These Vegan Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies bake up just like the original: Thick, decadent, chewy, soft, and filled to the brim with chocolate chips. But, these chocolate chip cookies are completely vegan and they're made without brown sugar!
Chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite dessert. Which is why I have so may recipes for them. But, each one of them is so different from the others. This particular recipe is a vegan version of Levain Bakery’s ICONIC chocolate chip cookie. And it is my favorite cookie recipe to date.
Ingredients for Making Vegan Levain Cookies
Vegan Butter: I recommend Soy-Free Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. I prefer the soy free version to the original. A close second are the country crock plant butter sticks.
Granulated Sugar: For sweetness and structure.
Molasses: I use molasses because I don't buy brown sugar. So if you dont have molasses, substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar.
Flax + Water: Ground flax is combined with water to make a flax egg.
Vanilla: 2 whole teaspoons of vanilla to give these cookies a nice background flavor.
Flour: Regular AP flour. Any brand will work, but I love King Arthur.
Leavener: A combo of baking powder and baking soda to help these cookies spread, brown and become thick and chewy.
Salt: For Balance.
Cornstarch: To avoid any toughness.
Chocolate: These Vegan Levain Cookies are absolutely LOADED with chocolate.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe for Levain Style Cookies is pretty fool-proof. But as always, I have some helpful tips to make sure these cookies are absolutely perfect.
First, don't overmix. The more the batter is mixed, the more gluten develops. And developing gluten means a tough cookie.
Second, the rest time is important, so don’t shortchange it. The flour needs time to absorb the liquid to ensure the cookies say nice and thick through baking.
Third, bake the dough when the dough is still cold from the fridge.
Wait until your oven has preheated, place the dough balls right from the fridge onto the baking tray. Then put them straight into the oven. This will also help keep these Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies nice and thick.
Can You Make Cookies without Brown Sugar?
This recipe for Vegan Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies may seem weird upon first glance because there is no brown sugar. And every cookie recipe NEEDS brown sugar, right?
I kind of agree. Brown sugar is simply a combination of white sugar and molasses. And, while this may seem like a chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar, we make brown sugar right in the cookie dough by combining those two ingredients.
Making my own brown sugar in each individual recipe is something I do all the time. My kitchen is tiny, so its more efficient space-wise for me to keep a jar of molasses on hand to add into recipes when I want that brown sugar flavor.
How to Store the Cookies
To store these vegan levain cookies, place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Or freeze for up to a month.
Looking for More Cookie Recipes?
Soft and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies
Soft Batch Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Levain Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Non-Dairy Butter I used Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Sticks
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses not blackstrap
- 2 tablespoon Ground Flax Seed
- 5 tablespoon Water
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ Cups Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 ¼ Cup Chocolate Chips
To Top
- Flakey Sea Salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flax, water and vanilla. Stir and set aside.2 tablespoon Ground Flax Seed, 5 tablespoon Water, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the non-dairy butter, sugar and molasses.1 Stick Non-Dairy Butter, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- Add the flax mixture and stir well.
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch into the bowl and combine.2 ¼ Cups Flour, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- Add chocolate chips, stir to distribute.2 ¼ Cup Chocolate Chips
- Spray a ⅓ cup measure with nonstick spray and pack the dough into the measuring cup. Use a spoon to help remove the dough. Then, roll into a ball using the palm of your hands.
- Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350* F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Arrange 6 dough balls onto a parchment lined baking tray, evenly spaced, placing the other 6 back into the refrigerator until they are going to be baked.
- Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of sea salt.Flakey Sea Salt (optional)
- Bake at 350* on the middle rack of your oven for a total of 17-19 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Irma
These look great. I will definitely try them. What kind of sugar did you use? Would coconut sugar work well or is white better?
Megan Calipari
I just used regular granulated sugar. If you use coconut sugar maybe leave the molasses out as coconut sugar already has a molasses-y flavor. But then add 1 1/2 tsp more water to the flax egg mix to account for moisture. 🙂
Cristine McCarthy
Megan - your chocolate chip cookies are out of this world!!! This time ever making a soft chewy cookie. Great teacher with very simple instructions. Happy Easter 🐣
Megan Calipari
Thank you so much Cristine! So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Tanga
I made your cookies for my vegan husband for our Anniversary. He loved them. They were delicious!
Megan Calipari
So happy you enjoyed them. Happy Anniversary!