Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are just as delicious, soft, and chewy as regular chocolate chip cookies! Making your own gluten-free cookies from scratch gives you full control over the ingredients used - perfect for catering to allergies without compromising texture and flavor.
This cookie can be made with both gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour.
Like chewy cookies? Try our peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies or oreo cream cheese cookies next time.
Flour - I've made these cookies with with my homemade gluten free flour blend and Schar flour. Both give delicious results! Use your favorite flour with xanthan gum or regular all-purpose will produce very similar results too. We also like Bobs Red Mill.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - At room temperature. Salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, I recommend omitting the salt from the ingredients list.
- Sugar - We need both here for the best result: White sugar and brown sugar (I used dark sugar for extra caramel-y flavor). Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar (this is what I used) can be used. If you don't have brown sugar you can use simply white sugar or other brown sugar substitutes.
- Vanilla extract - Almond extract can be used instead. Use pure vanilla extract and not the artificial kind (the flavor is different plus full of bad-for-you fillers).
- Egg - Large egg at room temperature.
- Flour - All-purpose flour or a gluten-free blend with xanthan gum. For this recipe I've also tried GF Flour Blend Schar.
- Baking soda - Check the expiry date of this ingredient to ensure the cookies rise while baking.
- Salt - Sea salt or kosher salt for the best natural flavor. Omit if using salted butter. I like to add more sea salt flakes on top right after baking.
- Chocolate chips - Set more aside for decoration. I used semi-sweet chips. You could use vegan chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, and peanut butter chips. Dark chocolate is another delicious alternative.
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How To Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
In a large bowl combine butter and sugars. Beat on low with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add egg and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk to combine and in batches add to wet ingredients. Beat on low until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chips. Freeze the cookie dough for 30 minutes or fridge for longer until the dough resembles ‘’playdough’’.
The dough will be sticky in the beginning so we need to chill it first otherwise it is hard to form cookie dough balls and the cookies will spread too much.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Form about 1 ½ tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper. Don’t press down.
Bake for 12 minutes (the time may vary due to different ovens). Once the cookies are baked, press more chocolate chips on the top (personal preference and only for visual).
The cookies will have a soft center inside with a slightly crisp exterior. Once they cool down they will set well and the texture inside remains soft, and buttery.
Let the cookies stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes to bring out the chocolate flavor even more.
Recommended Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Silicone baking mat or brown parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Airtight Food containers
- Mixing Bowls
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Tips
- Use a quality gluten-free flour blend that’s specifically designed for baking. I’ve found that all-purpose gluten-free flour blends that contain large amounts of starch can create dry and crumbly cookies.
- Xanthan gum helps to improve the texture of gluten-free baked goods by acting as a binder. If you’re using gluten-free flour without xanthan gum already incorporated into it as a blend, then add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the cookie dough.
- I’ve used both white and brown sugar for the cookie batter. I don’t recommend substituting the sugars. Both should be used for the best results. While you could use only white sugar, there will be a difference in texture and taste.
- Always check the expiry date of your baking soda, as this affects the rise of the cookies. It should also be stored in a dry area and properly sealed.
- Chilling the cookie dough is an important step in this recipe. It helps to reduce the stickiness of the cookie batter so that you can shape the dough balls easily. Chilling the dough also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone mat to line the baking sheet. Don’t use cooking spray or grease, as the cookies will absorb this and can cause them to spread more.
- Since all ovens differ, be careful not to overbake these cookies, which will result in dry cookies. These cookies should be lightly golden brown on the edges and chewy in the center.
- You can use light or dark brown sugar. The darker the sugar, the sweeter the cookies will be. or try one of these 9 brown sugar alternatives instead.
JULIA'S TIP: The combination of white sugar and brown sugar creates a crispy outer edge and a soft buttery center. Use both and not just one type as this will affect the taste and texture of these cookies.
Serving Suggestions
Here are our favorite ways to enjoy these cookie bites:
- These cookies are excellent snacks throughout the day to enjoy with a glass of milk.
- Crumble the cookies into your favorite ice cream and enjoy them as a tasty dessert.
- Pack 'em up into pretty bags, add a ribbon, and you have an excellent gift for friends and family.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. These cookies remain buttery and soft for several days. Cool the chocolate chip cookies before storing them completely. Store at room temperature for 2-4 days or refrigerate for longer.
- To Freeze. Let the cookies cool and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months. To freeze the unbaked cookie dough, roll it into balls and flash freeze on a baking sheet until the cookies become firm. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months.
Which Chocolate Chips Are Gluten-Free?
There are many brands of gluten-free chocolate chips on offer these days. Some of these brands include:
- Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
- Hershey's Chocolate Chips and Chunks
- Lily's Baking Chips
- 365 Chocolate Chips
- O Organics Chocolate Chip
- Pascha Chocolate Chips
- Lakanto Chocolate Chips
- Endangered Species Chocolate Chips
- Or you could also use M&Ms (gluten free in the US)
JULIA'S TIP: Why use unsalted butter? The salt content in various butter brands varies. Depending on the brand, different amount of salt is added according to their recipes. I like to use unsalted butter in baking, so I can control the salt content myself.
FAQs
Once baked and cooled, keep the cookies in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
Another trick is to place a slice of fresh white bread in the cookie container. The moisture in the white bread is absorbed by the cookies, helping them to remain soft and moist while not affecting the flavor of the cookies.
All kinds of cookies can be gluten-free if they contain gluten-free ingredients. Always check the packaged ingredients list when buying cookies. Making your own gluten-free cookies from scratch gives you greater control over the ingredients used.
The flour used in cookie recipes is usually responsible for adding gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking flour is a convenient 1-1 substitution and contains white rice flour as a main ingredient, acting as a binder in gluten-free baked goods.
Easy Cookie Recipes
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Recipe Card
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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INGREDIENTS
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum, or regular wheat flour, see notes
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips, s + more for decoration
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl combine butter and sugars. Beat on low with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add egg and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk to combine and in batches add to wet ingredients. Beat on low until just combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Freeze the cookie dough for 30 minutes or fridge for longer until the dough resembles ‘’playdough’’. The dough will be sticky in the beginning so we need to chill it first otherwise it is hard to form cookie dough balls and the cookies will spread too much.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Form about 1 ½ tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls and transfer to baking sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper. Don’t press down.
- Bake for 12 minutes (the time may vary due to different ovens). Once the cookies are baked, press more chocolate chips on the top (personal preference and only for visual).
- The cookies will have a soft center inside with a slightly crisp exterior. Once they cool down they will set well and the texture inside remains soft, and buttery.
- Let the cookies stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTES
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Kaitlin
Not sure why you’d add baking soda it made the cookies taste weird.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
baking soda helps the cookies with even baking and rise. Maybe you used too much of it? it was expired? not high quality? If cookies tasted bad, it probably means you added way too much of it, then you may taste it indeed. Maybe you can also use baking powder instead.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
This is the best recipe for gluten free chocolate chip cookies!