Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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
- 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
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
was skeptical as gluten free is hard to bake (in my opinion)
I also had to make then Dairy free so i Used a dairy free butter/chocolate chips, I think because of that i had to reduce the bake time to 8 mins as the 10-12 they came out quite dark. After that adjustment they were nice and soft! Could be due to change of butter or i refrigerated for 4+ hours but mine didnt spread much but still brougth in the sides as instructed. I thought the real test would be next day if they remained soft and sure enough they did! Will make again
Cookies were wonderful! Can’t always say that about gluten free cookies but my family loved them. Thank you!
Wow.
Oh. My. Gosh.
These are the best GF chocolate chip cookies EVVVER. I’m still in disbelief I can just make these in my own house. I even swapped the sugars and used all coconut sugar and they were absolute perfection.
These were awesome-
I added chopped pecans and I used almond flour rather than oat, and they turned out amazing. The bake time was long- like closer to 18+mins but I had dropped the temp to 350 as the sides were browning too quick at 375 (perhaps due to almond flour?). Highly recommend.
I have never been a fan of gluten free cookies because they tasted “dusty.” There was just an unpleasant texture to them that made them inferior to regular cookies. I saw this recipe claiming that they tasted no different than floured cookies, so I decided to put it to the test. I must admit, I was surprised at how good these were. They were about as close to regular cookies as I have ever had with a gluten free cookie. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone. I followed it EXACTLY, so I can’t vouch for any alterations, but they were exceptionally good GF cookies. Do not underestimate her fork technique. I decided to test it, and I made two batches of cookies, one with the sides tucked in by a fork and the other left untouched after they were down baking. The fork-rounded cookies had a MUCH crisper edge and helped the cookies keep their form while remaining warm and soft on the inside.
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for the basic recipe . I did some adjustments to them as I cannot have Xantham and Oats. Also I normally create my own Gf plain flour.
So , I have to say they turned out fab with all the minor adjustments.
Because I have been looking for one a long time. And just by looking at your recipe it felt right to trial it and do the necessary adjustments.
Thanks you again from the bottom of my heart from the UK,
Sheela xx
This has become my favorite recipe to make since going gluten free. I’ve probably made it way too many times & I always double the recipe bc my gluten eating family loves them too! I use cup4cup flour, but its my only substitution.
I also made your gluten free cinnamon rolls for Christmas…the best I’ve had & i also made your gluten brownies for new years! (I kind of overbaked these, but they were still delicious!)
Thanks for making such delicious recipes & sharing them!
What is her secret cookie recipe or secret weapon to make the chocolate chip gluten-free chocolate chip?
I’ve made this recipe half a dozen times and I love it! I can’t have oats so I use the almond flour, and it gives a great texture that is usually missing in gluten-free cookies. Thank you!