Soft, chewy gluten-free double chocolate chip cookies are made for chocolate lovers! If you are looking for the best chocolate cookie made with gluten-free all purpose flour, but without the grittiness or dry, crumbly texture, then this is the magic recipe for you. I use my easy gluten-free baking tips to make crisp, chewy edges with a soft, fudgy centers loaded with gooey chocolate chips.
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Legit, The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies
If chocolate was a food group, these gluten-free double chocolate cookies should be the base of the pyramid. While there will always be a special place in my heart for classic bakery-style gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, what’s not to love about adding a double heaping of chocolate into the equation?
We are a family of chocolate enthusiasts. Weekend mornings commonly start with a stack of chocolate chocolate chip pancakes (yep, they are as good as they sound) while the day ends with a top pick from my homemade gluten-free cookie recipe collection. Luckily, there are always plenty to choose from because my GF recipe testing means lots of “cast-offs” being stored in our freezer.
From all of these experimentations, I use my top tips to make a double chocolate chip cookie taste, well, taste the opposite of gluten-free, or at least what you’ve been disappointed by in the past. Although GF cookies requires a little extra finesse, they don’t have to be complicated or out of reach, even for novice bakers.
When it comes to making a double chocolate chip cookies using a combination of melted butter and oil aids in coating the GF starches with fat, so the cookies aren’t greasy and hold their shape. Adding cocoa powder adds structure to the cookies without having to add extra flour, meaning the cookies stay soft and fudgy.
Chilling the cookie dough performs a double duty by giving the gluten-free flour a chance to hydrate and lose its grittiness, while also achieving a chewier texture. This means a legitimately great chocolate cookie taste no one will suspect is gluten-free!
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Ingredient Tid Bits
- Sugars – A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar builds structure and gives it a chewy chocolate cookie texture.
- Unsweetened baking cocoa – I prefer to use baking cocoa over melted chocolate because it saves a step, making the recipe more streamlined. It als reduces the amount of gluten-free flour needed, guaranteeing a soft texture.
- Oil – Use any preferred, from melted coconut to vegetable. A combination of melted butter and a little bit of oil helps saturate the gluten-free flour starches so it does not have a gritty texture.
- Gluten-free flour – I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour because the cornstarch added to the blend softens baked goods without a gritty texture.
- Chocolate chips – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, milk chocolate, or a combination of chocolate with white chocolate
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 one bowl cookie dough
First, beat together the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking cocoa, and oil. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. To that add the gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. Look at all that chocolate goodness!
Chocolate chips, chilling, and baking
Now it’s time to stir in the chocolate chips. This is usually when I clean out my random baking chips! Usually I add a mixture of whatever I have on hand, mini chocolate chips, dark chocolate, semi sweet, or milk. It’s all good here, as long as chocolate is its name.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or freeze for 20-30 minutes, until well chilled. You could bake right away, but I find chilling gluten-free cookie dough is an easy trick to really improving the texture.
Drop the dough on ungreased baking sheets. To do this quickly and evenly, I used a medium-sized cookie scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the middle is slightly underbaked. Enjoy!
Top Tips For Gluten-Free Cookie Dough (Easy Wins!)
- Good Quality 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 because the added cornstarch absorbs moisture, eliminating flat or greasy cookies, and adds a soft chewiness.
- Chilling Cookie Dough: Instead of using extra GF flour to structure the dough (which will dry out the texture), I prefer a looser dough and chilling to make it easier to work. Also it gives time for the starches time to relax and soften, further improving the texture.
- Lower Oven Temp: Baking GF cookies in a 325°F oven rather than 350°F improves texture with a softer chew, rather than dense and sticky. It slightly extends baking time, giving the starches time to meld with the fats homogeneously.
Double Chocolate Cookie Mix-Ins
Now that you have a reliable recipe for chocolate gluten-free cookies, let’s start dreaming up all the ways to make them even better. Of course, adding a 1/2 cup chopped nuts is great way to add a sweet and salty crunch. I have a hard time not sprinkling on flaky sea salt on chocolate desserts. It gives the perfect chef’s kiss finish.
If you love minty chocolate, make a peppermint chocolate version. Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. After the cookies have cooled, dip them in white chocolate and immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
You can also layer in other flavors to enhance the chocolate. I’ve done 1 teaspoon orange zest or espresso powder. For a Mexican-chocolate version, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper with the dry ingredients.
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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
Fudgy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (117 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened baking cocoa
- 2 tablespoons oil, any preferred
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup (192 g) gluten free all purpose flour, I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (128 g) semi sweet chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped chocolate
- (optional) flaky salt, for sprinkling
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or leave them ungreased. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat together the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking cocoa, and oil. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.1 ⅓ cup gluten free all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped chocolate
- For best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or freeze for 20-30 minutes, until well chilled.
- Scoop out about 1 ½-2 tablespoons of dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. To work quickly and evenly, I used a medium-sized cookie scoop. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt or press additional chocolate on the top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating and turning the pans halfway through, until the edges are set and the middle is slightly underbaked. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Dairy Free Adaptations
I have not tried the recipe using dairy-free, plant based butter, but a lot of readers have had success with substituting vegan butter sticks, such as Earth Balance, in other gluten free cookie recipes. For the chocolate chips, they may be omitted or substitute dairy free chips, such as Enjoy Life. Read the ingredient label on your gluten-free flour blend to make sure it doesn’t contain milk powder.Storing / Freezing
Gluten free baked goods are best enjoyed within a day or two of baking. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. To store longer, I recommend freezing until ready to eat. Make sure they have cooled completely and the chocolate chips have hardened. Wrap the cookies in stacks of 2-3 and then transfer to an airtight freezer container up to 3 months. To freeze unbaked cookies, portion out the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the unbaked cookies to an airtight freezer container and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 1-2 minutes longer. Recipe adapted from Cafe DelitesThis 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.
Thank you for this recipe.Taste tested by my family who don’t have celiac, and they liked them! I have a friend who has celiac disease, and I made these to give her for Christmas. They came out not quite gooey inside, but still very good! I think it’s my oven. I took them out at 10 minutes. Next time I will take them out sooner. Thank you also for this recipe making a smaller batch – some for my family, and I can make another type of gluten free cookie to give my friend!
Oh, I’m so glad, Lynn! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. It’s immensely appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
I made these with cup4cup and they were great! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re so welcome, Krista! Glad you enjoyed!
Best,
Melissa
These cookies were delicious and easy to make! I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour blend and also chilled the batter for an hour before using it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re so welcome, Nicole! I’m really glad they were such a hit!
Best,
Melissa
These turned out perfect! Fudgy inside & chewy outside. Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear, Hayley! Thank you for taking the time to write!
Best,
Melissa