These fudgy, gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookies without butter are the perfect solution for when you've run out of butter at home or need to replace the butter altogether. This butterless chocolate chip cookie recipe uses oil to create moist, rich chocolatey cookies without sacrificing flavor or texture. They're so delicious; you won't even notice the difference!
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🌟 How to substitute butter in Cookies
Butter helps to add richness, structure, and a tender texture to baked cookies. However, you can also make delicious chocolate chip cookies with oil instead of butter! Oil is one of the best substitutes for butter, creating a moist texture that lasts much longer than butter.
To use oil as a substitute, use ⅘ of the amount that you would of the butter. For example, if a recipe calls for 100 grams of butter, you would use 80 grams of oil instead. For each cup of butter, you would use a little more than ¾ cup of oil (⅘ cup to be exact).
🌟 Why this is the best No-butter chocolate chip cookie recipe
- It does not require chilling. Since this recipe uses oil, it does not require chilling the cookies before baking for them to solidify. Unlike butter, oil is liquid at room temperature as well as at fridge temperature and will never harden. Additionally, since the flour-to-fat ratio is higher, the cookies will spread beautifully but not overspread.
- It is the most detailed. Unlike other butterless chocolate chip cookie recipes, this recipe provides expert tips and explains the science behind creating the perfect chocolate chip cookies without butter.
- It is the most delicious. This no butter chocolate chip cookie recipe uses only the highest quality ingredients to create the most decadent chocolate chip cookies.
- It is versatile. There are many different varieties of cookies that you can make using this chocolate chip cookies without butter recipe. See the Variations and Substitutions section below for more cookies without butter recipes!
- It is easy for anyone to make. These butterless cookies do not require fancy ingredients or equipment. You likely already have everything you need in your kitchen!
📝 Ingredient notes
- Oil - Since this is a butter-free recipe, we will use a neutral, flavorless oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or corn oil to make the cookies super moist. I do not recommend coconut or olive oil as they will change the flavor.
- Brown sugar - Brown sugar will add molasses flavor to your cookies. For a deep, rich flavor, use dark brown sugar. For a milder taste, use light brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar - Combining white granulated sugar with brown sugar will help balance the molasses flavor.
- Egg - Always use room temperature eggs when baking.
- Vanilla extract - You can also use pure vanilla instead of vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour - I recommend using a sifter to help remove any lumps in the flour to create a smooth dough.
- Salt - Salt is an essential ingredient that helps to balance the flavors, especially in recipes with chocolate. Don't skip it!
- Baking Soda - Baking soda helps the cookies to rise and spread and gives them a crackly surface and chewy texture.
- Chocolate chips - Always use high-quality, semi sweet chocolate chips (e.g., Callebaut) for the best results and ease of melting. I recommend using dark chocolate chips with 70% cocoa or higher as it gives the cookies a deep cocoa taste. For much sweeter chocolate cookies without butter, use milk chocolate chips instead.
🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post
👩🍳 How to make this recipe
1. Step-by-step process of making Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Butter
- Preheat the oven to 175 C /347°F. Do not use the fan.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the oil with the white and brown sugar for a few minutes until well blended.
- Next, mix in the egg, then add the vanilla. Mix until the two are combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Once combined, add to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine the two mixtures. Do not overmix.
- Fold in some of the chocolate chips, leaving some for later to place on top of the half-baked cookies.
- Prepare two separate baking pans, lining them with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 10 equally-sized balls. Place them onto the parchment paper, leaving enough space between each cookie to spread.
💡 Top Tip: Use a digital scale when dividing the cookies into balls to create equally sized cookies.
2. How to bake these cookies
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then remove them from the oven to place more chocolate chips on top.
- Press the additional chocolate chips onto the surface of the cookies. There is no need to rest the cookies before returning them to the oven. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Then, carefully remove them from the parchment paper, set them on a cooling rack, and sprinkle them with sea salt. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Serve the cookies while they are slightly warm.
💡 Top Tip: For no butter chocolate chip cookies with a nice, crackly surface, do not attempt to soften the surface of the dough. The rougher the surface, the better the outcome!
🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
Walnut chocolate chip cookies: Add some additional crunch to your cookies by adding walnuts. See my chocolate chip walnut cookies recipe for more tips!
Pecan chocolate chip cookies: For a crunchy cookie with a sweet cinnamon flavor, throw in some pecans as I do in my pecan chocolate chip cookies recipe.
Biscoff chocolate chip cookies: Add crushed Biscoff cookies for spicy, caramel-flavored cookies, as I do in my Biscoff butter cookie recipe.
Coffee cookies: Add some espresso powder to the mix to create delicious, aromatic coffee cookies.
Oatmeal cookies: Add oatmeal and craisins to the mix for delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies without butter.
Peanut butter cookies: Add a ½ cup of creamy peanut butter to the wet mix for delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
No-brown sugar cookies: If you've run out of brown sugar or prefer not to use it, you can still make delicious chocolate chip cookies without butter and brown sugar! See my chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar recipe for more details. There are also many brown sugar substitutes you can use in its place.
Chocolate chip cookies without eggs: There are several egg substitutes you can use instead to make chocolate chip cookies without butter and eggs. You may need to adjust the other ingredients to achieve the same result. For vegan cookies, be sure to use high-quality vegan chocolate chips.
Different flour: Instead of all-purpose flour, you can also use a blend of low-protein flour (i.e., pastry flour) and high-protein flour (i.e., bread flour). For more information on how to use different types of flour in baking (including gluten free options), refer to my flour guide. Why not try Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Air-fryer version: Why not try these Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Marshmallow version: These Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies are full of chocolate chips and marshmallows!
🎓 Expert tips
- Use high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips for the best flavor and baking experience.
- Always measure your ingredients with a digital scale for the most accurate results and evenly-sized cookies.
- When baking, it is critical to preheat the oven first. To avoid underbaking or overbaking, use a digital oven thermometer to ensure the oven remains at the correct temperature while baking.
- For a fudgy, gooey texture, do not overmix or overbake the cookies.
- Bake only five cookies at a time to ensure each cookie has enough room to spread in the oven.
🥣 Equipment notes
Use a digital scale to accurately measure the ingredients and create evenly-sized cookies. A digital oven thermometer will ensure that the oven reaches and remains at the right temperature while baking.
An electric hand mixer comes in handy when mixing the wet ingredients. The rubber spatula will help to fold the wet and dry ingredients together.
Use a cooling rack to cool the cookies once you remove them from the oven for the best results.
❓Recipe FAQs
Store the cookies in an airtight jar or container in a cool, dry place for 1-2 days.
Place the cookies in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to one month. Place them on the counter at room temperature or heat them in the microwave or preheated oven to thaw.
To freeze the dough, roll it into smaller cookie dough balls, place them on a lined baking sheet, and flash-freeze them for approximately an hour. Then, place them in a sealable plastic bag and store them in the freezer for up to a month.
Yes. Not all recipes include vanilla extract. However, the cookies will not have the same depth of flavor and you will lack the vanilla taste.
Baking chocolate chip cookies without baking soda is possible. However, the cookies will turn out dense and will not have the same chewy texture.
🍪 More Cookie Recipes
Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your dessert turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Butter
Ingredients
- 112 g (½ cups) Oil
- 100 (½ cups) Brown sugar
- 50 g (¼ cups) Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 200 g (1½ cups) All purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking soda
- 150 g (⅘ cups) Chocolate chips semi-sweet high quality chocolate eg. Callebaut
- Sea Salt just enough to sprinkle
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 175 C / 347°F (no fan).
- Mix in the egg, then the vanilla, just until combined.
- Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together, then add the mixture to the wet ingredients. With the help of a Rubber spatula, fold just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Leave some for later so you can place more chocolate chips on top of the half baked cookies.
- Prepare 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 10 equal balls (using a Digital scale is handy) and place them onto the parchment paper leaving enough space between them to spread. I recommend baking 5 cookies at once.
- Do not soften the surface of the balls, in fact, try to keep it as rough as possible for a nice, crackly surface. Press some more chocolate chips on the surface of the cookies. No need to rest the cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes in the following way: Bake for 10 minutes then place more chocolate chips on top, then bake them for further 5 minutes.
- Let the cookies rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove them from the parchment paper and let them cool on a Cooling rack. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Serve them while they are slightly warm.
- The cookies will further set as they cool. Store at room temp for a few days in air tight jar or container.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy
- Use room temperature ingredients e.g. egg
- Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details and science behind baking.
- Try not to overbake your cookies if you prefer them fudgy and gooey.
Debi
These are wonderful! I was out of butter and had to bring a dessert for an office lunch. I didn't want to make a trip to the store, so I made these and everyone loved them! Moist, fudgy, and delicious! Thank you!