Best Homemade Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies taste just like the classic version. They’re soft, chewy and so good you’d never guess they’re gluten-free.

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Why I Love These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Just like the classic cookies

This recipe brings back the comforting taste and texture of your favorite homemade chocolate chip cookies. The first bite truly reminded me of enjoying a real chocolate chip cookie again after switching to a gluten-free lifestyle.

2.Chewy inside with crispy edges

With the perfect blend of gluten-free flour, butter, sugar, and egg, these cookies consistently come out soft, chewy, and slightly golden around the edges.

3.Made in one bowl and easy to freeze

Additionally, this is a simple one-bowl recipe that includes optional freezing instructions, so you can always have freshly baked cookies ready whenever you feel the craving.

Creating Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Years of experience have gone into perfecting this recipe. Four years ago, when I first started gluten-free baking, I did what most people do. I simply swapped gluten-free flour for wheat flour in a standard “back of the bag” recipe that I usually use to make my cookies. Naturally, that didn’t work very well at all. It was nowhere near the tasty cookie I was used to.

After that, I tried almost every gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe I could find online.
Some were okay, but most fell short of the comforting, chewy, and buttery experience I was looking for. The main problem was that many of these recipes used too much flour, leading to cookies that were dry and lacked the right texture.

Even after making a few decent gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, I still couldn’t recreate the nostalgic cookie experience I loved.
These cookies are soft with a slight crispiness on the edges and full of gooey chocolate chips. I can promise you that no one will be able to tell they’re gluten-free, and they’ll be perfect each time you make them. This recipe is the result of everything I’ve learned through four years of gluten-free baking.

Best of all, these cookies turn out consistently great every time.
Trust me, no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free, and you won’t miss the gluten at all.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter

Unsalted butter is an essential component of the recipe that contributes to the perfect creamed mixture, providing the cookies with that unique, rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

If you don’t have the time to let the butter reach room temperature, you can quickly warm it in the microwave for a few seconds just ensure it doesn’t fully melt. Kerrygold is my preferred choice.

Light Brown Sugar

This ingredient is a standout in cookie recipes for a good reason. It enhances the soft and chewy center of the cookies while adding a caramel-like, smooth flavor. Make sure to include a full cup of this sugar.

Granulated Sugar

This ingredient helps to balance the moisture content.  Since light brown sugar is quite moist, granulated sugar is used to counteract that. It also plays a role in creating the crispy edges of the cookies.

Pure Vanilla Extract

To give the cookies their signature chocolate chip flavor, a rich and deep taste is necessary. This is where pure vanilla extract comes in, and it is an irreplaceable ingredient in achieving that flavor.

Egg

A large egg is crucial as it allows all the other ingredients to blend together and form a cohesive dough.

It’s important to let the egg sit out for a while before mixing to bring it to room temperature. This can be easily done by placing the egg in a mug of warm water for a couple of minutes.

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour

Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite brand.

The one in the blue bag is particularly good and closely mimics the texture of Toll House cookies. It offers the best flavor and texture because it is a blend of gluten-free flours and xanthan gum. The red bag, which you should avoid, contains garbanzo bean flour, which is unnecessary.

Baking Soda

This ingredient helps achieve the desired thickness and fluffy texture of the cookies.

Salt

Salt is important for balancing the flavor and giving the cookies that smooth, sweet taste they are known for.

This recipe requires 0.75 teaspoon of regular table salt, as it has finer grains compared to coarser salts. If you are using kosher salt, you should use between 1 to 1.25 teaspoons, depending on the brand. Sea salt can be used to sprinkle on top of the cookies for a nice finishing touch. However, if you plan to add top salt, you should reduce the amount used in the dough to less than 0.75 teaspoons.

Chocolate Chips

I usually add a mix of half semi-sweet chips and half dark chocolate chips. However, you can choose any brand you prefer. I like to add chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough to enhance both the taste and the appearance. I do this for each 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.