Gluten Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thin & Crispy)

If you love thin and crispy cookies, these Gluten Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies are going to be hard to resist. They bake up buttery, crisp, and packed with mini chocolate chips, with the perfect crunch in every bite. Their small size makes them dangerously easy to snack on by the handful straight from the cookie jar.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe for thin & crispy gluten free chocolate cookies with Bob's Red Mill 1-1 and my Cup4Cup Copycat Recipe. While I normally prefer Bob's Red Mill for my gluten free cookies, in this recipe, the winner was the Cup4Cup Copycat Flour. The higher cornstarch content gives the baked cookies the crispy texture I was looking for.

Egg Yolks: Only use egg yolks in this recipe. Combined with the cornstarch in the gluten free flour blend, they help create cookies with crisp edges, a rich flavor, and a tender texture. You can use the leftover egg whites to make Gluten Free Waffle Cones or Meringue Cookies.

Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter is at room temperature, around 65°F. When you press the butter with your finger, it should leave an indent without your finger sliding straight through it. The butter should not look greasy, shiny, or partially melted. If the butter is too soft, it won’t properly cream with the sugars, and the cookies may spread too much.

Mini Chocolate Chips: I use Mini Chips in this gluten free mini chocolate chip cookie recipe. This way, there is a little bit of chocolate in every bite. You can also use regular chocolate chips or a chopped up dark chocolate bar.

Recipe Testing Notes

Recently, I received a few boxes of thin & crispy gluten free cookies from a well-known brand. While the cookies tasted okay, I immediately knew I could make them even better without the hefty price tag.

Around the same time, I was also developing my waffle cone recipe and found myself with plenty of leftover egg yolks. Normally, using egg yolks only creates softer, chewier cookies, but paired with the right gluten free flour blend, the end result was a thin cookie with the perfect crunch.

My first test bake was with Bob's Red Mill 1-1. While the cookies were delicious and had crispy edges, they weren't as thin and crispy as I had imagined them. So I went ahead and swapped the gluten free flour for my Cup4Cup Copycat Flour since it's the flour I use when I want to create something light and crispy (like my Gluten Free Cream Puffs). And the cookies turned out thin, crispy, and the way I pictured them.

One important thing to note: I do not recommend baking these cookies on a hot, humid day. They may come out perfectly crisp once cooled, but because of the humidity in the air, the cookies can soften again fairly quickly.

Dough for Thin & Crispy Gluten Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

The dough for thin & crispy Gluten Free Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies comes together in no time. Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature, around 65F.

1. Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the gluten free flour (preferably my Gluten Free Cup4Cup Copycat Flour), baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk or stir the ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.

2. Step 2: In the bowl of the stand mixer combine the room temperature butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
3. Step 3: Mix the ingredients for about 2 minutes, until lighter in color and airy. Make sure to stop halfway and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment with a flexible spatula.

4. Step 4: Next add the egg yolks and vanilla extract.

5. Step 5: Cream the ingredients for an additional 30 - 45 seconds.

6. Step 6: With a flexible spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
7. Step 7: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and, at a low speed, mix the ingredients together until a dough is about to form.
8. Step 8: Lastly, add the mini chocolate chips and mix the dough until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.

9. Step 9: The dough for thin & cripsy gluten free chocolate chip cookies will be soft. Make sure to allow for it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before baking.

Baking Instructions

Instead of buying a 1 Teaspoon Cookie Scoop, I roll the gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough into ¾" thick logs and cut them into equal pieces. If you have a 1 Teaspoon Cookie Scoop, feel free to use it.

1. Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to 350F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
2. Step 2: Remove around ¼ of the mini chocolate chip cookie dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured kitchen counter.
3. Step 3: Roll the cookie dough into a ¾" thick log, trying to keep the logs as even as possible. Repeat with all the dough.

4. Step 4: With a knife, cut each log into ¾ wide pieces. Try to cut them as evenly as possible, but it's okay to eyeball it.

5. Step 5: With clean hands, roll the cookie dough pieces into cookie dough balls.

6. Step 6: Arrange 24 cookie dough balls on the parchment lined cookie sheet. I use commercial sized cookie sheets, so if your baking sheets are smaller, adjust accordingly.

7. Step 7: Baking the Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies one tray at a time for 9-10 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown and look set.
8. Step 8: Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow for them to cool on the tray while baking the remaning cookies.

9. Step 9: Once all the cookies have been baked, transfer them to cooling racks. Place the cooling racks in the turned-off oven and allow the cookies to fully cool in the oven. This will help dry them out completely and ensure they are crispy.
10. Step 10: Store the fully cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days to keep them crisp.

How to store crispy cookies

Store the crispy mini chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing them. To help keep them crisp, you can add a few food-safe silica packets to absorb excess moisture. Avoid storing them with soft cookies, as they will transfer moisture.

If the gluten free mini chocolate chip cookies lose their crunch, bake them at 300°F for a few minutes and let them cool completely again.

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.