Perfectly chewy and delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies without margarine or butter!
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Edit: November 2019: five years and close to 2 million views later, I’m continuously awed and humbled by how many people have viewed and loved these cookies. It’s important to adhere as closely as possible to the recipe, as written, to yield the perfect results that tens of thousands of people have raved to me about. This recipe is simple, but there’s perfection in simplicity and these will change your life. Millions of viewers can’t be wrong!
Want your cookies to be even better? Here are a few tips:
- Bake them properly on a good quality baking pan. My preference is these cookie sheets from Nordic Ware, which are well priced. I don’t like silicone mats, because they are tricky to clean, so I use parchment paper instead for easy cleanup.
- Using a cookie scoop is vital to ensuring the cookies are evenly shaped. This isn’t just about the aesthetic, but rather about even cookies. Cookies that are not the same size will require different cooking times. This recipe works perfectly with the OXO medium cookie scoop.
- There’s nothing better (in my opinion) than the combo of sweet and salty. You can take these cookies up a notch with a sprinkling of Maldon Sea Salt on the top. The shape of this particular size ensures a burst of salty goodness in a bite of sweet cookies, making these truly memorable! This specialty salt is certified kosher and is also great on top of steak, grilled chicken or fish, or grilled vegetables.
- Make sure to use good quality chocolate chips for the best possible results! In fact, I like to take a bar of good quality chocolate, and cut it up into chunks and use that in place of the chips. You can also play around with alternative chips, such as milk chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter or nougat, as well as using a combination of flavors.
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I couldn’t just let you keep subbing oil in chocolate chip cookies when I knew that if I put my mind to it, I could come up with a recipe meant for the oil – that’s far better than simply subbing.
Well ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to say that I’ve done it. These cookies are perfect. Chewy. Delicious. And they are made with no margarine. No butter. Just oil.
You’re welcome.
{I know. This is super short. I feel like I should apologize for not being more chatty, but y’all know how overworked and overtired I am! Anyway, I promise there will be more chit chat coming up. Soon. Well, soon-ish. Don’t hold your breath though.}
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FAQ about Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Margarine or Butter:
After 5 years and what feels like 5 million questions, I’m adding some of the more frequent ones to the post to help you out!
I don’t have cornstarch. Can I skip it?
Cornstarch is a big key to making Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Margarine or Butter as good as they are. It adds a great chewiness that you’ll absolutely love. Many people have told me that they have started keeping cornstarch around just for this recipe! If you don’t have it, you can use potato starch, which has a similar textural effect. If you don’t have that either, use an extra quarter of a cup of flour instead.
Can I bake these into blondie bars instead of cookies?
Sure! This recipe makes delicious blondies instead! Simply spread dough into a 9×13 inch pan. You’ll need to increase the baking time to about 25 minutes.
Should I use dark brown or light brown sugar in this recipe?
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Margarine or Butter will work well with either one! Dark brown sugar will give your cookies a stronger molasses taste, so use it if you prefer that flavor. If you don’t want that brown sugar-molasses flavor to be too strong, use light brown instead, which has a more subtle flavor.
How can I change up these Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Margarine or Butter?
There are so many fun ways to change up these cookies! Instead of chocolate chips, you can chop up a bar of your favorite dark, milk or white chocolate (or use some of each). You can also use flavored chips, such as peanut butter, caramel, cappuccino or nougat. If you like extra texture, try adding some chopped nuts such as pecans. Another fantastic way to elevate the flavor of these cookies is to sprinkle coarse flakey salt, such as maldon, on top of the cookies before baking.
Can I use imitation vanilla extract in this recipe?
In general for baking, but specifically for a recipe like this with subtle flavors that really allow the vanilla to stand out, I strongly recommend against using imitation! I know vanilla has gotten really expensive over the years (I’ll never forget the time Amazon was selling a 32 ounce bottle of vanilla bean paste for $5! My biggest regret in life is not buying 100 bottles!) but this is a case of a little bit goes a long way!
What type of oil should I use in this recipe?
This recipe is best made with a flavorless oil. I personally use canola oil, but you can use grapeseed oil or avocado oil too. If you prefer to use olive oil, make sure to use one that’s extra light and has a very mild flavor.
Do you have more cookie recipes that don’t use butter or margarine?
Absolutely! Most of my cookie recipes are made with oil instead of butter or margarine. Here’s a roundup of 9 Amazing Cookie Recipes without Butter or Margarine. You can also check out my first cookbook, Something Sweet, which has about 90% or more of the recipes calling no butter or margarine!
Originally featured in my column in Ami/Whisk Magazine Plan Ahead: These cookies freeze well in an airtight container or bag. For best results, cool completely before freezing, so steam from cooking cookies doesn't make them steamy inside the bag. Variation: In place of standard chocolate chips, you can use other chips in this recipe, such as milk chocolate chips, buttercotch chips, peanut butter chips, nougat chips, or any other flavor you like. You can also use a combination of flavors. 
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies {without margarine}
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
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Like these? You’ll love my Coffee Crinkle Cookies without butter or margarine too!
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This is like my regular recipe for chocolate chip cookie bars. I just don’t use the corn starch. I never use margarine in my chocolate chip cookies.
Most chocolate chip cookie recipes are very similar. The difference between good and amazing lies in the small details.
I made these cookie, but they came out so thick so it wasn’t very crunchy or chewy.
Mine too! The batter was super thick and when I went to put it in the mixer there wasn’t enough BATTER for it to mix at all!
Mine were the worst I HAVE EVER MADE!!! If you are going to make these you should just use garbage!!!!!!!!!!!
I made these tonight but mine were not nice and thick I followed exactly and they got thin they chewey but I like thicker cookies
These cookies were DELICIOUS!!!!
They were nice and chewy. I used maple syrup for one of the tsp. of vanilla extract and it worked fine, I would definitely make these again…
Hi, I don’t have brown sugar at home so what would I replace it with? Of should I leave it out and just have only granulated sugar?
Do not leave out the brown sugar in this recipe, and don’t replace it.
You can make your own brown sugar with granulated sugar and molasses.
I’m out of granulated sugar so I need to know how to make granulated sugar!??
I just made these cookies. And they turned out perfect!
Thank you so much!
I didn’t have any butter in the house, but I did have chocolate chips and I wanted something chocolaty. I looked this recipe up and decided to give it a whirl. Because we are a large family, I doubled the batch. I didn’t have my hopes too high, but i was pleasantly surprised at how delicious these were. My kids love how thick and soft they are. And it’s less expensive for me to whip up a batch of these as a treat than it is to invest in all that butter.
This recipe is fantastic! I did read the comments before making the cookies…and it really helped. Make sure to scoop SMALLER balls of dough for the best cookie shape. Using less dough can make the cookies less thick. Also, I underbaked them just a tiny bit and they turned out chewy and delicious. I used this recipe for chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and they turned out great! Thanks!! 😉
Hi can i know what type of flour r u using? Can i use wheat flour? 🙂
Yes, regular all-purpose wheat flour.
I tried your cookies with oil and they came out perfect. They are the same recipe I always use with margarine except for the addition of cornstarch. I am looking to try this with other cookie recipes , Is there a formula that you used for this. I want to try it with the craison oatmeal cookies on the craison package I do not use a mixer, just a wooden spoon so was glad to see that they turned out so well.
Great recipe!!
Used 3 tbsp oats instead of cornstarch
And substituted the sugers for a healthier alternative of coconut sugar and stevia. Worked perfectly.
These are just so awesome as a ‘good’ treat. Thank you
Charmaine, your comment sounded so right for my always complaining dear husband. who is diabetic. Could u please share the exact amount of sugar substitutes u used to make yr delicious cookies. This would be a dream come true 4 my hubby,Sandy
The trick is, don’t deviate! You have to use the mixer! Hand mixing does not work. My family loves these!
I’m just a regular 23 year old and can’t afford a mixer right now. I make half batches by hand and they are great.
Goblin, I got a really chip trusty hand mixer from Target for $20!
I found one at Fred Meyer for $8!! I bet oh could find one similar in price on Amazon
I make half batches by hand, too!
I tried this recipe exactly as is except my second batch I added peanut mnms. Amazing. Even with milk chocolate chips. This is the best chocolate chip recipe Ive tried by far. Thx for sharing.
I would like to try these, however I do have one question — instead of individual cookies — can you make simply put the batter in a rectangular pyrex and bake as one? I know I do that with the Toll House recipie — it’s so much easier than making batches of cookies and they come out really good as well. Just wanted to check first — becuase if you do not recommend that method, I will do cookies. Thanks,
You can, but you’ll have to bake it longer.
I was about to ask whether the same recipe would work for cookie bars (blondies). I sometimes prefer making them because it’s a bit less fussing.
Thank you so much for the wonderful receipe!This is my favorite cookie after I been tried so many different one.They taste so yummy when they are still warm.
You do mention don’t overtake it.I am glad I followed your instructions.I personally don’t like over sweet cookie,so I cut down the sugar a little bit,other than that,it’s is the BEST!!!!
what does the cornstarch do for it??? that is so interesting!
i’ve tasted some cornstarch based cookies, it has that melts in your mouth effect, maybe it does the same for this.
It had never occurred to me that you could make chocolate chip cookies with oil – good to know though, they look delicious!
Is the brown sugar dark or light?
Should only Vegetable oil be used?
I used dark sugar and vegetable oil if that helps, they turned out really really nicely 🙂
Is it okay if the oil and sugar doesn’t turn out creamy and smooth? Mine isn’t turning out well…
i know its probably too late to matter for your sake Nina, but in case anyone else was wondering… i used coconut oil (melted to liquid) and light brown sugar and they turned out great. in fact, i didn’t have any granulated sugar in the house so i just used 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar and the cookies turned out like, seriously perfect.
oil has the same amount of calories as butter and margarine. I would use unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, or bananas.
Its not only about calories it is the type of fat you use! Pumpkin and apple sauce will change consistency and taste; coconut oil is another healthy alternative
I’m making these cookies using coconut oil. My calcium level is low, and my daughter recommended adding coconut oil and coconut milk to my diet. I would like to try using pumpkin because I love the flavor, and I think it would compliment the chocolate.
Pumpkin will mess around with the texture and is not recommended with this recipe. If you take a look at the recipe index, you will see some pumpkin cookies.
I read your comment about using applesauce or bananas instead of oil in the chocolate chip cookies. What quantity would be substituted for 1 c. oil??
Thanks, Vandi
These sound absolutely wonderful! I love chewy chocolate chip cookies!
I’ve never baked with corn starch, but hey there is always a first for everything!
What is granulated sugar please? excuse the ignorance
Regular white sugar.
Your recipe looks delish, I’m going to try it … but what IS the reason for oil vs. butter or margarine ??
Is this for lactose-intolerant folks ? I haven’t tried cornstarch in cookies, does it make them puffier ? Thanks in advance …
Yes, it’s mostly geared at folks who want to avoid butter (for dairy reasons, or any other reasons) and want to avoid margarine, the non-dairy sub, because it’s unhealthy.
The corn starch has an effect on the texture!
Hi, thank you for sharing these w/o butter cookies recipes 🙂
I have tried this recipe n it surprised me. It was a thick dough n an idea just came up in my mind to just pinch some of it, make it like a small ball, pressed on it, cut the shapes out using olive oil bottle cap ? n just some details on it i used fork to poke lightly on top of it.
ok i know mine sounds reeeaaalllyy different haha thats because im using olive oil n the measurement was just half of the indicated one..due to run out of olive oil?
but that doesnt stop me there. I cut down a little bit here n there on the other measurements. Since i dont have any chocolate chips left in the kitchen, i substitute it to cinnamon powder.
Tadaaaa it came out just nice. The taste n shape is like a ginger bread cookies but it does turn out well 🙂
Though it may not be the same as it supposed to be?
My mum loved it. We loved it.
Thank you so much! ?
#cookiesadventure
It’s also great for someone (like me!) who ran out of butter and needs to make cookies without running to the store 🙂
That’s why I looked up “cookies no butter.” We just had a big snow. No butter in the freezer. Oops!
I made these today and my family is raving!! They came out looking pretty and delicious tasting!
Hello,
not that these cookies are not perfect as is, but I need a Hawaiian style dessert. Do you think adding some chopped macadamia nuts would ruin them? How much would I add?
Thank you very much.
i would recommend 1-1/2 cup of macadamia nuts.
I made these by adding unsweetened coconut and walnuts. Then, instead of adding chocolate chips, I cooled them and then dipped the bottom half of the cookies in dark chocolate. Super yummy, although not chewy and as others have noted, puffy.
Hi miriam I made these when u published it in the ami and they were outstanding!! Like exceptionally delicious it was hard to stop at one . Thanks for a fantastic blog
i would recommend about 1/2-1 cup of crushed macadamia nuts
Hey Miriam, these cookies were a hit. Made them last night. Its the perfect taste combined with the perfect texture. Half is gone by now.
Keep those yummy recipes coming..
Do you have any recipes for the diabetics? I would appreciate to see some of those recipes.
Thanks!
Which kind of brown sugar do you use?
Light or dark is fine. I prefer light, mostly.
hey i do not eat eggs..what else can i use?
you can use chia seeds….just look up how much water to add to a tablespoon to equal one egg..they gel up when you add the water and get an eggy consistency.
Hi, Miriam. I made the cookies because your comment was bugging me lol, and I gotta say the texture is amazing. However, these could use a teaspoon of salt (like my recipe has 😉 ) because now without the salt they taste very similar to a chocolate cake instead of a cookie.
I agree. Needed a pinch of salt.
An i use potato starch instead of corn starch?
I used arrowroot powder which is a good substitute.
These came out amazing!! Thank u!!!
I needed a quick dessert for an invitation but had no butter left, so I tried this recipe with a few modifications: no starch, two cups of flower + 1/2 cup of dried coconut flakes, 2 tbsp of rum, and a pinch of salt. Took all in all 30 min to make….the cookies turned out great and were literally devoured in less than the time it took to make them… Thank you!!
My cookies turned out cakey 🙁 Is it because I reduced the 2 sugars to only 3/4 cup? Or it is over-whisking of the oil, sugar and eggs?
What kind of OIL? I have someone allergic to olive oil. Can I use quick oats instead of flour? Need to bake these this afternoon before 4pm. Looking forward to your response 🙂 Thank you!
I use canola or vegetable oil.
I wouldn’t recommend using oats – I never tried it that way and don’t know that it would work.
Ok. Thanks!!!
Can I use extra virgin olive oil?
I don’t recommend it.
Would it work with olive oil or coconut oil?
I’m going to make this for my husband for fathers day he loves chocolate chip cookies I hate using butter I’m going to use salt like someone else had suggested
Wow best cookies ever!!
I USED COCONUT OIL AND ALSO USED ARROWROOT INSTEAD OF CORNSTARCH. I NOTICED THERE ISN’T ANY SALT LIKE IN MOST RECIPES. I FIND SALT BALANCES THE SWEET. ANY TIME I HAVE SUBBED OIL FOR BUTTER I ADD MORE SALT SINCE BUTTER HAS SALT. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON THIS.
Let me just say thanks for this wonderful, wonderful recipe. I found myself without butter but with an intense craving for chocolate biscuits today and this recipe is just wonderful for both. 🙂
I slightly changed it, because I really, really wanted chocolate – I substituted the vanilla extract for equal amounts of Amaretto and 70%-cocoa (also, because the Amaretto is quite sweet, I only took about half the granulated sugar), I chopped a bar of dark chocolate up instead of the chocolate drops, and to give it a slightly nutty twist, I added a quarter cup of chopped almonds.
And what should I say – they turned out so yummy I ate four of them right from the sheet. Chocolate Craving satisfied and calorie intake for this week taken care of, too. Ah well… 🙂
So – thanks again!
Love,
Naurael
I used honey instead of brown sugar, canola oil instead of butter and maple syrup instead of vanilla extract. Simply because, i don’t have them in my pantry at the moment. Turned out to be delish as well!
How much honey and maple? I’d love to try that version bc I don’t eat refined sugars. Thank you!
I just made these cookies and they came out very flat. did I do something wrong? the taste is great though!!
It could have been your baking soda, or any number of things that you could have done. Hard to know for sure without being there!
I found the dough a little bit wet so I added an extra couple of tabespoons of flour, but otherwise great recipe! They turned out great 🙂
I made these with a few tweaks. Added a tsp of salt because frankly I think everything needs salt. Used 1/4 c coconut oil and 3/4 c olive. Flour was old fashioned rolled oats ground to flour.
Took them out at 8 minutes even though they looked raw, but they’re perfect.
They are not cakey at all which I am grateful for. I can smell and taste the oats but it’s good.
The size of the cookies makes a difference in bake time. I made them larger a second time and they definitely needed another minute.
Thanks for your blog. These cookies are amazing! i made half batch exactly acc to ur recipe and added oats and crunchy peanut butter to the other half. they were also delicious!
these cookies are great! Now, need your help for Peanut Butter cookeis with no butter. Can you help?
Thannks
I do have a recipe like this! Stay tuned!
I have never had such an awful time making cookies, the batter didn’t become smooth or creamy. I added sour cream to try and make them more moist, that turned out alright. But all I could taste was the cornstarch… Then when it came time to bake them, I put them in the oven and they started burning right away and stayed raw in the middle… Once I got past the burnt part the cookie itself tastes great. I just wish it wasn’t such a fiasco. Maybe I’ll have to give it another go…
I’m sorry that you had a hard time with the recipe. It’s hard to pinpoint where you went wrong, without having been there. As you see from all of the previous comments, if you keep to the recipe exactly as it says, you’ll find them quite delicious.
I followed the recipe with two changes. whole wheat pastry flour and splenda to replace the white sugar…I found the dough to be quite oily, and the cookies came out shiny…should I have changed how much oil based on the WW flour or splenda??
Once you make changes to the recipe, the result will change. Splenda does not work as a proper substitute for sugar, because it has textural properties aside from the sweetness.
I don’t think I would call these the “best ever”. Ok maybe. I followed the recipe as written. I shouldn’t have. First of all, the oil turned the brown sugar into little lumps, which when I attempted to use the electric mixer sent those lumps flying all over the kitchen. I gave up using the electric mixer and used a wooden spoon, but the oil kept separating from the sugar. The addition of cornstarch, eggs, etc did make for a creamier texture. After adding the flour, the dough was a softer texture than I’m used to. I should have added more flour, maybe, but that would have made the taste even blander and more floury. I also should have followed my instincts and added salt. I did like the soft, cakey texture once they were baked, but the flavour – meh. Next time I’ll wait until I can get to the store to buy butter and make my tried and true recipe.
I’m sorry that these didn’t turn out well for you. Without having been there, I can’t pinpoint where you went wrong that you didn’t have the success that hundreds of others have reported…
Hey miriam!
I NEVER comment on blogs but I just had to!!!! I made these cookies yesterday and i cant even begin to tell you what a success they were! I baked extras to give to my sister and friend and we all have the same to say- THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER. Seriously these cookies are pure genius- the taste, texture, and look- pure decadence. I am very health conscious and it is on a rare occasion that i would binge on a cookie but last night I could not stop!!! seriously the best cookies Ive tasted in my life! and my hubby says the same:) I cant wait to make another batch to bring to my family for the weekend and to share this incredible recipe with everyone! i love all ur recipies and been following this blog since you’ve started it….I am ur biggest fan! I dont know what I would make for dinner or dessert without u! seriously!
thanks for everything!
I made a couple of batches and these are great. For those who complained the cookies came out cakey, IMHO it’s due to baking them a minute or two too long. (It happened to one of my batches and btw those were eaten just as well.) Miriam specifically wrote to bake just until the tops of the cookies set.
Thanks Amanda for the tip! I am glad you like these!
Amazing!! You cannot even tell there’s no butter. I have never had success making cookies without butter – they always turned out like little lumps of cake ☹. These cookies were perfect, thank you!
p.s. I added 1/2 tsp sea salt and made these 1/2 whole wheat (used wheat pastry flour)
I’m so glad you liked these – thanks for the feedback!
Great cookies! I’ve made them with oil before but I lost the recipe. These turned out great!
I just baked these cookies…… Um Delish!! Perfect for when you have no butter, actually, who needs the butter?! So easy and yummy. Will be put in my recipe book for future cookies. Thank you!!!
If I want to reduce the sugar, should I cut down on the brown or regular sugar?
love this recipe – DD and i are about to make our second batch!
What type of oil
I use canola, but any flavorless oil will work.
I didnt have cornstarch so I used alittle instant vanilla pudding powder. Great tasting but oily dough. Think I will lessen oil and sugar a little next time. Would love to hear comment about this
The pudding powder is sweetened, which is why you found these too sweet. Next time try it as the recipe says and you’ll hopefully enjoy the success that so many others have raved about! 🙂
What about the dough being oily? What do you think of lessening the oil to 3/4 cup?
Hard to say, but with the hundreds of readers who’ve reported great success, I am fairly confident that if you try the recipe as directed here, you’ll find them very successful.
Hi Miriam,
I’ve never commented on a blog in my life but I HAD to once I tried these cookies. Phenomenal! I was BEYOND skeptical about the amount of oil and have to admit, I typically second-guess recipes if I see something that to me looks amiss….but I trusted in your good judgement (and description of them being the best) and did the recipe to a T. I am SO glad I did because they are delicious…chewy and soft and YUM! For those of you who look at the raw batter and think, oh no, let’s add more flour…DON’T! Don’t add ANYTHING..change ANYTHING..adjust ANYTHING!! The ratios are SPOT on. Mine looked SO oily I was sure I’d end up with a giant mess in a cookie pan and I admit I peeked on them with about 3 minutes left. They looked like something you’d get in a bakery, folks.
Please please PLEASE do the recipe as is! You won’t be disappointed!
At least someone listens to instructions…lol
I wanted to bake cookies and found I was out of butter. Google to the rescue! I added grated zucchini, which made the dough watery, so I tried adding an extra cup of flour. I found them to be flat, as in another comment. However they were declared yummy and suitable for school lunches so I’ll take that as success!
I’m glad they were enjoyed! The flattness was due to your changes in the recipe…next time try them as is and you should see them looking like they do in the picture! 🙂
I tried the cookies ,they were loved by all.. How many calories do I consume each time I have a cookie and the fat . Even though it is canola oil ? Thanks,
Shall check your other recipes ,my suggestion do mention calories also.
I subbed gluten free flour and they were still amazing! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
So happy to hear that!
hello, I’m from Brazil and would like to know for how long i can store the raw dough or baked cookies.
I just made these cookies, exactly as the recipe stated and baked them exactly as the recipe stated and the texture was great, but the flavor just wasn’t there for me. Missing something! Tasted very bland…Thank you for the recipe. I always like to try new things and I didn’t have enough butter to make my usual, so I thought I would try these. I did add some salt to the recipe.
How much salt did you add? 1 tsp is important. Also how flavorful were your chocolate chips?
Okay, I have to take back my comment on cookies were very bland. After making this recipe about 4 times now, My son says they are the best he’s ever tasted and I can’t keep the cookie jar filled. I am about to make another batch right now, so just wanted to say, they are delicious!!!
I halved the all the amounts due to it being only me who would be eating them. They came out of the oven looking terrific but smelling like playdoh and tasting extremely bland. Any ideas on where i went wrong?
i was searching the internet for a cookie recipe sans marg/butter because a) i was out of marg b) i was trying to cut down on “junk” . i found your recipe and decided to try it, but for two substitutions, i used 60% white 40% whole wheat flour and replaced the white sugar with truvia and added about a tsp salt. i did a test bake, just 4 cookies. The cookies came out slightly bland tasting and cakey; not chewy. i refrigerated the leftover dough for about a half hour. i baked another batch, decreasing the bake time to 7 minutes and raising the oven temperature to 400 deg. . slight change, but great overall!!! im sure they taste better with regular sugar/ flour, and the texture was affected by the lack of sugar, not as chewy as described/pictured but i must say this is a keeper!! my “junk- conscious” husband loved them and didn’t ask me what i substituted. +1!! thanks!!!
Hi there! Thanks for the recipe! I’ve just started playing around in the kitchen and I decided to this recipe because of the rave reviews…. Sadly, it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. 🙁 Do you have this recipe on video or on a step-by-step sequence of pictures I can check out? I think having that would really help me figure out what I may have done wrong… 🙂
hey i do not eat eggs..what else can i use?
A few years ago, I adapted the original Silver Palate chocolate chip cookie recipe to one without oil: instead of the one cup of butter, I use 3/4 cup oil. My cookies are fantastic. They have a tsp of salt, which brings out the flavor of the chocolate and also creates that salty-sweet effect. Seriously, I make cookies with the batter, and I also make Blondies and “Cookie Pie” with this batter and they are all ALWAYS a big hit…HOWEVER …this is a very interesting recipe and I am going to try it, mostly because I am curious about the cornstarch, as I’ve never baked a cake or cookies using that ingredient.
I’ll report back.
I ran out of butter to make my cookies, but luckily I stumbled upon your website. I used coconut oil and added a little salt, as recommended by someone else. These were perfect! So delicious! They were gone in a blink of an eye. Thank you! Tried to give it 5 stars but it literally would not let me. 🙁
I made half of this recipe yesterday because I was having a few small guests over for a play date. I didn’t have enough butter to justify using it all for cookies, so I was on the lookout for butterless cookies. I have to admit that, while I’m not afraid of oily-looking cookie dough, I was afraid of how loose this was at first. I added some additional flour until it looked familiar, like the texture of one of my favorite oily-looking butter recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I baked these for 11 minutes because I can’t truly enjoy a cookie that’s not starting to turn golden, and just until the tops set would not do for me…. I have to proclaim that even with the minor adjustments, these were chewy (NOT cakey), delicious, easy and quick! I agree that a pinch of salt would have put them over the top, but I was quite pleased with this recipe as it was written, and the couple cookies I had leftover were still chewy and moist and made a perfect sweet bite this morning.
I made these today with my son. We both liked them. He told me they were “awesome!”. I wanted to point out for the folks who are commenting that they have a cake taste that is probably because cake flour is all purpose flour and cornstarch.
must add salt, otherwise it’s too bland.
I followed the directions to the T. I used coconut oil and even mixed each ingredient as stated and then hand folded the chocolate chips in and these came out AMAZING!! The only thing I forgot to do was add in a pinch of salt as other users stated. After baking my first 2 dozen I realized I forgot the salt that wasn’t listed so I threw a little pinch in the rest of the dough and tasted it and it was a night and day difference. A touch of salt into this recipe is going to take these cookies to a whole nother level so much so that i even sprinkled a little on my finished cookies. Anyways, follow the recipe exactly as stated and you will end up with some amazing cookies! Mine didn’t taste like cake at all. Thank you.
I hate using margarine or butter so I welcome a choco chip recipe that uses oil, but I prefer crunchy cookies. Is there a way to use oil and still get crunchy cookies.
I am also not one to post comments, but in this case I had to. Other than adding the 1 tsp of salt, I made them exactly as this recipe shows. I am not great at baking by any means, but these were so easy and SO good! I had to help myself before my son came home from school because I know once he tastes these I won’t get another chance! I didn’t find them cakey at all. They were soft, chewy and the timing shown was perfect.
I am also not one to post comments, but in this case I had to. Other than adding the 1 tsp of salt, I made them exactly as this recipe shows. I am not great at baking by any means, but these were so easy and SO good! I had to help myself before my son came home from school because I know once he tastes these I won’t get another chance! I didn’t find them cakey at all. They were soft, chewy and the timing shown was perfect.
These were great! I used low-sodium baking soda, which requires a few adjustments (doubling the quantities and adding to dry rather than liquid ingredients.) I made a few other small tweaks: brown sugar instead of white; 1 t. almond extract along with 1 t. vanilla; 1/4 c. oats and and 2 T. less white flour. I used my favorite chips: Guittard extra dark, a local brand we can get easily here in the SF Bay Area. Never tried cornstarch before, but it gives an interesting shiny top and probably helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Great blog–first time I have visited!
These cookies are WONDERFUL! You MUST follow the recipe to a “T”, a lot of times we like to alter and then wonder why things don’t turn out right. I was skeptical about using cornstarch but it gave these cookies a melt-in-your-mouth texture. I’m using a electric oven & held true to the temperature you required. I didn’t want to use the parchment paper but did, just in case it would have messed the cookies up. 🙂 I use a flat baking sheet just for cookies instead of pans and all of my cookies come out great. I must admit, I always separate my dry from wet ingredients. I mix all wet together 1st, add the chips, and then add the flour 1/2 cup at a time. (I also chill my dough in the fridge or freezer for about 30 min before baking). I brought these cookies to a cookout and everyone complimented me on them. They were a hit and they are simply delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. They came out perfect.
yum! came out perfect. didnt switch a thing
Awesome recipe!!! I treated myself to these tonight because I’ll be 39 weeks pregnant in 2 days and all this nesting had me dying for chocolate chip cookies!! Since becoming pregnant my husband and I made some budget cuts, one of which is we buy margarine rather than butter. I tried making sugar cookies a couple months back with margarine and I ended up wasting a lot of ingrediants, they were disgusting!!! So I figured I’d search online and read the reviews on different recipes and once I found one worth trying I’d do a small batch. This recipe has great reviews and made my life sooo much easier by not having to measure out margarine from the tub. I didn’t have corn starch so I didn’t use it BUT I did add salt. Anyways this is a great recipe, these cookies are really good. My husband and son are going to tear these up for breakfast, and I have a happy baby girl in my belly. Thanks so much for an easy delicious recipe, will be using from now on 🙂
Thank you for a wonderful recipe.i just finish baking it with 1/2 recipe. It came out great. I will definately bake this again with full batch.
Came out great! Soft center and nice and crispy around the edges. Delish 🙂
These came out delicious. I have stopped using margarine for a few years already and haven’t found a good substitute in chocolate chips. The addition of the starch in this recipe must be the secret! (I actually used potato starch instead of cornstarch because it’s what I had on-hand) I also added a pinch of salt. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Miriam!
I was just on Pinterest, looking for a new twist on a chocolate chip cookie and thought I’d try yours. Boy, did I read every post as people really varied in their thoughts on this recipe. Although I like to do my cookie baking at three fifty I stuck with your guidelines (except for adding a quarter teaspoon of salt). They were easy to make in the Kithchen Aid – batter came together very nicely and I pulled them out as soon as the tops looked set. Very yummy, but, I can see why people called them plain. It’s a different tasting cookie than, say, a Toll House. I really liked it and will be making them again, as well as some of your other cookies. Loved the ease of using oil! Thank you for sharing this one.
it looks amazing
Wow Miriam! Another winner of a recipe. Best ever chocolate chip cookies is right! Not sure why other people had problems. I followed the recipe and they came out perfect!
Not my favorite cookies, but they turned out looking nice. Thanks for sharing for all those who enjoyed them!
I have to make 3 dozen cookies today for a cookie exchange and I do not have enough butter so I was desperate for an oil based cookie. Basically you’re a life saver! Thank you! I might sub the choc chips for cranberries since I have no choc chips but otherwise I’ll stick to the recipe. 🙂 thanks!
1) They didn’t stick together at all.
2) They lit on fire within two minutes. This is the second time I’ve used this recipe and it go up in flames. This has never happened to me with any other cookies. I know that sugar is very flammable, but, like I said, I have never had this problem with any other recipe.
I generally don’t leave comments but I don’t know why this is happening. Everyone else’s comments are wonderful, so please disregard this comment 😛
I can’t even begin to think where you went wrong here… But I can tell you that sugar isn’t flammable until 480 degrees, so if you would have used the oven at 375 like the recipe says, I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened.
What a shame! I loved this recipe and previously commented about it. But I just I had an equally baffling “burning up” problem with a treasured family Christmas recipe I make every year. (A whole batch of potica, a rich yeast bread, got turned to charcoal on the bottom!) So I have a few suggestions. Buy an oven thermometer, especially if you have a gas oven, since ovens can suddenly go out of whack. A few other possible culprits: Baking on a too-low or too-high shelf. Too many pans in the oven at once. Vents being blocked if pots are sitting on the stove top. Use of superfine sugar, instead of granulated. Good luck!
They are awesome cookies
After reading the post on fb about someone setting fire to these cookies, I was really curious and had to try them myself. The only change I made was to use 3/4 cup chopped chocolate (it was a 100-gram bar and I just didn’t feel like using a second one).
They’re definitely delicious, and fortunately, nothing caught on fire. 🙂 I tried the first tray with your baking time and after that, I baked them a little longer at 11 minutes. I personally prefer the longer baking time so they’re a bit crispy around the edges. My other comment is that I guess I need a cookie scoop! I found it was too hard to roll this batter with my hands, so I just kind of pushed it out of the tablespoon and it worked out well enough.
Love your blog! Keep ’em coming!
Made these at work for my residents and OMG they were amazing! Was simply looking for an alternative because we were out of butter, but this is my new GO-TO recipe!!! Love it thanks!
Am I the only one who ever thought of subbing oil for margarine in most recipes?! This is not a novel idea, sorry. This recipe didn’t come out any better than my original chocolate chip cookie recipe (where I always use oil instead of margarine). In fact, this one tasted more like cake than cookies. Plus too much sugar.
I made these cookies and they were sooooooooo good. I added only half a cup of chocolate chips though. I think these would be better with a bit of salt.
Just made them and they came out great! Seemed to hit all the right notes for all the family requirements. No butter or marg, crispy on the edges with a bit of chewiness in the middle, generally yummy. Its a keeper.
Hi. I was planning on making these today, But I am out of Cornstarch will it affect the recipe greatly if I leave it out?
I don’t recommend it. It’s the secret to the great texture.
Hi! I just wanted to tell you that I made 2 batches of these for a bunch of Israeli soldiers for a volunteer cafe in Israel– and they absolutely LOVED them. The cookies were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I was sad that I didn’t make more – some even took them to go! The disappeared all too quickly. As the temperature drops here, they were a warm yummy treat for some well-deserving men and women. Thank you!
Well i jad a problem i knew i didnt have butter so i figured great ill use this recipe today. Got my oil and realized i wouldnt have enough for the recipe on hand so put the rest (about1/3 cup) and coconut oil (1/3 cup) i had on hand still not enough so i added the rest corn oil wasnt sure how it was gonna come out lol.. but they were amazingggg!! I will be making these again making sure i have what i need before hand 😉 Thanks there a hit in my house!!
I just tried this recipe and my kids loved them.
Also, I would like to add that if you have the time (or patience), refrigerate the dough before scooping and baking. This way your cookies will get the cracks and crevices (or nook and crannies?) on the top of the cookie as opposed to them being smooth on top. Either way they taste great. Just a matter of appearance, that’s all.
Hi, i think the cooking time should be 12mins. they are under cooked and very soft from inside at 9 mins.
They firm up when they cool, so I don’t recommend baking them longer.
hello,
Thanks!!!!!!!
I was excited to try these cookies but found they were extremely dry.
I am a huge fan of margarine-free cookies because I don’t even know the last time I owned margarine. I am not gonna be that reviewer that gives a poor rating because I had to substitute oil with applesauce, brown sugar with coconut sugar, vanilla extract with almond… and so on. Because that would be truly ridiculous. And I see it all the time. But I will give an honest opinion, and possibly helpful, for any others who try this. I have made several recipes looking for the perfect one and this is definitely on the top of the list. But it needs a major change. I read the recipe several times, I am not mistaken, you are missing salt. It needs it desperately. It brings out the flavor. Without it, these are mild tasting plain sweet. It needs a teaspoon of salt.
They came out magazine worthy in their looks, but I did not follow the order, and I don’t think bakers should. The baking soda and cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder instead) should be mixed with the flour. You never drop a teaspoon of baking soda in a batter-like dough. It should always be mixed evenly in the flour. Dry with the dry, wet with the wet.
Feel free to experiment with chocolate chips, as I did with milk chips of white and dark, which was a nice change. I put in teaspoon or so of molasses which I always do when subtracting butter. Enhances the chew and flavor. I also poured in a little coconut extract because I made it at home and figured why not, was yummy as well.
All in all, WITHOUT changes, I would give it a 4 star. These can not be made without salt. The taste was just too bland. But they did look beautiful. With the salt and following ingredients listed, these are thee top one cookies without butter. No questions.
Just try to stick with dry-dry ratio when baking. It makes for a flawless cookie. Thanks so much for sharing it.
is the flour all purpose or self rising?
All purpose.
The flour is all purpose.
I never comment on blogs but oh my these are best I ever tasted!!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Can’t wait to try them!!
14th day snowed-in–no big deal -until I started to make choc. chip cookies- my old tried and true recipe calls for butter. You and Pinterest saved me – thanks, these cookies are great!
Awesome cookies. Had no butter so I found this recipe for chocolate chip cookies and my granddaughter and I made they and she said….yummy cookies….I added 1/2 salt.
oops that was 1/2 tsp salt…
Can you make a cookie cake out of this? The cookies by themselves are delicious but I was just wondering.
I googled for a non-margarine/butter cookie recipe and found this. They are AMAZING. All eaten within hours and requests for them right away. Fantastic. Even though they may not look done after 9 minutes, take them out. They will set and be super delicious. I decreased the amount of sugar, also used a packet of vanilla sugar as I didnt have vanilla.
Next time I am going to try adding in craisins, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
Thank you!!!
Just wondering if the dough can be frozen
I have gall bladder issues and am waiting to get mine taken out… This recipe worked awesome for the diet I am on because I can’t have butter. All I did was substitute the oil for 1 c. unsweetened applesauce, the 2 eggs for 4 egg WHITES, the cornstarch for 2 T. Xanthan Gum Powder, and the flour for 1 1/2 C + 3/8 C of whole wheat flour… They turned out AMAZING! Just like regular chocolate Chip cookies; plus I baked them in a whoopie pie pan (kinda like short muffin pans) and they kept their shape AND have a very cake like consistency, but I’m not sure if that’s from the pan or the ingredients I used… Excellent Recipe! Thank you! it’s very hard to find sweet treats that I can eat on my diet for my Gall bladder…
Can i use self rising in stead of all-purpose?
No
if I don’t have brown sugar can I use the packed light brown sugar instead?
Sure
these turned out like cake for me and not very sweet. I followed the instructions exactly and they aren’t like cookies at all 🙁
Just baked these. They are perfection! So happy I found this recipe. Thank you so much for your time, effort and for sharing your recipe!
Wow, awesome! I had an empty pantry day and so I used all regular sugar and had to use raisins instead of chocolate chips. However, other than raisins being less exciting that choc chip, they were relish! I used a fan oven and so whipped them out at 8 mins – perfect timing!
Made ’em, rocked ’em! Thank you!
These are totally YUM! Have made them both as cookies and as bars (baked in 2 9×13 pans)–theyre always a winner!!
Thanks!
they turned out great! LOOK AND TASTE GREAT! Had a competition with my sister and I WON. 🙂
PS my aunt and i made the best cookies
There AMAZING !!!!!!!
you cant even tell that there is somthing missing
I RATE THIS 5 STARS
if u think anything less ur CRAZY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-katlyn
Hi, So happy you got the printing of recipes squared away! What a pleasure not to have to fight to read the blue print on the paper. Can’t wait to make these cookies, have a good shabbos! Good luck with the book, bet it will become a staple.
These came out great! Thanks!
I enjoyed eating these cookies! I didn’t have any butter, but I found my way to this website. I’m glad I did. The cookies were great, thanks for posting the recipe!
My lazy cookie monster hubby found this recipe and it is awsooomeee!! We didnt have choolate chips so we used little guava paste bits and they turned out yummy and delicious with a fruity note. Loved this recipe. Cookie monster approved! Thanx!
Hi I just made these cookies and they came out very thick and fluffy and not thin like the cookies in your picture?
Is there a reason they did not deflate?
Wonderful . you can call me a ” failure” when it’s come to baking . but this time I DID IT WOHOOOOOO
Really good! I used 2 & 1/4 cups wheat flour instead of 2 & 1/2 cups white flour and they are delicious!!!! They set perfectly out of the oven and look as good as they taste. 5 stars!
Question: what does the corn starch do in this recipe to the cookie?
Just making these now. I didn’t have enough chocolate chips so have used some peanut butter M&M’s to make up the difference.
They look fine in the oven and smell great.
Will use this site more now I have found it
These were great cookies! My 8 year old son and I made them together and we stuck to the exact ingredients, measurements and directions. The batter itself wasn’t thick or thin like some of the reviews mentioned, it was the typical cookie dough consistency 🙂 The cookies themselves were yummy, crisp on the outside, soft/chewy on the inside!
can you modify this recipe to make it as a pizza pie – one large cookie – if so how long would you bake it for?
Has anyone tried making this recipe as a big giant cookie – if so how long would you bake it – what modifications did you make
YOu can bake it in a large baking pan – you’ll need to increase the baking time a bunch.
The cookies came out dry with no flavor. It was weird since I followed the recipe exactly like it said. Really sad it didn’t turn out right.
Hi, love this recipe. Never fails and it’s great tasting. Even works great with potato starch instead of cornstarch. Thanks for sharing.
Question, ever make these as double chocolate chip? I want to also make these as double chocolate chip cookies for Christmas and I’m wondering how much cocoa powder to add and if I would have to add any more liquid (egg or oil) to dough?
Thank you!
So glad you like them! You’d be better off starting with a chocolate cookie than trying to adjust these. I have a great no-margarine one in my book, as well as a number of chocolate cookie recipes on this blog. Enjoy!
SO easy to make. everything done in 20 mins. I didn’t expect it to be this good actually. Mine turned out just a little bit cakey (maybe the egg was big or I put a lil much baking soda or flour than needed), so I simply touched them with the back of a spoon and it was good. “Good quality Chocolates” makes a huge difference, too. It doesn’t look as tasty as yours but I’m sure it tastes similar, so, I no need butter for chocolate chip cookies anymore! Thank you!
How will we stop eating these??? They taste friken awesome!! Best cookies ever. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I love baking and decorating. Cookies are my worst – never come out right consistency, too chewy or too hard, but these came out perfect!!!! So easy and simple!
Thank you
I just made these with white chocolate chips and they are quite possibly the BEST cookies I have EVER made! I didn’t have enough oil so I used 1/4 canola oil and 3/4 coconut oil. Sooo good! 🙂
Can I use whole wheat flour?
You can try…white whole wheat is best.
I just made these (as in, the last bunch cooling as I type this) with gluten free Cup for Cup flour. Oh. My. Cookies! Soft, chewy and, and… just like “real” cookies! Every gluten free recipe I’ve made turned out blah or crispy, if not both. The other recipes I’ve made with the Cup for Cup came out so-so. So making these again and again! I made no other substitutions other than my flour, and I semi packed my brown sugar. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Not sure what I would have done incorrectly as I followed the recipe/instructions to a tee — is it normal for the dough to be falling apart in pieces yet also be super greasy? As in, I had to physically push the chocolate chips into the dough as it wasn’t sticky enough to hold them in just by stirring? And I had to hand-roll teaspoons-full to “drop” on my cookie sheet. Super weird.
Sounds like it wasn’t mixed well enough – it’s important to mix it well!
I ran out of chocolate chips, so as an alternative i added 2 table spoons of coco powder. They turned out lovely!
I usually wait to comment until I’ve made a recipe twice if I think the first batch suffered from human error…I’m a determined novice baker 😉 . First time around my cookies turned out ridiculously large, almost running together, but chewy and tasty. This second time, they are AMAZING! I think I made my tablespoons too “heaping” the first time, so I was really conservative this time and I’d say they were barely heaping…but I still didn’t get 4 dozen. I got 38. I baked them a tad longer and let them sit a couple minutes on the hot pan after I took them out, which seems to have worked because they look like the picture (!) but I’m still curious as to where I went wrong on quantity. Thanks!!!
I want to say THANK YOU for posting this recipe! I am so thankful I found your website. I love these cookies! I even substituted all purpose flour for gluten free flour so that my son can also enjoy them. They turned out great. He loves them, as well. So much better making cookies for him since the ones in the store are so expensive. These are so easy to make and contain none of the ingredients (gluten/dairy) that he can not have. Thanks, again!
I’m in australia, and I never know quite how much of stuff to put in. Is there any chance you could tell me weights for the 2 kinds of sugar and for the flour? I have an american set of teaspoons?tablespoon measures, but not for cups. I tried using my pyrex jug to measure the sugars and flour, but they turned out so dry once they cooked and it was very thick. Any help would be appreciated 🙂
Thanks, Tina
This recipe is seriously the best I’ve ever made!! Just follow it without any changes and do as directed and ull get soft chewy cookies that are JUST AMAZING !!!
My mistake that I read in the comments that it needs more salt so I added more and ended up with TOO salty cookies LOL! Even though my friends fell for them and ate them despite the saltiness !!!
That’s why I’m saying follow the recipe as it is and don’t fall for the comments
From the heart : THANK YOU
Btw can I refrigerate the mix and use it late or it has to be made fresh ?
So distracted by the addition of cornstarch that I forgot to add the baking soda!
Still turned out ok though.
Thank you for this great recipe..cookies are delicious and its better with oil than butter they really really good 🙂
My big sister is named atika and she really wants to make this recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it is for my about to be 20 year old big sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and its for my 20 year old big sisters birthday! please wish her a happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!
and her birthday is today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did those today. Absolutly amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these today and they turned out delicious! I used olive oil because it is all I had and subbed coconut sugar for brown sugar since I didn’t have any. I think next time (there will be a next time) I will cut back on the white sugar, and probably use gluten free flour. I’m sitting here in a gluten coma….my bad for eating three large cookies. Good recipe.
I made these but I don’t know what happened I think I put in too much oil because my dough came out like it was ready to be fried it was so oily
Made these twice. First time they were amazing… Second time I forgot the Cornstarch and had to stir it into the dough after everything was mixed in. It affected the taste badly and I’m not enjoying them as much:( They have a Mrs fields packaged processed taste..so DONT FORGET THE CORNSTARCH!
Amazing! they came out awesome!!! the tips help!! I would not under cook it, it’s much better a little over cooked… around 8 mins are perfect. It is a little to sweet for me, not sure what can be done about that but over all got lots of compliments.
Hi – can I add oats to this instead of some flour? I’m looking for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe (without any nuts/peanut butter) that has oil not butter or margarine
thanks!
The absolute best chocolate chip cookies I have EVER had. I used dark chocolate and nestle tollhouse chips. Amazing outcome. I baked precisely 8min. They came out wonderful!
I was skeptical about this recipe because of some of the reviews and because I had never bakedcookies with oil instead of margarine. I followed the recipe exactly and am SO glad I gave it a chance! The cookies came out with the perfect balance of lightly crisp but chewy inside and the taste is great. Not too overpoweringly sweet like some recipes. I will definitely make these again, even when I have margarine for my old chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Note: After I added the chocolate chips, I needed to use my hands to really merge them into the dough. Without doing that, many of the chips were not fully integrated into the dough.
These turned out oil and salty, no surprise there. Next time I will make the treacherous journey through suburbia to buy butter :'(
Good Day! May I know if I can use All Purpose Flour? I do not have all purpose wheat flour at hand 🙁
I made these today. I added an extra 3/4 cup flour because it seemed too thin and I also didn’t have corn starch and they still came out perfect. I like my cookies a little more thick.
made them for shabbat and they were a hit! its my first time baking cookings so I was nervous…underbaked them a tad and it was delish.
any tips for getting uniform cookies? my dough was thick and I had a hard time scooping it out. I used a almost 2 cups of chocolate chips…not sure if that was a factor. thanks!
Glad you liked! Use a cookie scoop.
I was iffy about an oil-based cookie, especially when the dough seemed really oozy and unsturdy after mixing everything together. The chocolate chips were falling out of the tablespoon as I set up the trays because they were so slippery. In the end, this was one of the best recipes I’ve tried and I’m pretty sure it will absolutely replace my old go-to recipe as a cookie base for any mix-in drop cookies I make in the future. I used coconut oil and substituted maple extract for vanilla due to a previous (and disastrous!) sugar cookie batch.
Happy to hear it worked out so well for you!
Ive been looking for a chocolate chip cookies that doesn’t require a butter and no need to freeze before baking… Thank you for this!!! Came out perfectly that I want to share the pics! The softness and chewiness is just right! And soooo yummy too!
Tried this recipe with vegetable oil and it turned out surprisingly pretty good!
Made this at 5am in the morning cause I was getting some serious cookie cravings! Gone by 5pm the same day! Would definitely make it again if theres no butter and I get cookie cravings again!
I used coconut oil, and green and red vanilla flavored chips…they turned out great! Festive cookies for Christmas!
I made them this morning with gluten free flour. Absolutely delicious. My 15 year old daughter couldn’t believe that they were gluten and margarine free! Thanks for the recipe!
I substituted the corn starch for potato starch & the flour for gluten free flour, due to my children’s allergies. They came out so soft & delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
By far one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made!!!!!! Highly requested in my home. Thank you ?
these are the best chocolate chip cookies i ever made!!! i am always on the lookout for cookie recipes without margarine. is there a way to add some peanut butter to it- that would take it over the top! (i checked out the choc. chip pb oatmeal cookie but my daughter doesnt like oats in her cookies) any ideas how to add peanut butter would be appreciated:-)
I really want to try this recipe but is it okay if I dont use corn starch. I dont have any so can i just leave the corn starch out?
What kind of oil do you use? Olive oil? Thanks!
Vegetable oil – I use canola.
I substituted vegetable oil with pink bubba kush cannaoil and got super ripped
What oil should I use?
It’s ok I just saw the earlier comments ??♀️??♀️??♀️
Hey! I was just wondering for the oil what type of oil should I use? Can I use canola oil?
I ran out of butter and looked online for a cookie recipe which did not use it. I was sure i would not find anything and was so pleased to have found this recipe 🙂
What i liked also was that everything was made in the same bowl and that the recipe made so many cookies … great when feeding two teenage children. The recipe is so quick and easy.
I was amazed how good these were ~ my children thought they were the best cookies they have ever tasted. I felt like an expert baker with the results.
I used the last of my chocolate chips when i first made these yesterday ~ so i am going to make some today and instead of the chocolate chips i plan to roll the dough into little balls and then roll in cinnamon sugar before baking … worth a try i think.
Thanks so much for such an amazing recipe ~ these will now always be a family favourite 🙂
One of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve made. I make them for work and I work with all guys so it’s a tough crowd! I take the 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and split it between 3 types of chips. I love using oil instead of butter. I don’t have a huge preference over one or the other, but I’m very impatient when it comes to waiting for butter to soften!
The absolute best cookies I have ever made!!!! I’ve tried so many recipes with butter, oil and coconut oil, but I never seemed to get them to turn out so well. I have made cookies with your recipe many times now and they are always delicious!
Best recipe!
Great recipe!!
I never try making cookies without butter. This time i ran out of butter (which never happens) so i tried your recipe. Was very surpised to fined out how great the cookies turned out!! Chewy and soft as you described.
I bake regularly and have two favourite chocolate chip cookie recipes which are amazing. The call for butter and are really yummy. Because I have a daughter who cannot have dairy – I tried this recipe today. I turned out perfectly. Yes, my dough was rather thick, the longer it sat but it made no difference to the outcome. The cookie was chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. No butter sure changes the flavour but this a good recipe and one I will repeat. 5 cookies stolen instantly!
These were super easy to make. I didn’t have corn starch so I subbed 3 tbps of flour for each tbps of corn starch. Everything else was done according to the recipe. Yes, the dough is greasy but I expected this due to the oil. I think next time though, I’m going to use Coconut oil instead of vegetable oil (it was all I had on hand).
These cookies looked great, but it would have been better if they settled a bit more – they’re rather plump. So, next time I’m going to flatten them down before baking.
The taste is amazing – I was eating the batter! I can tell a lot about a recipe by how the batter tastes and since I’ve tried many cookie recipes but none tasted just right – when I tried these, I knew they would be good.
Overall, will defiantly make again with only minor adjustments – a keeper!
Delicious. I was anxious they would be oily and I didnt have any cornstarch so I used about 1 tblsp of extra flour. I added a drop of maple syrup but I do this with all cookie recipes. Just had one warm out of the oven. The taste is divine no oiliness at all. Soft and chewy. Looking forward to them cooling and seeing what the texture difference will be. Excellent recipe
Oh my soul!!! These were AMAAAAAAZIIIIINGGG!!!! Chewy, melty yummmy goodness! Perfect for a rainy day in Cape town!
I realize that our brown sugar in South Africa and American brown sugar are not the same so I used my usual substitute which is Treacle Sugar.
Thank you for your recipe. I came in handy!
Wonderful cookies, not sure how anybody could get less than perfect results. Better than butter based cookies, in my opinion! Will make it my staple recipe.
This is my favorite protection recipe now! They come out perfect each time. Thank you for posting.
These cookies are really really good. I’ve made many recipes before that used oil instead of margarine and these were hands down the best. They even look beautiful – like the store-bought soft/chewy cookies.
I read most of the comments and made these accordingly. I followed the recipe exactly and scooped these out with a mini ice-cream scoop. I flattened them slightly before putting them in the oven and let them sit for a bit after coming out. They are REALLY good! The only question I have is if they’d be good baked for a few minutes longer to make them crunchy. I love soft and chewy cookies but some of my family likes them crunchy.
I have never tried to make cookies without margarine or butter. But actually, I want to reduce the amount of butter used for cookie recipes. I must give this recipe a try, Hope I can succeed with this.
Can I make these into mini molten cakes and just under bake them in cupcake tins?
This is my *secret* chocolate chip cookie recipe!!! They ALWAYS turn out AMAZING! I found it almost two years ago and never stray from it… 🙂
Btw, I have made this recipe countless of times and I never use cornstarch, and I mix it by hand, without a mixer. And they always end up YUM!!!!!!!!
I used a tablespoon of imitation butter to the mix and it tasted perfect.
I use these ingredients but I compress it into a 9×12 pan and bake at 350f for 23 minutes then start checking it for a nice light brown on top. Chocolate chip brownies. Let them cool so they firm up for cutting.
This is a big hit at our house. I make exactly to the recipe but cook a wee bit longer as we like them more crispy. Thanks for sharing your recipes
This recipe is great. I used coconut oil and the cookies came out perfect. Good taste and fluffy texture.
Made these today….my kiddos LOVED THEM!!! I thought they were good but like my regular recipe better.
We all love it, I’ve used only white sugar and it turned out great Thanks ♡
Hi i dont have cornstarch can I just leave it out?
FAIL – followed recipe exactly and I have balls of cookie. Did not spread at all.
These cookies turned out great. My son wanted a flatter cookie but I like my cookies a little fluffier and Cake like.
Very excellent recipe. If anyone wanted a version with peanut butter in it. I added about 3/4 C of Kraft PB and it turned out amazing. I also left out the corn starch as I didn’t have any. I left everything else the same.
I substituted baking powder for cornstarch and used just over 3/4 cup oil instead of a cup. I opted out of the wax and reduced the oven temp to 350 and baked for 7 minutes. That combination yielded beautiful cookies, indistinguishable from ones made with butter.
I just made these for me and my mam and they were absolutely amazing!! I have a butter allergy and she doesn’t eat anything with butter in it so I decided to try my hand at these and they were INCREDIBLE!!
Thank you so much.
This is my favorite cc cookie recipe, it is the only one I’ll use now. There’s a batch in the oven right now. Thanks for this perfect recipe!
Omg so I just made these cookies because I didn’t have butter and I was too lazy to drive to the store… and they are phenomenal seriously I followed the recipe exactly and they are awesome!! I read a lot of negative review but still wanted to try this and I’m so glad I did
How much calories are in each serving? ITS SO GOOD, I can’t stop myself from eating too much.
delisious
Hi, I’ve been wanting to make these, but several people in our family can’t eat eggs. Could any of of the alternatives for eggs be used in the recipe successfully, such as ener-g egg replacer or apple sauce,etc.?
Awful recipe, oil and sugar doesn’t become
Creamy but I have it w go anyway as didn’t have butter. They’ve turned out awful and I followed everything down to the T. Don’t bother using
I don’t usually review products I purchase or recipes I try, but in this instance I had to! This recipe makes the best cookies I’ve tasted in a long time! They also come out looking worthy of a magazine cover. The only change I made was to sub half the choc chips with butterscotch chips. Yum yum yum!
I was not able to get the sugars and oil to blend together. It was still separating and splattering oil after 8 minutes of beating.
Swapped bowl sizes. Still no luck
Tried removing the oil and warming it slightly then returning to bowl, thinking the cold weather was an isuue..
Just a waste of my time. Sad, cause they looked good in the picture .
HI, if I dont have cornstarch at home, can i leave it out?
Many thanks,
Lea
I made blondies out of this. It was so good! Perfectly gooey and chewy.
I followed the recipe exactly and am not a novice baker. They certainly didn’t look like the cookies in the photo because these are domed and cakey (don’t spread flat). Flavor is pretty boring. Not going to make them again.
Really? I’ve made them over a dozen times this year and they always look like the picture and a rich flavor. I wonder if your leavening agents were expired?
We LOVE these cookies! I’ve made them at least 20 times over the past few years. They also convert well to a cookie bar (following KAF guidelines) when you don’t feel like doing the hassle of rotating baking sheets and doing batches – I bake them in an 8×8 at 350 for about 23-25 minutes. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2018/09/10/transform-your-favorite-cookie-recipe
An awesome recipe turns out every time thanks for sharing. Not thick at all. The cookie will flatten as cooling on cookie sheet for a few minutes helps making it even better.
This is my go-to cookie recipe. I’ve made them with just chocolate chips, with homemade chocolate-peanut butter chunks and caramel chips, dark or light brown sugar…and they always come out perfect- soft, chewy and delicious. I’ve had people beg me for the recipe, ask what I’ve laced them with to make them so addictive, and eat mountains at a time. I have to keep a stash in my freezer! I always send people the link to this page and HIGHLY recommend buying Something Sweet. Nothing I’ve made from that book has ever let me down.
I use this recipe exactly as a base for s’mores cookies. I add graham crackers that I cut into small squares and I add mini marshmallows that I dehydrated in my dehydrator. They come out thick. Soft on inside a little crunchy on the outside. And the marshmallows don’t melt because I dehydrated them. Everyone loves them. If you don’t like them thick press them down a bit.
Hi Miriam I decided to finally try these after seeing you post them so many times 🙂
They taste great but I have a question on the baking temp. At 375, and at the recommended baking time, the cookies came out very dark on the outside, yet quite raw on the inside. Is that your intention or should I perhaps lower the oven to 350 for a more even bake? Thanks!