Why are these the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies? Because they do not require a lot of special, expensive flours. You only need almond flour and you're good to go!
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What is it about a chocolate chip cookie? For me, it's the contrast in texture. The crisp–but not too crisp–dough, giving way to that chunk of chocolate.
And for me, that chocolate has to be dark chocolate. No question.
And why should gluten free people be deprived of this glorious sensory experience? They shouldn't be.
My husband is gluten free, so I'm always on the lookout for gluten free desserts. But if you know me at all, you know I don't like to mess with sourcing several different kinds of specialty flour to make them happen.
I don't bake a whole lot so keeping coconut flour, tapioca flour, various starches and concoctions around just isn't practical for me. But almond flour? I can handle picking up a bag of almond flour.
And that's all you need for these gluten free chocolate chip cookies so they win! Huzzah! (Can you tell I'm bingeing The Great on Hulu right now?)
They are simple simple simple!
Gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe
Adapted from New York Times Cooking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring your butter to room temperature.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk together to fully incorporate.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature butter and both kinds of sugar until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and light, about 3 - 4 minutes.
I buck the trend and have a Cuisinart stand mixer and I love it. A hand mixer will also work fine for this task.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and mix again briefly to combine. Add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds to fully incorporate all of the wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients and turn on mixer for about 10 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer on again briefly to make sure the ingredients are all distributed.
Now it's time for what we are all here for. The chocolate.
I am a dark, dark chocolate person. I suggest bittersweet chocolate here, and I used Guittard extra dark chocolate chips. But if you prefer semi-sweet, go for it.
I also encourage you to get a kitchen scale and weigh your chocolate, since chocolate chips, baking wafers, and chopped chocolate are all going to vary by size, so a measuring cup will not give you the same amount across the board.
I have an Escali Primo digital scale. I love this scale. I rave about it. And I love it when I see some pro chef using the exact same scale in the exact same color on a YouTube or IGTV video.
Add the chocolate to the mixing bowl and turn mixer on low speed just long enough to incorporate all the chocolate chips into the dough.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir gently and make sure the dough is uniform throughout.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Give them a decent amount of space between because they will spread out.
Bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating sheets once halfway through.
I went for the longer end of this baking time. I liked them a little more golden brown and crisp on the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly on the sheet pan before transferring. I found it worked best to slide the parchment off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack instead of trying to remove the cookies individually.
The almond flour base means they are a little more prone to breaking apart before they cool than a regular AP flour cookie base would be.
Allow to cool completely.
How do you store gluten free cookies?
Store these gluten free chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Because these are made from almond flour, they will soften up a bit once stored for a day or so. Keep them in a cool dry place so they aren't exposed to too much humidity.
More gluten free dessert recipes
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups almond flour
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips about 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring butter to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk together to fully incorporate.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream butter and both kinds of sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. About 3 - 4 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and mix again briefly to combine. Add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds to fully incorporate the wet ingredients into the dough.
- Add dry ingredients and turn on mixer for about 10 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer on again briefly to make sure the ingredients are distributed throughout the dough.
- Add the chocolate to the mixing bowl and turn mixer on low speed just long enough to incorporate all the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir the dough gently to make sure it is uniform throughout.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Give them a decent amount of space between because they will spread out. Bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating sheets once halfway through.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly on the sheet pan before transferring to a cooling rack. See note.
- Cookies will store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
- I found it worked best to slide the parchment off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack instead of trying to remove the cookies individually. The almond flour can remain pretty crumbly when the cookies are still hot.
- Baking time is 12 - 18 minutes. I baked these for about 16 - 18 minutes to get them a little crispier.
- I love very dark chocolate. I suggest bittersweet chocolate here, and I used Guittard extra dark chocolate chips. But if you prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, go for it.
- Using a kitchen scale to weigh your chocolate is very important, since chocolate chips, baking wafers, and chopped chocolate are all going to vary by size, so a measuring cup will not give you the same amount across the board. I have an Escali digital scale that I absolutely love.
- I use a Cuisinart stand mixer, but a handheld mixer will work just as well for this recipe.
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