Are you ready for the Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies? Every Pastry Chef and Baker calls their Chocolate Chip Cookie THE best and let’s be honest, none of us is wrong. I have used the same Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for years. This gluten-free cookie recipe makes cookies with a chewy center, crispy edges and the most amazing texture.
For a while, I only added one kind of chocolate but recently I started mixing things up and started adding 3 kinds of chocolate plus candied cocoa nibs to my dough. Because there is no such thing as too much chocolate. The cocoa nibs are candied but you can skip this step if you like.
Make sure to also check out my Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe which is made with melted butter and requires no chill time.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to store Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Why chill Gluten Free Cookie Dough?
- How to get big chocolate puddles
- FAQ for Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I use my own Gluten Free Flour Blend in this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe. This blend already contains xanthan gum. If you use a store-bought blend, I recommend checking out my "The Four Flours – One Recipe Project" where I used four different widely available gluten-free flour blends and made this cookie recipe. Any gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour will work great in this recipe - if you are looking for a cookie closest to the classic chocolate chip cookie, I would recommend Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 or Better Batter. For a thin cookie, I would recommend Cup4Cup and if you are looking for a cookie with a lot of substance, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure. This recipe will not work with oat flour or almond flour.
Chocolate: I use a mix of Valrhona Manjari 64%, Opalys 33%, Tanariva 33%, and candied cocoa nibs in my recipe. The candied cocoa nib recipe can be found here. You can use only one kind of chocolate but believe me when I say you should try changing things up and mixing chocolates up.
Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe. I prefer my butter soft, but cool and should not appear shiny or greasy. Especially during the summer month I only allow for it to sit out for 5 minutes before using it. The ideal temperature for butter is actually 65F which is a lot colder than many of us consider room temperature. To test if your butter is at room temperature nudge it with your finger. You should see an indent but the butter should not feel like you can poke right through it.
I have NOT tested this recipe with any butter/fat substitutes, sugar replacements, or egg replacements.
How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you have never baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies before you will be surprised to learn that they are made the exact same way as "regular" chocolate chip cookies. The most important part is to allow the gluten-free cookie dough to rest in the fridge to give the gluten-free flour time to hydrate.
Step 1: In a medium bowl sift together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or large mixing bowl combine the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Cream the ingredients at a medium speed for 4-5 minutes until fluffy and pale. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
Step 3: With the mixer running on low, add the egg, letting it fully incorporate. Pause your mixer to scrape down the sides.
Step 4: With the mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
Step 5: Add your chopped-up chocolate and cocoa nibs at a low speed just to combine. You don’t want to overmix and break up all the chocolate. Place the dough in a Tupperware container and let the dough rest in your refrigerator. Chilling is mandatory. For the best results, I recommend chilling it for at least 4hrs - better even if you can let it sit for 12hrs or longer. During this process the flour hydrates and develops flavor.
How to bake Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
Step 2: Use a 2 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop (I refer to this as the #20 - yellow scoop) and portion the cookie dough. This recipe should give you 10-12 cookies, depending on how much cookie dough you snack on. If you would like, you can top each portion with an additional piece of chocolate which will give you those big chocolate puddles.
Step 3: Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet. Make sure you leave some room for spreading. Place the remainder of the cookie dough in the fridge (or freezer for future use)
Step 4: Bake the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies for 8 minutes and rotate the cookie tray. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden and beginning to set. The baking time depends on personal preference (and your oven).
Step 5: Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking pan before moving to a cooling rack.
Repeat with the remaining dough if you would like.
How to store Chocolate Chip Cookies
Clearly, those gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are the best straight from the oven. They have crisp edges and a chewy center. But sometimes even the biggest cookie monster can't eat all the cookies at once. To store them, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. The cookies are good for 4-5 days but will start to become crispier the longer they sit.
Why chill Gluten Free Cookie Dough?
Chilling the cookie dough for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies prevents cookies from spreading out too quickly once they’re in the oven. It allows the fat in your dough to solidify (harden back up). If you skip the chilling step, you’re more likely to wind up with very sad, thin, unhappy-looking gluten-free cookies instead of flavorful, thick, chewy cookies.
Also during chilling your dough will develop flavors (kinda like marinating). The liquids in your dough (eggs) get a chance to hydrate the starches found in your flour. This hydration makes the dough less wet, concentrating the flavors and you will be rewarded with an even bake and golden brown cookies.
How to get big chocolate puddles
It's no secret but I love those giant chocolate puddles on top of my chocolate chip cookies. The best way to achieve those puddles is to use chopped-up chocolate bars or high-end chocolate (like the mix of feves I use from Valrhona). Regular Chocolate Chips like Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips have been designed to stay in shape while baking and won't produce nice big puddles.
Top each cookie dough with a few pieces of chocolate and roll it back into a ball. The chocolate chunks will melt while baking and turn into those beautiful puddles.
FAQ for Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
To get perfectly round cookies, I like to use a round cutter or bowl that’s slightly larger than my cookies and “scoot them” into a perfectly round shape when they come from the oven. This is not a must but people sure are impressed with perfect round cookies.
Yes! Place the fully cooled cookies on a baking sheet and freeze them. Once frozen place them in a ziplock bag in your freezer. When you are ready to eat a cookie, allow it to thaw at room temperature. You can always warm it up in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to give it that fresh-baked cookie taste.
There are two factors that can cause gluten free cookies to be gritty: one is the kind of flour or flour blend used and the other is not allowing the dough to chill at an appropriate time to hydrate the flour. As mentioned many times before, I highly recommend a high-quality flour blend such as Bob's Red Mill 1-1 or my own gluten-free flour blend. If you use my flour blend, make sure to use fine-ground flours and starches. Certain brown rice flour blends are stone ground and will cause the end products to be gritty. A gluten-free cookie will always be as good as the ingredients used. Mediocre ingredients equal mediocre cookies. Especially when it comes to gluten-free baking.
Join my Gluten Free Community!
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.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Are you ready for the Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies? Every Pastry Chef and Baker calls their Chocolate Chip Cookie THE best and let’s be honest, none of us is wrong.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 110 grams light brown sugar
- 50 grams white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 210 grams Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 150 grams of chopped chocolate
- 20 grams candied cocoa nibs
- More Chocolate for garnish
- Flaky Sea Salt such as Maldon for finishing
Instructions
How to make Gluten Free Cookie Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine room temperature butter, both sugars, vanilla, and salt, and beat at medium speed for 4-5 minutes until fluffy and pale. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
- In the meantime combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
- With the mixer running on low, add the egg, letting it fully incorporate. Pause your mixer to scrape down the sides.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Add your chopped-up chocolate and cocoa nibs at a low speed just to combine. You don’t want to overmix and break up all the chocolate.
- Place the dough in a Tupperware container and let the dough rest in your refrigerator for at least 4hrs - better even if you can let it sit for 12hrs or longer. During this process the flour hydrates and develops flavor.
How to bake Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Once your cookie dough has rested peacefully in the fridge for an extended period of time, use a 2 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop (I refer to this as the #20 - yellow scoop) and portion the cookie dough. This recipe should give you 10-12 cookies, depending on how much cookie dough you snack on. If you would like, you can top each portion with an additional piece of chocolate which will give you those big chocolate puddles.
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet. Make sure you leave some room for spreading. Place the remainder of the cookie dough in the fridge (or freezer for future use)
- Bake Cookies for 8 minutes and rotate the cookie tray. Bake an additional 6-7 minutes or until lightly golden and beginning to set. The baking time depends on personal preference (and your oven).
- Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking pan before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with the remaining dough if you would like.
Notes
Storage: Store the baked gluten free cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 274
Daniela Weiner says
This is a test comment
Jen says
These cookies came out so good. I did a combination of milk, white, and semisweet chocolate and doubled the recipe. My family and coworkers, who are not gluten free, loved them and a few asked for the recipe!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you Jen! Appreciate those kind words.
U-sa says
Wow! This looks really yummy. I would like to know what can I substitute Cup4Cup Multi purpose flour with to still make it gluten free?
Daniela Weiner says
Hello, it's very hard for me to make a recommendation without knowing where you are located. If you are in the US or Canada you can use Bob's Red Mill 1-for-1 gluten free flour
U-sa says
Hello, I'm in Singapore but would like to know if there are blends that I can use instead of gluten free flour.
Daniela Weiner says
Hello,
I did a quick Google search and this is what I found:
https://glutenfreesg.com/product/well-good-gluten-free-wholesome-flour-500g/
You can use this instead of the gluten free flour I use. I am not familiar with the groceries available in Singapore. I hope this help
Valerie says
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter ?
Daniela Weiner says
Hi Valerie, I do NOT recommend changing to coconut oil. If you will change this major ingredient the cookies will not turn out the same and I can't guarantee the recipe will work.
Kaitlin says
Absolutely delicious! I hate making substitutions in recipes but didn’t have C4C on hand so instead used 175g Better Batter flour and 25g cornstarch and they turned out amazing! I agree that the rest overnight makes them 10x better and the flaky sea salt is almost not optional as it’s so delicious.
Thank you for this recipe! May try it with brown butter next time 🙂
Kajal says
Hi, loved this recipe could you please let know if using all purpose flour how much grams of flour, butter and sugar to be used.
Daniela Weiner says
hello, everything stays the same. Just use 175 grams all-purpose flour instead of the gluten free flour blend 🙂
LS says
Hi, fabulous recipe. Do you happen to have the full nutritional information calculated (i.e., fat, carbs, protein, fiber, etc.)?
Thank you!
Daniela says
No, this is not something I provide.
Lin says
Hi Daniela, how do you keep the white choco (on top of the cookie ) for burning /scorching? Thank you
Daniela Weiner says
Hi Lin, I use high-quality white chocolate (Valrhona) and never had issues with it burning BUT chocolate chips such as Nestle will burn very easily. To avoid white chocolate to be burned, I would add it in the dough vs using it as decorations. Does this make sense?
Lin says
Thank you Daniela! May I ask which one is better, Valrhona Opalys or Ivoire for the white chocolate variant? Thanks again!
Daniela Weiner says
Personally, I prefer Ivoire because it's less sweet. It also has a high-fat content.
Lin says
Thank you again Daniela!
Leina says
These cookies look amazing!!! I can't wait to try them!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you. They are my favorite but I say that about every single one of my recipes
Ariel says
Love these cookies! I am now doubling the recipe and was wondering how l long I can keep them in the fridge for? I like to make only a few at a time and they come out so perfect, chewy and crisp. Pure love in the mouth♥️
Daniela Weiner says
Awww I love hearing this. You can store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 7 days. I normally just scoop and freeze my cookies and bake from frozen. And I love fresh baked cookies!
Felix says
Just wanted to check. If I wanted to freeze the cookie dough, should it still be refrigerated first for 12hrs then scoop and freeze? Or can I scoop and freeze immediately after the dough is prepared, without needing to refrigerate first to let it rest? Thank you!
Daniela says
Felix, you can scoop and freeze immediately. Great question!
Raquel says
OMG Daniela!!! I just made the best cookies ever!!! They looked very handsome with the puddles and I could finally test out the cup 4 cup flour that I had bought months ago. thank you so much for sharing not only recipes but, your knowledge. Best wishes for you and your website. I know it takes a lot of work. I've started one too. 🙂
Daniela Weiner says
YAY!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. Love hearing this. Make sure to send me your website as well so I can support you <3
Anna says
Hi! Can I use almond flour or coconut flour for this recipe?
Daniela Weiner says
Anna, I do NOT recommend using only Almond flour (or coconut flour) in any of my recipes unless specifically stated. My recipes are tested only with gluten free flour BLENDS. I even shared an extensive blog post about this topic.
Anna says
Thank you! Super helpful 👍🏻
Megan Levonyak says
Loved making these cookies! The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow. I added some espresso, which cut some of the sweetness a bit (though these cookies are NOT overly sweet! Just wanted to try them with espresso). Definitely a go-to chocolate chip cookie.
Karin says
I just finished making these. Of course I had to test 1. They are delicious! I added chopped Pecans to mine and I went with Bobs Red Mill flour. I’m new to GF baking and I am so happy found your site.
Vielen Dank
Lidia says
Hi Daniela, first of all.greetings from Sydney, Australia and a big Thank You ! for your wonderful recipes and your care in explaining everything. I have made this recipe with all-purpose flour using 175g like you have indicated. I have also added a tablespoon of powdered milk. The cookies came out delicious, but I think they may be a bit too greasy. I have used white and dark Callebaut couverture. Do you think I should use less chocolate perhaps?
Daniela says
Lidia, since I do not know how the AP flour in Australia compares with the AP flour in the US, I wonder if you maybe need to add 15g of extra flour. So instead of using 175g use 190 grams. You could also reduce the amount of chocolate if you like. It's one of those ingredients I often measure with my heart instead of a scale 😉
Daniela says
Another reason your cookies may be greasy if the butter is too soft (yes, butter can be too soft). This especially happens when it's very warm and humid outside and butter sits at room temperature too long.
Lidia says
Thank you so much, Daniela! Yes it's true that I baked the cookies on a warm and very humid day and the butter got too soft.
Daniela says
I actually looked up the weather in Sydney. After all, it should be last summer/early fall there?
russell says
is it a must to fridge the cookies or can i just straight away bake them after mixing the ingredients together?? thank you so much for answering this question.
Daniela says
This dough MUST rest. If you want to bake cookies right now, I recommend checking out this recipe: Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meghan says
These cookies are the BEST! I make them all the time, double or triple batch, and freeze them in zip lock bags with 6 or so dough balls like take and bake cookies from the store. I like a little more brown sugar flavor in my chocolate chip cookies so I total the sugar (110g white and 50 brown, so total of 160g) and just divide it evenly between the two. I use king arthur measure for measure and love them. Thank you for an easy, awesome recipe!
Daniela says
Thank you, Meghan! It is the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe for you. I recently baked 150 of them for a wedding and they disappeared quickly (we didn't tell anyone they are gluten free HAHA)
Kaitlin says
Hi! Could I brown the butter in this recipe, instead of using room temp butter?
Thanks!
Daniela says
You could but the brown butter needs to cool and harden back up. If you want a Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Recipe with brown butter, I recommend checking this one out: Small Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Daniela says
What I am saying is you can't use melted brown butter in this recipe.
Sofia says
This is the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made. I made them dairy free and left the dough in the fridge for 24 hours. They’re way better than any bakery I’ve tried. Definitely add the salt after they’re baked. I prefer them after they’ve sat in the fridge for a while. Thank you for another great recipe!
Angela drake says
Could I make them smaller? I am pre-diabetic and can’t eat a huge cookie as it would be hard on my blood sugar. Like half sized.
Daniela says
Yes, you can make them smaller.