10 Best Cookie Recipes Without Butter

You can make delicious homemade cookies without butter. Yes, you can. So if you can’t eat butter or are allergic to dairy. Then these cookie recipes without butter will be perfect for you.

The best part of baking cookies is the wonderful smell that permeates the entire house. Am I right?

Yummy Cookie Recipes Without Butter

Our journey to eating dairy free started when our daughter was born. She had a milk allergy. I started cooking almost everything from scratch to avoid dairy. 

There is a lot of food that has added dairy; it was mind-boggling when we first started looking into what foods she could and couldn’t eat. 

And baked goods are one of those items that often have dairy or butter in them. 

But thank goodness there are so many options for butterless cookies that we can make. But before we get to the yummy cookies, we need to talk about ingredients. 

Suitable Substitutes to Use in Place of Butter

What to use if you have no butter for cookies? Or can’t eat butter. 

In most cookie recipes, you can use dairy free butter sticks, coconut oil, lard, or shortening in place of the butter. 

Dairy Free Butter Sticks

I’ve tried lots of butter substitutes over the years in many types of recipes. There are two that I really like to use in cookies. 

We like…

Nucoa, margarine sticks
Country Crock Plant Butter, there is Olive Oil and Coconut Oil

Both butter substitutes can be used just like butter in most recipes. I think the Country Crock brand has a better flavor, but both will work equally well in cookie recipes. 

There is also the option of using shortening or lard in a cookie recipe in place of the butter. These both work well in most cases. The cookie texture might be a little different than if butter or margarine is used.

Can oil be substituted for butter?

If you don’t have butter or dairy free butter, the next option to use would be oil. 

Oil will work in most cookie recipes, but again, the texture might be a little different in the finished cookie. 

You might also need to add a bit more flour to the recipe to get the consistency of the dough the same as when butter is used. 

You’ll also want to mix the oil with the wet ingredients. Then mix your dry ingredients and combine the two instead of beating the butter in the sugar first. 

Types of Oil to Use in Butter-Free Cookies

There are many types of oil you can use in cookies as a substitute for butter. These are the ones I like to use. 

Vegetable Oil, this is a great oil as it doesn’t have much flavor

Canola Oil, is the one I always have on hand and works great

Avocado Oil, is another good option as it has a mild flavor

Olive Oil, can be used but pick a mild flavored one otherwise you might notice olive oil tastes in your cookies. 

Coconut Oil, you’ll want to make sure it’s softened a bit or at least at room temperature and avoid unrefined coconut oil, unless you don’t mind the coconut taste in your cookies

Making Vegan Cookies

If you want to make vegan cookies, you’ll need a substitute for eggs too. I use 1 tablespoon of soy flour and 1 tablespoon of water in place of each egg in the recipe. 

Another option is to use a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoons of flax meal and mix it with 2 and half tablespoons of water for each egg.

Either will work for an egg substitute

Where to Get Baking Chips for Dairy Free Cookies

Now that you have lots of options for butter substitutes, let’s move onto the yummy part of the cookies, the chips. 

Many chocolate chips on the market have dairy in them. There are a few dark chocolate chips that are dairy free, but you have to read the label to be sure. 

But I’ve found a couple of brands that have dairy free chips for baking. 

Here’s my list…

Great Value Organic Baking Chips you can buy the 

• Semi-Sweet
• Dark Chocolate
• White Chocolate

 We’ve tried all of them above, and they are so good! The price isn’t bad either. 

Some of the links below are my referral links. Which means as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and when you purchase through them I can make a little money at no extra cost to you. Thanks! See my disclosure policy for more information.

Chocolate Chunks these are from Enjoy Life and very good if you like chunks instead of chips. 

Mini Chocolate Chips these are also from Enjoy Life and great for mini cookies or even pancakes.

Butterscotch Chips these are new to me, I just found but haven’t tried yet. But at least there is an option for dairy free butterscotch chips too. 

You may need to try a few to find the one that fits your personal preference. 

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Cookies

To make cookies with or without butter, you’ll need a few kitchen tools to get the job done. Here’s the list!

• Baking Sheet or Cookie Sheet
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Liner for the baking tray
• Mixing Bowl, I like to have a large bowl for making double batches
• Wire Rack for cooling the cookies
• Small Cookie Scoop, to scoop dough in portions
• Wooden Spoon, for stirring the heavy dough
• Hand or Stand Mixer, for mixing the dough

Now let’s get to the recipes…

10 Amazing Cookie Recipes without Butter 

These cookies below are delicious cookies that are easy to make and will satisfy your sweet tooth. 

They all can be made without butter. All of them would be right at home in your cookie jar. 

 In each recipe you click through to, you’ll find the options for what butter substitute works best in place of the butter. 

Keep reading beyond the cookie recipes below to learn a few cookie making and baking tips. 

1. Soft Gingersnap Cookies

These are delicious cookies with a strong cinnamon and ginger flavor. They are not crisp cookies; they are a soft chewy cookies.

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

These are yummy peanut butter cookies with jam on top. They are so good, the perfect cookie if you love peanut butter and jelly. 

This cookie recipe uses two types of sugar, white sugar and dark brown sugar to make them chewy and delicious. You don’t have to stick with peanut butter. Any of the nut butters should work well in this recipe. 

3. No Chill Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are made without butter and don’t need to be chilled, either. Making them quicker to make. 

Usually sugar cookies are a butter recipe, but this one taste great without the butter. These yummy cookies are flavored with vanilla extract and almond extract both. 

To make them no roll sugar cookies, make the dough into cookie balls, then flatten them with the bottom of a glass. 

4. Fresh Apple Cookies

These cookies will become a family favorite. They are like chocolate chip cookie recipe but instead of chips, this recipe calls for fresh diced apples. This is definitely a cookie to add to your recipe box or binder.

5. Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

Who doesn’t love homemade chocolate chip cookies? These no butter chocolate chip cookies are like combining chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal cookies. They are so good and they make a huge batch of 115+ cookies. These are the perfect chocolate chip cookie. And they are freezer friendly too. 

6. Chocolate No Bake Cookies

 This is a classic cookie recipe for no bake cookies. It’s made with cocoa powder, coconut flakes and no butter. In this easy recipe you’ll want to use a dairy free butter. You can also make them dairy free with soy milk if desired. 

7. Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

These are made just like the no bake cookies above, but with peanut butter. They have a butterscotch peanut butter flavor that is so good. Like the chocolate version, you can make them fully diary free with soy milk. 

8. Chocolate Mint Twinkle Cookies

These little gems of chocolate and mint are so good and pretty, too. No butter needed at all. They are perfect for Christmas or any time of year. It will become a favorite recipe of yours too. 

9. Cornflake Cookies

These 3 ingredient cookies are so easy to make and are our favorite cookie recipe. No baking required. If you can microwave and stir, you can make this cookie. This recipe is one my grandma would make at Christmas each year, and now I do the same. They are so crisp and good; I bet you can’t eat just one. 

I’m getting hungry just thinking about them. They are that good. 

10. Double Chocolate Biscotti Cookies

These delicious crisp cookies can be made with dairy free butter or shortening. I’d avoid using oil in this recipe though. 

These biscotti are a chocolate dough with chocolate and white chocolate chips. The perfect addition to a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate. This is a great recipe to package and ship to family out of town. 

Now that you have the recipes, let’s move onto some cookie baking tips so your cookies will turn out perfectly. 

Cookie Making and Baking Tips…

Just a few tips to help your cookies turn out perfect each time you bake cookies. 

Perfect Flour Mixture

When mixing your dry ingredients, be sure to sift or whisk them well. It’s awful to bite into a cookie with a clump or baking soda or powder in it. Yuck!

I like to use a whisk to quickly mix all the dry ingredients. It’s faster than sifting, too. 

Be sure to use a separate bowl for dry and wet ingredients to mix the ingredients before combining. 

What Flour to Use in Cookies?

Most of the time, I will use all purpose flour in cookie recipes. But you can also use whole wheat flour to make them healthier. 

If you’ll be using whole wheat flour, be sure to get pastry whole wheat flour. It’s lighter than regular whole wheat and works great in baked goods. 

Do you really need salt?

You really should add the salt to the recipe. It makes a difference in the flavor, but you can use sea salt instead of table salt if you like it better. We love pink Himalayan salt. 

Should I use light or dark brown sugar?

You can use either in these recipes that call for brown sugar. The dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than the light brown sugar. So it’s perfect for cookie like gingersnap or peanut butter. 

You might like the light brown sugar in the chocolate chip cookies better than the dark brown sugar. It just comes down to personal preference. We prefer light brown sugar for the best chocolate chip cookies.

Do I really need to preheat the oven?

I know it’s a pain to remember to preheat oven to the right temperature. But it helps to get the best results when baking cookies. 

You want to set the oven temperature to the right level. Some cookies bake at 350 degrees, others bake at 375 and it makes a difference in how quickly they cook. 

If you bake at too high of a temperature, it could affect the baking time of the cookies. So be sure to check what temperature setting you need. 

If you have an older oven, you might want to invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven temperature is accurate.  

Perfectly Baked Cookie Tips

Most recipes call for the cookies to be baked to golden brown. 

But some cookies don’t, like sugar cookies or peanut butter cookies. If you bake them until golden brown, that will be too long. You’ll end up with a crisper cookie then you might want. 

Read your recipe to see how long to bake and if they should be golden brown or just brown on the bottom. 

Use a cookie scoop to make uniform cookies so they will bake more evenly too. If you mix small and large cookie balls on the same baking sheet, some will over cook while others will under cook.

To make sure they are consistent, use a scoop. 

Some cookie recipes you’ll need a prepared baking sheet. Which means you need to grease or cover the pan with parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking to the pan. 

I like to use a silicone baking mat. It can be used over and over and is easy to clean. Making for a quicker clean up when baking is done. 

Storing Your Homemade Cookies

The best way to store your homemade cookies is an airtight container. This will keep them fresh longer. 

But if you have a cute cookie jar, you can place a zipper top bag inside and place your cookies in the jar and zip the bag to keep them fresh. 

I have a cookie jar that has been in our family since my great grandma and I can’t resist using it, so this is my solution for storage. Hopefully, it will work for you too. 

Those are the 10 best cookie recipes without butter. I hope you and your family love them as much as we do.

Leave me a comment below and let me know which cookie recipe you want to try first.