These Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and tender, made with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour and a little almond flour, and loaded with chocolate in every bite.
The trick to making these extra special is chopping the chocolate into slivers before adding it to the dough, so you get little bits of chocolate throughout the cookie instead of a few big pockets.
I have used just about every combination of gluten free flours and mixes on the planet trying to get these right. Sometimes they worked, and sometimes they didn't. This is the version I keep coming back to, and I promise no one can tell they're gluten free.
Brown sugar adds a little caramel flavor, the almond flour cuts the grittiness gluten free flour is known for, and a short rest in the fridge gives you a cookie that browns better and bakes more evenly.
If you love these, you should try my gluten free peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip banana bread, and zucchini bread with chocolate chips, too. The peanut butter cookies are the easiest to bake alongside these since you'll already have the butter and both sugars out.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten free all-purpose flour - I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. In my humble opinion, it's the best one-to-one replacement for all-purpose flour, and it already contains xanthan gum, so there's nothing extra to add.
- Almond flour - Use only a quarter cup; it adds a hint of nutty flavor and helps the texture. If you have a nut allergy, leave it out and use more gluten free flour in its place.
- Baking soda, baking powder, and salt - Check the label on your baking powder to be sure it's gluten free.
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter at room temperature for baking. If you forget to set it out, microwave it for about 20 seconds, turning it over after 10. Vegan butter works too.
- Granulated sugar - Coconut sugar can substitute, but it will change the cookies' flavor.
- Brown sugar - This is where the caramel flavor comes from.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract really does give more flavor than imitation. I like Rodelle.
- Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature. Leave them on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start.
- Chocolate chips - I always reach for Enjoy Life because the flavor can't be beat and they're allergy-friendly. Regular chips, mini chips, or chunks all work.
See recipe card for quantities.
Keeping These Cookies Gluten Free
These cookies are gluten free as written, but three packaged ingredients deserve a quick look at the label before you bake. Look for gluten free on the baking powder, the chocolate chips, and the almond flour. Gluten free chocolate chips are easy to find at most grocery stores now. Enjoy Life is my favorite, and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips work too (just not their white chocolate). If you're baking for someone with celiac, check the bag every time you buy, because brands change their recipes.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Heat the oven
Preheat to 375°F with a rack in the middle.
Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk the gluten free flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set it aside.
Cream the butter and sugars
Beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs
Add them one at a time, mixing after each one.
Chop the first cup of chocolate
Pulse one cup of the chips in a food processor, blender, or even a coffee grinder until you have small slivers, then mix them into the dough.
Add the flour and the rest of the chips
Mix in the flour mixture, then stir in the remaining whole chips by hand.
Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes.
Scoop and bake
Use a small ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
Drop the pan for flatter cookies
About five minutes into baking, take the pan out and drop it on the counter. The cookies settle and flatten, which is how I like them. Skip this step and they'll puff up a bit.
Cool them on the pan
Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack, because they keep cooking on the hot pan.
Pro Tips
Don't skip the chopped chocolate. Those little slivers melt into the dough and give you chocolate in every single bite. Trust me, they're worth the extra two minutes.
Give the dough its rest. According to The Kitchn, chilling lets the butter firm up and gives the flour time to soak up moisture, so the cookies brown better, bake more evenly, and taste a little richer.
Bake one pan at a time. My oven is a bit tricky, so I bake one sheet at a time on the center rack and rotate it halfway through. If your oven runs hot or uneven, do the same.
Start with soft butter. Cold butter won't cream properly with the sugars, and the cookies end up dense. Room temperature means it gives when you press it but doesn't look greasy.
Pull them while the centers look soft. They firm up as they sit on the pan, so a cookie that looks done in the oven will be overbaked by the time it cools.
Variations
A few easy ways to change these up without touching the dough itself.
- Thicker cookies - Skip the pan drop and let them puff.
- Chocolate chunks - Use chunks instead of whole chips for bigger pools of chocolate.
- Mini chips - Swap mini chips for whole chips so the chocolate spreads out even more.
- Nut free - Leave out the almond flour and replace it with more gluten free flour.
- With vegan butter - Use vegan butter instead of unsalted butter.
Equipment
A stand mixer creams the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, which gives these their tender texture. A small ice cream scoop keeps every cookie the same size so they all finish baking at the same time.
You'll also need a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder to chop the chocolate, a cookie sheet, and a cooling rack.
Storage
Keep the cookies in a sealed container on the counter for about 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some gluten free flours are ground coarser than wheat flour, and you can taste it when the dough doesn't sit long enough. The quarter cup of almond flour helps, and so does chilling the dough, because it gives the flour time to soak up moisture. If yours still turn out gritty, try chilling the dough a little longer next time.
I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour and haven't tested this recipe much with other blends. It already has xanthan gum, so don't add more. A reader once told me King Arthur didn't turn out as well for her, so if you try a different brand, let me know how it goes.
Sure, and it's an easy fix for a nut allergy. Replace it with more gluten free flour. You'll lose a little of the nutty flavor, but the cookies still work.
Twenty minutes is all it takes, and it's what gives these better browning and a more even bake. I wouldn't skip it.
Take the pan out about five minutes into baking and drop it on the counter. The cookies settle right away. If you like them thick, leave the pan alone, and they'll puff up a bit.
About 4 days in a sealed container on the counter.
More Gluten Free Desserts
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
- Three Ingredient Paleo Chocolate Truffles
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- No Bake Gluten Free Desserts
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter 2 sticks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips chopped in food processer or blender
- 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Place rack in middle of oven.
- Whisk first five ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer cream butter, sugars and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add chopped chocolate chips and mix.
- Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in whole chocolate chips.
- Cover and place cookie dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to drop cookies onto cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes. After about five minutes take the cookies out and drop the sheet pan on the counter. This makes the cookies flatter, which is how I prefer mine. If not, this will puff up a bit.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
Deitan says
Hi, I'd love to try these, but I'm a little confused as to the flour amount. On the Tasty Kitchen page it says 2 cups. Here on your page it says 2 1/4 cups Cup 4 Cup??? Thank you!
Deitan says
Oops, it says the same thing on the Tasty Kitchen page. I made the mistake of mixing up the chocolate chips with the flour, but some clarification would still be appreciated 🙂
Karen Kelly says
Hi there, yes it's 2 1/4 cups of the Cup 4 Cup brand gluten free flour. That's a mouthful! Sorry if that was confusing. Hope they turn out great for you. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Deitan says
Lol, thank you! That's a clever name for a brand, but I've never heard of it so it definitely threw me off. I usually have Pamela's baking & pancake mix. I'll try it and see how it goes 🙂
Celeste says
Used King Arthur's gluten free flour and not turning out to good
Karen Kelly says
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that but also good to know. I don't use that flour much and have had good luck backing with Cup 4 Cup and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Flour. Thanks for letting me know!
Veena Azmanov says
Gluten free amazing. This looks super delicious and my kids to relish them. Have to make my box ready this weekend.
Kelly Anthony says
These look like the perfect chocolate chip cookie and I would have never guessed they are gluten free.
SHANIKA says
These GF Chocolate Chip Cookies look great! I can imagine how soft they are on the inside but have a nice crunch outwardly! Yum!
Jacque Hastert says
I had to make two batches of these just to last one night. They are fantastic and nobody knew they didn't contain gluten.
Anita says
Glad to see this chocolate chip cookies recipe with the recommended brand for the gluten-free flour. Now I know which flour to grab when I need to host a party for friends who need gluten-free food. 🙂