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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Oil

    Published: Apr 29, 2016 · Modified: Feb 11, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

     This quick and easy butterless chocolate chip cookie recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter for a soft, chewy cookie. 

    Two chocolate chip cookies on a white plate. this recipe

    Full disclosure: I am WEIRD about chocolate chip cookies. I don't know what it is, really. I'm just PICKY. And I'm picky, but, like, in the WRONG ways?

    Example: I DO NOT like chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven. Sometimes you get burned by a still-really-hot chocolate chip, which UGH. Give me room temperature cookies all day every day.

    I also refuse to dip cookies in milk - milk makes cookies soggy and I just don't get the appeal, I guess.

    SO. Just give me a soft, fluffy, room temperature chocolate chip cookie with no milk, please. This is the way to my strange, anti-all-the-regular-chocolate-chip-cookie-things heart.

    Chocolate chip cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

    These butterless chocolate chip cookies are actually kind of wonderful, though. Made from scratch? Check. Without butter? Check. Soft and chewy? Check annnnnnd check.

    (And you are totally allowed to eat them hot from the oven and dip them in milk if those things make your heart happy. We accept all kinds of cookie monsters here at Life As A Strawberry HQ!)

    Chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan, before and after baking.

    Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Butter!

    These cookies have NO butter! There's just a bit of smooth, melted coconut oil for body and flavor.

    (Note: Coconut oil at room temperature is usually solid, but just spoon it into a glass measuring cup and zap it in the microwave to melt it down for this recipe):

    A glass measuring cup filled with coconut oil.

    I've been having a lot of fun baking with coconut oil lately, and it's a great alternative if you prefer to avoid butter/dairy in recipes (or have a craving for chocolate chip cookies but no butter in the house!)

    Four small plates of chocolate chip cookies on a white background, with a glass of milk in the corner.

    You can taste a bit of coconut flavor in these chocolate chip cookies, but it's definitely not overpowering. The coconut oil also lends a very slight crispness to the outside of these butterless cookies - but the insides are soft and chewy just like a perfect chocolate chip cookie should be!

    PS - You can also use coconut oil instead of butter for our small batch chocolate chip cookies!

    Hands breaking a fresh chocolate chip cookie in half.

    How do you like YOUR chocolate chip cookies? Let me know in the comments!

    Fresh chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

    Video: How to make butterless chocolate chip cookies

      Print

    📖 Recipe

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    Chocolate chip cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

    Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Oil

    ★★★★★ 4.7 from 157 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 25 mins
    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: Makes 25-30 cookies 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Cuisine: American
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    Description

    Easy, chewy chocolate chip cookies with no butter.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ¾ cup liquid form coconut oil (see recipe notes)
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup white sugar
    • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
    • 2 ½ cups flour (measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 heaping cup chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, combine liquid coconut oil, vanilla, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
    3. Add flour, kosher salt, and baking soda to bowl and stir until ingredients are incorporated and you have a smooth dough.
    4. Fold chocolate chips into dough until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.
    6. Use a large cookie scoop (I like this 3-Tablespoon one) to scoop dough, and place dough scoops 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
    7. Bake cookies at 375 degrees F for 9-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to let cool.
    8. Serve cookies immediately or let them cool completely and then store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

    Notes

    How to melt coconut oil into its liquid form: Coconut oil is generally solid at room temperature, but we want to melt it into a liquid form for this recipe in order to incorporate it more easily into our chocolate cupcake batter. (We’ve used virgin unrefined coconut oils from 365/Whole Foods, Nutiva, and Carrington Farms and like them all). To melt coconut oil, scoop about 1 cup of coconut oil (in its solid, room-temperature form) into a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, and then microwave for 30-40 seconds until it’s melted down. Give the coconut oil a stir and then check the measurement – you may need to add another spoonful of room temperature coconut oil to bring the liquid up to the correct amount. Melt too much oil? Pour any excess right back into the container.

    Work quickly when you bake these cookies – as the coconut oil starts to come back to room temperature, the dough will stiffen and be a little more crumbly and harder to work with, so plan to bake these in just one or two batches as opposed to storing the dough in the fridge for later!

    If you use a larger or smaller scoop to form the cookie dough, you may need to adjust your bake time – just keep an eye on the cookies as they bake and pull them out when they’re very lightly browned!

    Adjustments and Substitutions. Feel free to use more chocolate chips than called for, or to add nuts or white chocolate chips. Add a sprinkle of flakey sea salt on top if you like! You can also swap the chocolate chips for chopped baking chocolate (we like dark or semi-sweet) for chocolate chunks.

    These chocolate chip cookies are relatively soft and slightly dense. If you like a thinner, crispier cookie, you can reduce the amount of flour in this recipe by ¼ cup. For an ultra-thick, especially dense cookie, you can increase the flour by up to ¼ cup.

    Homemade cookies can dry out after a few days - to keep them soft, store them in an airtight container on the counter along with a small slice of bread (they’ll absorb moisture from the bread and stay softer!) or pop a cookie in the microwave for a few seconds to warm. These cookies also freeze well once cooked!

    For more butter-free recipes, check out our Coconut Oil Chocolate Cupcakes or Salted Olive Oil Dark Chocolate Cookies!

    Adapted from Nestlé Toll House.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 2 cookies
    • Calories: 201
    • Sugar: 17 g
    • Sodium: 95.2 mg
    • Fat: 9.5 g
    • Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
    • Protein: 2.4 g
    • Cholesterol: 14.9 mg

    Keywords: no butter, christmas, homemade

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Discussion

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    1. Jenna

      August 14, 2023 at 2:09 pm

      So good! Made these with enjoy life chips for a friend who is dairy free. This may be my new go to cookie recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        August 16, 2023 at 2:34 pm

        YIPPEE! We're so glad you and your friend enjoyed the cookies!

        Reply
    2. Sarah

      July 17, 2023 at 9:37 pm

      Made these tonight. Wow so delicious. Thank you for this fab recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        July 18, 2023 at 7:53 am

        YIPPEE! We're so happy to hear that you loved them!

        Reply
    3. Mrs Maui

      May 21, 2023 at 11:00 pm

      I made half of the recipe to test it out. Kids absolutely loved it. I liked it too. Except mine didn't come out chewy. It did come out soft and a little Crisp around the edges. I always make cookies with the butter. However, we ran out and this recipe looked the best. All in all if you don't have butter this recipe is tasty, just don't expect the same texture.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        May 22, 2023 at 10:06 am

        We're so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and that your kids loved the cookies!

        Reply
    4. Pauline

      April 18, 2023 at 6:54 pm

      Just finished making these cookies. My husband thinks they are very good but dont think 12 min is enough as the cookies seem very doughy. I left the 2nd pan in a little longer and still the same. The third pan will be in even longer. I used a small ice cream scoop *1 tblsp) and they are a good sizes

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Rhonda @ Life As A Strawberry

        May 03, 2023 at 5:25 pm

        Without knowing exactly what is going on, there are a few things you can check. First, make sure the cookies are cooling before eating, otherwise they will be more doughy. Second, confirm your oven is the temperature you expect. If the cookies are cool and oven temp is correct, you can try to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and bake 5-8 minutes longer. You can also try adding a little more flour (15 grams or so - 2 Tablespoons) to the dough.

        Reply
    5. Rachel

      April 15, 2023 at 12:38 pm

      I also love these cookies! Can you freeze the cookie dough to bake later a few at a time?

      Reply
      • Rhonda @ Life As A Strawberry

        May 02, 2023 at 12:48 pm

        So glad you love these cookies! We haven't frozen these but they should freeze fine. Form the cookies before freezing. Then remove the number you want to bake. You can place them into the oven straight from the freezer or thaw them first. If baked from frozen it will take a few extra minutes.

        Reply
    6. Charm

      April 08, 2023 at 3:15 pm

      Recipe is a BUST

      I ENDED UP WITH A GIANT BOWL OF DRY FLOUR. COUKDNT MAKE A COOKIE OUT OF THIS IF I TRIED. WHAT A WASTE!!! WHY DIES ANYOBE NEED 10 CUPS VOLUME IF COOKIES ANYWAYS???

      ★

      Reply
      • BadMedisin

        September 12, 2023 at 4:25 pm

        If you got 10 cups out of that, you did something wrong… 😉

        Reply
    7. Lan Seyfarth

      April 04, 2023 at 10:49 pm

      I would like to change my blogger archive frequency from 1 month to longer, like 3 months. How do I do this?.

      Reply
    8. Catherine B

      March 28, 2023 at 8:28 pm

      A recipe so good that it warrants leaving a review! I was skeptical that that melted coconut oil wouldn't turn into very crispy cookies, but they turned out so beautifully chewy. I got so many compliments from everyone who tried them that I baked another batch within a week of my first one (which got eaten in a day)

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Rhonda @ Life As A Strawberry

        May 03, 2023 at 4:50 pm

        These cookies don't last very long at our place either. So glad you loved them!

        Reply
    9. Misha

      March 10, 2023 at 10:30 pm

      I know that this review won’t necessarily help people who want results of the unaltered recipe, but I just wanted to throw out that this recipe CAN be adjusted and it works beautifully.

      I am totally out of butter and wanted to make a cookie my mom(GF) and I could eat. I had Bob Mills All Purpose(garbanzo bean flour mix) and Xantham Gum. Using Bob’s recommended Xantham-Flour ratio, I was able to turn this into a delicious, fluffy gluten free cookie!!

      Reducing the sugar also didnt hurt the recipe, in my experience! Nor did the kind of sugar I used. (although brown sugar is necessary for that classic caramel flavor for regular chocolate chip cookies) — I reduced it by a 1/4th cup and now I have cookies at 9PM. MAGIC.

      The oven you have drastically changes the appearance of the cookie! I had a classic, big-chunk look in my convection toaster oven, but a less risen ‘cracked’ cookie from my regular oven- which doesn’t circulate heat as well. Good to keep in mind for people who struggle making recipes “turn out” at home.

      This is going in my go-to recipe book next to sugarspunrun’s pizza dough. I finally have a good cookie again! Thank you!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Rhonda @ Life As A Strawberry

        March 16, 2023 at 12:13 pm

        We are so glad you were able to make this your own. Glad you love it!

        Reply
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