Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies that make just six cookies with soft, chewy centers, crisp edges, and plenty of chocolate? Yes, please! Perfect for those late-night cookie cravings or when you want a few homemade cookies without baking an entire batch. Brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor with hints of caramel that makes these cookies extra special.
I first published this recipe back in 2022, and it's been a reader favorite ever since. But over the years, I've learned more about gluten free baking, tested different flour blends, and refined my techniques. So it was time to give this recipe a well-deserved update, with a few small changes for better spread and an even chewier texture.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette)
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Baking Instructions
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Add-in's
- Storage & Freezing
- FAQ for Gluten Free Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Gluten Free Small Batch Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: Over the years, my flour preference for these small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookies has changed. While I originally loved making them with my Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (Copycat Recipe), after countless batches, I now prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour (Blue Bag). It gives the cookies chewy centers, crisp edges, and a little more spread, which is exactly what I want in a chocolate chip cookie. This recipe also works with King Arthur Measure for Measure and other gluten free flour blends, but keep in mind that the texture and spread may vary depending on the flour you use. For more details, check out my guide to My Favorite Gluten Free Flour for Baking.
Egg Yolk: I only one egg yolk in this recipe. This gives the cookies a rich taste and a beautiful golden color.
Brown Butter: Brown butter is what makes these small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookies extra special. Browning the butter brings out a rich, nutty flavor with hints of caramel and toasted hazelnuts that pairs perfectly with the chocolate. It's a simple extra step that gives these cookies their signature bakery-style flavor.
Chocolate: I use mini chocolate chips for this small batch recipe, but you can easily swap them for an equal amount (by weight) of chopped dark chocolate. Mini chocolate chips give you chocolate in every bite, while chopped chocolate creates larger, melty pockets of chocolate throughout the cookies.
How to Make Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette)
Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, is made by heating butter until the milk solids turn golden brown. As the milk solids toast, they develop a rich, nutty flavor with hints of caramel and toasted hazelnuts. This is what makes these gluten free chocolate chip cookies so good!
If you're making brown butter for the first time, use a heavy-bottomed, preferably light-colored saucepan so you can easily see when the butter starts to brown.
Keep in mind that non-dairy butter will not brown like dairy based butter.
- Step 1: Cut the cold unsalted butter into smaller pieces and add it to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. A light-colored pan works best because it makes it easier to see when the milk solids start to brown.
- Step 2: Melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, let it simmer for 30 - 45 seconds. The butter will begin to foam and bubble. Keep stirring, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3: Continue cooking and stirring until the butter develops a nutty aroma and turns golden brown. You'll notice little brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan. Those are the toasted milk solids, and they're what give brown butter its delicious flavor. Watch closely, as butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds.
- Step 4: Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in all those flavorful brown bits. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before using. For this small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe, the butter should still be liquid and just warm to the touch.
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Making the dough for small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookies won't require much time but a tiny bit of patience. I usually mix everything with a spatula (no fancy mixer needed!) instead of a whisk because whisks can whip in too much air, making the cookies cakier than I want. These cookies are meant to be chewy!
- Step 1: Start with brown butter that’s cooled for about 5 minutes. It should still be liquid and a little warm to the touch.
- Step 2: In a small bowl combine the gluten free flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Step 3: Stir the light brown sugar and granulated sugar into the brown butter using a flexible spatula. Mix until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Step 4: Add the room-temperature egg yolk, milk (or heavy cream or water), and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is smooth and glossy.
- Step 5: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula. The dough might look dry and crumbly at first, but keep folding. It will come together as the flour absorbs the moisture.
- Step 6: Lastly fold in the mini chocolate chips until evenly incorporated into the cookie dough.
- Step 7: Chill the gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough for at 20 minutes so the butter firms up and the dough is easier to scoop. If you skip this, it’ll be too soft to handle and the cookies spread while baking. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Baking Instructions
The dough for small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookies should be refrigerated for at least 20 minutes before baking it. This gives the dough time to fully hydrate. Otherwise the cookies will spread a lot more than anticipated in the oven.
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and a baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 2: Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough. You should get around 6 cookies, depending on how much you “sampled.”
- Step 3: Top each cookie dough ball with additional dark chocolate if you like.
- Step 4: Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to spread as they bake.
- Step 5: Bake the cookies about 10 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges and slightly puffy in the center - don’t overbake, as they’ll continue to set as they cool. And overbaking will ruin those soft, chewy centers we all love. Keep in mind the baking time can vary from oven to oven.
- Step 6: Remove the cookies from the oven and if you like, use a round cutter or bowl that’s slightly larger than the cookies and “scoot them” into a perfectly round shape. This is not a must but people sure are impressed with perfect round cookies.
- Step 7: .Allow for the cookies to cool on the sheet tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely (Or just eat them while they are still warm) I recommend using an offset to carefully remove them from the parchment paper.
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Add-in's
Are you a cookie monster and ready to change things up? Here are a few fun add-ins to take this small batch of gluten free chocolate chip cookies to the next level
Add Instant Coffee: Add ½-1 teaspoon of instant coffee to the brown butter if you would like a little extra coffee kick to those gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
Add a Candy Bar: Add some chopped-up heath bars, peanut butter cups, snickers, butterfingers along with some chopped-up chocolate chunks.
Nuts and Dried Fruit: Try adding some chopped up pecans or walnuts along with some dried cherries or cranberries. You can even add some potato chips, gluten free oreos or gluten-free pretzels.
Mix up the chocolate: white chocolate chips, milk chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips... just a few fun ideas on how to change things up
Storage & Freezing
These gluten free brown chocolate chip cookies stay soft and chewy for days - if they last that long! The brown butter and brown sugar keep them moist, so they’re still delicious a day or two after baking. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature. BUT, this is a small batch recipe - do you really have leftovers? Eat the cookies. They are the best when baked fresh.
If you want to freeze the gluten free cookie dough, scoop it into portions and press them down a bit so they’ll spread properly when baked. Freeze on a tray until firm, then toss them in a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen. Just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Baked cookies freeze really well too. Once they’ve cooled completely, tuck them into an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready for a treat, just let them thaw at room temperature - no reheating required.
FAQ for Gluten Free Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
My Cookies are gritty!
Well, you may not want to hear this but this is very common when gluten-free cookie dough does not have any time to rest and chill in the fridge. During resting the flour hydrates and the grittiness some people find in certain flour blends will be reduced. Personally, I have not had any issues with the blends I use in this recipe.
My Cookies did not spread at all! My cookies spread all over!
Most likely you added too much flour or not enough to this small batch cookie recipe. Make sure you measure the ingredients correctly using a digital kitchen scale. If your cookies aren't spreading at all while baking, you can use a flat spatula and gently press them down while they are baking. You can also lightly tap the sheet tray against your kitchen counter (TGFA can not be held liable for any damage that may occur to your kitchen counter)
Can I make this recipe vegan?
I have not tested this recipe with dairy-free or an egg substitute. Since dairy-free butter can not be browned, I recommend using 40 grams of MELTED dairy-free butter instead of the browned butter AND SKIP adding milk/heavy cream/water.
Can I use "regular all-purpose flour" in this recipe?
To make this recipe with All Purpose Flour (as in WHEAT containing flour) please use 60 grams All Purpose Flour.
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
More Gluten Free Small Batch Recipes
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (Small Batch)
This Small Batch Recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies is perfect for that late-night cookie craving. Or when you really just want a few fresh-baked gluten-free cookies. With crisp edges and soft, chewy centers those gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies will definitely hit the spot,
Ingredients
For the Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 40 grams unsalted butter (which we will brown)
- 65 grams gluten free flour (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
- 40 grams light brown sugar
- 20 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 8 grams milk (or heavy cream or water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams Mini Chocolate Chips or chopped up dark chocolate bar
Garnish
- Additional chocolate
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
Gluten Free Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
I recommend mixing this gluten free cookie dough with a flexible spatula. Using a whisk will incorperate too much air and turn the cookies cakey.
- Brown the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan until the butter starts to smell nutty and turns a medium amber color. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to a small, heat-proof mixing bowl. Allow the brown butter to cool for 5-10 minutes. (detailed instructions with photos on how to brown butter can be found here: How to brown butter)
- While the butter is cooling, combine the gluten free flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Once the butter is cooled, stir the light brown sugar and granulated sugar into the brown butter using a flexible spatula. Mix until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add the room-temperature egg yolk, milk (or heavy cream or water), and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is smooth and glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and with a flexible spatula or a spoon, fold everything together. The dough might look dry and crumbly at first, but keep folding. It will come together as the flour absorbs the moisture.
- Chill the gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough for at 20 minutes so the butter firms up and the dough is easier to scoop. If you skip this, it’ll be too soft to handle and the cookies spread while baking.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and a baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough. You should get around 6 cookies, depending on how much you “sampled.”
- Top each cookie dough ball with additional dark chocolate if you like.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to spread as they bake.
- Bake the cookies about 10 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges and slightly puffy in the center - don’t overbake, as they’ll continue to set as they cool. Keep in mind the baking time can vary from oven to oven.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and if you like, use a round cutter or bowl that’s slightly larger than the cookies and “scoot them” into a perfectly round shape. This is not a must but people sure are impressed with perfect round cookies.
- Allow for the cookies to cool on the sheet tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely (Or just eat them while they are still warm) I recommend using an offset to carefully remove them from the parchment paper.
Notes
The recipe works as written when all ingredients are measured correctly using a digital kitchen scale.
Gluten Free Flour: Over the years, my flour preference for these small batch gluten free chocolate chip cookies has changed. While I originally loved making them with my Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (Copycat Recipe), after countless batches, I now prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour (Blue Bag). It gives the cookies chewy centers, crisp edges, and a little more spread, which is exactly what I want in a chocolate chip cookie. This recipe also works with King Arthur Measure for Measure and other gluten free flour blends, but keep in mind that the texture and spread may vary depending on the flour you use. For more details, check out my guide to My Favorite Gluten Free Flour for Baking.
Dairy Free Butter: Since dairy-free butter can not be browned, I recommend using 40 grams of MELTED dairy-free butter instead of the browned butter AND SKIP adding milk/heavy cream/water.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178
Calories are a guestimate.
Judith says
50 minutes from browsing to making a decision to making the cookies to having no cookies left … now repeat? 😆
LauraK says
My thoughts exactly!
Amal Holmes says
These are by far the best cookies I had in many years. Thank you so much. Next time I will multiply the ingredients by 4 to indulge 🥰😃
Daniela says
Thank you! I love hearing this. I have not doubled this recipe because it was developed as a small batch recipe but I think it should work just fine 🙂
Connie says
This is an awesome cookie!!!! Love the richness of the brown butter, and that it’s a small batch! Great idea. Fantastic recipe! I’ve never cooked with gram measurements before. I enjoyed making them a lot, but eating them even more!!! Thank you! 😃
Daniela says
This makes me so happy. Thank you so much for the kind words <3
Chris says
I was searching for a small batch cookie recipe, and this one is perfect! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. It was so good!
nancy says
small batch recipes are the best! def pinned to make again~
Amal says
The best cookies I had. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Jamie G says
These are perfect for the nights you crave a cookie and don't want to spend the time to chill the dough. Great for impulsive last minute decision making for dessert!
I screwed up the order or operations and mixed some things out of order but it still came out tasty!
Megan Levonyak says
This recipe is dangerously easy... definitely perfect for an impulsive bake!!
Mary says
Hi Danielle,
Loved your recipe. Can the Gluten free flour be homemade flour made with Quaker oats.
Thanks, Mary.
Daniela says
No, only using oat flour will not work since oats tend to absorb all the liquid and make this a very dry dough to work with. I never recommend using only one flour. A blend, like my own gluten-free flour blend, works the best. If you don't have celiac you can also use all-purpose flour as stated in the recipe.
Kelly says
Have had an eye on this recipe for a while and finally got around to making these chocolate chip cookies today and they did not disappoint!! Really love the added richness from the brown butter. Will definitely be making again!
Jen says
Absolutely FABULOUS! I opted to add the instant coffee (yes I’m a cookie monster 👹) and I contacted Daniela to help me adjust this recipe for high altitude and they turned out so so good!
Definitely give these a try!
Daniela says
I am so glad it worked out for high altitude!!!
Kelly Kardos says
Just made these Daniela and they are AWESOME!!! I will make them again with different add ins. I got 6 cookies at 35 grams each. They’re the perfect size. Another winner!
Daniela says
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear. Those cookies are so good
Kimberly says
I absolutely love the small batch recipes! As the only one in the house GF, it’s nice to have a treat without so many left overs. The brown butter in these were swoon worthy. I will definitely be making this again. 🙂
Redonda says
I love this recipe! It is my go to for a bedtime snack. My gluten eating husband loves them!
K says
THESE ARE FABULOUS!!! I WILL BROWN MY BUTTER FOR EVERY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE FROM NOW ON:) YUMMY!!
Connie says
Yes! Me too!
Jan T says
Recently you asked what we would like to see a recipe for. I lost that request so I'm asking here. A kocal cookie shop does an Almond Crunch" cookie. They have told me they use their chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's not GF and I am, now. I really miss them. They do have a similar base. They have a light marzipan flavor in places as if there were "marzipan chips". And lots of chopped almonds that are very crunchy. I've never been able to recreate a cookie with that crunch. It's the reason these are so outstanding to me. They only make them once a week and sometimes there are some left. I think marzipan (and almond extract) are not to everyone's liking so I understand if you don't want to invest your time on them. But if marzipan is something you like they are heaven.
Daniela says
Well that sounds like a delicious request. Any chance you have a photo of them or can send me the name of the bakery so I can see if I can find a visual example. And I love marzipan and almonds. And Almond Joy are my favorite candy bar 🤣