This is our most popular cookie recipe and the original butterless chocolate chip cookies! This recipe was originally posted in 2010 and has hundreds of reviews! They are baked with oil instead of butter, these cookies come out delicious every time. They have the perfect amount of chewiness and sweetness and are flavorful.
Cookies are one of our favorite desserts and are worth every bite! Try these cookies without butter, you’ll be surprised at how amazing they are!
Also, try our famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and the best chocolate chip cookies with walnuts!
Butterless chocolate chip cookies, what else can I say? I experimented when I tried making chocolate chip cookies without using butter.
Why? Because I didn’t have any butter on hand! Also, sometimes recipes with butter can turn out flat and cake-like. I thought about all the different fats I could use in a recipe; butter, Crisco, or oil. So I opted to give the oil a try.
To my amazement, the cookies baked very nicely! They taste delicious and are not even close to cakey or dry. They’re the best chewy cookie with crispy edges. It’s an easy recipe to make, and they’re a great easy everyday cookie recipe!
How to make Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Table of Contents
We’ll cover everything you need to make these cookies, share tips and answer questions. If you prefer to follow the recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Supplies
Here are all of the supplies you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes
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 a leavening agent to activate the rise in the cookie.
- Vegetable oil – vegetable oil is used instead of butter.
- 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 also enhances flavors in the recipe.
- Almond extract – Pure almond extract works best.
- Semisweet chocolate chips or chunks – A few brands we love are Ghirardelli and Ghirardelli. If you prefer to use chocolate chunks, you can do that too. Dark chocolate also tastes delicious in this recipe.
6 Steps for Making Cookies without Butter
Combined Dry Ingredients – Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugars – In a mixing bowl cream together oil, brown sugar, and white sugar.
Beat Eggs and Extracts – Beat in eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla and almond extract.
Combine – Blend in dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop – Scoop balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using a cookie scooper. Place them 2″ apart.
Bake – In a preheated 350-degree oven, bake for 8 to 9 minutes, and then let them cool on the pan before moving them to a wire rack.
What Oil Does in Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making cookies with oil instead of butter is definitely something you need to try if you haven’t already!
The oil gives the cookies a cake-like crumb texture and because of the high-fat content, they stay wonderfully moist.
It’s also a great way to enjoy cookies if you have an intolerance to dairy.
Tips for Making Butter-less Chocolate Chip Cookies
Line your baking sheet with parchment or use a silicone mat so your cookies don’t stick to the pan.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix them well.
Space the cookies far enough apart on the baking sheet so they don’t spread into each other when they cook.
Use a cookie scooper to portion out the dough on the baking sheet for evenly baked cookies.
Let the cookies cool on a rack before serving them.
Don’t overman the cookie dough. Using an electric mixer is perfect, but once the flour goes in the bowl, keep the mixer on low and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Prevent spreading by chilling the dough. You can chill the dough for 30 minutes or even overnight! This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents a thin cookie.
Use fresh ingredients and always check the dates. Ingredients like eggs, baking powder, and baking powder all need to be fresh for the best quality cookies.
Bake the cookies on the middle rack in the oven. This ensures even baking.
For the chocolate chips, you can use all one flavor or you can use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate.
Always measure your ingredients properly, especially the flour!
Don’t overtake the cookies as they will turn out dry. Also, remember the continue to cook as they cool on the baking rack.
Remember, baking time always varies depending on many factors like true oven temperature, locations, and the temperature inside your home.
Cookie Variations
- Try adding chopped nuts or m&ms
- Swap out the chocolate chips for white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips
- Add a few instant coffee granules to the dough for a mocha flavor
- Add a dash of cinnamon to the dough
- Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top of the cookies after they come out of the oven
- Drizzle with melted chocolate once they’ve cooled
Use a Neutral Oil
Use neutral oil such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil in your butterless chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you use a strongly flavored oil in the recipe like olive oil or peanut oil you will taste the flavors.
Gluten-Free Cookies
If you need 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 and Cup4Cup.
Dairy-Free
These cookies can also be dairy-free if you swap out the eggs with an egg substitute. Some good options are apple sauce or a “chia egg.”
To make a chia egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes until it forms a gel. You can also use a flax egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water.
You will also use dairy-free chocolate chips too!
How to Store Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies
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!
Perfect Butter-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
I was so happy with how these delicious butter-free cookies turned out and with no added effort! It’s so easy to make the dough, and the process is straight forward, so you can whip up a batch in no time at all!
What to Serve with Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are perfect to serve year-round with other cookies or a large fruit platter.
You can serve these on a giant dessert platter.
Serve them with ice cream and make an ice cream sandwich.
You can also dip them in a delicious snickerdoodle coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of butter in cookies?
For this recipe, I used vegetable oil to replace the fat from butter – it has a neutral flavor, and there’s always some hanging around in most kitchens!
Oils have a higher content than butter, so it is often not a straight swap, you only need to use about 3/4 of the amount called for.
If you are into experimenting in the kitchen, here are some other substitutes you can make. Please note I only used vegetable oil in my recipe and haven’t tried these variations! These variations below will change the outcome of the cookie.
- coconut oil
- canola oil
- shortening
- applesauce
- soy margarine
Yes! This recipe is made for substituting butter with oil. The cookies come out even chewier and more flavorful.
You can use oil if you want a butter-free cookie. Just make sure to use a natural oil such as sunflower oil, canola oil, 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 to Try
If you love cookies as much as we do, here are a few more of our favorite cookie recipes! These are ALL fantastic recipes and are perfect for all occasions.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Our Favorite Thumbprint Cookies
Also, try our chocolate chip cookie pie!
Let us know what you think!
We hope you enjoy these butterless cookies! If you like our cookie recipe without butter, please rate it and let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
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Butter-less Chocolate Chip Cookies
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 and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl cream together oil, brown sugar and white sugar.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Blend in dry ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie scooper, scoop balls of cookie dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them 2" apart.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes and then let them cool on the pan before moving them to a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Line your baking sheet with parchment or use a silicone mat so your cookies don’t stick to the pan.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix them well.
- Space the cookies far enough apart on the baking sheet so they don’t spread into each other when they cook.
- Use a cookie scooper to portion out the dough on the baking sheet for evenly baked cookies.
- Let the cookies cool on a rack before serving them.
Nutrition
Delicious! Loved the hint of almond taste
I found this recipe last week and already made it twice! It’s fantastic! The cookies are so fun and easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
These butterless chocolate chip cookies are so yummy and easy to make! Chewy and crisp at the same time. Delicious!
Thank you Matt!
Super easy recipe! I did alter it a bit to fit our families dietary restrictions, It came out absolutely delicious! Thanks for posting! I will be using this recipe going forward.
Amazing! No one would ever guess there is no butter in there. Great recipe!
Such delicious cookies!! I would recommend not adding the normal sugar and adding less brown sugar but overall great!! Don’t be fooled after it comes out the oven, it’s meant to be gooey
these are relly good .. i saved this recipe
ive used rice bran oil it is fine, they are still lovely. It is a great recipe and I have been experimenting with it. because I like to bake with what I have. I shop for extras on special occasion. I did buy choc chips though
Not sure what I did wrong, but even after an extra minute in the oven my cookies came out super flat and way too gooey in the middle. I must have messed up somewhere….either way I like the option of no butter. Thanks for sharing!
i made these with a cup of ricies, a cup of cornflakes, to use them up, also a cup of coconut. and one cup of chips. i was worried they might be abit dry because of the add ons so took out 1/4 cup of flour, also added a tablespoon of cocoa. They are great. and yum. Sorry for destroying your recipe
Love these cookies!
I made this easier and improved the nutritional value by 1. Using 1 1/4 cups each of white self-raising flour and wholemeal self-raising flour. 2. Instead of 2 cups of sugar I used 1/2 cup dark brown sugar. 3. 2 cups of choc chips is far too much – I used barely 1/2 cup.
These came out great!!!! I had a sugar craving and not enough ingredients for my usual butter cookies. I had to leave out some of the ingredients of this recipe too because didn’t have any white sugar, baking soda or almond extract but they came out perfectly (even with some things missing). Lovely and moist and chewy not like my usual cookies. This will definitely be my new go too cookie recipe ?
Wow, I was skeptical but you really don’t miss the butter in here! Fantastic!
Love these butter-less option cookies!! The texture is perfect. Totally making these more often!
These cookies are AMAZING! I love that there’s no butter too!
Love it!
ngl, i don’t really leave reviews on the recipes i’ve tried, HOWEVER, these are kinda easily the best chocolate chip cookies i’ve ever made. i used coconut oil, which i guess according to the other comments, is better for this, because they haven’t come out oily at all. i’ve made this recipe about four times this week ?
Love hearing this Sophy! Love that you used coconut oil too!! I will have to try that!
Let me just start by saying I’ve followed hundreds of recipes and I have never felt compelled to leave a rating or review until now. I was just looking for a butter less recipe simply because I was out of butter. I wasn’t expecting much, just something to get the job done. But oh my gosh these are better than any chocolate chip cookies with butter that I have ever had. These chocolate chip cookies will be my new go to!
Thank you Courtney, for the sweetest review!! I am so glad they worked for you and I agree the oil makes them so moist and chewy!! They are better than butter!
Hi, can I substitute EVOO or canola oil for the vegetable oil?
You will have a much stronger olive oil flavor that might overpower the cookies. If anything, try sunflower oil.
I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe without butter and when I found this one, I was happy to try it out. When I read the comments about it being very oily, I decided to cut the oil by half and use 4 oz of applesauce along with 4 oz of oil instead of the full cup of oil. I also cut the sugar in the recipe by using 1 c brown sugar and 1/2 c white sugar. One more change that I made was by using 1/2 c oatmeal in an effort to make a healthier cookie. The results were widely accepted by my grandkids and husband!! Keeping with the changes I made, I would make this recipe again.
Bea