Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies Margarine Chocolate Chip Cookies 3.2 (11) Add your rating & review Substitute margarine for butter to create these dairy-free chocolate chip cookies. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 28, 2024 Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: BHG / Ana Cadena Prep Time: 40 mins Bake Time: 8 mins Total Time: 48 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 60 cookies Jump to Nutrition Facts There are few things more satisfying than a warm chocolate chip cookie with a tall glass of milk. Here we've made a few swaps to our classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, most notably being the use of margarine instead of butter. This results in a soft, almost cake-like, dairy-free chocolate chip cookie. There are a few ingredients that help these chocolate chip cookies with margarine stand out from the rest. For best results, our Test Kitchen recommends using a stick margarine with at least 80% vegetable oil. This will help mimic the fat content of butter. To ensure this recipe results in a dairy-free chocolate chip cookie, be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips. A mixture of granulated and brown sugar helps these cookies both in flavor and texture. Granulated sugar has a lower moisture content and brown sugar has a higher moisture content. Together, they create the ideal crisp-meets-soft texture. If you'd like to add nuts to the margarine chocolate chip cookies, toast them first. This helps intensify the nutty flavor. How to Choose the Best Cookie Sheets for Baking Cookies When baking cookies, a quality cookie sheet can make all the difference in the finished cookies. Avoid cookie sheets that have become warped or have years of baked-on grease. The BHG Test Kitchen recommends using shiny, heavy-gauge cookie sheets that have very low or no sides. Avoid dark-color sheets which can cause your cookies to burn. How to Choose the Best Cookie Sheets for Baking Cookies Ingredients 1 cup 80% fat margarine (100 calories per tablespoon) 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces or miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate pieces 1 ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (filberts), toasted if desired (optional) Directions BHG / Ana Cadena Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. BHG / Ana Cadena Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. BHG / Ana Cadena Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. BHG / Ana Cadena Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. BHG / Ana Cadena Stir in the chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts. BHG / Ana Cadena Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. For the most uniform sizes, use a small ice cream scoop. This ensures each cookie is the same size. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges are just light brown. Cool on a cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack; cool completely. Chocolate Chip Cookies Test Kitchen Tip: To store the baked chocolate chip cookies, layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Tightly seal filled bags and containers for best results. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.You can also store cookie dough in an airtight container for up to six months. Thaw dough in the container in the fridge overnight. Shape and bake according the recipe directions. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 98 Calories 5g Fat 13g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 98 % Daily Value * Total Fat 5g 6% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 7mg 2% Sodium 69mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 13g 5% Total Sugars 8g Protein 1g 2% Calcium 10.1mg 1% Iron 0.5mg 3% Potassium 36mg 1% Fatty acids, total trans 1g Folate, total 12.1mcg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.