This is my most popular cookie recipe, my original no butter chocolate chip cookies! Baked with oil instead of butter, they are butterless cookies and come out delicious every time. They have the perfect amount of chewiness and sweetness!
These no-butter chocolate chip cookies were one of my first recipes on Sugar and Charm. To this day, they are my go-to cookie recipe. I love to serve them right out of the oven when entertaining. They are so good that they made it into my book Entertaining with Charm!
I created this recipe when I had no butter but an intense craving for chocolate chip cookies. To my amazement, the cookies came out so delicious! I love that they are far from cakey or dry.
They’re the best chewy cookie with crispy edges, and it’s become my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s easy to make, and they’re a tremendous, easy everyday cookie recipe.
And if you love cookies, like me, try oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, and the best chocolate chip cookie pie.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- The recipe was originally posted in 2010 and over 500 amazing reviews!
- It’s a great way to enjoy cookies if you are intolerant to dairy.
- The oil gives the cookies a cake-like crumb texture, and because of the high-fat content, they stay wonderfully moist.
Ingredient in Butterless Cookies
The full recipe and measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
All-Purpose Flour: We use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. You can also use whole wheat flour too.
Baking soda and Baking powder: Both are used as leavening agents to activate the rise in the cookie.
Vegetable oil: Is used instead of butter. Use neutral oil, sunflower oil, canola, or vegetable oil, in your butterless chocolate chip cookie recipe. You will taste the flavors using an intensely flavored oil, like olive or peanut oil.
Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works well. However, if you only have light brown sugar, that will work too.
Granulated sugar: This is used to sweeten the cookies.
Eggs: Use organic eggs if possible.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor and enhances the recipe’s flavors.
Almond extract – Pure almond extract works best.
Semisweet chocolate chips or chunks: We love Ghirardelli and Ghirardelli. If you prefer chocolate chunks, you can do that, too. Dark chocolate also tastes delicious in this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream Sugars and Oil: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
Add Eggs and Flavoring: Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Portion the Dough: Using a cookie scoop, portion dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake and Cool: Bake for 8 to 9 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
No Butter Cookie Variations
- Gluten-Free: To make these chocolate chip cookies gluten-free, use a 1:1 ratio of all-purpose gluten-free flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill.
- Add Nuts: Add 1 cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
- Different Flavored Chips: Swap the chocolate chips for white, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips.
- Salt: Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the cookies after they come out of the oven.
Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies without Butter
Taste Expectations: Remember, these cookies won’t have the exact buttery flavor of traditional recipes, but they’re perfect for moments when you’re out of butter or want a lighter option.
Choose a Neutral-Flavored Oil: Using a neutral oil, like canola or light olive oil, helps keep the classic chocolate chip cookie taste. Avoid oils with strong flavors (e.g., extra virgin olive oil), as they can change the flavor of your cookies.
Coconut Oil Option: If you prefer a slightly firmer dough or a hint of coconut flavor, food-grade coconut oil can be a good choice. Coconut oil is semi-solid at room temperature, which may help your cookies hold their shape better. Keep in mind that unrefined coconut oil adds coconut flavor, while refined coconut oil has a neutral taste.
Use Fresh Oil: Always use fresh oil, as older oils can become rancid, which may lead to an unpleasant, stale taste in your cookies. Store oils in a cool, dark place to prolong freshness.
Avoid Low Smoke Point Oils: Some oils start to burn at lower temperatures, affecting the flavor of your cookies. Choose oils with higher smoke points (above 375°F) to ensure the best taste and texture.
Chill the Dough if Needed: If your kitchen is warm, consider chilling the dough for about 20 minutes before baking. This can prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
How to Store
For about three days, you can store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
You can also freeze cookies in an airtight sealed bag or container for up to three months. However, nothing is better than a warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use oil if you want a butter-free cookie. Just make sure to use a natural oil such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil. This will give the cookies a crispy and chewy texture.
Yes, you can! Oil is the best substitute for butter in cookies. This recipe uses only oil (no butter), and they have the best texture and flavor.
More Cookie Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite cookie recipes. These are ALL fantastic recipes and are perfect for all occasions.
- Butterless Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
- My Favorite Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Our Favorite Thumbprint Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
I hope you enjoy these butterless cookies! If you like this recipe, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together oil, brown sugar, and white sugar using the paddle attachment.
- Beat eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and almond extract.
- Blend in dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 2" apart.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, then let them cool on the pan before moving them to a wire rack.
Lovely recipe. My family loves it.
I can’t believe these don’t have butter in them. They turned out amazing!
These are sooo delicious!! We’re obsessed! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is an amazing recipe! It was very easy to make and a good thing that I had all the ingredients needed for me to make these cookies. This is definitely one of our favorites at home. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful, tasty, and easy cookies! We are currently quarantined aboard our sailboat in Spain due to Covid9. We can only go out for groceries when absolutely necessary, about once every 10 days to 2 weeks–and we are low on butter. When my husband asked me to bake chocolate chip cookies I thought he was out of luck! But then I found your recipe and gave it a try even though I was skeptical. Man was I wrong! They are delicious and have a perfect consistency. My husband could not tell the difference between them and my usual butter recipe. This is a keeper….and I will make them again! Thank you for the recipe.
Oh my goodness, Vicki! Stay safe on the water and I am SO happy these cookies could be a little treat for you and your husband during this time! Sending you all the love and cookies!!!
These have me craving a chocolate chip cookie!! Love this butter-less option! They are chewy & chocolate-y & really are perfect!
Such a great cookie recipe!
These turned out great! Would definitely recommend making them!
Just made these cookies and they are AMAZING!!! My two sons and husband (and I) love them. I was low on butter which inspired me to find a “butteries” recipe – and these are actually better than cookies I’ve made with butter. Thanks for making this recipe available.
Also, one batch I timed correctly and the second batch I forgot about – even slightly over-baked, they’re still great!! No fail recipe – that’s my kind of baking. 🙂
Yay! We are so happy you loved them!! They really are SO good! The oil makes them so chewy and delicious!!
Really nice! Took quite a bit longer to cook than the recipe said – think I made them a bit big, but came out really well.
I liked this recipie but it was just to oily and hard
Instead of vegetable oil I like to use coconut oil (it adds nice flavor:). Should I melt it and then measure it or just measure it while it’s hard?
You should melt the coconut oil that tastes better for me
Very confused. Followed the recipe exactly and mine came out like giant puffballs. They look absolutely nothing like yours, they are smooth, a weird consistency and puffy (didn’t spread, just rose up).
Same thing happened to me the first time. I suggest you try to make them again- pay attention to packing the brown sugar and levelling off the flour. I tried them again today and now they look just like the picture. The almond extract is nice if you like it, otherwise just replace with vanilla extract for the classic chocolate chip cookie taste. Hope this helps:)
This is great I didn’t have chocolate chips but just made the dough and it actually turned out better then the ones I made the other day with butter and ended up softer also I give this 100 out of 1 to 10 thank saving the recipe in case I forget it next time
The texture of these cookies looks perfect!
Beautiful cookies & delicious!! Who knew oil would make such yummy cookies! Making these more often!
Chocolate chip cookies are awesome! I always make mine with butter. Will give this a shot sometime!
I didn’t have brown sugar so just put one cup of white sugar and I put a drop less oil than a cup but they came out AMAZING! Nice late night snack for me and the hubby!
Oh good to know!! Thank you for sharing! The perfect late-night snack if you ask me, haha!
Love these cookies and I like how they didn’t have to have butter!!!!
Yay! So happy you loved them!
Made these today, and they are the first cookie recipe that worked!!! Will definitely be my go-to cookie recipe. Thanks!