Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/22/22
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Freezing: 60 mins
Total: 82 mins
Servings: 15 servings
Yield: 30 cookies
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
280 Calories
17g Fat
32g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15
Amount per serving
Calories 280
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 270mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 91mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Baking chocolate chip cookies from scratch is undoubtedly one of life's greatest pleasures. And, when the cookies come together in just one bowl with nothing more than a whisk and a spatula, well then the pleasure is even greater. This particular gluten-free recipe results in soft chocolate chip cookies with a crispy edge, which are the best kind of cookies in our expert opinion.

Even though we call for gluten-free flour, be sure all of your additional ingredients are gluten-free as well, including the chocolate chips, to ensure the cookies will be 100 percent acceptable to those avoiding gluten in any form.

We like to portion these cookies with a 2 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or measuring spoons. This ensures your cookie balls will be nicely chilled after 1 hour in the freezer. If you would like to make 1/4 cup scoops, you will end up with about 15 cookies and they will take longer to chill in the freezer before baking, about two hours. Don't skip freezing the cookie dough before baking. This is crucial to prevent the cookies from spreading and helps with browning as well as a rich, chewy texture.

All About Gluten-Free Flour

Gluten-free cookies call for all different kinds of flours, including coconut and almond. People often ask, which gluten-free flour is best for cookies? We like them all, but we do have a soft spot for gluten-free flour blends that are one for one replacements for all-purpose flour. There are a few of our favorites:


Most gluten-free recipes utilize xanthan gum as it acts as an emulsifier and binder, providing volume; however, these flour blends have everything you need so extra ingredients are not required.

"This recipe was perfectly gluten-free, but also, just a perfectly good cookie! The melted butter gave these cookies just the right texture, despite subbing out gluten-free flour. I would definitely make these again." —Tracy Wilk

gluten-free chocolate chip cookies/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8-ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Measure4Meausre Flour

  • 3/4 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

    Parchment paper lined baking sheets

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Microwave the butter in a microwave-safe bowl on high in 30-second bursts until mostly melted. Alternatively, you can melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

    Melted butter in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.

    Melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla mixture in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Add the egg and whisk to combine. Add the yolk and whisk to combine.

    Egg, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla mixture in a bowl whisked together

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Sprinkle the baking soda over the top of the mixture. Vigorously whisk to combine. Add the salt and vigorously whisk the mixture once more. Note that whisking vigorously is important, so that the baking soda and salt dissolves completely and is evenly distributed in the wet ingredients.

    Cookie batter in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  7. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, then fold it into the dough with a silicone spatula until you can no longer see traces of flour. Fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.

    Chocolate chip cookie batter in a bowl with a spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  8. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, or a 2-tablespoon measure, scoop about 30 balls of the dough onto the baking sheet (it's ok if the cookie dough balls touch as this is just the chilling stage). Freeze for 1 hour.

    Cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  9. About 20 minutes before baking, position two racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat to 375 F.

    Divide the cookie dough balls between the prepared baking sheets, about 12 evenly spaced balls per sheet. Bake until the middles look soft and almost wet, and the edges are lightly browned, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, about 12 minutes.

    Baked cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and continue with the remaining dough balls until all the cookies are baked.

    Chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  11. Let the cookies cool briefly before enjoying, as warm chocolate chip cookies are one of life's great pleasures. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies in a glass container

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Recipe Tips

  • If you are baking these cookies for someone who cannot have gluten, confirm that all of your ingredients are gluten-free, including the chocolate chips. Be sure your work surface, utensils, and baking sheets are free of gluten.
  • Stop melting the butter while you can still see small chunks of butter, then whisk by hand. This helps cool the butter down so that your dough is not too warm when scooping it.
  • Depending on how many baking sheets you own, you can chill the cookie dough on one baking sheet and use two other baking sheets for the oven to speed up the process.

Recipe Variations

  • For extra chewy, tender cookies that don't spread, sprinkle 2 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch over the wet ingredients when adding the baking soda and salt.
  • To play up the salty-sweet vibe of these cookies, sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over each cookie ball before baking.
  • We like to use all brown sugar for these cookies to deliver notes of caramel, but you can replace up to half of it with granulated.

How to Store and Freeze

  • You can refrigerate gluten-free cookie dough for up to one week before baking off your cookies.
  • If you are planning on refrigerating the dough and baking the cookies off at a later date, there is no need to freeze them for one hour. Just wrap the bowl of dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one week. Scoop the cookie dough right before baking or simply portion out as much dough as you would like to enjoy that day.
  • Store baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days. Baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies do not need to be refrigerated.
  • Freeze baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies in a zip-top plastic bag in the freezer for up to one month—defrost before enjoying.


Do gluten-free cookies taste different?

Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, made with a gluten-free flour blend that can replace all-purpose flour one for one, do not taste differently than regular chocolate chip cookies.

Why did my gluten-free cookies go flat?

If your cookies emerge super flat from the oven, than you did not freeze your cookies for long enough. 1 hour in the freezer should be enough time for your portioned cookie dough balls to chill prior to baking, and thus, insure that the cookies do not spread.