After many tries (4 to be exact) I finally found the winning combination of ingredients to produce the ultimate gluten-free, oil-free AND vegan double chocolate chip cookies! And they only require 7 ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare, which can be done in one bowl... they are almost too good to be true!
Watch me show you how to make these epic double chocolate cookies in the video below!
Watch the full video here on YouTube!
I have always loved flourless double chocolate chip cookies and the secret to making these delicious cookies without any oil, eggs, dairy, or flour is to use aquafaba and almond butter. Aquafaba works as a miracle egg-replacer in so many baking recipes, and the almond butter offers a deliciously healthy alternative to any oil or butter.
Ingredient breakdown:
- Aquafaba: this is the glue that holds this cookie together! A vegan alternative to eggs that can be used in most baked goods, aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas or white beans. It has a viscosity similar to egg whites.
- Baking soda: this helps the cookies rise during the baking process. Make sure your baking soda isn't expired, or else the cookies won't rise!
- Coconut sugar: I love this as a less processed, raw, unrefined alternative to regular cane sugar.
- Cocoa powder: makes these cookies chocolatey and delicious!
- Vanilla: boosts the sweet flavors of this cookie.
- Almond butter: since this is an oil-free recipe, this adds the healthy fats in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips (dairy-free): I love to use the Enjoy Life brand or Guittard brand.
Why you'll love these vegan double chocolate chip cookies:
- So delicious: I love chocolate so if you do too, these cookies are for you! They are not overwhelmingly sweet and have a crispy exterior, but slightly chewy inside.
- Easy to make: All you need to do is combine the ingredients, chill the dough, shape the cookies, and bake!
- One bowl: If you use a sifter, all you need is one bowl to combine all of the ingredients! You will sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients.
- 7 ingredients: That's it!
- Oil-free and gluten-free: These cookies are flourless and use almond butter so that there's no need for oil!
- Healthy-ish: Since they are oil-free and flourless, they are less calories than your traditional cookie recipe.
The best part about this recipe is that you barely have to wait for them to be ready… and if you can’t even wait that long, the dough is delicious on its own! These cookies are the perfect companion to a tall, cold, glass of almond milk.
If you enjoy this free recipe, consider supporting me further by purchasing or gifting my e-book, including this recipe and over 55 others! Have the best vegan recipes at your fingertips, downloaded to your device, without the ads and extra text on my blog. Buy it HERE!
Recipe
Best Gluten Free Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup aquafaba water from a can of chickpeas or other white beans, or cooking liquid from cooking dry chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup almond butter
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Combine almond butter, aquafaba, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Sift dry ingredients (baking soda, coconut sugar, and cocoa powder) over the wet ingredients, stirring to combine as you do so. Alternatively, you can whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until just combined. This should result in a sticky dough. Fold in chocolate chips.
- To make it easier to work with, you can refrigerate the dough for at least 30 mins. Drop rounded spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. Baking for 9 minutes will yield chewier cookies, while baking for 11-12 minutes will yield cookies that are thin and crispy. Be careful not to overbake. Let cool for at least 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Nutrition
Tracy says
Hi Zena 🙂 I made these today and they're incredible! Thank you for sharing! I posted a pic on my IG and gave you credit. I'm looking forward to trying more of your ideas.
Tracy says
Hi Zena 🙂 I made these today and they're incredible! Thank you for sharing! I posted a pic on my IG and gave you credit. I'm looking forward to trying more of your ideas.
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Aww thanks so much! I saw your photo- they looked sooo yummy!!
kathy patalsky says
is the aqua faba whipped when you add it or is it just the brime? Thank you! Some ppl on FV were asking 🙂
kathy patalsky says
is the aqua faba whipped when you add it or is it just the brime? Thank you! Some ppl on FV were asking 🙂
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
It's just the brine/liquid! (Not whipped) 🙂
Zoë says
Can I replace the aquafaba with something else? Don't really want to open a tin of beans just to get the liquid out if I'm not planning on using them for anything
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Aquafaba can be used as an egg replacement in all sorts of recipes and also makes a great vegan meringue! You could also always just take out the needed amount of liquid, and cover the tin and store in the refrigerator for later (I do this all the time). I have not tried the recipe using anything else but you could always try another vegan egg replacement such as a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) and see if that works.
Laura says
Oh my! These are absolutely fabulous! We almost ate the entire batch. Had to sub a bit of peanut butter for some of the almond butter, but I don't think it affects the taste!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Thank you!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! <3 I love them as chocolate-peanut butter cookies as well 🙂
Anonymous says
Hi, the cookies sound amazing! But i was wondering, if i added oat flour, would it give the cookies alil more valume?
Thanx in advance
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Hello! That might work but I haven't tried anything like that, you are welcome to try it out and let me know!
Courtney says
Excited to try these! Should I be using Salted or Unsalted almond butter?
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Unsalted works best! Let me know what you think! 🙂
Courtney Farrell says
I only had salted, but it worked. Baked about 13 minutes and they came out GREAT! Thank you!!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
That's awesome, thanks for sharing! <3
Karin says
Hi!
I'm wondering if ither types of sugar would work as well as coconut sugar? I don't have it currently and wouldn't want to buy it since it's not something that I use often. These cookies look so delicious, can't wait to try them! 🙂
Karin says
Hi!
I'm wondering if ither types of sugar would work as well as coconut sugar? I don't have it currently and wouldn't want to buy it since it's not something that I use often. These cookies look so delicious, can't wait to try them! 🙂
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Yes, regular cane sugar would work just as well! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
ToriLeeGA says
I used golden monk fruit, 1:1 ratio, and it worked perfectly.
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
So happy to hear that!!
Alex says
Hi!
These sound delish! Can I substitute maple syrup or agave syrup for the sugar?
Thanks!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Hello Alex! Sorry only a granular sugar would work for a replacement because liquids would make the cookie dough too runny and produce flat (if any) cookies. Feel free to use a raw, cane, or coconut sugar!
Rosanne says
I used sunflower butter (nut allergy) and mine came out really flat? What did I do wrong??
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Hello Rosanne, sorry about that! These cookies do come out a little more flat than "normal" cookies, but if they are much too flat, it could be a few things. Did you chill the dough for 30 mins? You can also try chilling for an hour. Make sure to place round scoops of dough on the baking sheet, do not flatten them out, and make sure the baking sheet is not already hot before placing in the oven. If you have made sure of these things, try to decrease the amount of aquafaba to 3 tbsp, and add a few more tbsp of coconut sugar firm the dough if it is still runny. It may have to do with the texture of the sunflower butter. I hope this helps!
Lina T says
Have you ever made the dough and frozen it to bake for a later date ?
Lina T says
Have you ever made the dough and frozen it to bake for a later date ?
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
I haven't tried that, but you are welcome to try and report back! 🙂
Mindi says
I've made these a few times, they are the best of a brownie and a cookie combined. Today i was out of almond butter and used cashew instead, it made them a little less nutty than the almond does. I'm sure any nut butter would be great in these. Also I am not patient enough for the 30 minutes in the fridge so I skipped that step, they probably spead more than if i hadn't but still tastes great. Thanks for this recipe, we love it!
Mindi says
I've made these a few times, they are the best of a brownie and a cookie combined. Today i was out of almond butter and used cashew instead, it made them a little less nutty than the almond does. I'm sure any nut butter would be great in these. Also I am not patient enough for the 30 minutes in the fridge so I skipped that step, they probably spead more than if i hadn't but still tastes great. Thanks for this recipe, we love it!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Thanks so much Mindi- that's great! So glad you love it! 🙂
Kelsey says
These. Are. Amazing!!!!!! (My batter was a little dry so I added 2 extra tbsp of aquafaba) thank you!!
Kelsey says
These. Are. Amazing!!!!!! (My batter was a little dry so I added 2 extra tbsp of aquafaba) thank you!!
Kelsey says
I tried for 5 stars but it submitted before I could change it 🙁
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Thanks so much Kelsey! So glad you loved it!! <3 🙂
Julie says
I made these today and they’re delicious! I didn’t have coconut sugar, just dehydrated cane crystals (raw sugar) so I used 1/2 that and 1/2 brown sugar. I put Trader Joe’s white chocolate chips in mine instead of regular chocolate chips. Yum! I would have never thought about using the liquid from white beans. Amazing! Thank you.
Julie says
I made these today and they’re delicious! I didn’t have coconut sugar, just dehydrated cane crystals (raw sugar) so I used 1/2 that and 1/2 brown sugar. I put Trader Joe’s white chocolate chips in mine instead of regular chocolate chips. Yum! I would have never thought about using the liquid from white beans. Amazing! Thank you.
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
That is awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing!! White chocolate chips sound amazing in this recipe! Aquafaba is such a magical ingredient! <3 🙂
Newbie Baker says
I tried these 3 times and they all came out flat. Any suggestions? Anyone else have this issue?
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Sorry to hear that! I haven't heard of anyone having this issue yet... but they are a flatter type of cookie than you may expect. They are still chewy though. The only thing I would suggest is to make sure the spoonfuls of dough are small and round (do not smooth them out into a flatter "cookie" shape) and put them in the freezer for at least an hour before baking. Also do not forget the baking soda. Hope this helps!
Ami H says
Simply amazing and exactly what I was craving! Thank you for pulling this off!!!!!
Ami H says
Simply amazing and exactly what I was craving! Thank you for pulling this off!!!!!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
I'm so glad you loved it!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 <3
Renee Gateley says
I love these cookies soooo much!! I made them as written and they were so delicious! I made them again just a few days after but I was out of almond butter so I used organic sunbutter instead. I added a very small amount of almond flour because the sunbutter seemed like it had more oil than the almond butter. They turned out perfect again! I prefer the taste of almond butter over sunbutter but they were still delicious! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe that I will make over and over again! (Also, all 3 of my kids loved these!)
Renee Gateley says
I love these cookies soooo much!! I made them as written and they were so delicious! I made them again just a few days after but I was out of almond butter so I used organic sunbutter instead. I added a very small amount of almond flour because the sunbutter seemed like it had more oil than the almond butter. They turned out perfect again! I prefer the taste of almond butter over sunbutter but they were still delicious! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe that I will make over and over again! (Also, all 3 of my kids loved these!)
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Yay! I'm so glad you love them, and that they are kid-approved as well! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your results and substitutions, glad to know it worked out! Cheers! <3
Mary says
Hi! I tried this but I used regular sugar and the cookies flattened out and they became all stuck together, do you think it's because of the sugar?
Thank you!
Caitlin says
Really tasty, but mine ended up super thin, lacy looking, and crunchy. It's probably something I did wrong! I see a lot of people had really good luck, so any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!
Caitlin says
Really tasty, but mine ended up super thin, lacy looking, and crunchy. It's probably something I did wrong! I see a lot of people had really good luck, so any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!
Jenn Swanson says
Ok...a lot of recipes say they are the "best" whatever...and they are often pretty good. But THIS recipe is really the best gluten free vegan cookie I have yet to make. Thank you! I had to substitute almond butter for Wow butter (pretend peanut butter) because I have a nut allergy, and it worked just fine. They even look like normal cookies...instead of hard little pucks that most of the gluten free cookies end up looking like. I was just searching this morning for some way to use up some aquafaba and came across this...and wow. I'm so happy. Thank you!
Jenn Swanson says
Ok...a lot of recipes say they are the "best" whatever...and they are often pretty good. But THIS recipe is really the best gluten free vegan cookie I have yet to make. Thank you! I had to substitute almond butter for Wow butter (pretend peanut butter) because I have a nut allergy, and it worked just fine. They even look like normal cookies...instead of hard little pucks that most of the gluten free cookies end up looking like. I was just searching this morning for some way to use up some aquafaba and came across this...and wow. I'm so happy. Thank you!
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Thank you so much for this glowing review! I am so happy you loved these cookies so much! Thanks for sharing! <3 🙂
Liz says
These are chocolate perfection! Love them! Thanks for the recipe.
Liz says
These are chocolate perfection! Love them! Thanks for the recipe.
Anupa says
Thanx for such an amazing recipe, we often bake them and totally love them. But mine goes really soft after a day, is that normal? . how long are they suppose to last well? . pls suggest.
Anupa says
Thanx for such an amazing recipe, we often bake them and totally love them. But mine goes really soft after a day, is that normal? . how long are they suppose to last well? . pls suggest.
de says
I made these today and I am not sure what happened but they were not "runny" at all. I used a cookie scope and they never did flatten out. They were not thin in any manner. Any idea why? I followed the recipe exactly? Very odd, still waiting for them to come out of the oven to see how they taste
Tiara says
Hello, was wondering if Im allergic to nuts can I not use almond butter or substitute with something else?
Thank you
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Most nut or seed butters would work, for example sunflower seed butter!
Amy says
These are a family favorite! Started to make them and realized I had no aquafaba! I substituted coconut cream and they turned out just as delicious! We like them baked more in the 11-13 minute range, 9 minutes didn’t hold together.
Amy says
These are a family favorite! Started to make them and realized I had no aquafaba! I substituted coconut cream and they turned out just as delicious! We like them baked more in the 11-13 minute range, 9 minutes didn’t hold together.
Lynn says
I have made these cookies a few times and they never cease to be amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe .......love them!
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
Thank you so much for sharing, glad you love them!! 🙂
Rena says
These are the best cookies I have ever had , maybe in my life!!! They are perfect in every way ! Thank you for posting such an amazing easy recipe.
Rena says
These are the best cookies I have ever had , maybe in my life!!! They are perfect in every way ! Thank you for posting such an amazing easy recipe.
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
Oh wow so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 Cheers <3
Suzanne says
These look so good! Do you use aquafaba in any other recipes?
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Failure says
I did something wrong. My cookies puddled. They are more like candy than a cookie
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
Hmm I would think that maybe your baking soda was expired or the measurement for that was incorrect. If the baking soda is expired, the cookies don't rise and instead completely spread out.
Lisa says
My kids made these last night for my birthday and they were absolutely delicious. Will definitely make these whenever I need a chocolate fix!
Lisa says
My kids made these last night for my birthday and they were absolutely delicious. Will definitely make these whenever I need a chocolate fix!
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
How sweet, so glad you loved them!! 💜
Courtney says
Hello!
I’m not sure where the error was here - but I read followed the recipe and read the comments (ensuring I refrigerated the dough and even bought a new baking soda). I used kraft peanut butter (the recipe said any nut butter would do), but I think that may have been what caused a problem (too much oil or additives)? It turned into an entire sheet of cookie, and was not even in there for the full 9 minutes. I can basically roll it up like a chocolate fruit roll up. Still tastes yummy, but disappointing turnout. 🙁
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
Hi! I'm so sorry to hear that! Usually this happens with expired baking soda but since you said you bought a new one, maybe it was the brand of peanut butter. I always get good results with almond butter, and I use brands such as Costco/Kirkland or Trader Joe's where the sole ingredient is roasted almonds, but others have reported using sun butter and peanut butter with good results, so it may have just been the brand you used. I would recommend to use a brand with little additives, where the main ingredient is just the nuts. So sorry to hear that happened and I hope you can get better results next time!
Naomi says
Hi can i use softened coconut oil instead of nut butter?
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
I'm not sure if that would work, they probably would not be able to hold shape. You can try sunbutter or another nut butter though!
Julie says
So chewy and easy to make, my whole family loved these!!!
Clare says
I make these cookies constantly and they are my absolute fave. Anytime I make hummus, I’m like, oh darn I guess I better make THE cookies. I like to add some walnuts or peanuts and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. Also substituting the almond butter for peanut butter makes an equally delicious rendition (and is quite a bit cheaper!). Thanks for such a great recipe!
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
I'm so glad you love this recipe Clare!! Walnuts and flaky sea salt sound like a perfect topping! Love the peanut butter idea too.
Shea says
These are absolutely amazing!!! We've made them multiple times just as written since finding them less than a month ago. I'm thinking of adding some finely ground instant coffee in to the next batch (which I often do with chocolate cakes and brownies). Thank you so much for the new addiction!
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
So happy to hear you love them~ Thanks for sharing!!
Iride says
They are unbelievably healthy, easy to make and so delicious! A keeper 👏🏆
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
So glad I could change your mind! Thanks so much for sharing and glad that you loved the recipe! <3 Cheers!