These Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything a cookie should be – golden and crisp on the outside, melty and chewy on the inside, and loaded with chocolate chips with a sprinkling of sea salt on top! They’re bursting with the flavor and texture of a regular chocolate chip cookie… only better!
What makes these the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies?
For starters, just look at that texture! These cookies are definitely up to par with regular gluten-filled chocolate chip cookies. They have all the right chewiness and gooiness that can sometimes be lacking in gluten free cookies.
This recipe also only calls for 2 types of gluten free flours – all purpose gluten free flour blend and oat flour. Both are very easy to get ahold of and helps makes this recipe super simple.
The dough also only needs to chill for 2 hours. Many of my cookie recipes require the dough to chill overnight, but not these! Just prep the dough in the morning and you can have freshly baked chocolate chip cookies by noon.
Last but not least, these cookies are NOT cakey. Gluten free cookies tend to be on the puffy and cakey side because it’s tough to achieve that chewy texture without the cookie falling apart. But with the use of brown sugar and an extra egg yolk, these cookies are dense and chewy perfection.
Tips for making gluten free cookies
The cookie dough is made just like any other, by creaming together the butter and sugar, mixing in the vanilla and eggs, then finishing it off with the dry ingredients and chocolate.
For this recipe, there are a few things to keep in mind when making the dough:
- Completely cream together the butter and sugar. And by that, I mean it should look like a thin paste when it’s ready. Run the mixer on medium high speed until the two blend together, just like the mixture above.
- Make sure to spoon and level your flours to ensure you don’t use too much, otherwise the cookies won’t spread properly. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Don’t pack it into the cup, otherwise it will be too much.
- You can choose to use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, but vanilla bean paste creates a deeper vanilla flavor that’s so delicious in this recipe!
- The extra egg yolk helps add that chewiness factor to create a much richer cookie. Don’t leave it out!
- Using a blend of semi sweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate helps create an interesting depth of flavor in these cookies. You can choose whichever chocolate you like best, but I recommend this combo for the best results.
The best way to chill cookie dough
This is another important step that you can’t skip! Chilling the dough allows the dry ingredients to fully absorb the wet ingredients, creating a more robust dough that will spread more evenly when baked.
Pre-scoop the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop. Dot the tops with a few extra chocolate chips and transfer the uncovered dough to the fridge. They must chill for at least 2 hours, but it’s OK if they chill for longer.
If you need to let them chill overnight, allow them to sit in the fridge uncovered for 2-4 hours, then wrap the tray in plastic wrap and continue to let them chill overnight. This prevents the dough from drying out.
The trick to baking perfect chocolate chip cookies
This is the trick that makes these the BEST gluten free chocolate chip cookies… although it may seem kind of odd!
When the cookies come straight out of the oven, they’ll spread quite a bit. The center will still be soft and doughy while the edges will be a light golden brown.
Right when you take them out, use the inside curve of a fork to push in the sides. Work fast because as the cookies cool, the sides will firm up which makes it much for difficult to round out your cookies. See the picture above for how this works.
This creates a perfectly round cookie with those crispy and chewy wrinkly edges without over-baking the center. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and transfer to a cooling rack while you bake the second batch.
FAQs
My go-to for gluten free baking is always the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour. It already has xanthan gum mixed in (the ingredient that mimics gluten), and it just never fails. It’s the perfect blend of gluten free flours that is as close to regular flour that you can get! The other flour in this recipe is oat flour. This flour is very absorbent, so it works really well to create that doughy but sturdy texture.
Yes! This is actually how I typically work with oat flour as I always have oats on hand. Simply add some gluten free oats to a food processor and blend them up into a flour… or as close as you can get. It’s OK if it’s not perfectly powder-like. Just make sure to use gluten free oats, whether they’re quick minute oats or old fashioned. Either will work!
If you can’t use oats, another great option is almond flour. These two are a great swap for one another in most instances. Although, almond flour isn’t as absorbent as oat flour. Try to use super-fine almond flour for best results. Just make sure the cookie dough is easily scoopable and holds its shape. If the dough is too thin, add a couple extra tablespoons of the all purpose gluten free flour blend.
For more delicious gluten free dessert recipes, check out my:
- The BEST Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- No Bake Vegan Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (Gluten Free)
- BEST Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan Option)
- Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake Donuts
- Easy FUDGY Vegan Brownies (Gluten Free)
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 40 minutes + 2 hours chilling
- Yield: 15–16 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
You would never guess that these chocolate chip cookies are gluten free. They’re soft and chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and loaded with chocolate chips!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (110g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp (150g) gluten free all-purpose flour with xathan gum (I recommend this one)
- 1/2 cup (60g) oat flour *SEE NOTES
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (80g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (160g) semisweet chocolate chips + a handful more for sprinkling
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, oat flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- Cream together the melted butter and sugars until it turns into a paste-like consistency (mix on medium-high speed with the paddle attachment for 3-5 minutes).
- Mix in the vanilla and eggs until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and mix again.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Once combined, fold in the chocolate.
- Use a large cookie scoop and scoop the cookie dough side-by-side on a small tray lined with wax paper. You should have 15-16 cookies. Dot the tops with a few more chocolate chips and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Once chilled, bake at 375F on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (do not use a silpat). Bake 5-6 cookies at a time for 10-12 minutes. They should be lightly golden around the edges and puffed/doughy in the center.
- Right when you take them out of the oven, quickly push in the sides of the cookies using the inside curve of a fork (see picture in post). They’ll spread quite a bit, so pushing in the sides to form perfectly round cookies gives you wrinkly and crispy edges.
- Sprinkle the tops with a little flaky sea salt and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Allow them to cool for about 15 minutes then dig in!
Notes
- *Oat flour is preferred, but almond flour can also be used. Add an additional tablespoon of the all purpose gluten free flour when using almond flour.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gluten free chocolate chip cookies, gluten free cookies, gluten free
ARE YOU KIDDING!? HOW ARE THESE GF!? I’m mind blown. These are absolutely amazing!! I haven’t had a cookie that tastes good in so long bc of my gluten allergy BUT THESE!? Wow.
We need more gluten free recipes please :)) No other recipes I’ve tried GF have been this good!
★★★★★
These cookies are fabulous!!
Do you have the nutritional information for these?
★★★★★
I don’t! It’s best not to know 😉
Great recipe! I subbed the oat flour (too gritty) for tapioca flour and had amazing results. So many gluten free folks told me that it was the best chocolate chip cookie they ever had!
★★★★
Absolutely love this cookie recipe!! My hubby isn’t gluten free and he thinks it’s best cookie he’s ever had! We make this recipe almost weekly 😁..
Just wanting to know what’s the best way to freeze it? Freeze raw? Prescooped? Or after baking?
★★★★★
Yay!! Definitely freeze pre-scooped 🙂
Jenna – Thes are the BEST gluten free cookies EVER! I’ve been baking gluten free for over 10 years. I have some go-to recipes, but tried yours a week ago when I happened across it. I was delighted in the texture and flavor. I took them to a Bible study and several women commented that they would never have known that they were gluten free.
Imagine my despair when I went to make a double batch today so I could freeze part of the dough for later, and I could not find the recipe anywhere… not in my Pinterest folders, not in my phone or computer history. I was dismayed. Finally, after much searching, I happened upon it. (It is now pinned!) Thank you! I am overjoyed. Happy Baking!
Side note: I did not chill my dough, however, it did sit on the counter while other items were baking. I think this gave the oat flour just the time it needed to absorb the butter. They didn’t spread too thin at all. They were perfect!
★★★★★
Yay! So happy to hear that you enjoy the recipe!
HELP! I’m made these cookies several times now, and they are DELICIOUS! However, I can’t get them to firm up. The dough seems to be extra liquid-y. I’ve read and reread the directions thinking I have missed something, but I still can’t figure it out. Obviously, they won’t act like a non-GF cookie dough, but as soon as I scoop the dough onto the tray to chill, it instantly spreads out like pancake batter. I’m lost as to what I’m doing wrong. I use Bob’s Red Mill in both the AP and Oat Flour, and I weigh out all my ingredients.
As amazing as these cookies taste, I desperately want them to look pretty, too.
Thank you for all your recipes!!!
Oh no! If you’ve tried everything else, just make sure that the ingredients are at the right temp and that the butter isn’t too hot. Also try chilling the dough before scooping 🙂
Best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever made. I’ve made these countless times and everyone always loves them. I did create nutritional info for them in myfitness pal in case anyone is tracking. At 15 servings, it’s 256 calories per cookie. 36.1g carbs, 14.1g fat, 1.9g protein. Totally worth it!
★★★★★
These are to die for!!!!! My only question is, when baking them, they melt completely into a puddle when in the oven and then begin to bake. So I’m unable to make them thick and I have to make sure to make them small since they melt and spread out so much. Is there anything I can change to thicken them up? More flour?
★★★★★
Oh no! Make sure to bake the dough when it’s fresh from the refrigerator. It should be really cold when it hits the oven!
There’s no way I can put these on a sheet and refrigerate. They’d run all over. Are you sure the butter should be melted? I rechecked everything and did it all right.
Oh no! Something definitely isn’t right. Try chilling the dough in the bowl for 30 minutes or so to help the dough thicken up before scooping.
Best GF cookie recipe hands down! I even tripled it and made a thick cookie cake. It was wonderful! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Yay thank you!!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it turns out perfect every time!
★★★★★
LOVE this recipe but I’m wanting them to come out crispier, every time I make these they are very fluffy. I’m gonna try leaving them in a couple extra min & letting them sit on the sheet longer, plus I think leaving them out longer until they’re completely firmed up with help with oxidation. Any tips? We’ll see if those steps make a difference!
★★★★★
It could be that too much flour is used! Do they also not spread as much? I always suggest weighing for accuracy 🙂
These taste great!!! Family had no idea they were GF. But Im also having trouble with them not spreading. I weighed all my ingredients and even tried another batch with 1tbl less flour. They still aren’t spreading. Any thoughts? Id appreciate it 😁
★★★★★
Oh no! Could it be your baking soda? If it’s expired the cookies will have a hard time spreading. It could also be that the butter was too cold to start? Are you also mixing in that extra egg yolk?
These cookies are delicious! I’ve made them a number of times and for whatever reason my cookies don’t spread. Any advice?
★★★★★
Oh no! It could be the amount of flour used because if there’s too much, the cookies won’t spread. I highly recommend weighing the flour as it’s heavier than regular flour. Otherwise, try subtracting 2 tablespoons of flour from the recipe to see if that helps.