These no butter chocolate chip cookies are super easy to make and the perfect soft and chewy texture. They are perfect to throw together if you are out of butter, or, perhaps you just want to try a slightly new flavor for your next batch of cookies.
No Butter chocolate chip cookies are just a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe where the butter is replaced with vegetable oil. They are rich, soft and chewy and filled with melty chocolate.
It is always nice to know how to make recipes with different ingredients in case you are out of something, but still want to bake up a treat without a trip to the store. Just like these chocolate chip cookies without vanilla or these chocolate chip cookies without baking soda.
These cookies are simple to make, and go even a little faster than traditional cookies made with butter since you don't have to wait for the butter to soften up. You only need about 25 minutes to bake these delicious treats up.
They do have a slightly less rich taste than cookies made with butter. But with the right amount of sugar, chocolate and vanilla you won't miss that butter taste at all.
🍪 Why To Try This Recipe
Time saver - you don't have to wait for butter to soften for this recipe since you are using oil. This means that you can just pull out the ingredients and get to baking right away.
Fast & easy - this recipe is super fast and easy to make. It only takes 25 minutes and there is no chill time required for the dough.
Chewy & Soft - these cookies are super chewy and soft, but still have a little crispness on the edges so they hold together well Plus, they are packed with melty chocolate chips.
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🥄Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
📋Ingredients
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla
See recipe card for quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
Here are some ingredient substitutions (if you are missing ingredients) and flavor variations to try out.
- Use melted coconut oil - instead of vegetable oil, use an equal about of melted coconut oil. You do have to take time to melt the coconut oil. Also, it will give the cookies a light coconut flavor.
- Try Crisco or shortening - instead of vegetable oil, you can use shortening to make chocolate chip cookies with crisco. They tend to have a little extra crispness on the outside.
- Use other chocolate chips - we used mini dark chocolate chips for our recipe, but any chocolate chips will do - jumbo sized, milk chocolate, white chocolate. You can even use chocolate chunks if you want bigger chocolate pieces in your cookies.
- Toss in more mix-ins - try out different flavors by adding in candy pieces, pretzels or anything else you like in your cookies. If you can't decide what flavors, try these everything cookies.
You can use this same recipe to make a butterless version of these skittles cookies also. Just substitute the oil in a 1:1 ratio for butter.
⏲️Instructions
Use these super easy step-by-step instructions to whip up these delicious chocolate chip cookies with oil.
Step one: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, if you are not using a non-stick cookie sheet, make sure to grease it.
Step two: Add oil, eggs and both sugars into the mixing bowl.
Step three: Use a hand or stand mixer at medium high speed for 2 minutes or until everything is well combined.
Step four: Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the dry ingredients in. Keep mixing until well combined.
Step five: Pour chocolate chips into bowl and fold them into the dough.
Step six: Use a tablespoon to scoop 1.5 tablespoon balls of dough.
Step seven: Place balls of dough a few inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 14 minutes.
Hint: remove from the oven when the edges are light brown and firm, but the center is still soft. Cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the cookie sheet. Removing them when still soft will prevent cookies from overbaking and getting hard.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Measure correctly - to make sure that you get the right ratio of ingredients and don't end up with tough, dry cookies spoon and level your flour when measuring it out. Essentially, you just want to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then use a knife to scrape across the top to level it.
- Don't overmix the dough - overmixing the dough will lead to tough cookies, it activates gluten. It can also add extra air which will make flat, thin cookies. So, just mix ingredients enough to fully combine them.
- Evenly sized cookies - use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to make similarly sized balls of cookie dough. This will ensure that cookies cook at the same rate.
- Chill if desired - chilling this dough is definitely not required. However, the oil does make it a bit greasier to work with. If you want to pop it into the freezer for even 10 - 15 minutes it will be a little firmer when making balls of dough.
- Room temperature eggs - room temperature eggs combine easier than cold eggs. Especially since the oil is room temperature, using room temperature eggs ensure smoother and faster mixing.
- Cool completely - let your cookies cool completely before moving them or eating them. This allows them to set and firm up so that they are solid and don't fall apart when removing them from the baking sheet.
Storage
To store & freeze dough - wrap dough in cling wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze by wrapping in cling wrap and packing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight.
To store & freeze cookies - package in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for up to a week. To freeze, put in a freezer bag for up to a year. Defrost on the counter or for 15 seconds in the microwave.
💭FAQs
You can use many things as a substitute for butter in chocolate chip cookies including vegetable oil, coconut oil, crisco or shortening, greek yogurt or applesauce.
Butter helps create flavor and soft texture. If you don't use butter (or a substitute for butter), your cookies will be crumbly and dry.
You can use any kind of oil that doesn't have a strong flavor in cookies. Vegetable oil, canola oil and coconut oil are good choices.
No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoon
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- .75 Cups Brown Sugar
- 1.25 Cups White Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Chocolate Chips
- 1.25 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- .25 Teaspoons Salt
Instructions
- Grease the cookie sheet if you are not using a non-stick one.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add 1 cup of oil, 2 eggs, 1.25 cups of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and .75 cups of brown sugar to the mixing bowl.
- Turn the mixer on medium high speed and mix for about 2 minutes or until everything is well combined.
- In a separate bowl, pour 2.5 cups of flour, 1.25 teaspoons of baking soda and .25 teaspoons of salt.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the dry ingredients into the bowl. Mix until they are well combined with no streaks of flour left.
- Take 2 cups of chocolate chips and add them to the dough. Carefully fold them in by hand.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to take scoops of dough about 1.5 tablespoons in size.
- Roll each ball of dough with hands to make it compact and uniform. Then place on the cookie sheet a few inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes or until edges are firm and light brown.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients - use room temperature eggs, they are easier and faster to mix into the other ingredients.
- Don't overwork dough - to prevent tough and thin cookies, don't overmix the dough. Mix just enough to combine the ingredients.
- Don't overbake - to get the perfect chewy cookie, make sure not to overbake them. Remove from the oven when the center is still soft.
- Add mix-ins - add even more flavors by changing up the type of chocolate chip used or by adding other mix-ins like M&Ms or chopped nuts.
- Use different butter substitutes - you can use many different ingredients instead of butter. We used vegetable oil, but you could also use coconut oil, canola oil, shortening, greek yogurt or even applesauce.
- Dough - wrap in cling wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze by, wrapping in cling wrap and packaging in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cookies - store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Or package in a freezer bag and freeze up to a year.
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.