Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The taste of coconut is very faint. I actually think the aroma is more perceptible than the taste! The heavy dose of brown sugar gives these cookies as much butterscotch flavor as possible without any butter.
Texture: Crisp at the edges, slightly gooey in the center, and chewy throughout!
Ease: Super easy. The hardest part is waiting during the chill/marinade period, but I usually bake off a few cookies right after making the dough because I just can’t wait!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Perfect dairy-free cookies without sacrificing taste or texture, or using any weird or hard-to-find ingredients.
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As many of you know, I’m basically a Cookie Queen. Cookies are my favorite. I’ve written an entire book about cookies, and my Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies has been seen by millions of people.
So, I know my stuff when it comes to cookies! Actually, I probably know an unhealthy amount about the art and science of cookies, so it’s only right I share that knowledge (right?!). That’s why, when I realized I didn’t have a Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe in my archives, I knew I needed to remedy that.
Most of us have at least a few friends and family members who would appreciate getting to enjoy treats alongside everyone else, even if they have intolerances, allergies, or other food issues.
Free Cookie Customization Guide!
The science-based guide so you can bake perfect cookies every time!
Although this recipe is fairly straightforward, you know I always like to empower you with insights into how and why the recipe works, so be sure to check out my tips below.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Oil for Baking 101
Coconut oil should be measured while it’s in a state that’s solid but malleable enough to scoop. Coconut oil’s melting point is at 76°F, so if your kitchen is really hot, this might be a challenge.
My favorite brands of coconut oil are Trader Joe’s and Dr. Bronner’s.
The best way to make sure you get the perfect amount of oil (too much and your cookies will be greasy; too little and they’ll be dry) is to measure by weight using a kitchen scale.
I find the coconut taste to be extremely subtle. I actually think the aroma is more perceptible than the taste. It doesn’t taste coconutty, just sweet and delicious. No one will miss the butter!
Do I Have to Chill the Dough?
Butter has a much higher melting point (around body temperature), so to avoid having your Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies spread out into puddles while baking, I recommend chilling the dough for at least 24 hours. This works similarly to marinating meats: it greatly improves the taste and texture! Try it!
Once the dough has chilled, allow it to sit at room temperature just long enough so that you can scoop it. The colder the dough, the thicker the cookies.
If you’re too impatient, you can always bake off a few immediately to satisfy your craving, then chill the rest and compare. Learn more about chilling cookie dough here.
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour?
You don’t absolutely HAVE to use bread flour, but it adds a ton of chewy texture to these cookies that’s worth the extra trip to the store. If you can’t get bread flour, then use all AP flour; just note that your cookies won’t be as chewy.
Why is There Cornstarch in Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies?
The cornstarch helps to create lovely and soft Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you don’t have it or can’t use it, feel free to omit it; no other modifications needed.
Freezing the Dough
I like to freeze portioned balls of cookie dough, so I’m always just a few minutes away from fresh-baked cookies. You can learn more about how I freeze cookie dough here.
Can I Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?
YES! I tested this recipe using the same amount of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour in place of AP + bread flour combined. I’d recommend weighing out the same total amount of GF flour as originally called for in the recipe (350 grams) so you don’t accidentally add too much.
The gluten-free cookies were delicious. They were less chewy and a little drier than the original recipe, but I know no one would notice unless they compared the two side-by-side.
I was originally going to use Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, but noticed it contains dairy. I figured if you’re looking to make this particular recipe gluten-free, you likely also need it to be dairy-free.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour*
- 1 1/4 cups (159 grams) bread flour*
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (210 grams) virgin coconut oil, at room temperature (solid)
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups (340 grams) semi sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free if needed)
Instructions
- If baking right away, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the coconut oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- MAKE AHEAD: For best taste and texture, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop.
- Using a large (3-tablespoon size) spring-loaded scoop, drop balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
Photos by Constance Higley.
Help! The first time I made these the cookies turned out perfectly. A little thick, gooey and chewy. I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate chip cookies & these were my favorite so far. I tried again today though and my dough came out more oily & the cookies were drastically different. They spread so much and were more crispy. The only difference I can think of is it was hot today… my coconut oil wasn’t really melted but much softer than before. could that cause the change?
Hi Amber! Yes, that could possibly be the issue. How long did you chill the dough for before you baked the cookies? Do you recall any other changes that you may have made to the process? It can be tricky for us to pinpoint an issue like this without having baked alongside you, so I’d encourage you to try the recipe again and pay particular attention to each step, even including your oven temp and making sure it’s at 350°F when the cookies begin baking. Let me know how the cookies turn out and if you noticed something specific you did differently. I’d love to help you solve this!
Hi! I just discovered this site and LOVE perusing all of the wonderful tips and science behind baking. When it comes to using coconut oil instead of butter, what would you say the ratio is, 1:1? 2:1? I saw the post on No Substitutions but am curious what you would advise.
I’ve made CCC where if the recipe asks for 2 sticks of butter, I found that 50 grams of coconut oil is roughly equivalent to the one stick of butter. (This was after a lot of trial and error too, oh vey!)
Can’t wait to hear back!
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany! Welcome, we’re so glad you’re enjoying the baking tips and science! Tessa has only briefly experimented with swapping butter for coconut oil, but you can check out her findings in our Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies Pt. 3 here. She actually used quite a bit more than you did! It really does take trial and error, especially since butter plays such a big role in texture and structure. Tessa tends to prefer butter in most baked goods but it’s always fun to experiment with alternatives!