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Recipes

Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UC Berkeley chapter.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe will produce happiness. With the edges golden-brown and crispy, and the center soft and chewy, these cookies will be mouthwatering whether they are served hot or cold. The twist in this recipe is that there is absolutely no butter! Instead, I use oil. This is possible due to the golden ratio of fats, sugar, and gluten.

I never take no as an option. So when my parents refused to buy me cookies and told me to make them instead, I did indeed make cookies. With no butter in sight, I made do with oil, and after years of experimentation, I finally made a seamless replication of the chocolate chip cookie. This is just the base recipe of the typical chocolate chip cookie, but it can be elevated with different add-ins

Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 10 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:30 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Danielle Chen

    Pre-heat oven to 370°F and assemble all ingredients.

  2. Danielle Chen

    In a clean bowl, pour in oil and sugar. I like to use vegetable oil, but any kind will work as long as it doesn’t have a strong flavor.

  3. Danielle Chen

    Mix thoroughly until well combined.

  4. Danielle Chen

    Add in one egg.

  5. Danielle Chen

    Whisk everything together until it turns to a caramel shade.

  6. Danielle Chen

    Add in vanilla, baking soda, salt, spices and flour.

    #SpoonTip: Add less flour for crispy and crunchy cookies or add more flour for chewy cookies.

  7. Danielle Chen

    Mix until well combined and then add in chocolate chips.

  8. Danielle Chen

    Fold chocolate chips into cookie dough.

  9. Danielle Chen

    Place plastic wrap on cookie dough and let it chill overnight in fridge. This is optional but highly suggested as it creates a deeper and more complex flavor.

  10. Danielle Chen

    Remove cookie dough from fridge. Roll dough into 1-2 tbsp balls and place them on a non-greased pan.

    #SpoonTip: Take some cookie dough and bake it first to test if cookies are up to par. If it is too sweet try adding in toppings like nuts. If taste and texture are satisfactory, start baking.

  11. Danielle Chen

    Bake for 7-12 minutes until edges of each cookie are golden-brown and its center is cooked.

  12. Danielle Chen

    Remove cookies from oven; you can eat them straight away or save them for later (if they even last that long)! These cookies can be stored at room temperature for at least one week.

If you ever want to elevate these cookies to the next level, just add ice cream and you’ll get 2 Ingredient Ice Cream Sandwiches. Plus, if the cookies ever burn, check out these lifesaving tips. This cookie recipe is a solid starter recipe for beginners and versatile enough recipe for more experienced bakers to experiment with. So never take no for an answer because if I did, I would not have created these cookies.

Danielle Chen

UC Berkeley '20

I am an avid foodie who is always down to try new things! I have been baking since I was seven years old. I love munching on bread and pastries (even though I am mildly allergic to gluten). My favorite pastime other than sleeping, cooking and working out, is chowing down plates upon plates of brisket and bulgogi with friends at all-you-can-eat KBBQ.