My Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, crisp, and buttery, with plenty of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts in every bite. They have a crumbly texture that is closer to a chocolate chip butter cookie than a soft bakery-style cookie.
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I use icing sugar instead of brown sugar and do not add an egg replacement. This gives the cookies a pale color, a light crumb, and a clean buttery flavor.
A short chill helps the dough hold its shape in the oven. The cookies come out thick with lightly golden edges and become crisp as they cool.
Serve them with a cup of Turkish Tea or coffee, pack them into lunchboxes, or keep them in a tin for when you want a simple homemade cookie.
What Kind of Cookie Are These?
These are not soft or chewy chocolate chip cookies. They are crisp, crumbly cookies with a rich buttery texture.
The dough is similar to a butter cookie because it has a high proportion of butter and no egg, milk, yogurt, or egg substitute. Icing sugar gives the cookies a finer, more delicate crumb than granulated or brown sugar.
They are still thick and full of chocolate, but they do not have a soft center. If you prefer a chewy cookie, my Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar are a better choice.
Why This Recipe Works?
- These cookies are crisp and buttery with a light, crumbly texture, not soft or chewy like a classic chocolate chip cookie.
- No eggs or egg replacement are needed, so they are ideal when you have run out of eggs or need an egg-free bake.
- Chocolate chips add plenty of sweetness, while walnuts give the cookies extra crunch and a slightly nutty flavor.
- It is a great recipe for beginners as it is extremely easy to make them.
- They are thick enough to feel like a proper homemade cookie, with golden edges and lots of chocolate in every bite.
- The cookies keep well in a tin for a few days, so you can make a batch ahead for lunchboxes, tea breaks, or guests.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Butter - Use softened unsalted butter. It should be soft enough to leave an indent when you press it with your finger, but it should not look shiny or melted. Butter gives these cookies their rich flavor and crisp texture. Salted butter also works, but the finished cookies will taste slightly saltier.
- Icing Sugar - Icing sugar, also called confectioners’ sugar, gives these cookies their fine, crumbly texture. Do not swap it for brown sugar if you want the same result. Brown sugar adds moisture and makes cookies softer and chewier.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour, also called plain flour. Weighing it gives the most reliable result, especially with a rich dough like this one. Sift the flour if it looks lumpy. This makes it easier to mix into the butter without overworking the dough.
- Chocolate chips - Use dark, milk, or semisweet chocolate chips. Chopped chocolate also works and gives you uneven pieces of melted chocolate throughout the cookies.
- Walnuts - Walnuts add crunch and a slightly nutty flavor. Pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, or almonds can replace them. Leave the nuts out for a nut-free cookie.
How to Make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prepare the Dough
Place the softened butter and icing sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute until fully combined.
Stir in the flour, chocolate chips, and chopped walnuts. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. It may look crumbly at first, but it should hold together when pressed between your fingers.
Do not keep mixing once there are no dry patches of flour left. Overmixing makes the cookies tougher.
Bring the dough together into a ball, cover it, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
This short chill is important. It firms up the butter and helps the cookies keep their thick shape while baking.
Shape and Bake
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop about 1¾ ounces or 50 g of dough for each cookie. Roll each portion into a ball, then press it down gently on the baking sheet.
Leave space between the cookies so they have room to spread slightly.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look set.
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. They become crisper as they cool.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Soften the butter properly before starting. Cold butter will not cream well, while melted butter makes the dough too loose.
- Use a kitchen scale for the flour. Too much flour can leave you with a dry dough that does not hold together easily.
- Do not replace icing sugar with brown sugar. It will change the texture and give you a softer, chewier cookie.
- Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes. If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels soft, chill it for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Press the dough balls down before baking. These cookies are designed to stay thick, and flattening them helps the centers bake through evenly.
- Bake until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will not feel fully crisp straight from the oven, but they firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them. Any warmth trapped in the container will soften them.
Recipe Variations
Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or a mixture of both. Chopped chocolate bars give the cookies larger melted pieces, while chocolate chips hold their shape more clearly.
Swap the walnuts for pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, or almonds. Lightly toasted nuts give a deeper flavor, but let them cool fully before adding them to the dough.
For a nut-free version, leave the walnuts out. The cookies will still hold their shape and bake well.
How to Store and Freeze Them
Keep the fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze the dough. Shape it into balls, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag and keep them for up to 3 months.
Bake the frozen dough balls straight from the freezer. Press them down gently and add 2 to 4 extra minutes to the baking time.
Recipe FAQs
No. These cookies are intentionally crisp and crumbly, with a buttery texture similar to a chocolate chip butter cookie.
This dough is naturally more crumbly than a classic chocolate chip cookie dough because it has no egg or added liquid. Press a small amount between your fingers. It should hold together.
If it stays dry and powdery, the butter may have been too cold or too much flour may have been added. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then press it together again.
If your cookie dough feels too soft to shape, chill your dough for another 10-15 minutes before scooping it into balls.
The butter may have been too soft, the dough may not have chilled long enough, or the baking sheet may have been warm. Chill the dough for an extra 10 to 15 minutes before shaping and use a cool baking sheet.
Related Recipes
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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these crumbly and delicious Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
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Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ stick unsalted butter, softened (250 g)
- ⅞ cup icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar (100 g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 ⅓ cups plain flour or all-purpose flour (400 g)
- ¾ cup chocolate chips or chopped milk or dark chocolate (125 g)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (100 g)
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and icing sugar in a large bowl with a stand mixer or hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute.
- Add the flour, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Stop as soon as there are no dry patches of flour left.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 20 pieces, around 50 g or 1¾ ounces each. Roll each piece into a ball, place it on the baking sheet, then press it down gently.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. The centers can still look pale.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. They become crisper as they cool.
Notes
- Use softened butter, not melted butter. It should feel soft when pressed but still hold its shape.
- Icing sugar gives these cookies their crisp, crumbly texture. Brown sugar will make them softer and chewier.
- The dough can look crumbly at first. Press a little between your fingers. It should hold together once it has been mixed properly.
- Do not overmix after adding the flour. Mix only until the ingredients come together.
- Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes. Add another 10 to 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm or the dough feels too soft to shape.
- Press the dough balls down before baking. They do not spread as much as soft chocolate chip cookies.
- Take the cookies out when the edges are lightly golden. They firm up and become crisp as they cool.
- Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies or shaped dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer and add a few extra minutes if needed.
Natalie says
The cookies were really good and turned out perfect.