Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet and salty, crisp and chewy, and just begging to be eaten warm from the oven, these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite gluten-free cookies. They taste amazingly buttery and rich, so even your non-GF friends will crave them!

This recipe was originally published on November 28, 2021. It was updated with new information on August 26, 2024.

Chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies are one of my all-time favorite snacks! When I first became gluten-free I couldn't find a good cookie. They were all dry, crumbly, or just mediocre.

I developed this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe for all my fellow cookie lovers who crave a gooey, buttery cookie or miss their mom's or grandma's classic chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Ingredients

These gluten-free cookies are made with mostly pantry ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Butter - You can use either regular or dairy-free butter. If your butter has a lower fat content than 8 grams per 2 teaspoons, combine ⅔ cup butter and ⅓ cup refined coconut oil or shortening.
• Brown sugar - Either dark or light brown will work, though dark will have more of a molasses flavor.
• Granulated sugar - I love the consistency of these cookies with a mix of white and brown sugars, but if you have to choose just one, choose brown.
• Egg - Let it come to room temperature for easier mixing. 
• Honey or maple syrup - Both are absolutely delicious in this gluten and dairy free cookies recipe. You can also trade in corn syrup.
• Vanilla extract - An equal measure of vanilla paste will work.
• Gluten-free 1-to-1 flour - I prefer using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but any cup-for-cup all-purpose GF flour blend that includes xanthan gum should work.
• Fine salt - If you’re using a different style of salt, please refer to this guide.
• Baking soda & baking powder - You need both for the perfect texture for your gluten-free cookies.
• Chocolate chips - Feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate, milk, dark, or non-dairy chocolate depending on your preferences.
• Flaky salt - It provides the perfect amount of savory contrast and crunchy texture for these nut-free chocolate chip cookies.

How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

The dough for these gluten-free cookies comes together with just 15 minutes of prep. Here’s how they’re made:

Step 1: Cream the butter. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg and mix again. Add honey and vanilla, and mix. Set aside.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredient. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add this to the creamed butter mixture, and mix until combined. Fold the chocolate chips in. 

Step 3: Let the dough rest. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

Step 4: Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Step 5: Bake. Scoop cookies onto parchment paper using a cookie scoop (mine holds 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon, or 20ml). Top with extra chocolate chips and sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt on each cookie. Bake for 8-19 minutes. Let the gluten-free cookies cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Pro Tips

• Use a scale to measure your ingredients. Using measuring cups is perhaps more traditional for some of us, but it's very inconsistent. You could very easily add too much flour to your cookie dough and end up with dry, doughy cookies. If you don’t want to invest in a scale, make sure you’re using the scoop-and-sweep method. 
• Use a cookie scoop to ensure your cookies are evenly sized. I use this one. Cookie baking times will vary depending on how much dough you use in each scoop. 
• Make sure your flour contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum makes up for the lack of gluten and adds structure to your cookies, so check the ingredient list of your gluten-free all-purpose flour!
• Rest your dough for at least 2 hours in the fridge. You can also keep it in the fridge overnight, which is what I like to do. If you’ve got the patience, try it. You’ll be surprised how much tastier your gluten-free nut-free cookies turn out!
• Add extra chocolate chips before baking... Before you put the cookies in the oven, add about 5 or 6 extra chocolate chips on top! This gives them that *chef’s kiss* straight-from-the-bakery-window look.
• …and don’t forget the flaky sea salt. Before the cookie dough goes into the oven, sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt onto each dough ball. A little sprinkle of flaky salt adds a salty bite to balance the sweetness, as well as add a little crunch.

In the mood for oatmeal cookies? Try these gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead!

How to Store Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cookies will last about 3 days if kept in an airtight container left at room temperature. That said, they're definitely the tastiest on the day they're baked!

You can also make the cookie dough a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator overnight and bake them the next day.

Can I freeze them?

Freezing cookies: Wrap each cookie in a couple layers of plastic wrap, put them in a freezer bag or airtight container, and store them in the freezer for a month.

Freezing cookie dough: Scoop out the chilled dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and let it freeze completely before putting the dough balls into a freezer bag to store in the freezer. You can store them for a couple of months.

When you're ready to bake them, remove cookie dough from the freezer about 10-15 minutes before the oven is preheated. You may need to bake them for an extra minute, depending on how cold your dough stays.

FAQs

More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

• If you're looking for hearty cookies, try my gluten-free oatmeal cookies. They pair well with both chocolate chips and raisins!
• Looking for chocolate chip cookies that are lower in sugar? These chocolate chip chickpea cookies are for you. I promise they don't taste like chickpeas!
• If you want a gluten-free option for the holidays, my gluten-free Christmas cookies, chewy ginger cookies, and gluten-free thumbprint cookies are all great choices!
• These lemon curd cookies are a great option if you're not in the mood for chocolate.
• Want something other than cookies? My gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake, gluten-free German chocolate cake, gluten-free coffee cake, and gluten-free pineapple upside down cake are some of my favorites!