Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

My eggless chocolate chips cookies are chunky, chewy and a total treat! Add that they are super easy to bake and can be made ahead of time, and you have an all round winner!

A very versatile ingredient

Baking without eggs certainly comes with its own set of challenges. In different recipes, eggs can have many roles. They can affect structure, texture and flavour. Eggs provide stability and structure in a batter, or be a thickener and an emulsifier in sauces and custards. They add moisture to cakes and other bakes and also brilliant as a glaze or even as a glue!

Who knew the humble egg was so versatile in baked goodies.

In a cookie, eggs provide structure by bonding with the protein and starch in the flour. And the protein in the eggs itself help make the cookies chewy. As you can see, eggs are pretty vital in the creation of the perfect cookie!

However, you’re here and reading this because I’ve managed to create a recipe for you that is not only eggless. My recipe will give you the most beautiful chewy cookies without eggs!

Making the choco chip cookies eggless

I will not lie, these cookies are the result of many many (unsuccessful but still delicious!) experiments. Making cookies without eggs and maintaining the beautiful chewy texture took me a few more goes than I was expecting! But I am so pleased with the results, and everyone who has tried them has raved about them too. Even my rather skeptical kids came back asking if they could have another cookie or two!

These cookies are just as chewy and delicious as their eggy counterparts. Even those who use eggs in their cookie recipes have not missed this ingredient in these beauties! I think that speaks for itself really!

What is the difference between cookies and biscuits?

Cookies are generally made from a dough that is a lot softer than biscuit dough. When baked, cookies tend to be softer than biscuits, often with a bit of chewiness too. This means your cookies will be denser and feel almost like they are slightly underbaked. Biscuits on the other hand will be much firmer when baked and will have a more delicate texture to them. In other words, they can snap or be broken and are not as soft as cookies. Biscuits tend to be used more often when a filling is required after baking, or if decorating with icing art. However, cookies can be “stuffed” resulting in the filling being baked within the cookie itself.

Having said all this, I am well aware the word “biscuits” are used in parts of the world to also mean a tender baked dough not dissimilar to what we in the UK call “scones”. They are both made in a very similar way, but served differently. Equally, “cookies” can encompass biscuits too in certain parts of the world, as in the US.

So really what I should say is language can be a rather confusing thing!

What ingredients do I need to make these eggless chocolate chips cookies?

• Unsalted butter: as with all my recipes, I like to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the bake. For best results, use butter at room temperature
• Soft brown sugar: for sweetness, but also chewiness, in your cookies.
• Caster sugar: for sweetness, and a little crisp, in your cookies.
• Vanilla: for delicious flavour!
• Flour: I use plain (all purpose) flour in my cookies. Other flours will result in different textures, so please be mindful of this if you decide to swap it with another type of flour.
• Baking powder: the leavening agent in this bake, to give your cookies enough lightness so they bake into chewy delights!
• Chocolate chips: for delicious pops of chocolate in your cookies. If you don’t have chocolate chips to hand, you can just use a bar of chocolate chopped into chunks!
• Milk: a little milk is used for moisture and to bring your eggless chocolate chip cookie dough together.

What tools do I need to make eggless cookies?

• Baking tray*: to chill and then bake your cookies on. I would recommend at least couple of baking trays so you can have one for chilling you cookie dough and one for baking.
• Digital kitchen scales*: I always recommend using digital kitchen scales to weigh your ingredients out over using a volume based measuring system, as cups. Weighing out your ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume, and will ensure better results in your cookies, so I’d take the plunge if you haven’t already. Digital scales are now relatively inexpensive and widely available, so what are you waiting for? 😊
• Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), a set of dedicated measuring spoons is a must! These are far more accurate than your everyday eating spoons, and are really easy to get hold of too.
• Mixing bowl*: to mix all your ingredients together to make your cookies.
• Electric handheld mixer*: investing in a good electric mixer is a brilliant help with all your baking, and will make baking your cookies a total breeze!
• Sieve*: to remove lumps from your dry ingredients, ensuring everything gets mixed together evenly.
• Spatula*: to help with mixing ingredients and scraping your mixing bowl down.
• Cookie scoop*: my preferred method to get even amounts of cookie dough so I can bake evenly sized cookies.
• Cooling rack*: place your baking tray when it comes out of the oven, allowing your cookies to continue baking and firm up before you enjoy them.

How to make my eggless chocolate chips cookies

Cookies are one of my favourite bakes ever, because they actually come together so quickly and easily! The hardest part is the waiting: for them to chill before baking, and then for them to firm up after baking. Once you get the hang of the method I use, making these eggless cookies will be effortless!

Step 1: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.

Step 2: Place your butter in a large mixing bowl and beat to soften. Add in the sugars and beat it all together until completely combined, pale and fluffy. Spoon in the vanilla and mix again.

Step 3: Sift in the flour and baking powder, then beat until it comes together. Your mixture will look a little like breadcrumbs, clumping together slightly. This is exactly what you want, perfect!

Step 4: Tip in the chocolate chips and mix again to evenly disperse them in your dough. Finally, add in the milk and beat until your mixture forms larger clumps of cookie dough.

Step 5: Using a cookie/ice cream scoop, scoop up balls of cookie dough onto your prepared baking tray. I like to roll my cookie dough balls a little, but just scooping will be fine too. Once you have scooped up all your cookie dough, place your baking tray in the freezer for at least 60 minutes for your dough to firm up.

Step 6: When you want to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 180C/350F and prepare a fresh baking tray lined with parchment paper. Once your oven is hot, place your cookie dough balls on your new baking tray, remembering to leave a few inches between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes. Look for little cracks all the way to the middle and lightly golden edges on each cookie. Remove from the oven and leave on your baking tray to firm up for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Cookies FAQ

There are a few factors that can affect your cookies and how they turn out. I will try to answer as many questions as I can, I may miss something, so please ask away in the comments below!

How do I make my eggless chocolate chips cookies chewy?

I find I need a mix of white and brown sugar in my cookies. The white sugar adds to the crispyness of the cookies. But its the brown sugar that is key for a wonderfully chewy cookie. The molasses in brown sugar helps retain more moisture in the cookies, making them thicker, softer and deliciously chewier.

Can I use oil instead of butter in my cookies?

Oil and butter are unfortunately not interchangeable in my cookie recipes, as oil is liquid at room temperature. This means your cookies will spread more when baked, even after chilling, so you won’t have the same final results.

What if my eggless cookie dough is too soft?

If your cookie dough feels too soft, chill your dough for 10-15 minutes before scooping it into balls. Please keep in mind if you didn’t use block butter when making your cookies, they will remain soft and not firm up. I always use block butter, the kind you get in a foil wrapper, in my cookies. Using butter should result in your cookies really firming up in the fridge/freezer.

How do I know if my cookies are baked?

Your cookies are done if the edges are lightly golden and the cracks on top have only just found their way to the middle of the cookie. When this has happened, remove them from the oven, but do not move them off the baking tray! They will continue to bake in the residual heat from within the cookie and from the baking tray. Leaving them on the tray to cool for 10-15 minutes and firm up is super important for beautiful chewy cookies.

Why did my cookies come out flat?

I prefer to chill my cookie dough before baking my cookies. This allows the butter in the dough to firm up. This way, the cookie remains more compacted and hold its shape better when baking instead of spreading out. A good rule to remember is this: the warmer your cookie dough is when you put it in the oven, the thinner and flatter your cookies will be once baked.

Why are my cookies puffy and cakey?

The most likely reason for this is down to the flour in the recipe. Measuring out too much flour (especially if using volume measures rather than weighing out ingredients) can result in drier or cakier cookies.

Why are my cookies so crumbly?

Again, there are a few reasons baked cookies turn out crumbly, but two likely culprits. If the cookies were baked too long, they may have dried out. It could also be that too much flour was used when making the cookie dough, leading to drier cookies.

How long will these eggless chocolate chips cookies last? And how should I store them?

These eggless cookies are at their best if enjoyed within 3-4 days from baking, if they last that long! Store them in an airtight container, in a cool place.

Can I freeze these eggless chocolate chips cookies?

Yes! You can freeze them both before and after baking. Keep reading for how to freeze both unbaked and baked cookies.

For unbaked cookies, freeze the cookie dough in individual cookie balls on your baking tray for a few hours, as per the recipe. Once they are firm, transfer the cookie balls into a lidded container suitable for the freezer. These dough balls will keep for up to two months in your freezer. 

For baked cookies, cool competely, then wrap individually snugly in cling film and place in a lidded container before freezing. Baked cookies will be good for two months in your freezer.

How do I thaw my eggless cookies?

If you froze your cookies as unbaked cookie dough, simply remove your frozen cookies and place them on a lined baking tray. Remember to leave about a few inches in between each cookie for them to spread as they bake. Pop them in your hot oven straight from frozen and bake, adding a couple of minutes extra to your baking time according to the recipe and your oven.

If you baked your cookies before freezing, you can just defrost them fully at room temperature and enjoy! However, if you want to get the crunchy edges and soft middle, just pop them on a baking tray (no need to spread out too much, you’re just heating them up again). Reheat in your oven at 180C/350F for about 3-5 minutes, then pop on a cooling rack for a few minutes before enjoying.

Additional tips for making this eggless chocolate chips cookies recipe

• Make sure you’ve prepared your tools and ingredients before you start mixing. Line your baking tray and get your ingredients out ready to use. And don’t forget to make space in your freezer too! It’s easy to forget something once you start mixing.
• Take time to read through the recipe so you are familiar with what steps come next. Don’t skip details and instructions or swap ingredients given as it could affect the results of your final bake.
• Use butter at room temperature to make your life easier when beating! It will chill in the fridge again once all mixed anyway, so no need to fret about keeping it cool.
• When adding in the milk, add just a tablespoon to start, then more if needed. If your cookie dough is too wet, your mixture will not hold in the same way, resulting in flatter cookies.
• Invest in a good cookie scoop. The one I’ve linked to below is the best I have tried, and I’ve used many! A lot break easily or the release mechanism fails, but this one is so sturdy and easy to use, I would highly recommend it!

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, please use the comments below to ask and I’ll do my best to help. And if you made and enjoyed this recipe, I’d love to hear from you too!

And don’t forget: if you make this recipe for eggless chocolate chip cookies, please leave a rating and review below. I would really love to know how you enjoy making them, it helps me enormously AND it really helps others looking for a recipe too! You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world, you already know I’d love to see!

More eggless recipes for you to enjoy

If you enjoyed these eggless cookies, don’t forget too to check out these other delicious eggless recipes on my blog too!

Eggless cinnamon sugar donuts: these donuts are so quick and easy to make, they’re ready in under an hour! They are light, moist and wonderfully cakey, and are dredged in the most glorious cinnamon sugar!

Rose pistachio and cardamom loaf cake: this loaf cake was inspired by the stunning flavours of India. Here, earthy pistachio, fragrant cardamom, and floral rose come together in an eggless bake to create an incredible stunning cake that is truly out of this world.

Eggless key lime pie: a beautiful buttery biscuit base, filled with creamy, tangy sweet key lime filling and topped with swirls of softly whipped cream and lime zest. This eggless version of the classic pie is one of my most popular recipes for good reason!

Thanks for joining me today, my friends! Enjoy and happy baking! x

Recommended equipment and ingredients I used *

Baking tray	Digital kitchen scales
Measuring spoons	Mixing bowl
Electric handheld mixer	Vanilla
Sieve	Spatula
Cookie scoop	Cooling rack