Best Homemade Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

For over 10 years I have been working on an ideal chocolate chip cookie recipe, adapting it in response to customer reviews and feedback. After years of work I have a recipe that will save you so much hassle in the kitchen, and I have no doubt you will absolutely love. Everybody loves chocolate chip cookies, and in 2025 I released an amazing gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. After working on every OTHER cookie, I finally got to work on the chocolate chip cookie. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Why These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Are So Good

1. Just like the classic Toll House cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are delicious. That soft-baked, nostalgic flavor can difficult to capture. After a decade of work, I captured the flavor. I remember just how good first bites are of every chocolate chip cookie.I have lost that experience gluten-free.

2.Chewy inside with crispy edges

Letting the gluten-free flour, butter, and sugar rest for a period of time will give the cookies a soft chew, while a golden-brown color comes from the eggs. Perfect every time.

3.Made in one bowl and easy to freeze

Have you ever wanted a cookie and just never cracked an egg? Then looked in your refrigerator and saw just how sad it was? Me too. I made this recipe to make cookie making easier. I added the option to freeze the cookie dough, so you can save it, and pull it out whenever you want to make cookies.

Creating Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This was not an easy recipe to create. When I first began baking gluten-free over a decade ago, I first tried to replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour in the Toll House cookie recipe (the one I used to bake all the time when I saw chocolate chip cookies), but the result was disappointing.

I got to try almost every recipe that shows up when you Google “gluten-free chocolate chip cookies,” but none of them got the classic chewy, buttery cookie that I wanted (the worst offense was way too much flour).

Indeed, six years ago, I created one of my all-time favorite recipes, a gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan-friendly chocolate chip cookie. This recipe keeps almond flour, is eggless, and uses pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar, giving it a more alternative take. While I still absolutely adore this cookie (and even considered this recipe the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe out there), I still wanted to create something closer to a traditional recipe (A Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe).

This recipe is different. Over the last decade of perfecting my gluten-free baking recipes, I’ve figured out how to make the perfect gluten-free classic chocolate chip cookies that are soft and chewy in the middle, crisp edges, and incredibly chocolatey. Best of all, they are perfect every time! And trust me, no one will ever know they’re gluten-free and you will no longer miss the gluten.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter

Unsalted butter is an integral part of the recipe that helps create the perfect creamed mixture to give the cookies that one-of-a-kind melt-in-your-mouth richness. If you don’t have a block of time to wait for the butter to come to room temperature, a quick few second zap in the microwave will do — but make sure it doesn’t melt. Kerrygold is my personal favorite.

Light Brown Sugar

This ingredient is an all-star for cookie recipes, and for a good reason! It adds to the soft and chewy center of the cookies, along with a caramelized, smooth flvaor. pack that cup in, too!

Granulated Sugar

This ingredient serves the purpose of moisture balance. Brown sugar is very moist, and to combat that, we need granulated sugar. It also helps in creating the crispy edges!

Pure Vanilla Extract

To include the signature flavor of chocolate chip cookies, a welcoming and deep flavor must be added and this is the one ingredient that is irreplaceable.

Egg

A large egg is the one ingredient that all the other ingredients can marinade in and helps form a united dough. Remember to have this ingredient sit out for a while before mixing to allow it to get to room temperate. This is a simple task that can be achieved by putting the egg in a mug of warm water for a couple minutes.

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour

Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite. The one in the blue bag is amazing and perfectly mimics the texture of Toll House cookies. It has the best flavor and texture because it is a blend of gluten free flours and xanthan gum. The red bag, which you should not get, has garbanzo bean flour which is very unnecessary.

Baking Soda

Gives the cookies their desired thickness and fluffy puff.

Salt

Important for regulating taste and providing that silky sweet taste typical of cookies. This recipe calls for 0.75 of a teaspoon of normal table salt since it is finer and has smaller grains than salt of thicker granulation. Be careful though, if you’re using kosher salt, it is recommended that you use 1 to 1.25 teaspoons of salt, although it is dependent on the brand. Sea salt can be used to sprinkle on the top of the cookies, which is a nice touch. However, if you are adding top salt, that should mean you use less salt than 0.75 teaspoons in the dough.

Chocolate Chips

I typically add a mixture consisting of half semi-sweet chips and then half dark chocolate chips. However, you can use any brand that you like. I like to add chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough to improve the taste and design. I do these for each cookie dough ball to maintain a good visual.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Cream the butter and sugars

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the butter along with the two sugar types for a few minutes until very fluffy. Vanilla extract can also be added for mixed flavors and texture.  

2. Add the egg

Beat the egg separately to make it a homogenous mixture and be sure it is at room temperature prior to adding it to the mixture.

3. Add dry ingredients

Pour in the salt and baking soda. Next, slowly add the other half of the flour and make sure to mix it as little as possible.

4. Stir in chocolate chips

Stir the chocolate chips into the dough and make sure to mix until it is uniform.

5. Chill the dough (optional)

If you are short on time, you can put the dough in the oven straight away. But if you want, you can leave the dough in the fridge for around 30 minutes and it helps the cookies come out thicker, chewier, and with a better taste overall.

If you leave the dough in the fridge for around 30 minutes, the dough should still be easy to handle. But if you leave the dough for longer, you should probably let it sit in a warm place for around 15 to 30 minutes.

This dough freezes beautifully as well! I like to pre-scoop fold bits of dough into balls to freeze them in a ziplock bag. This way, you can bake just a few at a time straight from frozen like break n’ bake cookies; just add a few minutes to the bake time.

6. Scoop and shape

Take 1.5 inch portions of dough and place them on the parchment paper covering the cookie sheet. Use your palm to flatten them slightly, and if you want, you can place a few more chocolate chips on top.

7. Bake

Place the cookie sheet in the oven preheated to 375°F and let the cookies bake for 7-9 minutes. The edges should be a nice golden brown, and the middle should be a tiny bit undercooked. You want to be cautious and slightly underbake them. The middle should look “wet”. The undercooked middles will continue to bake on their own after you take them out.

8. Add flaky salt (optional)

After taking the cookies out of the oven and letting them cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes, you can sprinkle some flaky salt on top. This gives the cookies a pretty gourmet look, and pairs well with the gourmet chocolate for that sweet and salty taste.

Tips for Success

1. Let your butter and egg come to room temperature so the cookies bake evenly and rise well.

2. Don’t bake them too long. Pull them out when the edges turn golden and the centers still look a little soft. They’ll set as they cool and stay chewy.

3. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top while they’re warm for an extra boost of flavor.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations

Dairy-Free Option: Swap in dairy-free butter and chocolate chips if you want them completely dairy-free.

Add Some Crunch: Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts with the chocolate chips for a nutty twist.

Make Mini Cookies: Use a smaller scoop and bake for 5–6 minutes for cute, bite-sized cookies.FAQs

FAQs

Best gluten-free flour?

Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag) is great for this recipe, as it includes a blend of xanthan gum and various gluten-free flours. I also appreciate that it doesn’t have any of the weird flavors that some gluten-free flours can have.

Do I have to chill the dough?

Not at all, but it does enhance the taste and helps to manage the dough spreading. If at all possible, chill for 30–60 minutes or even overnight and bring it back to room temperature if necessary before scooping and baking.

Is it possible to freeze the dough?

Yes, I love to freeze dough balls individually place them in a ziplock bag and bake them straight from the freezer. Just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Are coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup good substitutes for the sugar?

This recipe was meant to have that classic cookie taste, and to capture that, we use regular sugar. I like using less refined organic sugars when I can, and I recommend Florida Crystals raw regenerative sugar. Also, Domino has a less processed golden sugar that can be used in place of regular white sugar, and it’s great.