The Best Chewy Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
By popular request, I’m sharing my tried and true recipe for the best chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! If you’re looking for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that have crispy edges, are chewy with a bit of a gooey center, and full of chocolate, then these are the cookies for you!
I don’t like to throw the term “Best Recipe” around casually. But when I want to really get across that I’ve tested and tried and adapted a recipe a bunch until I got it PERFECT, then I feel justified in calling it the Best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies ever!
I have notes and slips of paper from over 3 dozen attempts at making really good, chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies over the past 5 years of baking gluten-free before coming up with this perfect version!
That’s a whole lot of gluten-free cookies eaten for testing purposes so that I could share the best gluten-free cookies!
Back when I used to be able to eat gluten, I worked for years to find a homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe that I loved that reminded me of my favorite mall cookies.
I grew up loving the old Mrs. Field’s chocolate chip cookies. My favorite thing to get at the mall was one of the huge cookies that they sold back in the 1980s. They were the perfect chewy cookie and were about as big as my head as a child! Over the years, the cookie size and quality has gone down, but I did still love those cookies.
I also liked the famed New York Times cookie recipe that was going around about 8-10 years ago pretty well. Just when I finally had a recipe for cookies that I loved, I got diagnosed with celiac and had to start all over with my recipe testing.
Ugh, how am I going to make gf chocolate chip cookies? I had to get trying!
Here’s what I wanted in a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie:
- Crispy edged, chewy cookies with a bit of a gooey center.
- Lots of chocolate – no chance of having a bite without chocolate in it.
- No gritty texture or weird feeling in mouth from too many starches or gums.
- No odd smells from alternative flours.
- Ability to make the dough ahead and bake a few cookies daily, or to freeze the dough balls to bake later.
#3 and #4 were by far the biggest challenge and the reason it took over 3 dozen attempts to get a perfect gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe.
The rice flour in gluten-free flour mixes adds some grittiness that is unnoticeable in most gluten-free baked goods, but tends to be more noticeable in gluten-free cookies.
For some reason, that rice flour grittiness was most noticeable in my chocolate chip cookie attempts.
I also tried using different proportions of a bunch of different flours and starches so that I could avoid rice flour or use less of it, but would end up with odd/off smells from the alternative flours or a weird mouth feel from the different starches.
I didn’t want any of that. I wanted people to LOVE this cookie, not just think it was good for a gluten-free cookie.
I’ve finally made one that gluten eaters and gluten-free eaters will all enjoy! It is as close as I can get to the Mrs. Field’s style/New York Times famed cookie combination that I used to make before my celiac diagnosis. I’ve succeeded!
There are 5 keys to this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe being free of gritty texture or a weird mouth feel, and being perfectly chewy:
- First is the addition of cream cheese. I found this tip in this recipe from Just a Taste and thought it was worth a try. That small 2 ounces of cream cheese is just enough to cover any grit that would have been in these cookies otherwise. I wish I had thought of this many years ago!
- Melting the butter is another key to this perfect cookie, as it adds to the chewiness and overall flavor profile. My friend Celeste says she likes to brown the butter and use browned butter to make these even more amazing.
- Using just egg yolks, no egg whites to help with the chewiness of the cookie. This is an old trick I learned from Alton Brown. I like to use an egg separator so that I don’t end up with any stray shells or break the yolks in the process. This is the egg separator I have and like because it sits flat over a small bowl.
- Using a good quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. See my notes below in the ingredients section.
- Chill the dough at least 4 hours before baking any cookies. These will not come out like my photos or with best texture if you bake these without chilling thoroughly. You can also chill for up to 3 days. After chilling the dough, allow it to come closer to room temperature so you can scoop the cookies easily before baking.
If you don’t have the time for chilling dough but still want your chocolate chip cookie fix, I suggest you head over to my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars recipe instead! I’ve altered the recipe a bit for those and you just mix and bake!
Depending on how much cookie dough you eat, you’ll have about 20-22 cookies from this recipe!
I have had many ask if you can freeze this dough. Yes you can freeze this cookie dough! I suggest that after you finish mixing ingredients, then scoop immediately and freeze the balls of dough to bake later.
When you are ready to bake, pull out the desired number of cookie dough balls you want to bake, let them sit on parchment paper lined sheet while you pre-heat your oven, then bake them from their still frozen state. Your cooking time will be longer than I have listed in my recipe, so keep an eye on them!
Here’s a look at the ingredients for this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Gluten-free Flour Blend: I’ve had best results making this with Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour or BakeGood Almond Flour Blend or Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend. I tried with Cup4Cup gluten-free flour with good results. (Note, usually gfJules is one of my go-to blends, but it is a little too starchy to get the right chewy texture with gooey center in this recipe. It still makes a very good cookie, just won’t be as chewy or gooey.) These were good but not great with King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill. I do not recommend using Maninis, Namaste or Pillsbury gluten-free flour for these. I will update this as I try it with other flour blends as well. Stay away from the blends that have any bean flours.
- If the gluten-free flour blend you choose to use already has xanthan or guar gum already in it, then omit the xanthan gum called for in my recipe.
- Sugar and Brown Sugar: I don’t recommend swapping these out, but some people prefer to use coconut sugar for some of the sugar called for in the recipe, just know that it will affect the texture.
- Butter: You can use a non-dairy butter alternative like Melt or Earth Balance if you would prefer. I would still melt it to use in the recipe. Results will vary and will not likely look the same as my cookies, because mine are made with real butter.
- Cream cheese: I have used Kite Hill plain cream cheese alternative and it worked very well. Use equivalent amount.
- Baking soda: This is NOT the same as baking powder. DO not substitute the baking soda with anything else.
- Chocolate: These are loaded with chocolate so choose your favorite chocolate! Sometimes I do semi-sweet chocolate chips like you see here (usually Guittard or Trader Joe’s), sometimes I do a mix of semi-sweet chunks and mini chips. If you prefer milk chocolate, then use milk chocolate chips in yours.
- Vanilla: I always recommend using pure vanilla extract, not an imitation vanilla extract. I usually buy this Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla extract or these large bottles sold at Costco.
There have been a few people out of the hundreds that have tried this recipe that felt there was too much chocolate in these cookies. I can’t fathom that, since in my opinion you can never have too much chocolate. But if you want more cookie and less chocolate, feel free to cut back the amount of chocolate chips you add.
Also, if you would like to use chunks, you can chop up semi-sweet chocolate bars or use Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks.
How to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies:
My recipe card below and also the video will show you step by step how to make these cookies. The important thing to remember is that you need to let the dough chill for at least 4 hours. Then let it come to a scoop-able temperature before you proceed.
For successful results, make sure you use room temperature ingredients, measure properly (the only ingredient you ever pack in is brown sugar), use a large #20 cookie scoop to make cookies all the same size, use a preheated oven that you have checked temperature on, and use parchment paper or silicone liners for your baking pans.
I also like to give my cookies plenty of space around them so the edges can get a little crisp and no cookies spread into each other. This is what my they look like on my cookie sheet usually, using that large cookie scoop and spacing out on the parchment paper:
When they come out of the oven, I sprinkle the hot gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with more of the chocolate chips so that my cookies will have that melty chocolate chip look to the top. This step is totally optional though!
Can you make these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies dairy-free?
I’m working on that! I have tried dairy-free cream cheese from Kite Hill and it worked perfectly as a replacement for the cream cheese in this recipe. So I know you can make that dairy-free swap and have the same results.
I have not found the perfect swap for the butter yet but get good results with swapping with Melt or Earth Balance sticks. Feel free to make some adaptations to suit you though, and come back and let me know how they work!
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Well that depends on the size and how much cookie dough you eat! This recipe makes about 20-22 large cookies. I use a #20 size cookie scoop for those and those are the cookies you see in most all the photos on this post.
But I know some of you want to make smaller cookies. So recently, I grabbed my other size scoops and did some testing and made notes along the way!
I used my large #20 scoop for the biggest ones. I used a medium scoop which is a #40 scoop for medium sized cookies. For the smallest, bite size cookies, I used a small #60 scoop. Yes, if you didn’t know, as the numbers get bigger, the scoops get smaller.
Here’s a look at making these various sizes:
You can always use other sized scoops, I just went with the three sizes I have on hand.
Here’s a look at them after baking and I’ve included the approximate baking times for each as well.
Factors like pan thickness and quality, temperature of your dough, accurate temperature of your oven, whether you use parchment or not, and the type of flour blend you use all will influence when your cookies are done.
From my testing, cookies made using a #20 scoop will take about 11-12 minutes to be baked perfectly, and you’ll get 20-22 cookies. Cookies made using a #40 scoop will take anywhere from 7-9 minutes to be perfect. And cookies made using a #60 scoop will take about 6-7 minutes to be perfect.
Using the #60 scoop yields dozens and dozens of cookies – I lost count of how many little cookies! You can see here:
Note: You CAN double this recipe as long as you’re using a good stand mixer that can mix that amount of dough.
After you make these, the next thing you should make is my recipe for the best gluten-free peanut butter cookies! I know you’ll love them too!
I make this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe a couple times a month, and have been for many years now! I hope these become a family favorite for you too!
I hope you’ll try and love these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies just as much as I do!
If you make these and love them, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
The Best Chewy Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Plan ahead so the dough can chill prior to baking for the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (~282 grams) good all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum* (see note)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 3/4 cups (12 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, xanthan (unless flour blend already has xanthan or guar gum), baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the cream cheese, then pour melted butter over it. Add brown sugar and sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. (I use the paddle attachment on my mixer.)
- Add vanilla extract and egg yolks (one at a time) mixing on low-medium speed until well mixed.
- Add the flour mixture that you set aside earlier, beating on low until just combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on low or by hand, just until mixed thoroughly.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours and up to 4 days.
- When you are ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and allow it to come closer to room temperature so you can scoop the cookies easily before baking.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Line cookie sheets with sheets of parchment paper or silicone liners. Do not spray!
- Use a #20 cookie scoop to scoop even mounds of cookie dough spaced several inches apart. I can get 12 per cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes at 375°. Remove when edges are set and just browning. The centers will look undercooked, but will continue cooking as they cool. To ensure you don't over bake, I suggest you bake a few test cookies so you can determine the right baking time for your oven. If you like gooey centers, cook less, if you like crunchier cookies, cook longer.
- If you'd like, you can sprinkle more chocolate chips on them once you remove from oven.
- Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for just 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
*omit xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour blend has xanthan or guar gum already
Please note that these brown faster/more if the flour blend you are using has any almond flour in it. Your cookies might be done a minute sooner.
Please see blog post for information on ingredients used and substitution options.
Pin these to your gluten-free cookies Pinterest board:
gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars (no chilling required!)
Gluten-free Monster Cookies (uses chocolate chips and M&Ms!)
Enjoy!
Best cookie recipe ever!!! I would use this recipe even if I wasn’t Gf. Used Bob’s 1 for 1 baking flour. Turned out perfection. Thanks for sharing
I followed Sal’s recommendation to use PB (just plain Trader Joe’s), ground oats for flour (no xanthan), did not refrigerate, and they came out beautifully. I partially melted the butter, as was afraid they would flatten out too much with the PB. I can’t wait for them to cool so I can try them. sal, I would bet coconut oil would work great, although I believe you can use less oil if subbing for.butter :). Thanks for sharing this delish recipe!
Do you think subing natural PB in place of cream cheese will work and coconut oil in place of butter for a dairy free option? I am so excited to try them but need to make them dairy free to boot 🙁
Yes, I think that would work well. Great idea!
Love these cookies! Thank you for taking the
time to perfect the recipe. I’ve made them twice using Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 gluten
free flour blend. They are so good that the non gluten free members of my family finished every last one! Thanks again, this recipe is a keeper.
I used Aldi’s new GF flour blend on my first go with this recipe. They turned out perfectly! This is my new go-to recipe.
my first try was great , I used mock cup 4 cup and had a hard time scooping them out of the bowl , so I used my hands, they were delicious.Yesterday I made them again and after I chilled them for 1 day , I let them sit for at least 1 hour on the counter before I baked them, they spread out too much, still taste great but different texture. I s that cause they didn’t go into the oven very cold.
This looks fantastic. I wish someone would just bake some and send them to me. 😉
I am looking everywhere for the two types of flour you recommend, but no luck for me. Would you recommend Bob’s Red Mill or Kjng Arthur by any chance?
Thank you!!! Looking forward to making these very soon!!!
My recommendation would be that you just order one of those from Amazon – I link right to them in my post to make it easy to find them there. I’m not a fan of Bob’s Red Mill’s flour, and the King Arthur is rice based, so I think in these cookies, they will be more gritty. I’ve used it before in other cookies and have been less than impressed. Totally worth it to order the good stuff online! Hope you get to make these soon and love them too!
Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Blend is much better than their regular GF all purpose flour (no bean flour). I have used that for muffins, but not yet for cookies.
I made these cookies using the Blue Label (1 to 1) Bob’s Red Mill GF flour (with xanthan gum) – and they were loved by everyone – even my extremely picky daughter!!
I found a Target store near me carried the Cup4Cup flour. It wasn’t the closest one to me, but not terribly inconvenient to get to when I had another reason to be in the area. Whole Foods Market near me carries it but the price for a 3-lb bag was going up I think $2-3 today from $12.99. I bought the 2-lb bag at Target for $8.99, since I didn’t think I’d need three pounds. Knowing how delicious these are now, maybe I should have bought the three-pound bag before the price hike! I made them for a class party where there is a student who needs GF. My daughter has other allergies, but NOT GF, so I thought I’d try one they could both eat anyway.
These were amazing!!!
So glad you liked these Tracie! Thanks for the comment!
These are delicious! One would never know that these are gluten free. I’m hooked! I have started to faithfully weigh my flour and I have much better baking results. When using measuring cups I found that I was using much more flour and we were often disappointed with the results. I made these with Better Batter and weighed approx. 135 g per cup.
So great to hear! I had a feeling Better Batter would work well in this too – it is another good blend. I’m so glad you liked these!
What flour did you use?
Made this recipe to the “T”. Batter is hard as a rock. Chalky as can be. What did I do wrong??
Trey, I’m so sorry to hear this. I hope it was just a matter of a missing or mis-measured ingredient. I’ve made these dozens of times with success, and other readers are having success. I know how easy it is to make a mistake, so I hope you’ll try them again!
My batter was hard this morning, too, even after waiting 15 minutes from the fridge. It had been chilled overnight. My husband told me this morning I should take it out since it was getting dry. I told him it was supposed to be able to be chilled up to four days right up until ready to bake. I did have to work the scoop a little to get them to come into the ball/scoop shape, but they came out delicious!
My cookies turned out not so great either. They did not spread out at all. I absolutely measured everything perfectly. My guess is the Namaste GF flour was a bad choice. My kids liked the flavor though, so that is something. I have heard cup for cup is the best. I’ll try that next.
Weigh your flour instead of measuring. You’d be surprised how inaccurate meaduring can be.
Made these cookies this morning ! Yum they are great ! I have been using cup4cup gluten free flour, my
Favorite. My not gluten free husband loved the cookies! Thank you for a great go to gluten free recipe.
I will make these often.
Jo Ann
I’m so glad to hear that you loved them! Enjoy!
I make these with the America’s Test Kitchen Flour blend recipe ( one I use a lot) and 1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin subbed in for the xanthan gum (some in our family can not tolerate gums) and they are the best gluten free chocolate chip recipe we have had yet!! I made several batches over Christmas for family who are not gluten free and everyone loved them!!! Thank you for a great recipe!!
Thanks so much for sharing your successful substitutions! I’m so glad to hear that all the family loves them too! Thank you for coming back to leave such a nice comment!
Again, @ Ksty P. Do you think the ratio of I Tabkespoon of gelatin = 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan would be appropriate for baking in general.?? Thanks
@ Katy P.
So glad to hear about xanthan gum substitute!! I have many allergies & often by pass recipes with xanthan. Didn’t know about gelatin . Thank you.
Gelatin? Never thought of that. Our family cannot handle any gums either. Do you use the gelatin just in powder form or do you mix it with water first?
We loved these! My son said that those were the best cookies ever and told my daughter (who has CD) she couldn’t eat them bc they were not gf! I had to convince him that they were! Great recipe… God bless!
Jessica
That is sweet that your son was looking out for your daughter! I’m so happy this is a recipe they both can enjoy! God bless you too Jessica!
These look amazing! Would better batter work?
April, I haven’t tried that one with it yet. If that is what you usually use, go right ahead and let me know how it works!
Better batter is a terrific GF flour substitute. However IT DOES NOT WORK with this recipe. There just isn’t enough liquid in it. The cookies come out dry and crumbly. Do not bake these with better batter it turns out terrible. I followed this recipe to the T even the chilling for 3 hours. It just doesn’t have enough liquid In it to bake properly.
I ONLY use Better Batter Flour and my cookies turn out Awesome. I think the “key” is weighing the flour instead of measuring it by cupfulls! I Love Better Batter Flour!!
Living in Canada I don’t seem to get access to some of these brands. Can you recommend Pamela’s Artisanal blend or Namaste
I would try this with either one of those blends. Those are both good blends – I’ve had great success with Pamela’s in some other recipes, so I would probably try that one first personally.
@Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen,
I live in Canada and was wondering the same thing. I made them EXACTLY parallel, side by side at the same time. Pamela’s (in the orange bag) spread nicely, 11 mins in the oven and were tasty but of course has a bit of a nutty flavour. Nameste didn’t, were very thick, and was a bit gritty and undercooked. I then tried the Nameste ones a few different ways. The best was rolled, squished a bit, and in my oven for 11:30.
I’ve made them. Best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve made.
Thanks Rhonda for your comment and 5 star rating! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them as much as I do!
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! I am also a recipe nerd, so i appreciate all the work you put into developing one with so many helpful tips!
I used your recipe to make a cookie with a Rolo candy hidden inside of it and it turned out great! Not sure how i post a pic? Have one if you would like it.
I also used the Glutino All purpose blend and i get a little bit of graininess, so will use your recommendation next time or maybe add some water next time to give the flour and xanthan something to hydrate with. Thanks again!
Maria – I love your idea! If you could email the photo to me at [email protected] I’d love to share it on my Facebook page!
I would imagine that one would have a bit of grit with it, so yes, definitely recommend trying it with GFM too if you have a chance!
Absolutely perfection! I love what you’re looking for in a chocolate chip cookie, and can’t argue! 😀 Wish I had one (or 5) right now!
Thanks Jeanine! I’m craving them already again but will try not to eat 5! 😉 Wish I could share some with you!
I’m so excited for this recipe! Sending the link to my sister in law now. She bakes for my brother a lot and he can’t have gluten 🙂
Thanks for sharing it Ashley! I hope they both enjoy these!
I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a few months ago and I am very new to gluten-free baking. When I saw how delicious your chocolate chip cookies looked, I went right to Amazon.com and ordered 8 pounds of the Mama’s gluten free almond flour blend. The flour arrived yesterday so I made up a batch last night and put them in the refrigerator. I baked the cookies later this afternoon and I am just having two right now. They are absolutely heavenly! I have never tasted a homemade chocolate chip cookie that tasted so good! Thank so so very much for sharing this recipe. I am checking out your site to try some other recipes. My next project is to make a loaf of gluten free bread. I have not had any bread for several months. It would be nice to have a slice of toast occasionally. Thanks again!
If you would like an amazing “store bought bread” try Out of the Readbox. They are a Colorado based company but ship anywhere. They are a bit pricey but well worth it.
Karen, thank you for the bread recommendation. I am having a hard time finding bread that doesn’t smell weird! I will try the Out of the Readbox.
Try Schaar bread. In a yellow wrapper. It’s almost like sourdough bread. Downfall-it sticks to your teeth. But has good flavor and stays moist longer than most gluten free breads. Cost is around $5.50/loaf here in Iowa.
I believe the store’s name is Outside the Breadbox. They are based in Colorado Springs. 🙂
I must try this recipe. I have made some GF rugelach with cream cheese that are wonderful. I have been gluten free for about 17 years. I am sure it can be rewarding to bake a loaf of GF bread, but I just don’t have that much luck. They end up too flat or just taste bad. I have tried a lot of GF store-bought breads and I can say, hands down, that the Canyon Bakehouse 7 grain makes the best toast. It cost about $6.00/loaf. I keep it in the frig.
@S Cowley, that is my favorite gf bread, too!
My husband could not tell they were GF, I used 1/2 oat flour and coconut flour. Amazing!
These were awesome GF cookies. I cooked mine 10 to 11minutes. I even froze them and thawed them out as I ate them. My husband even liked them. They don,t taste gluten free. Awesome cookie.
They are awesome! How did you thaw them? I plan on baking my frozen ones this weekend. 🙂
My son has a gluten allergy and I have been trying lots of different Pinterest recipes for the last year and failing miserably! This is THE BEST cookie recipe EVER! I bought the flour off Amazon and am so pleased! Thank you!
This recipe turned out perfect
We love them
Finally have a great chocolate chip recipe
Thank you
My cookies are not spreading at all! Where did I go??