As a gluten-free baker, I know from first-hand experience how hard it can be to bake really good gluten-free chocolate chips cookies. My perfect gluten-free chocolate chip cookies recipe has 4 simple tricks: use the right flour, chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes (I explain why below!), shape the dough cylindrically, and bake the cookies at 325°F not 350°F. Recipe yields 24 bakery-style cookies with no grittiness.
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Truly, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Like You’ve Never Had
There are a variety of gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, so why does recipe work so well? The best gluten-free cookie recipe has slightly crisp edges, soft, chewy middles, and smooth, sweet flavor. Unfortunately many GF recipes suffer from being overly greasy, excessive spreading or a gritty, ricey texture.
While some simply substitute gluten-free flour for a traditional recipe, I throughly tested this version by using tried and true techniques from my best-of gluten-free cookie recipe collection.
These chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies uses an all-purpose gluten-free flour, but I utilized four simple tricks to make a soft-batch bakery treat without any grittiness.
Below I share the four easy hacks to turn gluten-free cookies into a smashing success. Just like another community fave – fudgy gluten-free brownie cookies, these GF chocolate chip cookies impress even the toughest critics. Say goodbye to overly greasy, gritty, and flat cookies forever!
Besides learning how to make the best homemade cookies pick up some other helpful tid bits, like freezing and storing tips, mix-in ideas, and a dairy-free modification so all can enjoy!
These are sooo delicious! Got the compliment that they don’t taste gluten free. This will be a staple recipe for sure and I highly recommend it.
—Erika
Not only are these the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies, but the best chocolate chip cookies in general!! They are so good, and you cannot tell at all that they are gluten free. Perfection!
—Lacey
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Ingredients Tid Bits
Fortunately, making a stellar chocolate chip cookie doesn’t require fancy ingredients, only easy techniques. No other speciality flours are needed besides a high quality all-purpose gluten free flour blend. My recommended brand is Cup4Cup, which I elaborate more on in the GF flour section.
Cup4Cup chocolate chip cookies were tested with this particular flour after trying several other GF blends. If you read through the comments below, many readers have used their preferred brand and have added their notes.
Watch The Recipe
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Easy Peasy Cookie Dough
In a large bowl mix together the butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Then add the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed, or stir, until just combined. At this point the dough will be pretty soft, but that’s okay! Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill Baby Chill
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This is long enough to stiffen the dough a bit, but more importantly, remove that grittiness gluten-free cookies tend to have. This works for any type of cookie dough or even to make ultra chewy, gooey GF cookie bars ridiculously good.
Best Way to Shape (and Bake)
Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. I use a medium cookie scoop to do this quickly and evenly. Roll into smooth balls and then shape into cylinders with a flat bottom. This helps the cookies rise instead of flatten as they bake.
To further help with a softer chew, without stickiness in the bite, bake in a lower oven, 325°F for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway.
Trick 1: Use Recommended GF Flour
While all purpose GF flours make it easy to convert recipes, there is quite a difference in how they perform. For cookies in particular, I recommend Cup4Cup brand for best texture and flavor.
Cup4Cup flour particularly assists in a GF cookie’s texture because the mix includes cornstarch. Not only does this absorb moisture, eliminating flat or greasy cookies, but it adds soft chewiness.
This flour also proved to be the best when testing in many other gluten-free flour baking experiments. However, the older formula contains milk powder (new formula does not), so be sure to read the ingredient label on the bag. I’ve tested the recipe with the new version and it still works great.
Trick 2: Improve Cookies’ Shape
If you suffer from flat GF cookies or would like them to rise more, there is a simple trick to make perfect chocolate chip cookies! Achieve beautiful bakery-style treats, making soft ridges, instead of flat and crisp.
First, portion out the dough using a medium cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons worth. Roll them into a smooth cookie ball and then shape into a tall cylinder with a flat bottom. As the dough bakes, it melt into layers, achieving bakery-style cookies!
If using another gluten-free cookie recipe and they are still flat, chances are the flour to fat ratio is off. GF starches do not absorb fat as well, which makes them spread excessively.
Adding 1-2 tablespoons more gluten-free flour can alleviate this. Alternatively, cut back on the butter and add an extra egg yolk for moisture and binding.
Trick 3: Chill Dough
GF starches generally rely on xanthan gum to assist with binding. However, this usually doesn’t go far enough to mimic the shape and elasticity wheat flours have. Therefore, many recipes add additional flour to further assist absorbing moisture and making the dough workable.
Unfortunately, once baked, this also yields some overly dry and crumbly cookies. This recipe combats that in two ways.
First, using melted butter coats and saturates the starches, decreasing grittiness. But then the dough is rather soft and adding more flour isn’t an optimal option. Chilling resolidifies the dough, making it easier to work and giving the starches time to relax and soften, further improving the texture.
Trick 4: Lower Oven Temp
After witnessing the success of baking gluten-free quick breads in a slightly lower oven, I decided to give it a try for cookies as well! Baking GF cookies in a 325°F oven rather than 350°F improved texture with a softer chew, rather than dense and sticky.
Just like chilling dough before baking, a lower oven slightly extends bake time, giving the starches time to meld with the fats homogeneously. While baking your cookies, do the experiment yourself. Bake one tray at 325°F and one at 350°F and see what you think!
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Seriously, THE BEST Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (176 g) packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup (262 g) gluten free all purpose flour, Cup4Cup gluten-free flour highly recommended
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup (213 g) semisweet chocolate chips, I use 1 cup semi-sweet, ¼ cup miniature chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined and no flour pockets remain. Stir in chocolate chips or mix in on low speed. The dough will be slightly sticky and soft.1 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Tip: The cookies can go on ungreased baking sheets as well, but they release better from parchment or silicone)
- Use a medium cookie scoop (or 2 tbsp per cookie) to drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Roll the cookie dough into smooth balls and then shape into a tall cylinder with flat bottom (see post for image). This helps the cookies rise instead of flatten.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway. Edges should be set, but middle is still soft. OPTIONAL TIP: When they come out of the oven, you can raise and drop the cookie sheet a few inches off the stove top to settle the cookies down into softer ridges. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes before transporting to a wire rack.
Notes
storing / freezing
If you don’t plan on eating these treats within a day or two, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. For storing at room temperature, make sure the cookies have cooled completely first before stacking and storing in an airtight container. To freeze unbaked cookies, drop portioned cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once the cookies are hard, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake from frozen, adding an additional 1-2 minutes baking time.Dairy Free adaptations
If you are looking for a dairy free recipe, use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips and substitute regular unsalted butter for vegan butter sticks. Since dairy free, vegan butter is a little saltier, reduce the salt in the recipe by half. The recommended gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder in the blend (newer formula does not, so check label). Use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour as an allergen-free alternative.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
I just found out I’ve got celiacs and I thought I’d be cookieless. I always heard that gluten free deserts aren’t as good as the real thing, and from my experience that’s rung true. That being said these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have EVER baked. I’ve tried a bunch of different chocolate chip recipes before going gluten free and these are better then every single one of those. They are nice and crisp on the outside. They are thick and moist on the inside. They are still good the next day and not the least bit dry. What in the world is in the GF flour lol
Yay! This makes me so happy! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, Erin. It really brightens my day!
Best,
Melissa
I tried my hand at these today using bobs red mill 1of1 and the first batch was really floury. I also don’t use brown sugar as I like coconut sugar instead it’s healthier. When I made the first batch the dough was crumble like I still formed the balls and got the un desirable first batch. Second batch I added some vegetable oil and two more eggs and…… holly cow you have nestle gluten free cookies. They’re perfect with these tweaks given the flour I used.
Thanks for taking the time to share, Kari. Your notes are very helpful for others! Swapping out coconut sugar for brown sugar will contribute to less moisture, so I’m glad you were able to adapt the recipe.
Best,
Melissa
They taste very good a few minutes after they come out of the oven, but they’re still gritty, and now 3 hours later they’re hard and chalky and gritty. I used your idea of making them into little cylinders so they wouldn’t spread out, but they NEED to spread out. They look like little dusty lumps. I can’t take these cookies to an event tomorrow, and I don’t have time to bake a new dessert, so now I’ll have to buy something for. Very disappointed.
I am so sorry, Susan. I absolutely know how frustrating it is when you set aside and time and ingredients and it doesn’t turn out. Especially when you were planning on bringing them to an event. I’m wondering what GF flour blend was used? If you check out the GF flour section the brand has a big effect on the end result.
Best,
Melissa
What does “nestle gluten free cookies” mean?
Like the cookies made using Nestle Tollhouse brand chocolate chips
Perfect! Sounds good to me!!
Best,
Melissa
Very good recipe! Cookies turned out perfect . Crispier on the outside , chewy in the middle .
So good, Natalie! Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
This was the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! They were soft and fluffy and amazing all around. Thank you!
Yes! Love hearing this, Laura! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
These were delicious!
I’ve decided to flatten the rolled cookie dough before I place them in the oven next time.
The baking experience was a sweet adventure!
Yaas! Love hearing this, Leah. Thank you so much for taking to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Approximately how many cookies does this yield?
Hi Tracy,
It makes 24, if using a medium cookie scoop.
Best,
Melissa
Many thanks, appreciate it! 🙂
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour. With this flour, you need to chill the dough for at least 2-3 hours. The 30 minutes isn’t enough. When I only let the dough chill for 30 minutes, the cookies tasted floury and a little gritty. The cookies that I chilled the dough for longer were chewier and didn’t taste floury. I also over baked the first batch because they looked pale. I found that 11-12 minutes with the second batch was the best time for my oven. This is a pretty good recipe for gf chocolate chip cookies. I‘ll definitely make them again.
Thanks for sharing your notes, Katie. So helpful to hear!
Best,
Melissa
Great cookie recipe, but 1 tsp of baking soda is too much. 1/2 tsp is all that’s needed, otherwise the cookie will taste like baking soda.
Wish I would have seen this comment before I baked, you’re absolutely right. The texture was great though.
I am fairly new to gluten and dairy free baking due to my son’s allergies so I am constantly trying recipes because I’m so used to regular flour and butter in recipes. These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This is so sweet. Thank you, Breanna! It’s appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
Hi! I’m not sure I know what you mean when you describe shaping them? Where is the video?
Hi Chris,
My apologies it was missed! If you look at the images in the post, above the recipe card, there’s a picture of what I mean. I added this recipes as videos to make also!
Best,
Melissa
I don’t know what I am doing wrong but the first three times I made this recipe, it was perfect and my whole family kept on saying to bake more. All three times were over one weekend. But now I can’t get these cookies to be chewy, round, and moist. I use the same exact ingredients and steps. I know this can’t be it at all but is it because we are getting colder weather now? I made them during Thanksgiving holiday when we had 50s weather. Now its low to mid 30s. Could that really be the reason? What should I do to adjust? My family is saying they want the Thanksgiving cookies.
Oh Paul, how frustrating! Do you have one of those inexpensive oven thermometers? Perhaps you oven’s calibration adjusted? I’m assuming you are using the same GF flour you did before? What are they turning out like now? That would help me troubleshoot.
Best,
Melissa
Can bobs red mill be used
Yes, that wouldn’t be a problem.
Best,
Melissa
I baked these as a gift for a friend. I used King Arthur Measure for Measure. I was surprised how good they were, considering they were gluten free. Many years ago I had done some baking with Cup4Cup and I think that created a better product. Unfortunately it is not available locally here. I will order from Amazon and give these another try in the future.
Hi Mimi,
What a wonderful friend you are! Yes, I think C4C does make the best taste and texture in these. Hope you’ll give them a try again!
Best,
Melissa
So how much milk do we need to put in saw last comment that it was added but does not show on the recipe
Hi Kristin,
I believe they added 1 tbsp, just enough to loosen the dough slightly to stir in the chips. If you don’t have that issue with the flour brand you use, you can just omit it!
Best,
Melissa
Do I have to use the cup4cup brand can you use any gluten free flour bought some and different brand
Hi Kristin,
No, I have used it with different ones, as well as other readers. It will work! Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Never would’ve guessed these were gluten free! Will definitely make again. I did add 1 tbsp of milk to the batter in step 2, as it was too dry to effectively fold in the chocolate chips otherwise.
Yay, best compliment ever and always the goal! The GF flour you used might have absorbed the moisture a little more than others, but great call on adding a little milk.
Best,
Melissa
We are gluten and dairy free. I had cup4cup dairy free (green bag) but I keep reading about milk powder making cookies chewy. I used my dairy free cup4cup and added 2 tablespoons of coconut milk powder and 1 tbsp cornstarch. And just for fun switched the extra 2 tbsp of flour to almond protein powder.
Fridge for 1 to 2 hrs. My cookie balls were not going down so halfway thru when I went to turned the pan I took a spatula and smooshed them down just a bit. And finished cooking til browned edges and these were amazing. Best cookies I’ve had in so long. They stayed so thick and chewy.
Thank you so much for these tips! If you want to try this version next time, I would add a little less GF flour, like 3-4 tablespoons, and you probably wouldn’t have the problem with them not going down. Let me know how it works out for you!
Best,
Melissa
After reading all the comments, I went with this recipe out of about 25 I read.
Used King Arthur Measure for Measure, and Hershey Special Dark chocolate chips.
These turned out awesome! I have never made GF cookies before, and I’ve read all the failure stories. I was really scared to make anything GF.
I adjusted the baking time, my oven tends to run hot. I baked them on the lower rack.
They have a different texture than regular flour, obviously, but not in a bad way.
The are soft and chewy. I will definitely make these again for my GF family members.
If you follow the directions EXACTLY, they should turn out as expected. You may need to adjust the baking time, and you must shape them exactly as directed! That is definitely the key to them not spreading all over the cookie sheet.
Thank you so much, Rachel! You have no idea how happy this makes me!
Best,
Melissa
Absolutely spectacular recipe! A big fan of these cookies. Chewy, delicious and way healthier than anything I can buy at the store. 5/5
Thank you so much, Kim! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Hi! Do I need to put any xanthan gum?
Not if your GF flour blend has it. If it doesn’t, add 1/2 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Thank you so much!!
These are sooo delicious! Got the compliment that they don’t taste gluten free. This will be a staple recipe for sure and I highly recommend it.
Thank you, Erika! This means a lot. Thank you so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
I agree – these are the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies I’ve tried. I brought them to a gathering and they disappeared in a flash. When I divulged they were glutengluten-free free, everyone was amazed. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Love this! That is my favorite thing – fooling the non-GFers!
Best,
Melissa
Not only are these the best gluten free choc. chip cookies, but the best chocolate chip cookies in general!! They are so good, and you cannot tell at all that they are gluten free. Perfection!
Oh yes, Lacy! This makes me so happy to hear!
Best,
Melissa
These turned out perfect, didn’t spread and tasted great! I’ve tried a lot of gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipes and these are the first ones that didn’t spread! Thank you!
So happy to hear this! Thank you so much for taking the time to share! I really appreciate it 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Has anyone tried these baked recipes at high altitude? I live at aprox. 7,600 feet above sea level.
In regular baking, sugar is reduced, along with leavening, liquids increased or added, if no liquid was part of the recipe. Baking temperature raised. The purpose is to maintain structure without drying out.
I now need to cook, gluten free for family members with Celiac and Lupis.
I’m also curious if backing down the temperature and cooking longer will dry out cookies, cakes etc when at high altitude.
I appreciate insight on this.
Hi Heidi,
I’ll do my best to help although I’m not particularly well versed in high altitude. GF cookies have a tendency to be flatter so I would leave the leavening as is. However, I would bake at 350 versus 325, which is recommended in the recipe.
Best,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Thanks much for responding. I’ll work with your advice.
High altitude and gluten free are creating an interesting learning curve for me.
Can’t wait to try so many great looking recipes that you have.
Best Wishes,
Heidi
I bet! I used to live in Denver for a number of years, but this was pre-GF for me. Plus, I don’t think Denver altitude seemed to skew baking that much. Keep me updated because the info we be beneficial for others!
Best,
Melissa
I’ll keep you posted on results of my efforts.
I just signed up for your newsletter, don’t want to miss out on your tips and newest creations!
Best Wishes,
Heidi
Thanks for this recipe! I’m looking forward to trying them. I also love how much I learned about gluten free baking in it, because I’m always looking to understand it better. You managed to explain it in a way that is really understood – no small feat!
With other cookie recipes, I’ve seen (both reading and then trying it myself) that refrigerating the dough overnight or up to 24 or 48 hours produces better results. If you’ve tried it, so you think that’s true for these? I’m not sure if there’s a point that is too long for having the starches absorb the liquid.
Hi Elle,
I’m so you learned from the post. That makes me really happy! Great question about refrigerating the dough overnight. You can refrigerate it up to 24 hours. I think 48 hours would be pushing it for GF dough and might risk making the cookies too dry. As for if it would make a difference in the outcome. I’m not 100% sure, but I don’t think I can plan ahead that much when I need cookies! You could bake half after chilling and the other half after 24 hours. The problem is you wouldn’t have a great side-by-side taste test because a cookie baked 24 hours before would just be worse than a freshly baked one. You would almost have to freeze the first cookie and eat them both at the same time, warmed to the same temp. Sounds like a fun experiment and if you do it, I’d love to hear the outcome!
Best,
Melissa
I think I have an old version of this recipe. Mine calls for 2tbs milk and baking at 350. I see the recommendation to bake at 325, is the milk now omitted as well?
Hi Tricia,
Yes, I reworked the recipe slightly. It won’t hurt to add the milk, but I found not adding it gives the cookies more structure so they don’t bake as flat. Also, baking at a lower oven helps prevent grittiness in GF cookies because it gives more time for the moisture to absorb in the GF starches. I’m always looking for easy ways to improve GF baked goods and in my opinion, these 2 things stepped the recipe up a notch!
Best,
Melissa
These cookies came out amazing! I used King Arthur measure for measure GF flour. I also put mini chocolate chips and Trader Joe’s salted caramel chips. Perfect!!!!!
Yum, Heddy! My favorite part of making cookies is mixing in all sorts of goodies. I’ll have to try the TJ’s salted caramel chips!
Best,
Melissa
Just made your gluten-free chocolate chip cookies for the first time and they are delicious! I only had dark brown sugar, which I am guessing is why they are a little bit deeper in color. I also found that they were not spreading, so when I rotated the pans halfway through the baking cycle, I used a spatula and did depress them somewhat. They turned out beautifully! And, no gritty aftertaste!!! I used Walmart’s Great Value GF Flour with success! Wish I could include a picture – I’m so pleased, and I thank you very much for how much expense and time and hard work you put in to help make gluten-free food visually appealing and delicious!
I really appreciate this, Cindy! It makes it all worth it to read comments like this!
Best,
Melissa
I did reduce the amount of sugar, but even so my kids and husband loved these cookies! The dough was sooo soft and sweetness was perfect! I am a mother of 4 that doesn’t buy prepackaged sweets/desserts/breads, therefore this recipe is gold to me =)
My substitutions included:
1/2 cup of brown coconut sugar (healthier alternative).
1/3 cup of monk sugar (healthier alternative).
2 tablespoons of almond milk
1 cup of “Enjoy Life” brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Thank you for your very helpful substitutions! I’m so glad your family loved them!
Best,
Melissa
Ohhh thanks for this comment. We dont eat white sugar or brown sugar in our family so I was hoping to see someone who substituted these. Can’t wait to give these a try.
Sounds good, but where does the 2 tbsp milk come in? I don’t see it in your steps.
Never mind, I’m just blind lol I see it now.
No worries!
I also do not see milk in the list of ingredients
Hi Megan,
That was an old addition to the recipe. I have since adjusted it. Looks like I forgot to omit it from the post itself. Thanks for pointing that out!
Best,
Melissa