Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies that are soft on the inside, crispy around the edges, and gluten-free! These cookies are my go-to easy dessert, that everyone loves!
Something about a fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookie is Heaven sent.
But, I remember when I first started baking gluten-free exclusively (6 years ago) and realizing that gluten-free cookies seemed so hard to make.. and they were NOT Heaven sent! A little crumbly, not quite the right texture. Ugh.
Over the last 6 years I have tried several different cookie recipes, making each gluten-free and altering them a bit for high altitude. I had narrowed it down to two favorites that I made gluten-free, from Gimme Some Oven and Pinch Of Yum. I loved BOTH recipes, so I thought why not combine them AND make them gluten-free?!
So, these gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies are inspired by those two fantastic blogs. I’ve taken these cookies to dinner parties and Holiday events, and no one ever knows they’re gluten-free.
Crumbly, weird gluten-free cookies are a thing of the past (thank goodness!). These simple cookies are the BEST gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies, in my humble opinion 🙂
My second favorite part about these cookies? They’re easy to make dairy-free too!
My sister went dairy-free this year, and it’s inspired me to label more of my recipes as dairy-free. I don’t always bake with dairy, I just never thought to label it before!
All you need to do is use coconut oil (instead of butter) and use dairy-free chocolate chips. Easy as pie! Wanna bring a dessert to work but have coworkers that are gluten-free and dairy-free? MAKE THESE COOKIES! 🙂
BUT hold on – not all gluten-free flours are the same – there are a couple in particular that I’d recommend.
Look for Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour or Pamela’s gluten-free All Purpose Flour Blend. I’ve used both flours in this recipe and I love them both in it!
So, what makes these gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies better than the others?
There’s a few key ingredients and steps to these cookies.
Use cornstarch. Using cornstarch when baking will give you a slightly more tender baked good. Have you even had a melt-away cookie before? Those things are loaded with cornstarch, and they literally melt away in your mouth. Or at least, as much as a cookie can “melt away,” I mean a cookie isn’t a mint, sheesh! 😉
Next, be sure to cream together your butter (or coconut oil) with your sugars to get the best texture of cookie possible. You want soft in the middle, a little crispy on the outside, with a little chewy bite to them. (YUM!)
And last but not least, you should pull these cookies out of the oven when they look just barely done. You can gently touch the edges of one to make sure the edges are set, but the center may still look a little underdone.
That is OKAY! As they cool the center will bake just a tad more. As long as you time it right, you shouldn’t end up with under-baked gooey cookies; just watch for those set edges and just barely underdone center! If you aren’t quite sure, leave them in for one more minute.
This is THE most simple and classic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! I know the cornstarch is a little odd, but I absolutely love cornstarch as an addition to gluten-free cookies!
Whether you’ve been gluten-free since you can’t remember, or are just dipping your toes in the water, I hope you make these cookies and absolutely love them! 🙂
Wanna drool over more cookie pictures? Check out my gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies, gluten-free Orange Cookies and gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (or coconut oil, for dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free if necessary)
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To begin, preheat your oven to 350 and line two pans with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugars and cream them together with a hand mixer for a couple minutes. Add in your egg and vanilla and lightly blend it together again.
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In a separate mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and stir them together (flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt).
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Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir/fold them together till you have one consistent, thick cookie dough. Add your chocolate chips and fold them into your batter.
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Scoop your cookie dough onto your pans with a small cookie scoop, evenly spaced apart (at most 12 cookies per pan).
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, or till the edges of the cookies are just set and the center is still a touch underdone.
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Let the cookies cool for about 20-30 minutes on the pan, and then transfer them to a cooling rack till they are cooled entirely.
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Devour!
Stored in an airtight container, these cookies taste best within the first 4 days. You can also freeze them (after baking) if you’d like to eat one a couple months later!
So happy with these! I let our refined coconut oil soften on top of the stove while the oven was preheating. Added red sanding sugar to get them ready for Santa tonight.
Best cookies ever! I was just wondering would these still turn out good if I used all purpose flour instead of gluten free? Also I know it says it has the freshest taste within 4 days but I was really wanting to mail these to a family member and was wondering how long they would last while being shipped before going bad?
Hi Fae. Yes, you can make these with all purpose flour as well. I think they still taste good up to a week after, they are just freshest within the first four days. I think they would ship just fine! Just ship them asap.
I figured after making these cookies frequently for over 2 years I should finally write a review 🙂 I love this recipe so much! Even my gluten-full friends love them. My only modification is that I add a bit more butter than the recipe calls for. It’s my personal preference, I prefer them flatter and less cake-y. This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you!
Hello,
I have a quick question about baking these cookies. Do I need to refrigerate the dough before baking to keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven? I plan on using butter and I don’t live at a high altitude.
Thank you.
Hi Pamela. No, these cookies do not need to chill beforehand (just make sure you use softened butter, NOT melted!).
Hi Chelsea! Would this recipe work as a bar cookie?
Hi Betsy. Great question! I have never tried making them as cookie bars, but I would assume that they would work just fine that way too!
So my first batch the cookies didn’t really spread out very much. Is that normal? They tasted great. A little dry so I’ll try doing less cooking time and see if that helps. I’m at a higher altitude so I thought more cook time? But maybe that’s a mistake? Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ve MISSED chocolate chip cookies since going dairy free, gluten free, nut free, and soy free.
Hi Meg. That is odd. Are you sure your baking soda isn’t too old? Or maybe your butter alternative was too firm? What did you use in place of butter? Less cooking time should also help if they turned out too dry (a minute makes the world of a difference even!), I wouldn’t bake them more. How high of altitude are you at?
I was invited to dinner and I made these cookies (doubled the recipe) and they turned out perfect. My first 5000′ cookie bake. My dinner guests were very impressed – thanks for making me look good. I baked them at 350 for 12 minutes and the bottoms had a little crispness and the tops were soft and Yummy!
Thanks
Ritchie
Great to hear, Ritchie! So glad I can help 🙂
The flavor of the cookie was great, but mine turned out dry and crumby. I did not swap any ingredients. Any idea why? I’d love to make changes and try again!
Hi Maggie. Which flour did you use? Butter or dairy-free? And is there any chance that you maybe baked them a bit too long?
I also got this but just added a little milk at a time until it was a better consistency. I also did half butter and half peanut butter but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Def one of the better recipes I’ve made and I’ve tried a ton!
My cookies came out dry and crumbly as well. Tasted good though
Hi Carla. I’m sorry to hear that! Which flour did you use? I’d love to know. Thanks!
I made mine vegan by using a flax egg (1 tbs flax + 2 1/2 tbs water) and vegan butter (earth balance) and I used the King Arthur GF flour mix. My batter came out super dry so I added some oat milk until I got the right consistency, baked them a little longer, and they turned out great! Super tasty!
Great to hear Hailey, thanks for the info!
I want to double this recipe, how long should I bake for? Thanks… trying these for first time….
Hi Bonnie. You will still bake the cookies for the same amount of time, you will just have more cookies. However, if you’d like to make the cookies larger you can. A small cookie scoop bakes for about 9-11 minutes, and a large cookie scoop will be closer to 13-14 minutes.
I was in search for a Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Sot Free chocolate chip cookie recipe for my son who recently converted his diet. Chocolate Chip cookies are his favorite so I was in need of a recipe to keep some of his favorites on his menu & to make him happy. This was super easy if you follow the directions exactly! They were super moist as long as you undercook like it says… that will prevent the extra crumbly. Super easy & tastes delectable…. my son totally approves too! I also shared the cookies with some of my GF friends and they too were impressed too! Definitely making these again. I also found that putting the dough in the fridge for a little helps with the baking. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Aw, that’s great to hear, Michelle! I’m so glad I could help you with this recipe.
Hi again Chelsey,
So I know that coconut oil has a tendancey to harden, especially when it is cold, so I added coconut milk and it looks very light. I hope that I did not ruin them… I will see how they turn out.
Hi, I followed the recipe exactly, but with coconut oil instead of butter and it is so dry I can’t even stir it. What can I do?
Hi Ruth. Sorry to hear you struggled with this recipe. It sounds like your coconut oil must not have been soft enough. It sounds like you already tried to add some coconut milk to it though, which I wouldn’t have recommended. Sorry I didn’t see this in time! I would’ve said to lightly microwave it in a few small increments to get it to a texture where you could stir it, and then use it. Sorry if you these didn’t turn out for you because of that!
My first batch of cookies came out flat and I was pretty disappointed. I live in Colorado too so I had high hopes for this recipe. I’ve really struggled getting gluten free chocolate chip cookies to come out and my daughter was diagnosed celiac about 8 months ago. But, I made the recipe again and put the dough in the fridge overnight. And today, they came out perfect. I literally did a happy dance. Thank you so much!
So great to hear that, Sherry! And that was a great idea to chill the dough. Chilling cookies is always super helpful for cookies if you’re in high altitude and they spread too thin!
These are the best gf cookies I have ever made! I usually double the recipe because my husband and I can’t stop eating them. I’ve made them 3 times since we’ve been isolated at home and I don’t think I’ll ever stop!
So happy to hear that, Celia! Thank you for taking the time to share. Love it!!
These turned out fantastic! I have extra flour and Glutino Oreos on hand…. Do you have a cookies and cream type cookie recipe?
So great to hear, thanks Jessica! I don’t.. yet! That sounds delicious. I would think chopped up oreo’s would be amazing in my Chocolate Cookies or these Chocolate Chip Cookies, in place of chocolate chips. Hope you enjoy, again 🙂
These cookies are soooo delicious! Very fluffy and soft which I like in a cookie. Definitely will make them again, even though I have a hard time eating only one or two…
Haha! I have the same problem, Dana, thanks for the sweet comment.
hi anna! i made these cookies around christmas time and they came out perfect! but i’m so confused because i tried making them again twice now and both times they came out terribly wrong.. they fluffed up but the taste was so weird as if there was too much flour or something and they were very crumbly.. but i measured everything exactly how the recipe says
sorry Chelsea! i accidentally put Anna because i was looking at the last comment! my apologies!!
No problem, Ashley! Glad to hear they turned out so great around Christmas time, but that is odd that they aren’t turning out the same now. Are you using the same GF flour as before? All of the same ingredients/brands?
yes! it’s so odd.. the one time i used monk fruit sweetener instead of regular sugar and i accidentally melted the butter first before creaming it together with the sugar so i knew what i did that time. but the second time i followed it exactly and they came out so wrong. i’m not sure what’s happening lol!
yes! it’s so odd.. i followed it exactly and they came out so wrong. i’m not sure what’s happening lol! because the first time they were seriously to die for they were amazing
If you’re using the exact same ingredients and the exact same instructions then they should be turning out the same. That is very odd, Ashley!! The only other thing I would check for would be expiration dates on your ingredients and to be sure your oven is at the right temperature (I’ve accidentally turned mine off in the middle of baking somehow before! Sheesh!). Hope this helps! If not, I’m not sure I have any other suggestions for this mystery, sorry! 🙁
Can you make them with no egg?
Hi Ana. No, you would need an egg or an egg substitute. I haven’t made these in particular with a chia or flax egg but I think that they would work well as a substitute. Hope that helps!
My cookies did not come out good. They were not fluffy instead they came out completely flat tasting like way too much salt. I followed the recipe EXACT 🙁
Hi Celine, I’m sorry to hear that! Could, by any chance, you have mixed up the baking soda and salt? I know I’ve done that in recipes more than I can count. If that’s what happened, it would make sense why the cookies were too salty and didn’t rise enough. If not, either way I’m sorry these didn’t turn out well.
any idea how many calories per cookie? I don’t want to seem like a buzz-kill!
Hi Colleen. No problem. If you get 18 cookies they should each be about 156 calories, depending on what brands you use for all of your ingredients (like flour, chocolate chips).
hi,
was wondering if they would work as cookie dough, obviously taking out the eggs. Would it taste good/work?
thanks
Hi Margarite – I think it would work great as a cookie dough, without the eggs! You just may need a little more liquid in place of them (like butter, sugar or milk) for the right consistency. If you try it, I hope it turns out great!
These cookies turned out great – I also substituted coconut sugar in place of white sugar and they were flavorful and fluffy
Awesome!! Thanks for the comment Heather!
Hi! Mine came out so odd! I made small cookie dough balls and they never flattened or grew. They came out looking much like they did when they went in. The taste was there but the texture is dry and crumbly and they’re shaped like tiny little scones. I followed the recipe EXACTLY. Down to the type of flour in the recipe. Help!
Hi Angie. That’s very odd! It sounds like you may not have added enough butter or sugar, which would help the cookies spread and not be so dry. By any chance could you have missed adding either brown or white sugar or enough butter? I know I made chocolate oatmeal cookies recently and almost forgot the cocoa powder, ha!
Hi just wondering do you have to use cornstarch as I have none?
Hi Emma. The cornstarch isn’t a must have, the cookies will be just fine without them. It does make them a little extra tender and soft, but not worth an extra trip to the grocery store for just cornstarch!
Good flavor, but these cookies were so fluffy. It wasn’t a chewy or crispy chocolate chip cookie at all for me. I really didn’t like these.
Just made these and they turned out great. There was no gritty texture and the cornstarch kept the cookies from spreading out too thin. I liked the plump fluffy texture of these cookies. Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
So glad to hear that, Elle! Thank you for taking the time to leave the comment, it made my day 🙂
These were delicious but my cookies kept falling apart, is there anything I can do next time to prevent that from happening?
Hi Louise, I’m sorry to hear that! I haven’t had that problem before. What gluten-free flour did you use?
Would these cookies still turn out okay if I were to use monk fruit and/or stevia in place of the sugar?
Hi Amy, I honestly have no idea. I have never used stevia or monk fruit – I prefer to use sugar, honey or maple syrup. Sorry!
Did you try them with Stevia? How did they turn out? I was going to ask the same thing.
Hi Renae, I have not tried them with Stevia ever, I don’t use stevia so I’m not sure how that would work. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Did anyone try the stevia? This was my question too
I used stevia in exact replacement of the sugar so 3/4 C and I also added two Tbl of agave syrup and little extra vanilla for flavoring. I used maybe just a little more than an 1/8 of a C of water so the cookies would stick a little better. Turned out great!