Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies
If you’ve ever typed “vegan chocolate cookies” into Google and immediately felt overwhelmed…hi, same. But these soft, decadent double chocolate cookies use a sneaky shortcut that turns “I’m not a baker” into “Who brought the best cookies?!” in under 30 minutes.
This post contains affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you). Click here to read our full policy about affiliate links. Thank you for shopping our affiliate links, as it helps us keep the free vegan recipes coming your way!
Why These Vegan Chocolate Cookies Are Different
Let me confess something: I am not naturally a baker. I love to cook, but measuring precise amounts of cup after cup after cup of flour? Not for me.
That is…until I met the cake mix cookie method.
I first saw it on a non-vegan blog Cooking with Karli, and the lightbulb went OFF. Since most boxed cake mixes are already “accidentally” vegan, I knew we could turn it into the easiest vegan chocolate cookie recipe ever. You basically dump in a box of cake mix and skip a huge chunk of tedious measuring! Yes, there’s still a little measuring involved, but it’s wildly less overwhelming.
And the texture? Unreal. Thanks to that “secret ingredient” (hello, cake mix!), these vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies bake up soft, rich, and buttery with that warm brownie center vibe but in cookie form. They’re the kind of chocolate chocolate chip cookies vegan dreams are made of.
Most vegan chocolate cookies recipes online have you hunting for the “right” cocoa powder, measuring multiple dry ingredients, and hoping you did it all correctly. But with this one, we let the cake mix do the heavy lifting. That’s why this is the vegan chocolate cookie recipe I come back to again and again. It made me someone who bakes cookies on a whim, and wins every dessert table. And it can do the same for you!
Save this recipe!
Add your email below to get this recipe sent straight to your inbox!
Ingredients for These Easy Vegan Chocolate Cookies
We’ll go over some ingredient notes in this section, but the full recipe with ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegan cake mix cookies (no stress, I promise):
- Ground flaxseed – We’ll mix this with water to make a “flax egg,” which replaces the chicken egg typically used in chocolate cake mix cookies. Flax eggs are my go-to for vegan cookie recipes. They add structure without drying anything out!
- Vegan butter – Grab the stick versions from brands like Country Crock (plant butter) or Earth Balance. They come in ½ cup sticks, so that’s one less thing to measure – woo hoo!
- Granulated sugar – Stick with granulated – not brown sugar, not raw. This gives the best texture for soft vegan chocolate cookies.
- Vegan-friendly chocolate cake mix – We use Duncan Hines. More on that below!
- Vanilla extract – As always, this is the one ingredient in baking that you can measure with your heart.
- All-purpose flour – For gluten-free vegan chocolate cookies, sub in the same amount of Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
- Vegan-friendly chocolate chips – We’ve used both the Toll House allergen-free semi-sweet chips along with the semi-sweet chips from our local Shoprite store brand that are “accidentally” vegan. More tips below!
Is Cake Mix Vegan?
Short answer: Often, yes!
Many common cake mix brands in the U.S. are “accidentally” vegan as in, the dry mix itself doesn’t contain dairy or eggs. (The instructions on the back usually call for eggs, milk, etc., but we’re going to ignore those.)
I almost always reach for Duncan Hines because my go-to vegan baking source Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery confirmed with the company that their mixes are vegan. If you’re newer to vegan baking or don’t feel like squinting at ingredient labels, Duncan Hines is a safe bet. Just double-check the box size! This recipe calls for a 15.25-oz box, which is what most of theirs are.
How to Find Vegan Chocolate Chips
No, you do not have to settle for dark, bitter chocolate.
Brands like Enjoy Life make tons of vegan-friendly options like mini chips, chocolate chunks, all of it. There’s also a plant-based line from Nestle Toll House that’s widely available in the US.
Those can be a little pricey though. So here’s my real-life tip: Check the ingredients on your local store-brand semi-sweet chocolate chips! Many are accidentally vegan and way more affordable. That’s what we use most of the time – the Bowl & Basket brand from Shoprite!
If you’re looking for something homemade, you can chop up one of our homemade vegan chocolate bars!
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cookies with Cake Mix
Okay, apron on. Let’s do this together.
First, preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, whisk your ground flaxseed with water using a fork. It’ll look loose at first, but don’t panic. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken into your flax egg while you move on.
In a stand mixer (or a big bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the vegan butter and sugar. You’re looking for smooth and fluffy-ish. Nothing dramatic. See the photo below for what this looks like:
Next, add in the flax egg and vanilla. Mix until everything is mostly combined and slightly glossy, like in the photo below:
Now for the magic: Add the flour and the entire box of chocolate cake mix. Yep. Just dump it in. Mix again until combined. The dough will get thick; that’s normal. See the photo below for the texture you’re going for:
Then, gently fold in the chocolate chips until totally combined, like this:
Use a cookie scoop (or 2 spoons if that’s what you’ve got!) to scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough. Either drop them straight from the scoop or roll into a ball and gently flatten if you want a prettier, thicker disc shape. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. You’ll get about 33–36 cookies total here!
Bake for 9-12 minutes at 350°F. Ovens vary, so peek at the first batch early.
When you pull them out, they will look soft. Maybe even slightly underdone. Trust the process.
Let them cool on the cookie sheet (do not transfer to a wire rack) for at least 15–20 minutes before making final judgements. They firm up beautifully as they rest.
When ready, I love to serve these with a big glass of plant milk (the Silk original soy milk is my favorite for cookie dunking!)
Tips for Absolutely Crushing This Chocolate Cookie Recipe (Vegan Edition)
Use a stand mixer if you have one. We were gifted one and I was low-key intimidated. But wow, once I pulled out the manual and learned how to use it for these vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies, I never looked back. It makes this already super easy process even easier.
Hand mixer struggling? If your mixer slows down because the dough is thick, just finish bringing it together with clean, dry hands. It sounds weird, I know. But it works!
Don’t overbake. They’ll look soft when you pull them out. And you won’t be able to pick them up with a spatula right away, but that’s okay. That’s what gives you that brownie-cookie texture! Let them cool completely before judging.
Test your timing. If you’re nervous for your first round, bake just one tray first. Let it cool fully. Then taste and decide if you want the next batch a minute or two longer.
Make them your own. Swap some or all of the chocolate chips for crushed pretzels, candy canes, vegan marshmallows, peanut butter chips, whatever you want! This is such a fun base for all kinds of vegan cake mix cookies.
Shaping matters (sometimes). These cookies do not “spread” all that much when baking, so that’s something you’ll want to keep in mind when shaping the cookies. When it’s just me and T? I just scoop and drop because who cares what they look like, right? That’s what I did with the photos in this post. But for parties when I want to impress, I roll each scoop into a ball and gently flatten for that “bakery” look. This is what I did for the video in this post because I was taking the cookies to a party that day!
Bakery vibes upgrade: Press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops right after baking. Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if you’re feeling fancy!
Storage & Freezer Instructions
If somehow you don’t gobble up all the cookies in one sitting, here are the best ways to store them!
Storing Baked Cookies
Once fully cooled, store these vegan chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days. They’ll stay soft and fudgy.
If you prefer a firmer texture or want them to last closer to a week, you can refrigerate them. Just let them come closer to room temp before serving for the best texture.
Freezing Baked Cookies
To freeze baked chocolate cookies, first let them cool completely. Then, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1 hour). From there, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months!
To enjoy: Thaw at room temperature, or pop one in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-baked feel.
Freezing the Dough
You can also freeze this chocolate cookie dough!
Scoop and shape the dough balls, then freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time. Fresh vegan cookies chocolate magic on demand!
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
If this vegan chocolate cookie recipe lights a fire in your baking heart, try these next:
Let’s Boost Your Cookie Confidence! 💚
I truly hope these easy vegan chocolate cookies make you feel like baking is way more approachable (and way more fun!) than you thought. If you’ve ever labeled yourself “not a baker,” I want this chocolate cookie recipe vegan moment to change that for you!
May you become the queen of the dessert table and have your vegan chocolate cookies disappear first at the party. May your cookie confidence skyrocket!
And yes, I’ll absolutely be sharing more vegan chocolate cake mix cookies soon because I am officially obsessed.
If you make these, please leave a star rating and a review. It genuinely helps more people find our vegan recipes, and we love hearing how they turn out in your kitchen!
Okay, go preheat that oven. I’ll talk to you again soon! 🍪
Vegan Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer optional but helpful
Ingredients
For the flax eggs:
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 5 Tbsp water
For the cookies:
- ½ cup vegan butter 1 stick
- ½ cup organic granulated sugar
- 15.25 oz vegan-friendly chocolate cake mix We use Duncan Hines.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegan-friendly chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Then, whisk the flaxseed and water with a fork in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken.
- To your stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the vegan butter and sugar.
- Add the flax egg and vanilla and mix until combined
- Then, add the flour and cake mix and mix again until combined.
- Finally, gently fold in the vegan chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop (or two spoons!) to pick up about 1 ½ Tbsp cookie dough at a time. Roll it into a ball and flatten slightly (optional, for aesthetics) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. This recipe makes about 3 dozen (33-36) cookies!
- Bake for 9-12 minutes at 350F. The time can vary based on your oven, so check the first batch early!
- Then, remove and let cool for 15-20 minutes. The cookies will look gooey and slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven but will firm up as they cool!
