This easy-to-make vegan cookie recipe will fool all from ever knowing they are vegan and these cookies can easily be made gluten-free.

This soft and chewy vegan cookie recipe can be made in 3 ways: classic chocolate chip cookies, trail mix cookies, or granola cookies. You can use this cookie dough recipe as a base recipe and switch out your favorite cookie fillings.

No butter or eggs are required for this vegan recipe. And the flour can easily be switched out for a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour.

Whether you are baking cookies for the holidays, a school bake sale, or for an easy sweet treat to enjoy any time of the year, this easy vegan cookie recipe will be the best cookie at the party.

Vegan Cookies Vs Traditional Cookies

Vegan cookies are a healthier option, especially if you have an allergy or food sensitivity to eggs or dairy (and these cookies can easily be made gluten-free).

Many are having to go dairy free for health purposes, which means no milk, cheese, or butter. Dairy has long been known for causing inflammation in the body and for being high in saturated fat which contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Dairy is also linked to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Resource

There are also health concerns when it comes to eggs. Eggs are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which again can cause heart disease, contribute to diabetes, and cancers like prostate and colorectal. Resource

Learn more about why you should ditch cow's milk here.

The Base Recipe - Vegan Cookie Recipe Ingredients

This vegan cookie recipe can be treated as a base recipe. Here is what you will need to make these cookies:

• flour - a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and white flour is used for beautifully baked golden cookies - or go gluten-free and use your favorite 1 to 1 gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
• leavening - baking powder and baking soda release carbon dioxide which helps the dough rise and creates soft and airy cookies
• sweetener - a combination of cane sugar and maple syrup is used to sweeten these cookies
• canola oil - canola oil adds moisture to the cookies
• blackstrap molasses - is a very sticky syrup and helps bind the recipe; alternatively, you could use honey but this is not a vegan ingredient
• vanilla extract - enhances the flavor
• salt - enhances flavor and makes chewier cookies
• add-ins - this can be chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, granola, ground cinnamon, or whatever your favorite dry cookie ingredient are - see the recipe card for specific cookie recipes

This cookie recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, can easily be made gluten-free, and is free of major allergens.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients

To make vegan chocolate chip cookies you will use the base recipe above and the following additions:

• chocolate chips - this one is pretty obvious, chocolate chips will be needed if you want to make chocolate chip cookies, alternatively, you could substitute a vegan chocolate bar broken up into small chip-size pieces

Trail Mix Cookie Recipe Ingredients

To make vegan trail mix cookies you will use the base recipe above and the following additions:

• vegan chocolate chips or chocolate bar
• a combination of your favorite nuts and seeds: peanuts, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans, etc.
• dried fruit, like raisins, cranberries, shredded coconut

Granola Cookie Recipe Ingredients

To make vegan chocolate chip granola cookies you will use the base recipe above and the following additions:

• vegan chocolate chips or chocolate bar
• your favorite granola - keep in mind if the granola is super sweet, this will add more sugar to the recipe

How To Make Vegan Cookies

To make this recipe get started by preheating the oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, as in all the dry ingredients, flour of your choice (wheat-based flour or gluten-free flour), baking powder, baking soda, cane sugar, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Create a "pool" in the center of the bowl and add the wet ingredients to the center of the bowl. Add in the maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, vanilla extract, and canola oil.

Mix the wet ingredients in the center of the bowl and slowly mix together the dry and wet ingredients until a dough forms.

Once you have your cookie dough formed, add in any dried additions, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, trail mix, granola, etc., and mix into the cookie dough until well combined. (Check out the recipe card for 3 different ways to make these cookies: chocolate chip cookies, trail mix cookies, and granola crunch chocolate chip cookies.)

Form the cookie dough by rolling between your palms into balls.

Place the cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet and gently press until flattened (not all the way).

Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.

Once the cookies are golden, about 10-12 minutes, remove them from the oven and let them cool. Cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes and then place it onto a cooling rack.

Cool the cookies completely or enjoy them warm. Enjoy with a glass of your favorite vegan milk alternative, like oat milk, cashew milk, soy milk, or almond milk.