Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are about to become your new go-to cookie recipe. They are 100% grain and flour-free and can easily be made dairy-free and vegan.
Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, they are everything you want in a chocolate chip cookie, and could not be any easier to make. This, my friend, is about as healthy as a chocolate chip cookie gets.
Best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
Some of you may remember these cookies. They have been my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. Anytime I make these cookies, at least one person asks me for the recipe.
This is very understandable because they really are that delicious! Grab a pen and paper (or just hit the print button!) and prepare to make the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ve ever had.
Ingredients in gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
The key to making a gluten and grain-free chocolate chip cookie is almond butter. One cup of all-natural almond butter creates the base for this cookie recipe and here’s everything else you’ll need to make these flourless cookies:
- Almond butter – No flour or flour substitutes needed, just one cup of almond butter is the base of this cookie recipe.
- Turbinado sugar – Sometimes called sugar in the raw, the granules in turbinado sugar are larger than most sugar varieties and add a nice texture to the cookies. This sugar also has a delicious light caramel flavor.
- Egg – You’ll just need one egg in this cookie recipe. Organic, pastured eggs are best. To make this recipe vegan, see tips below.
- Vanilla extract – Do NOT forget the vanilla. And use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. It’s worth it!
- Baking soda + kosher salt – to help these cookies bake up properly.
- Chocolate chips – I typically use standard-sized semisweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use chunks or mini semisweet chips. I think dark chocolate or a combination of dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate would also be wonderful. To keep this recipe dairy free, be sure to use a dairy-free chocolate chip.
Ingredient substitutions
- Nut butter – If you don’t have almond butter in your kitchen or you just aren’t a fan, you can sub with all-natural peanut butter.
- Swap the sugar – I recommend the turbinado sugar for it’s wonderful texture and flavor, but you can definitely use coconut, granulated, or brown sugar, if you’d like. It’s a 1:1 substitute.
- Egg – You can make these gluten-free cookies vegan by swapping the egg for a flax or chia egg. Instructions below.
- Chocolate chips – Feel free to mix things up and use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking add-ins.
How to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
Other than being one of the most delicious cookies you’ll ever eat, these cookies are also crazy easy to make. This is a one-bowl, dump and stir recipe. My favorite kind!
- Preheat oven and give your almond butter a good stir.
- Combine almond butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well until you have a nice thick cookie dough batter.
- Add in the chocolate chips and gently mix them into the dough.
- Scoop up one tablespoon of cookie dough and shape into a small round disc. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with either a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat until you have used all the dough. You will need to work in batches or use two baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until they are golden brown on top and your kitchen smells amazing.
- Cool and enjoy! These cookies are super delicate when they are hot, so be sure to let them cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. This will be the hardest part of the cookie making process!
How to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies vegan
I know that we have a good amount of vegans in the Clean & Delicious community, so I wanted to be sure that you could enjoy these cookies too!
It’s very easy to make this cookie recipe vegan.
The first focus is the egg. Simply swap the pastured egg for a chia or flax egg.
How to make a chia or flax egg
- Grind up a few tablespoons of chia seeds or flax seeds, depending on what you use. (you can also purchase already ground chia/flax)
- Scoop one tablespoon of ground flax/chia into a small bowl.
- Add three tablespoons of water to the ground seeds and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture as thickened and is gel-like, it’s ready to go.
When it’s time to add the egg in this recipe, simply add the seed mixture in its place.
Dairy-free + vegan chocolate chips
The other swap we need to make is the chocolate chips. Traditional chocolate chips will contain dairy, but this is a super easy fix.
Simply look for brands that are 100% vegan. If you’re not sure where to start, these chocolate chips would be perfect.
Tips for perfect gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
Follow the suggestions below and you’re sure to have the BEST gluten-free chocolate chip cookies of your life!
- Stir almond butter. Do NOT dump out the oil that pools at the top of a new jar of almond butter when you make these cookies. Stir the oil back into the jar, so that your almond butter is smooth, creamy, and almost pourable. Be sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the jar.
- Bake time + temp. Baking at 350ºF will guarantee your cookies bake at the perfect speed to get those crispy edges with a soft and chewy center. Bake for about 12 minutes, depending on how gooey you like the centers. Keep in mind, cookies continue to bake even after they are removed from the oven. Also, your bake time will vary depending on the size of your cookie. I baked my cookies for 12 minutes with great results.
- Extra chocolate + flaky sea salt. Adding several extra chocolate chips on top of the cookies while they are still warm will make them look extra tasty. We also love to add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to the tops of warm cookies. It really takes the flavor to the next level!
- Bake on parchment or silicone. Parchment or a silicone baking mat makes for the most perfect cookies. Greasing the baking sheet creates an overly greasy foundation, which may cause your cookies to spread too much. Silicone baking mats will grip the bottom of your cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. The mats also promote even browning.
- Cooling cookies. These cookies are very delicate when hot, so it’s important to let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
How to store and freeze gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
- To store: feel free to keep these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, then transfer them to the fridge or freezer.
- To freeze: make sure the cookies are completely cooled, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or a freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy!
More Healthier Cookie Recipes
- Healthy No-Bake Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pulp Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
If you make this delicious gluten-free chocolate cookie recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-natural unsalted almond butter
- 3/4 cup turbinado sugar (also called sugar in the raw)
- 1 pastured egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Start with a new jar of room temperature almond butter. Be sure to stir any oil that pools at the top back into the almond butter. You want the almond butter to be smooth, creamy and almost pourable.
- In a large bowl, combine almond butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Stir everything together until you have nice thick cookie dough.
- Add in chocolate chips and gently stir, so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Scoop up one tablespoon of cookie dough and shape into a small round disc using your hands (see video). Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with either a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat until you have used all the dough. You will need to work in batches or use two baking sheets.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. They are very delicate when hot, so this is an important step. Enjoy!
