These Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are JUST 6 ingredients, made in 1 BOWL, crispy, chewy and buttery thanks to using almond flour and tapioca. The perfect cookie texture. Just 6 ingredients and also gluten-free, grain-free and oil-free!
CRISPY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Ok, today I’m sharing with you what I consider to be the perfect cookie texture. Crispy exterior, with a moist and chewy center. Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite kind of cookie. And making vegan cookies is fairly simple. These Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are a huge, huge reader fave. I absolutely love these though, because I love the extra crispy factor.
These are the perfect cookie base to add in anything you like….nuts, dried fruit, obviously chocolate chips, and in today’s case, lots of candied ginger. Since it’s the holidays, here comes ginger overload. These are seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever had in my entire life. I LOVE GINGER. But if you don’t, simply omit and use any other dried fruit or nuts. Dried cranberries and cherries would be excellent! The base recipe for these chocolate chip cookies is just 6 ingredients (+salt) and any optional add-ins.
CRISPY COOKIE TEXTURE
A perfect cookie to me should entail all of these qualities: Slightly crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, moist, sweet and have chocolate chips. These cookies contain all of that and more. What helps to make these crispy on the outside is the tapioca starch and it also helps to bind the cookies, acting as eggs. The almond flour gives the wonderful, moist and chewy center.
WHERE CAN I BUY VEGAN CHOCOLATE?
Many grocery stores these days sell vegan chocolate, whether intentionally or not. Some brands are naturally vegan or made without milk. Enjoy Life is a great vegan brand and even Nestle now has vegan chocolate chips. Just make sure to always read the ingredients on the package before purchasing.
I’m telling you, the chocolate chips mixed with the bites of candied ginger is a delicious combo! So, definitely try that option!
MORE VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES
- Grain-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Gluten-free Snickerdoodles
- Chai Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
- Old-fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 5 Ingredient Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (168g) superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup (use agave if you don't want a maple flavor)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (2 tsp provides a strong vanilla flavor, use 1 if you prefer a milder flavor)
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Optional Holiday Ginger Cookie Variation
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger powder
- 2 large tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl. Make sure to zero out before each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Dark metal pan will yield the best crispy exterior texture.
- Add the almond flour, tapioca, baking powder, ground ginger (if using) and salt to a large bowl and whisk well.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the syrup and vanilla. Give the liquid portion a quick stir. Add the chocolate chips and chopped ginger (if using), on top and stir all of the ingredients together until it becomes a very thick batter. If it's not thick enough, add a little more almond flour. This will affect how they bake up.
- Using a cookie scooper, drop large mounds onto the prepared sheet and space them about an inch apart. I fit all the cookies on the pan. For the tops, I gently pressed some extra chocolate chips on top of the cookies and slightly pressed the cookies down, but not fully. If your batter is thick enough and you want perfectly round cookies, then roll them into balls and flatten them about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Please note that different brands of almond flour will greatly effect how thick or thin your batter is. If it is a looser batter, no need to press the batter down. They will bake up thinner and spread a lot. Bake for 12-13 minutes until beginning to turn golden on top. 13 minutes produced the perfect cookie for me, using a cookie scooper.
- They will firm up a lot while they cool, so don't remove them while warm. Let cool just 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to cool completely on a rack. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or sealed container.
Nutrition
Wow, more good things I must try. Thanks.
Thank you Marsha!
Can walden farms be used for the maple syrup? I am trying to cut down on sugars period and using maple syrup would still make it high in sugar, also is there any thing besides tapioca starch? What is the best substitute for tapioca? I don’t have it at home and do not want to necessary have to buy it..
What is walden farms? The tapioca starch is pretty crucial for the texture and binding of the cookie. There is only 6 ingredients in these cookies, so please understand that if you are wanting to change 2 of those ingredients, I can’t say how exactly they will turn out. You can try cornstarch, but they will not bind as well and may be more crumbly, as tapioca is a key ingredient here. I use it in a TON of my recipes, so my readers definitely get good use out of the ingredient and it doesn’t go to waste.
I made these cookies and they were so good! I accidentally used unblanched almond flour but they still came out delicious and crispy!
SO very awesome to hear that Elizabeth! Thank you!
These are the best cookies I’ve made so far! I’ve been plant based for about 3 years, and gluten free for about 3 months. I did not try it with the ginger yet, but may do that the next time I make these. The only down side was that I couldn’t stop eating them!
Yay! First, so sorry I missed this comment before and 2nd, SO glad you loved these and they are the best you’ve made so far! That makes me so happy, thank you so much for the feedback!
What is a white sugar, brown sugar, molasses or other sweetener substitute for maple syrup? I can’t afford maple syrup and am willing to eat the processed sugars. I’d like to try your cookie/dessert recipes but most of them contain maple syrup. Thank you.
Hi Christy! You can sub agave anywhere you see maple syrup. It’s much cheaper. The taste will be slightly less rich, as it doesn’t have the same smoky warm flavor of maple syrup, but it’s the best sub out there. Make sure to use the dark amber agave and not the light and that the only ingredient, is agave.
Thanks. I think I can find agave at a local Winco for a good price.
Absolutely amazingly perfect cookies! Brandy you have outdone yourself on this one and you have a very special knack for making healthy, oil-free, vegan food taste amazing and people would never know it’s vegan. These cookies are crisp on the outside and moist on the inside and could fool any SAD eater out there. Please keep your amazing recipes coming!!
You are the sweetest Candy! Thank you so much for your kind words, they really mean so much to me! So happy to hear you love these so much!
These cookies are AMAZE-Zing! I can not tell you how much my wife and I enjoyed these bad boys. They are our new favorite cookie to make and DEVOUR. I don’t even mind keeping them around since they are healthy-ish ? We left the ginger out and followed the rest of the recipe to the T. Perfection in a sweet, cylindrical shape!
Thank you so very much Travis! I’m so happy you loved these so much, thank you very much for leaving such great feedback!
OMG! Made the basic dough w/o ginger and added dark chocolate chips and chopped dried cranberries. They are outstanding and could compete with any cookie I’ve ever had! If I hadn’t made them myself I’d never believe there are no eggs, butter, or shortening in them. I love your recipes and have so many in my saved folder. Thank you for sharing!
So happy to hear that Meg, thank you so much for such wonderful feedback! I truly appreciate it!! SO thrilled you are enjoying the recipes!!
Brandi, this is a nifty cookie! I also make them as a regular ole chocolate chip and pecan or walnut cookie. The cookie batter makes a great ‘base recipe’ to add various favors to. The ginger is terrific but today the request from family visiting is chocolate chip pecan. Yours is the recipe I am using. Thank you!
Oh I’m so excited to hear this is your go-to chocolate chip cookie Nancy!! So happy they were a hit and thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! 🙂
Mon beau is a ginger fan…seriously, he and you have so much in common when it comes to ingredients like ginger, espresso, etc. Wow, 2 days prepping and cooking, I’m glad you had a long break, you deserve it, Brandi! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Your cookies look amazing, I can see the crispy exterior…and the moist interior….I want to make this when I get home next month!
What lovely cookies and I just love the candied ginger for added spice! I bet these were so good! 🙂
Thank you so much Shundara! They were really GOOD! 🙂
Love the combo of ginger and chocolate! I don’t think it could get any better!
I agree…nothing better!
Where do I begin in describing how amazing these cookies are?!? So delicious and super easy to make! If you have an event where you need to bring dessert or you are wanting cookies, these will be gone in a flash!! I’m telling you, they are the best homemade cookies, of any kind, that I’ve ever had. Brandi, I think you should rename these to, “life changing cookies ” 😉
You are a doll Melissa! I’m so glad you loved the cookies so much, and I LOVE your suggested name of them, haha!! Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
I’m so happy you enjoyed such a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and that you took some time after to relax 🙂 Some relaxing after the holidays is definitively needed! I can’t wait to try a few of your recipes to feature at our Christmas dinner! I love the simplicity of your recipes! Keep ’em coming!!
And okay Brandi, these cookies look SERIOUSLY GOOD! I imagine the combo of the ginger and choc. chips is absolutely wonderful! Adding these to the “need to make for Xmas” list!! Have a great weekend 🙂 Pinned!
You are so sweet Ceara! Thank you so much lady! I hope you love them!
Hey there! 🙂 We stumbled upon your lovely blog from Ceara’s Kitchen. And what a stumble it is! Absolutely LOVE your photos — the nice balance between close-ups and layout shots. Professional, tempting, awesome! Also, Ginger + Chocolate = Awesome. Even Einstein couldn’t come up with a better formula, haha!
Also love your many desserts — especially the ones you featured in your slider. Gorgeous stuff. Okay, it’s official — we’re fans! Heh!
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful creations. WE WILL BE BACK! Cannot possibly resist. 🙂
Awww Levan, what wonderful, sweet, KIND compliments!!! You made me smile big, so happy to find you on the internet and so glad you are a “fan” of my blog! I really appreciate it!
There are so many things I love about these cookies! First off, they’re cookies. Nuf said. I also love that they are made from almond flour, have very little sugar and I love the addition of ginger! So awesome. Oh, and CHOCOLATE CHIPS….my fav!
Oh, they are so good, the combo! Thanks so much Melanie! You would love them…they are sweet, crispy and chewy.
These look perfect! Thick and crispy and I love the combination of ginger and chocolate. I’ve not tried tapioca starch yet; adding it to my shopping list for this weekend!
Oh it’s awesome! Tapioca helps give so much moisture and binding and it also helps give rise and browning to baked goods…such an awesome starch! Thank you Linda!
Oh girl, I said above that my 3 year old still scarfed them down, so they are spicy in the since of lots of ginger, but not spicy HOT 🙂
Oh and you can’t have almond flour?? These will not work with coconut flour, it will change the cookie completely and make them crumbly and dry as can be. Coconut flour is 10 times more absorbent than almond flour and leaves really dry results, so I wouldn’t do that! Almond flour is what is needed for the moisture, since I use no oil 🙂
Mine turned out PERFECTLY! Wowie. What a lovely zippy punch of ginger! I love these. However, I am such a ginger lover that I might even just omit the chocolate. Either way, chocolate in or out, this is one nifty cookie. Fantastic texture. Crispy and also chewy. You did it again Brandi, Thanks!
You are so awesome Nancy! Thank you so much for making them so quickly and also for sharing your photo on Facebook! I’m so glad you loved them! The texture of both chewy and slightly crispy is what I love so much. The blanched almond flour really drives home the amazing texture combined with the tapioca and chewy ginger pieces. Thank you so much!
As I told you, ginger is not usually my fave, BUT you put it in a cookie and pair it with chocolate and it sounds awesome! These look really yummy!!
Thanks!
Can you use potato starch instead of tapioca starch?
Hi Nathalie, potato starch will likely make them more dry/crumbly since it is much more used for fluffing up baked goods. If you have cornstarch, that is the closest sub to tapioca starch. If not, you can try potato starch, just not sure how it’d work compared to the tapioca.
This is probably one of my favorite recipes you’ve posted thus far. I can’t begin to describe my love for chocolate and crystallized ginger. I need these…NEED these.
I know right?! Mine too….it is just an amazing combo! They both compliment each other beautifully! Thanks girl! I hope you try them!
Look at those cuties! I agree with Emma – my idea of the perfect cookie. LOVE the flavors!
Thank you so much Annie! xo
My idea of a perfect cookie! I’m with you on a slightly crisp outside and chewy middle. And I ADORE ginger!
I think I need a second stomach at this time of year to fit in all the holiday baking I want to make!
Glad to hear you had a relaxing Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much Emma! So good to hear from you! Missed you xo
I KNOW you love your ginger like I do, so I know you would love these…lots of awesome ginger and almond flour. MMMM.
I literally swooped right over here from your comment on my site. LOVE these cookies. Chocolate and ginger are a gorgeous combination and I love your cookies. They look moist and chewy and chocolatey and spicy. Really lovely combination.
You are so sweet Suzanne, thank you! Such a great combo indeed and these are just the absolute perfect texture, which to me is so crucial for a fantastic cookie!