The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies is an easy grain free cookie recipe made with almond flour and maple syrup. This is my tried and true recipe for the best almond flour chocolate chip cookie!
I’ve always enjoyed recipes using grain-free flours. I made Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies and Buckwheat Flour Double Chocolate Chip Cookies in the past. But I am especially fond almond flour, because almond flour acts and tastes very similarly to regular wheat flour for these chocolate chip cookies, so I decided to make them taste and look similar to the regular chocolate chip cookies.
I made 4 different batches varying proportions of almond flour, butter and maple syrup until I was happy with the result – the best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies! We ate a lot of chocolate and almond flour this past week! As a result we learned that more butter equals flatter softer and chewer cookies! We also discovered how moist these cookies become when stored in the air tight container!
Most importantly, it became very clear that to make the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies CORRECT it’s really necessary to make them small in size! Small scoops please! And you might want to flatten these gluten free cookies with a fork after about 7 minutes in the oven.
This isn’t the first time I’ve used almond flour in the cookie recipe on the blog – remember Cranberry Almond Cookies? I know that you don’t, just wanted to point out that there is another almond flour cookie recipe on this site. Needless to say, I’m a fan of this particular flour and was very pleased with how it turned out in both of these delicious cookie recipes.
How to bake these almond flour chocolate chip cookies
- Use 2 baking sheets because you will be baking 26 cookies in total, 13 almond cookies per each baking sheet.
- Make sure to line each baking sheet with parchment paper. This will ensure nice smooth bottom of the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies and make it easy to separate them from the baking sheet after baking.
- Use a round measuring tablespoon to scoop out batter onto the baking sheet.
- Flatten the chocolate chip cookies with the back of the regular tablespoon to make them even on top and prevent them from not rising during baking
- Bake until the edges are ONLY slightly golden brown and the cookies are porous, 9 to 12 minutes. Do not over bake! They should be very light in color and airy.
- When you remove the baking sheet from oven – let the almond flour chocolate chip cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove them.
- Also do not remove them immediately after baking because they will fall apart when hot right out of the oven.
How to store the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies
I keep them in the air tight container if I know they will be eaten within a couple of days. Otherwise refrigerate or even better freeze in the zip lock bag! The best gluten free chocolate chip cookies are definitely freeze friendly and can be eaten right out.
Almond Flour and cookies
Almond flour is rich in manganese, copper, vitamin E, and unsaturated fats, and fibre so it’s filling and provides great nutrients. More on almond flour nutrition here.
Combined with an egg which acts as a binder in gluten-free baking, and maple syrup for natural, unrefined sweetness that gives these gluten free chocolate chip cookies moisture and flavor, the cookies have a strong, but not overpowering almond flavor that of course pairs wonderfully with dark chocolate.
I loved making these almond flour chocolate chip cookies so much this week that I will definitely be publishing at least two more recipes that will rival the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies!
And by the way, all the people that ate these cookies in our family were not on a gluten free diet, yet they preferred these chocolate chip cookies to the regular ones! To me that speaks volumes to the taste and texture of the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies.
More gluten free cookie recipes here
Gluten Free Dairy Free Double Chocolate Cookies
Cranberry Almond Cookies
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons (Raw and Vegan)
Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
Have you ever made grain-free chocolate chip cookies? What’s your flour of choice? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups almond flour (blanched)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 degrees C). Prepare 2 large baking sheets (to make 26 small cookies) and line each one with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In another medium bowl, whisk melted butter (cooled off and not hot) and maple syrup together. Next whisk in egg and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk together with a whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon (do not overflow though!) and place on the baking sheet (12 or 13 per each baking sheet). Gently tap the cookies with a back of a spoon to flatten them, but don't over do it! They shouldn't be completely flat.
- At 8 minute mark, open the oven door and gently press on top of each cookie with a fork to flatten them. Close the door and continue baking.
- Bake until the edges are ONLY slightly golden brown and the cookies are porous, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not over bake! Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove them.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Thank you so much for your reply! I just ate the last cookie from your recipe so am anxious to try with half the baking soda. 🤗
I made these cookies and I’m pretty happy with them compared to regular chocolate chip cookies made with flour and sugar. They’re a little cakey compared to a regular recipe and I was wondering what would happen if I left out all or half of the baking soda. Part of the problem might be because I’m in a little higher altitude. What do you think? Your recipe is by far better than any other low carb recipe I’ve tried. Thank you!
Definitely reduce baking soda by half. When I make them, I make them very-very small and because there is so much butter in them – they spread out. I am not sure if butter plays the role at higher altitude as well. It might because there is liquid in butter.
I noticed this recipe doesn’t include xanthan gum or tapioca flour. Those aren’t needed if a gluten free flour (like almond flour) is used? I just want to make sure before I try out this recipe!
We don’t need xanthan gum or tapioca flour in this recipe because almond flour and butter hold EVERYTHING together:).
Can I add some cinnamon also?
yes, absolutely!
These look very yummy! Can I use regular sugar instead of maple syrup in this recipe?
Yes for regular sugar. Dark brown sugar would work even better – it’s more moist and will add caramelization.