It took me ten tries to get this cookie recipe just right, but it was worth the effort! These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are made with just one wholesome flour—almond flour. They’re also sweetened with maple syrup instead of brown sugar, although you likely wouldn’t guess it. I love to use natural sweeteners when I can.
These cookies are golden and lightly crisp around the edges, and tender and chewy in the middle, which is exactly how I want my chocolate chip cookies to be. If you’re looking for a gluten-free cookie or a healthier take on a classic Tollhouse cookie, you’ve found a winner here. As a bonus, they’re remarkably easy to stir together by hand, with no chilling time required!
4 Reasons to Bake with Almond Flour
I’ve been having so much fun playing around with almond flour lately, and for good reasons! Here’s a rundown on why it’s become one of my favorite ingredients.
1) Better flavor
Compared to regular flour, which dulls the flavors of the other ingredients, almond flour lets them shine. That’s the beauty of almond flour—the end result doesn’t taste overtly of almonds, but it is extra delicious.
2) Less sugar required
Since almond flour doesn’t dull the flavor of your sweetener, you can typically use a little less. That’s a win for our health.
3) Easier than conventional recipes
Almond flour is so easy to work with. It’s perfect for beginner bakers, baking with kids (my four-year-old loves to make these with me), and seasoned bakers who want a simple project that yields stellar results. Since almond flour is gluten-free, there’s no worry about overmixing the dough. Some chocolate chip cookie recipes recommend a 24-hour refrigeration period to hydrate the dough—no need in this one!
4) Lower carbohydrate content
Almond flour is significantly lower in carbohydrates than all-purpose or whole wheat flour, which has become more important to me after two bouts with gestational diabetes. My almond-flour baked goods typically contain about half as many carbohydrates as those made with regular flour (partly due to the reduced sugar), and these cookies follow the same pattern.
Key Ingredients for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
You’ll find the full recipe below. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need to make these cookies and why, plus options to tailor them to your preferences.
Almond flour: Use fine blanched almond flour for the best texture. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill and Whole Foods 365 brands (affiliate links). Other brands don’t mill the almonds as finely and yield a more rustic result.
Baking powder: Baking powder provides some much-needed loft. Without it, these cookies have a more shortbread-like texture.
Butter: Butter contributes richness and tenderness, key elements in a chocolate chip cookie. Use unsalted butter for classic chocolate chip cookie flavor, or try coconut oil for a dairy-free option. Choose virgin coconut oil for a subtle coconut flavor, or refined coconut oil for a flavorless option.
Maple syrup: Instead of brown sugar, real maple syrup offers a similar flavor and helps these thick cookies spread to normal proportions (you’ll still need to help them out with the back of a spoon). One-third cup yields the most classic flavor—sweet but not cloying. However, if you’d like to reduce the sugar content for healthier cookies, you can use as little as 3 tablespoons.
Egg: Incorporating one egg makes a world of difference in this gluten-free recipe by binding the ingredients together. Without the egg, the cookies are too tender and fall apart soon after cooling (I don’t recommend an egg substitute like flax eggs here, unfortunately, because it doesn’t offer as much structure).
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are classically sweet. I prefer dark chocolate, though, so I use bittersweet chocolate chips to maximize the chocolate flavor, such as Guittard or Ghiradelli’s 60 percent cacao options.
Watch How to Make Them
Recipe Tips
The key to making chocolate chip cookies with almond flour is to bake them long enough, until the tops are golden and the undersides are deeply golden brown. If you pull them early, they will be too doughy.
Storage: These cookies will soften over time if you’re not careful. Store them for up to 1 day in a single layer at room temperature, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for several months.
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the ultimate gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. The recipe yields perfectly golden cookies that are lightly crisp around the edges and tender in the middle! They’re made with almond flour and are relatively healthy for a chocolate chip cookie. Recipe yields 16 cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder and salt, and stir well. In a smaller bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined (if the butter solidifies upon contact with colder ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds—assuming you’re using a microwave-safe bowl!). Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips with a large spoon or spatula.
- Scoop each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie dough scoop or about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, leaving a few inches around each cookie for expansion. Use the back of a spoon to help spread them into a wider circle. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, until they’re golden on top and deeply golden on the bottom.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool completely (the cookies will be delicate while warm). If desired, lightly sprinkle the cookies with flaky salt while they are still warm. Store leftover cookies in a single layer at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for several months.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
More Gluten-Free Cookies
Here are a few more treats to try next! You can also browse all gluten-free recipes or find more almond flour recipes.
