Coconut Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Get ready to sink your teeth into a batch of these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies. These easy to make and deliciously moist dairy-free chocolate chip cookies are made with coconut oil, dairy-free chocolate chunks, and sea salt flakes!
2025 Update: This recipe was originally shared in August 2019. This post has been updated to include new photos, detailed directions, and additional dairy-free tips. I hope you enjoy this coconut oil chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Cookies are without a doubt my favorite food to make for many different reasons but the most important being cookies are easily portable. Portable means I am able to take them anywhere. Being able to take them places means I can share them with others. And, as I have taught many children over the years, sharing, is caring.
When it comes to picking a cookie to make for sharing with others, I am tied evenly between two amazing cookies. A buttery soft, melt in your mouth sugar cookie (a treasured recipe from a former student). Or a soft, yet loaded, salted chocolate chunk cookie from the one and only Deb Perelman.
Converting both of these recipes to a dairy-free alternative was nothing short of a labor of love. While it might be cheaper and easier to use a plant-based butter stick at the base of a chocolate chip cookie, I have found time and again that coconut oil yields a much softer and chewier cookie.
Why We Love these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
To say I am a but of a chocolate chip cookie addict would be an understatement. At any given moment you can easily find 3 different flavors of chocolate chip cookie dough in my freezer.
We love making these chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil because they are:
- Melt in your mouth delicious. The subtle flavors of the coconut oil enhances the flavor of the chocolate for an utterly delicious cookie.
- Quick to make. You can easily whip up a batch of these cookies in under 30 minutes.
- Freezer friendly. Make the dough and store the balls in the freezer for a future bake time.
Dairy-Free Changes to Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make these decadent chocolate chunk cookies you will need two dairy-free swaps.
- Coconut Oil- In place of an unsalted butter stick or even plant-butter stick I have opted to use melted coconut oil.
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Chunks– You can use any dairy-free chocolate chip you like in this recipe but I love the way the chocolate chunks pool with melty goodness after baking.
How to Make Dairy-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Coconut Oil
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour– All purpose flour works great in this recipe.
- Spices– A blend of salt, baking soda, and cinnamon give flavor and a little rise to these cookies.
- Coconut oil– Melted and slightly cooled.
- Sugar– A blend of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten these cookies.
- Vanilla– For a boost of flavor.
- Egg– At room temperature, will help bind the dough together.
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Chunks– I used Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Mega Chunks for this recipe.
Step-By-Step Directions for Coconut Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Set aside until you are ready to bake.
- Melt coconut oil: In the microwave, melt your coconut oil and then leave on the counter to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium sized mixing bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside for later.
- “Cream” sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted coconut oil until combined.
- Add remaining wet ingredients: With the mixer on add the egg and vanilla until incorperated.
- Fold dry ingredients: Remove from the mixer and fold in the flour mixture using a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Mix in chocolate: Pour in the chocolate chunks and fold into the dough.
- Scoop: Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Top + bake: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 9 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
When it comes to making these decadent chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil, there are a few helpful ingredients and tools that make this recipe work.
- Rimmed Cookie Sheet– An absolute workhorse in this kitchen, a rimmed cookie sheet helps bake the cookies and keep them from sliding off the baking sheet when you pull them in and out of the oven.
- Cookie Scoop– Second most important cookie baking tool, this cookie scoop provides a consistent cookie dough ball size for each cookie.
- Flaky Sea Salt– Used to top the cookies, the flaky salt helps pull out the rich flavor of the chocolate.
Serving Dairy-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Coconut Oil
I fall into the group of people who believe there is no wrong way to serve a chocolate chunk cookie. Want it warm? Great! Like is cold? Done!
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy these coconut oil chocolate chunk cookies.
- Warm with a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Sandwiched with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
- Dipped in an extra batch of melted vegan chocolate.
- Crumbled over a bowl of vegan chocolate chocolate chip ice cream.
Storing and Freezing Coconut Oil Based Cookies
Whether you are planning to make a batch of this dough to bake now or freeze for later, here are some tips to keep this chocolate chunk cookie dough fresh.
- Storing– Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing in an air-tight container and storing at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing– Scoop the dough into balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer to freeze for about 30 minutes before transferring to a freezer-safe container and storing for up to 3 months.
- Baking from frozen– When you are ready to bake the cookie dough balls, remove the desired number from the freezer, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes.
For more information about freezing and storing cookie dough, you can check out my helpful Freezing Cookie Dough Guide.
Craving More Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Here are some of my other chocolate chip cookie recipes we make on repeat in our home.
- Dairy-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you make these dairy-free chocolate chunk cookies with coconut oil? I would love to hear how it went! Leave a comment below or snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!
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Coconut Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These dairy-free chocolate chunk cookies are a quick and easy cookie recipe that yield warm, soft chocolate stuffed cookies made with coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 Cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Flour, all purpose
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Coconut Oil (Melted, but not hot)
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup Dairy Free Chocolate Chunks
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl mix together 1½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix together ½ cup coconut oil and ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar until combined.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and room temperature egg, mix until incorporated.
- Take bowl off the mixer and fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture.
- Next fold in 1 cup of dairy-free chocolate chunks.
- Scoop onto a lined cookie sheet using a 1½ Tablespoon cookie scoop.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 9 minutes.
- Remove from oven and try to allow to cool for a 1 minute, no judgement if you need to check them out right away.
Notes
With inspiration from:
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