Eggless chocolate chip cookies deliver soft centers, crisp edges and studded chocolate chips in each bite. They blend rich browned butter with a flax “egg” and a splash of buttermilk for a nutty, fudgy treat that’s hard to resist.
This recipe addresses the need for chewy, flavorful cookies without eggs, preventing dryness and ensuring proper structure even with rushed preparation.
As a busy weeknight snack I wanted eggless cookies that stayed chewy instead of flat. I once skipped a binder (yikes), but these easy chocolate cookies never go dry or spread too thin, even when I rush the chill.
I love how a quick chill (just 1 hour) lets these cookies hold shape and smell like buttered chocolate. You pop them in the oven for 10–12 minutes, then cool on the tray 5 minutes. My kids shriek when that warm, salty crunch hits.
If you want more cookie fun, try my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies as the next bake.
Table of contents
Dietary Considerations
- This recipe is not gluten-free due to all-purpose flour.
- This recipe contains butter and milk, so it is unsuitable for dairy-free and vegan diets.
- This recipe is vegetarian-friendly as it contains no meat products.
- This recipe does not meet keto or low-carb diets due to sugar and flour content.
- This recipe is nut-free.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Deep nutty brown butter flavor I brown 2 sticks of butter for about 5–7 minutes until it smells toasty, giving *eggless chocolate chip cookies* extra richness.
- Crisp edges and gooey centers The 2 teaspoons cornstarch plus a 10–12 minute bake at 350°F yields crisp rims and chewy middles in each batch of *eggless chocolate chip cookies*.
- Moist, tender crumb Mixing a flax “egg”—one tablespoon flaxseed meal whisked with 3 tablespoons water—and homemade buttermilk keeps these *eggless chocolate chip cookies* soft.
- Make-ahead dough convenience I chill scooped dough at least one hour (or up to 24 hours), letting me bake fresh *eggless chocolate chip cookies* whenever cravings hit.
Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cool Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: vegetarian
Description
Eggless chocolate chip cookies deliver soft centers, crisp edges, and studded chocolate chips in each bite. They blend rich browned butter with a flax “egg” and a splash of buttermilk for a nutty, fudgy treat that’s hard to resist.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Melt the unsalted butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until it foams, then turns a golden brown and smells nutty, which should take about 5–7 minutes. Once done, transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Using a light pan for this step allows you to see the butter’s color change, giving a more precise indication of when it’s browned.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed meal and water. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens to a gel-like consistency. This flax “egg” serves as a binder, mimicking the texture of traditional eggs in baked goods.
- In a measuring cup, combine the whole milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir the two together and let them stand for approximately 5 minutes until slightly thickened. This homemade buttermilk adds moisture and acidity, which helps with the cookies’ overall texture.
- With the cooled browned butter in a mixing bowl, add the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat the mixture on medium speed until fully combined, which takes about 1 minute. Then add in the flax “egg,” vanilla extract, espresso powder, and the buttermilk mix. Continue mixing on low speed until just combined so that you do not overmix the batter.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine salt. This step ensures that dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which is important for consistent baking results.
- With your mixer set to low, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until no streaks of flour remain. Once combined, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover your cookie dough with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling the dough is crucial; it helps solidify the fats, preventing the cookies from spreading too much while baking and enhancing their flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use a cookie scoop to form 2-tablespoon-sized portions of dough and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten each mound, then sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden and the centers look set but slightly underbaked. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store any leftover flaxseed meal in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
- The buttermilk improves the cookies’ texture, so using plain milk will yield less tender cookies.
- For optimal results, consider freezing the dough in scooped portions. Just bake them straight from the freezer, adding an additional 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
- Once baked, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 1 month.
- For a dairy-free version, swap the whole milk with coconut milk and use vegan butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: Use cold sticks, brown in a light pan for nutty depth, chill dough after creaming to control spread.
- Brown sugar: Pick packed light brown sugar for moisture and chew, store in an airtight container to keep soft, swap dark for deeper flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds crunch contrast, tap before measuring to avoid clumps, you can swap half for cane sugar for a lighter texture.
- Ground flaxseed meal: Whisk with water for flax “egg” binder, pick fresh (smells nutty), store in fridge to prevent rancidity.
- Water: Room-temperature water for flax gel, measure precisely then let sit five minutes until thick, no substitute.
- Whole milk: Fresh milk yields a tender crumb, mix with vinegar to make buttermilk, swap with dairy-free milk for a vegan option.
- Apple cider vinegar: Stir into milk for homemade buttermilk, pick filtered cider, no substitute.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for depth, store bottle upright in a cool, dark place, swap imitation when necessary.
- Instant espresso powder: Boosts chocolate notes, pick fine grind without clumps, stir into wet mix to dissolve fully.
- All-purpose flour: Use good-quality unbleached flour, sift before use to avoid lumps, swap measure-for-measure gluten-free flour for allergy needs.
- Cornstarch: Adds chew and a tender crumb, whisk with flour, pick lightweight cornstarch, no substitute.
- Baking soda: Promotes spread and lift, check the date code for freshness, swap with baking powder for less spread and longer rise.
- Baking powder: Adds extra lift, prefer single-acting for controlled rise, check for clumps, no substitute.
- Fine salt: Balances sweetness, use fine table salt, stir into dry mix to avoid pockets, swap kosher salt if halved.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Choose good-quality chips, chill before folding to prevent melt, swap chunks or dairy-free chips if needed.
Recipe Baking Tips
- If dough sticks when scooping after 1 hour chill, dust hands with 1 tablespoon flour before portioning.
- If dough feels crumbly after adding dry mix, stir in 1 tablespoon buttermilk before 1 hour chill.
- If cookies spread too much, chill dough 2 hours instead of 1 hour before baking.
- When centers look raw 10 minutes into baking, extend bake by 2 minutes.
- If chips sink during bake, toss in 1 teaspoon flour before 1 hour chill.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these eggless chocolate chip cookies alongside a glass of almond milk and a mug of chai tea to complete afternoon snack. Offer a slice of Classic Banana Bread recipe with a dish of Greek Yogurt Parfait to extend snack options when hosting friends.
Use eggless chocolate chip cookies dough to build ice cream sandwiches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe and freeze until firm. Use eggless chocolate chip cookies as crumb base in Gluten Free Cheesecake recipe and press crumbs onto pan before baking.
Top eggless chocolate chip cookies with salted caramel sauce drizzled on warm rounds and allow sauce to soak into centers before cooling fully. Finish eggless chocolate chip cookies with melted chocolate drizzle and dust each top with flaked sea salt for contrast after they cool on rack.
Recipe variations
- You can use 1 cup chopped dark chocolate instead of 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dough; I often serve these alongside Gluten-Free Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.
- Either ¼ cup chopped nuts or ¼ cup dried cranberries can replace half the chocolate chips.
- If using a 1-tablespoon scoop, bake about 36 cookies instead of 18 at 350°F for 10 minutes.
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How to Store?
To keep your Ultimate Eggless Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh and delicious, follow these storage tips:
Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Layer cookies with parchment paper to maintain their texture.
Refrigeration: Place cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 7 days. Use parchment sheets between layers to prevent sticking.
Freezing: Arrange cooled cookies in a freezer bag or freezer container and seal. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Gluten-Free Almond Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Use a flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water) or 3 Tbsp whole milk with extra baking soda per egg.
Making cookies without eggs uses milk and extra baking soda to bind and leaven, yielding well-structured chocolate chip cookies.
Yes. Milk can replace eggs; use 3 Tbsp whole milk per egg and increase baking soda slightly for binding.
If you enjoyed this Eggless chocolate chip cookies or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
