These Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies are super chunky, chocolate and orange packed, and completely dairy free and egg free! I love to make my recipes vegan so that everyone can enjoy them. My Chocolate Orange Cookies are really popular, so I knew I had to veganise them. It was really easy with simple swaps, and the cookies are so yummy and packed with chocolate orange flavour. You also don't need to chill the cookie dough, so you can enjoy these cookies faster.
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the dairy free butter and dairy free milk) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a block style dairy free butter for this recipe, a dairy free spread will work too, but the block style dairy free butter is best.
- I recommend using light brown soft sugar for delicious flavour and a more gooey cookie, but you can replace it with caster sugar if you can't get hold of brown sugar.
- If you can't get hold of orange extract, you can use the zest of one orange instead.
- I used Buttermilk Orange Choccy Segments for the cookie decoration, they are dairy free, gluten free, palm oil free and vegan. Another option is the Nomo Chocolate Orange Crunch Bar or the Galaxy Smooth Orange Chocolate Bar, you could add a couple of chunks to the top of the cookies.
- You can swap the chocolate chips in the cookie dough for a chopped up vegan chocolate bar, or chopped up vegan orange chocolate.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies
To make the cookie dough, mix together the dairy free butter, light brown sugar and caster sugar. Then mix in the orange extract, orange zest and dairy free milk.
Next, mix in plain flour, cocoa powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder - you can stir these together in a separate bowl first if you like. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.
Roll the dough into balls with your hands, then flatten them a little and place them onto lined baking trays. Bake them for 12-14 minutes, then take them out of the oven and put a piece of dairy free chocolate orange on top of each one. Leave to cool on the trays for at least 10 minutes, then either enjoy warm or move to a cooling rack to cool fully.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
What is the chocolate orange decoration?
I used Buttermilk Orange Choccy Segments for the cookie decoration, they are dairy free, gluten free, palm oil free and vegan. Another option is the Nomo Chocolate Orange Crunch Bar or the Galaxy Smooth Orange Chocolate Bar, you could add a couple of chunks to the top of the cookies.
Do you have to chill the cookies before baking them?
You can chill them before baking for even thicker and chunkier cookies, but I prefer to bake them straight away. If it's a warm day, you handle the dough a lot, of your butter was over softened, then chilling may be beneficial.
How do you get perfectly round cookies?
As soon as they come out of the oven get a round cookie cutter, or a glass held upside down, that is larger than the cookies and put it over each cookie. Move it in a circular motion, pressing against the sides of the cookies gently to adjust any irregularities. This is called "scooting" or "hula hooping" the cookies.
How should the cookies be stored and can they be frozen?
You can keep the balls of unbaked cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months, and you can bake them straight from frozen whenever you fancy a fresh cookie. The baked cookies will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze the baked cookies too, wrap them well or store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put a square of baking paper between each one to stop them from sticking together.
Do you need any electric mixer to make this recipe?
While an electric mixer is helpful in making these cookies and will give the best results, you don't need one to make them. You can absolutely make the cookies by hand with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. If you have an electric stand mixer, then you can use the paddle attachment to make these cookies.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
For gluten free you can replace the plain flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can this recipe be made dairy free?
Great news, this recipe is already dairy free and suitable for vegans!
More tips for making the Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies:
- Make sure to leave space between the balls of cookie dough on the baking trays as they will spread when baking, about 2" should ensure they don't stick together. If you make bigger cookies, you will need to leave more space.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes (nearer to 10 minutes is ideal) before trying to move them onto a cooling rack. Otherwise they will be too soft and will break or stick to the baking paper.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Mixing bowls
- Baking trays
- Measuring spoons
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Stand mixer
- Round cutters
- Orange extract
- Buttermilk Choccy Orange Segments
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More vegan recipes...
Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 125 g Dairy free block butter unsalted (I used Flora plant)
- 125 g Light brown soft sugar
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 50 ml Plant milk I used whole oat milk
- 1 tsp Orange extract
- 1 Orange zest only
- 215 g Plain flour
- 35 g Cocoa powder
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 250 g Dairy free chocolate chips, or chopped up dairy free chocolate bar
For decoration (optional)
- 14 Buttermilk Choccy Orange Segments
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6, and line a few baking trays (or however many you own) with baking paper
- Ideally using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the dairy free butter, caster sugar and light brown soft sugar together until fluffy and paler in colour. This will take 3-5 minutes in an electric mixer (I use speed 3)
- Add the dairy free milk, orange zest and orange extract, and mix them in
- Add the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix them in until just combined
- Add the chocolate chips, mix briefly, just to evenly distribute them
- Divide the dough into portions, I weighed the dough out to make each cookie an equal size. For 14 cookies I used 63g dough per cookie
- Roll balls of the cookie dough between your hand, flatten them a little and place onto your lined baking trays, leave space between the cookies (at least 2") as they will spread a little bit
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, remove from the oven and place a piece of dairy free chocolate orange on top of each one, then leave to cool on the trays for at least 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack (or eating!)
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 3 days
Video
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the dairy free butter and dairy free milk) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a block style dairy free butter for this recipe, a dairy free spread will work too, but the block style dairy free butter is best.
- I recommend using light brown soft sugar for delicious flavour and a more gooey cookie, but you can replace it with caster sugar if you can't get hold of brown sugar.
- If you can't get hold of orange extract*, you can use the zest of one orange instead.
- I used Buttermilk Orange Choccy Segments for the cookie decoration, they are dairy free, gluten free, palm oil free and vegan. Another option is the Nomo Chocolate Orange Crunch Bar or the Galaxy Smooth Orange Chocolate Bar, you could add a couple of chunks to the top of the cookies.
- You can swap the chocolate chips in the cookie dough for a chopped up vegan chocolate bar, or chopped up vegan orange chocolate.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
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