gluten free flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix until combined.

Dough in bowl.

Step 4

Fold in dairy free chocolate chips. Next, refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.

Cookie dough in bowl.

Step 5

When it’s time to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 6

Use cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto lined baking pan. Then, place balls of dough at least 3 inches apart since these cookies spread.

Cookie dough balls on sheet.

Step 7

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden and middles are set.

Crispy chocolate chip cookies on pan.

Step 8

Finally, remove these dairy free chocolate chip cookies from the oven. Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Follow these tips and tricks to make the best dairy free chocolate chip cookies ever!

Use refined coconut oil for a neutral flavor. In contrast, unrefined coconut oil has a slight coconut flavor.

Replace eggs with unsweetened applesauce for an egg free cookie recipe. Then, they will be egg and dairy free cookies.

The cookie dough will have the same texture and taste as classic cookie dough.

Refrigerating the dough is key to this recipe. In addition, this helps the cookies hold together better while baking. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to 48 hours.

The longer the dough chills, the more held together the cookies will be.

Use cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough.

Spread balls of dough at least 3 inches apart on lined baking pan. These cookies will spread while baking.

Most importantly, do not over bake these dairy free chocolate chip cookies! Once the middle of the cookies are set and no longer gooey, remove them from the oven.

Dairy free chocolate chip cookies with almond milk.

How to Serve & Store

These dairy free chocolate chip cookies are great once slightly cooled from the oven. Hello melty chocolate chips and warm cookies!

Serve with a glass of milk, coffee, tea, or a scoop of ice cream! Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Wrap dairy free chocolate chip cookies individually and freeze for up to 1 month.

Where to Buy Dairy Free Chocolate Chips

Many grocery stores carry dairy free chocolate chops these days. Stores such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Target, Walmart, and Hannaford carry great options. Here are some of the brands.

ChocZero Dark Chocolate No Sugar Added

Enjoy Life Semi Sweet

Enjoy Life Mini Semi Sweet

Kirkland Semi Sweet

Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks

Organic Great Value Dark Chocolate (from Walmart)

Hu Chocolate Baking Gems

Lily’s Dark Chocolate

Nestle Tollhouse Allergen-Free

Organic Good & Gather Dark Chocolate (from Target)

Sprouts Semi Sweet

Trader Joe’s Semi Sweet

Wegman’s Semi Sweet

Cookie dough with dairy free chocolate chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best substitutes for butter?

The best substitutes for butter are coconut oil and Vegan butter. For cooking, olive oil or avocado oil is a great replacement.

Are Nestle chocolate chips dairy free?

Regular Nestle chocolate chips are not dairy free, but they did come out with an allergen free chocolate chip which are dairy free.

Are eggs dairy?

No, eggs are not dairy. They are not a milk product.

Do I need to chill the dough?

Yes! Chilling the dough is important for these cookies. It helps bind the cookies together.

Can I substitute for the coconut oil?

Substitute Vegan butter or regular butter (if possible) for coconut oil.

Can I make these dairy free cookies egg free?

Sure! Replace 2 eggs with ½ cup unsweetened applesauce to make milk free egg free cookies.

Do chocolate chips have dairy?

Yes, most chocolate chips contain dairy. Most often, chocolate chips contain milk. Be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips for this recipe.

You May Also Like

If you make this dairy free chocolate chip cookies recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out this Dairy Free Recipes page.

Dairy free chocolate chip cookies with milk
At a Glance:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Get the Recipe: Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are incredibly soft and chewy! They have the perfect texture and taste like a classic cookie. They can be made gluten free too!
4.91 from 76 votes
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Ingredients

18 cookies

Instructions 

  • First, add coconut oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to a stand mixer or large bowl. Beat until creamy.
  • Add in eggs and beat until combined.
  • Add in gluten free flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir to combine.
  • Then, fold in chocolate chips. Place mixing bowl in fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.
  • When it is time to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto lined baking pan. Place at least 3 inches from each other since these cookies spread.
  • Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges of cookie are golden and middles are set.
  • Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 5 minutes. Then remove to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  • I have not tested this recipe with Vegan butter, but it should work fine.
  • Use refined coconut oil for no coconut flavor.  
  • Gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour can be used.  I used King Arthur Flour 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour.
  • Dough should resemble normal looking cookie dough.
  • Refrigerating the dough allows the dough to bind together.  Chill for at least 1 hour, up to 48 hours.  The longer the dough chills, the more compact the cookies will be.
  • Scoop evenly sized balls of dough to ensure even baking.
  • I used an ice cream scoop for larger cookies.
  • Bake until edges are golden and middles are just set.  Do not over bake!
  • These cookies spread quite a bit while baking.
  • Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • Store in fridge for up to 7 days.
  • These cookies freeze well!  Freeze each cookie wrapped individually.
Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 136mg, Potassium: 42mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 26IU, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Addison LaBonte
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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