Bakery Style Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Egg Free • Nut Free • Vegan • Small Batch Recipe
Rich, vegan, buttery, golden around the edges, and beautifully soft in the center, these chocolate chip cookies deliver classic homemade comfort with a bakery style finish. Melted chocolate chips, brown sugar, and vanilla create a deeply satisfying flavor without eggs, nuts, or unnecessary additions.
Yield
8 cookies
Prep
10 minutes
Chill
20-30 mins
Oven or air fryer
This is an egg free adaptation inspired by The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies by Lindsay Ostrom of Pinch of Yum. The original contains eggs, milk and yields 11 batches of 12 cookies. This version is scaled down and reformulated to make approximately eight cookies without eggs or nuts.
Ingredients
All purpose flour (unbleached or bleached, we did not use bleached)
1 cup (120 g)
Salted butter, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (76 g)
Granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (67 g)
Light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (33 g)
Pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon
Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
Salt
1/8 teaspoon
Semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (85 g)
Recipe additional facts
Ingredient note: Use milk only as needed to bind the dough. For a nut free dietary requirement, check chocolate and other packaged ingredients for cross contact warnings. We used applesauce.
Substitute | Measurement | Effect on cookies |
Milk | 3 tablespoons | Soft, tender cookies; slightly less structure |
Plain Greek yogurt | 1/4 cup | Moist, thick, tender cookies |
Unsweetened applesauce | 1/4 cup | Very moist, softer, somewhat cakey |
Mashed ripe banana | 1/4 cup | Soft and moist with banana flavor |
Ground flaxseed + water | 1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water | Chewy, slightly denser cookies |
Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) | 3 tablespoons | Tender cookies with good binding |
To Make The Perfect Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Combine the butter and sugars
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cooled melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Stir vigorously for about 1 minute until thick and well blended.
2. Add vanilla and milk
Mix in the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Reserve the second tablespoon in case the dough needs additional moisture.
3. Incorporate the dry ingredients
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold gently until a soft dough forms. If crumbly, add a little of the reserved milk at a time. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Portion and chill
Divide into eight equal dough balls. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to help control spreading. Keep the portions tall rather than flattening them completely.
5. Bake until just set
Bake using either method below. Look for lightly golden edges and a center that appears set but remains soft.
6. Cool before serving
Leave the cookies on the baking surface for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. The cookies will continue to firm as they cool.
Select your baking method
Conventional oven or 6-quart air fryer
Conventional oven (Light metal)
STARTING TEMPERATURE
350°F
ESTIMATED BAKE TIME
10–13 min
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 2 inches between portions, and bake in a fully preheated oven.
Conventional oven (Dark nonstick)
STARTING TEMPERATURE
325°F
ESTIMATED BAKE TIME
11–15 min
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 2 inches between portions, and bake in a fully preheated oven.
6-quart air fryer (Light metal)
STARTING TEMPERATURE
300°F
ESTIMATED BAKE TIME
8–11 min
Bake 3–4 cookies at a time, depending on space. Use an air-fryer-safe baking surface, and ensure any parchment is secured beneath the dough. Preheat without loose parchment.
6-quart air fryer (Dark nonstickl)
STARTING TEMPERATURE
290°F
ESTIMATED BAKE TIME
9–13 min
Bake 3–4 cookies at a time, depending on space. Use an air-fryer-safe baking surface, and ensure any parchment is secured beneath the dough. Preheat without loose parchment.
Additional important notes:
Temperatures and times are suggested starting points for this egg free adaptation, not laboratory tested results. Check early and adjust according to your equipment, cookie size, and browning.
What makes these cookies soft?
The melted butter produces richness and tenderness, while brown sugar contributes moisture and subtle caramel notes. A small amount of milk replaces some of the liquid lost by removing the egg, and chilling helps keep the dough from spreading too quickly.
Because eggs also provide structure, this version may bake a little differently from the original. The most important finishing step is not overbaking: remove the cookies once the edges are set, rather than waiting for the centers to become deeply browned.
Cookbook publishing notes
Recipe classification: Dessert / Cookies / Small Batch
Yield: 8 cookies
Dietary description: Egg free, no nuts added
Allergens: Contains wheat and; may contain dairy and soy depending on chocolate chips. Check product labels for nut cross contact.
Storage: Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Recipe credit: Adapted from Lindsay Ostrom's The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pinch of Yum.
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