Here's What You Can Use Instead Of Butter For Perfect Vegan Cookies

Just because a typical cookie recipe calls for ingredients like eggs and butter doesn't mean that all recipes are off the table for vegans. You might just have to get a little bit creative when looking for ingredient alternatives that result in the same sweet, gooey treat we all know and love. For vegan cookies done the right way, Food Republic spoke to Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis.

When it comes to substituting butter in cookie recipes, Littley shared that vegan butter is an easy swap. The dairy-free version does a good job of mimicking the texture of traditional butter, resulting in soft, chewy cookies. Unfortunately, this ingredient alternative isn't always readily available. If you don't have any vegan butter on hand, Littley recommended pulling some coconut oil from your fridge or pantry and adding it to your cookie dough.

Unlike vegan butter, however, coconut oil isn't as simple a swap due to texture and flavor differences. As Littley warned, "Coconut oil ... gives cookies a slightly firmer texture and less spread due to its higher melting point." Cookies made with coconut oil also tend to take on a slight coconut flavor, so Littley advised only using this butter alternative in cookie recipes that will complement that tropical taste.

If you're all out of vegan butter and you aren't a fan of coconut oil, there are other replacements you can try when baking vegan cookies. Many bakers believe butter shouldn't be the only kind of fat you use when making cookies, and these folks will often opt for a spoonful of oil, margarine, or shortening to add extra texture to their baked goods. And great news for our vegan friends: Shortening is plant-based and free of animal products. However, this fat alternative can be temperamental when used in cookies.

"Shortening creates cookies that are softer and hold their shape better because it has a higher melting point than butter," Dennis Littley told Food Republic. "However, it lacks the rich flavor of butter, so cookies made with shortening can taste less indulgent." For vegan recipes using shortening as a fat replacement for butter, the expert advised making tweaks to other liquids in the recipe to make up for the excess moisture. To avoid cookie dough that's too goopy and doesn't rise the way you want, Littley recommends a dash of plant-based milk or vinegar. These additions can help bind the cookies together while baking.