These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are crispy at the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, and loaded with a mix of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. The dough is made with creamed butter and brown sugar for that classic cookie flavor, and an hour of chilling in the fridge gives the cookies better structure and deeper flavor.
The recipe makes 24 cookies using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, which already contains xanthan gum. I’ve been baking this recipe for over a decade, and it’s the one I come back to every time.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag). It includes xanthan gum, so no need to add extra. There’s another Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (in the red bag), which is supposed to be used for baking with yeast, not cookies, so don’t use that one.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. It should hold an indent when you press it but not feel greasy or melty.
- Sugar – Brown sugar adds moisture and chew. Granulated sugar helps the edges crisp up. You need both for the right texture.
- Eggs – Use large eggs (about 50 g each), at room temperature. Cold eggs can cause the creamed butter to seize up and look curdled.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. With only a few flavors going on in a chocolate chip cookie, the quality of your vanilla comes through.
- Chocolate – I use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and chopped chocolate bar. The variety gives you different textures. Chips hold their shape, chunks get gooey, and chopped chocolate melts into thin puddles and adds chocolate dust for a speckled look.
Chill the Dough for Better Cookies
Chilling the dough for at least one hour does two things. It keeps the cookies from spreading too thin in the oven, and it gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate, which leads to a softer, less gritty texture. If the dough feels too firm when you take it out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.
Recipe FAQs
I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (blue bag), which contains xanthan gum. If your blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour. I can’t guarantee the same results with other blends since gluten-free flours vary a lot.
Yes. Chilling for at least one hour keeps the cookies from spreading too flat and gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate, which improves texture. If you skip it, you’ll likely end up with thin, greasy cookies that crisp too much.
You can, but the mix is what gives these cookies their texture and look. Chopped chocolate melts into thin puddles and adds chocolate dust throughout the dough, and chunks create big gooey pockets. All chips will still taste good, but you’ll lose some of that variety.
This dough is designed to be scooped and baked as individual cookies. If you’re looking for a bar version, try my gluten-free cookie bars instead.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll start to soften after about 2 days. A quick 10 seconds in the microwave brings back the warm, gooey texture.
Freezer: To freeze baked cookies, cool completely, freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or warm in a 200°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes. You can also freeze unbaked dough balls. Scoop onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Serving Suggestions
These are great on their own, still warm from the oven with a glass of milk. But if you want to do something extra with them, they make really good cookie sandwiches. A layer of my peanut butter frosting or chocolate cream cheese frosting between two cookies is hard to beat. In the summer, I’ll use them for ice cream sandwiches with my chocolate peanut butter ice cream or coffee ice cream. They also work as a swap for graham crackers on a s’mores board if you’re doing a gluten-free spread.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (350 g) gluten-free flour blend - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which contains xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter - at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (100 g) large eggs - at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (350 g) assorted semi-sweet chocolate - a combination of chips, chunks and chopped chocolate bar, divided
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2½ cups (350 g) gluten-free flour blend, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, and ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar.
- Cream with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add 2 (100 g) large eggs and 1 tablespoon (15 g) vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Add the remaining flour and stir until no streaks of flour remain.
- Stir in 1½ cups of 2 cups (350 g) assorted semi-sweet chocolate reserving the remaining ½ cup for topping.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 2 to 3 tablespoon balls. You should get about 24 dough balls.
- Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 to 4 inches between each one. Fit 6 to 8 cookies per sheet. Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Press reserved ½ cup chocolate into the tops of each dough ball.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are no longer shiny. Cool on the baking sheet for 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Note: I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (blue bag), which contains xanthan gum.
- Chocolate: I use a mix of semi-sweet chips, chunks, and chopped chocolate bar for the best texture and look. All chips works fine if that’s what you have.
- Chilling: Don’t skip the 1-hour chill. It prevents spreading and hydrates the gluten-free flour for a better texture. If the dough is too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Freezing: Scoop dough balls onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, freeze 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Please save me one. I need a cookie.
I just popped in to let you know that I awarded you the One Lovely Blog Award: http://binomialbaker.blogspot.com/2012/05/one-lovely-blog-award.html