Chewy in the center, crisp on the edges, and topped with flaky sea salt, these vegan chocolate chip cookies are about to become your favorite go-to treat. With no butter or eggs in sight, they prove that indulgence and simplicity can go hand in hand—without sacrificing flavor.
Refrigerating the dough for a few hours is the key step that transforms this easy recipe into a gourmet experience. The results? Deep, rich flavor and a texture that satisfies every cookie lover’s craving. Whether you’re vegan or just looking for a stellar cookie, this one delivers every time.
Full Recipe:
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2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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3/4 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
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1 1/4 cups (215g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
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1/2 cup (100g) sugar
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1/2 cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
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1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (120g) neutral oil (like grapeseed)
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5 tablespoons (75g) water
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Coarse-grained or flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for topping
Directions:
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Toss in the chocolate chips and stir to coat.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, brown sugar, oil, and water vigorously until fully combined and smooth—about 2 minutes.
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Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Dough may appear oily—that’s okay!
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Cover and refrigerate the dough for 12 to 24 hours to hydrate the flour and develop flavor.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Scoop 2-inch mounds of dough onto baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart.
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For minimal spread, freeze dough mounds for 10 minutes before baking.
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Sprinkle each dough mound with flaky sea salt and bake for 12–13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
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Let cookies cool on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus chilling) / Cooking Time: 13 minutes / Total Time: 13 min active + 12 hr chill
Kcal: ~210 per cookie (estimate) / Servings: About 20 cookies
The Allure of the Secretly Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Chocolate chip cookies are a staple of comfort and nostalgia—a beloved dessert across generations. Yet, in a culinary world growing ever more conscious of dietary needs and sustainability, there’s a remarkable evolution happening in how we approach classic treats. One shining example is the Secretly Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie from Ovenly, a Brooklyn-based bakery known for its innovative yet accessible baked goods. These cookies are soft-centered, caramel-kissed, crisp-edged, and surprisingly dairy- and egg-free.
What makes them truly special is that they don’t announce their vegan status up front. Instead, they win hearts through flavor, texture, and technique, not through a “healthier” label or preachy branding. They’re not just “good for a vegan cookie”—they’re just plain good.
The Genius Behind the Recipe
Created by Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin of Ovenly, this recipe came into the spotlight thanks to its feature on Food52’s Genius Recipes series. What separates it from most vegan baking attempts is its simplicity and integrity to the cookie form. Many vegan adaptations are packed with hard-to-pronounce ingredients or rely on faux versions of butter and eggs, which often yield subpar textures and aftertastes.
This cookie, on the other hand, avoids all of that. Instead of replacing eggs and butter with obscure ingredients, it substitutes with what those animal products essentially are—fat and moisture. That’s achieved using a neutral oil (like grapeseed or canola) and water. No flax “eggs,” no vegan margarine, no added emulsifiers. The result? A dough that behaves just as a conventional one does—with chewiness, spread, and browning that mimics the best bakery-style cookies.
Refrigeration: The Secret Weapon
One of the most critical aspects of this recipe is the chilling period. After the dough is mixed, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. This step is often overlooked by home bakers, but in this case, it’s non-negotiable. Allowing the dough to rest not only firms it up for easier handling but also lets the flour fully hydrate.
This idea traces back to a 2008 New York Times article by David Leite, where he explored how professional bakers in Manhattan achieved deep flavor and perfect texture in their cookies by refrigerating the dough for 36 hours. For this vegan dough, since there’s no egg or butter slowing hydration, the transformation happens more quickly—within a day.
During this rest period, the sugars begin to dissolve and meld with the flour and fat, leading to cookies that bake with a richer, more complex flavor. It’s science meeting patience in the best way possible.
Texture: A Triple Threat
Achieving the holy trifecta of cookie textures—chewy center, soft middle, and crisp edge—is a feat, especially without butter or eggs. Yet, this recipe accomplishes it. That satisfying bite is the result of careful balance: the right amount of oil (not too much), just the right mix of sugars (brown and white), and the chilling time that promotes structure without added starches or gums.
The final cookie emerges with a soft “belly” that offers that gooey comfort we crave, surrounded by edges with just enough crisp to give contrast. Sprinkle on a bit of flaky sea salt before baking, and you’ve got a dessert that satisfies all flavor and texture cravings—salty, sweet, soft, crisp, chewy, and rich.
A Recipe for Everyone
Despite being vegan, these cookies are universal in appeal. For people avoiding dairy due to allergies, lifestyle choices, or ethical reasons, it’s a go-to dessert that doesn’t feel like a compromise. For non-vegans, it’s a revelation—proof that vegan baking has come a long way from dry, crumbly, “almost” cookies.
These cookies are also highly customizable. You can opt for organic sugar to ensure a fully plant-based product (some conventional sugars are processed with bone char). You can also experiment with different chocolate chips—bittersweet for intensity, semisweet for balance, or even chunks for bursts of molten chocolate. Add-ins like chopped nuts or dried fruit can add another layer of personalization without altering the integrity of the base recipe.
Minimal Equipment, Maximum Impact
Another beautiful aspect of this recipe is its minimalism. You don’t need a stand mixer or special tools—just bowls, a whisk, a spatula, and a baking tray. This accessibility makes it an ideal choice for beginner bakers, college students, or anyone baking on a whim.
The process of whisking the wet ingredients vigorously by hand is part of what makes the final product so successful. That small but energetic effort ensures the sugars are emulsified with the oil and water, creating a cohesive dough that will bake evenly and with the right texture.
Ethics, Taste, and Simplicity in Harmony
The growing popularity of plant-based eating has led many to seek out ethical alternatives to their favorite treats. Yet not all recipes manage to strike the balance between ethics and satisfaction. This cookie is an exception. It’s a treat that respects your values without asking you to give up anything in return.
By using simple pantry staples and eliminating common allergens, this recipe reflects a wider culinary movement: creating inclusive, delicious food that doesn’t sacrifice joy for ideology. It’s a reminder that ethical food can still feel indulgent and satisfying, that it doesn’t have to taste “healthy” or “alternative” to be worth making again and again.
Conclusion: More Than Just a Cookie
At first glance, this is just a cookie. But dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear: the Secretly Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie is a quiet revolution. It’s a culinary success that invites everyone—vegans and non-vegans alike—into the same conversation about flavor, texture, and satisfaction.
In an age where people often feel the need to compromise flavor for dietary preferences, this cookie boldly declares you can have both. It doesn’t try to be a stand-in for the “real thing”—it is the real thing. Made with thoughtful ingredients, smart technique, and a touch of patience, it earns its place among the best chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever try.
