The ultimate Gluten-free Chocolate Chip cookie recipe! Slightly chewy, slightly crisp, bursting with chocolate! Reminds me of the Nestle Toll House recipe I used long ago. This is my go-to recipe.
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies, what could go wrong?! Well for starters, everyone has their own idea of the perfect cookie, especially when it comes to Chocolate Chip Cookies. To me the ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie is:
- Gluten-free (ha. Obviously!)
- Chewy in the center
- Crisp on edges... but not too crispy!
- Bursting with Chocolate!
- Easy to make with easy to find ingredients. Not to mention, I don't really want to make my own flour blend!
Basically, I want a gluten-free cookie that actually reminds me of the Nestle Toll House version I grew up with. Although, that’s the thing with gluten-free baking. Sure you can do a 1:1 swap with a gluten-free flour blend in all your favorite recipes, but the truth is.... they probably aren’t really going to turn out how you remember. The texture may be dry, crumbly... or just off. For me that’s a bummer because the perfect cookie is all about the getting the perfect texture! That’s why I’m always tweaking my old standard recipes to be more like I remember. I’m never satisfied with close-enough!
Ingredients
The ingredients in this recipe are pretty standard as far as gluten-free baking goes. You'll need:
- Butter
- Brown & white sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Chocolate Chips: semi-sweet, dark chocolate or a mixture of both!
- and the dry ingredients including a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, and salt. And one little secret ingredient... tapioca starch (or cornstarch)!
To get the slightly chewy, slightly crisp cookie, first increase the amount of brown sugar and decrease the white sugar. Increasing brown sugar adds more moisture into the cookie and keeps it on the chewier side. The secret ingredient, a little tapioca starch or cornstarch, goes into the dry ingredients. The starch really helps the overall structure and texture of the cookie. The extra bit of starch adds just the right amount of crispness.
About the flour blend: I use Pamela's Artisan Blend All-purpose Flour in these cookies. It is by far the best baking flour at the best value that I have been able to find. It is a reliable flour and doesn't have any weird flavors or gritty textures. (They don't pay me to say that, I really use and buy this flour all the time!)
Pro-tips for this recipe:
- You can chill the dough before baking, but you don't have to! They turn out similarly either way!
- Don't over-bake these cookies! If you like a slightly gooey/chewy center this is important! They should be slightly golden brown around the edges and still pale but just starting to brown in the centers. Also, eat them while they're warm! They crisp up more as they cool.
- Unless of course you actually like a crispier cookie! Then by all means, bake them an extra minute or two until they are nice and golden brown!
- If your cookies spread too much or aren't as round as you'd like, did you know you can reshape the cookies?! As soon as they come out of the oven use a spoon (just a regular spoon from your silverware drawer) to gently push the edges of the cookie back into shape. Then let the cookie cool. It's such a fun trick!
- And one last tip...
How to prevent the gluten-free cookie crumble!
Gluten-free cookies tend to be a tad more fragile than regular cookies. There's nothing worse than a cookie that crumbles! Sure, you can add in a little extra Xanthan gum to your dry ingredients but I often find that I don’t like how that changes the texture. Want to know my cookie trick?
Let the cookies cool almost completely on the cookie sheet before you remove them to a cooling rack. Giving them a few minutes to set really helps them hold together and prevents that cookie from crumbling! [Cue the singing chorus]
How long will the cookies stay fresh?
- I think these only stay fresh for 3 days, after that they get dry. If you plan to keep them longer than three days, I would freeze them in in airtight container.
- You can also freeze the dough! Bake a fresh cookie or two whenever the craving hits!
- Scoop the dough out into dough balls like you would for baking.
- Place on a cookie sheet so the balls are not touching.
- Freeze the dough balls until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Then place them in an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake the cookies from frozen, no need to thaw. You may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Classic Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Gluten-free All-purpose Flour Blend, I use Pamela's Artisan Blend All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, & tapioca starch). Set aside.
- WIth an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. (About 2 min on medium speed.)
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon-size portions of dough and place 2-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and centers are just starting to brown. (Do not overbake... unless you like a crispier cookie!)
Notes
- Cool the cookies directly on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes after baking. This prevents them from crumbling apart.
- Dough can be refrigerated but it's not necessary.
- Don't over-bake and eat the cookies while they are still warm for the chewiest texture. The cookies will crisp up some as they cool.
- The cookies stay fresh for about 3 days, after that they get dry. If you plan to keep them longer than three days, I would freeze them in in airtight container.
- Or freeze the dough! Bake a fresh cookie or two whenever the craving hits!
- Scoop the dough out into dough balls like you would for baking.
- Place on a cookie sheet so the balls are not touching.
- Freeze the dough balls until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Then place them in an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake the cookies from frozen, no need to thaw. You may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Nutrition
There you have it! The perfect chocolate chip cookie that is not only gluten-free but slightly chewy, crisp, and delicious! Just like you remember as a kid! No weird textures or flavors, no crazy ingredients! Now all you need is a big 'ole glass of milk!
Need More Cookie Recipes to Love?
- These Iced Oatmeal Cookies are an old family favorite, inspired by my Great Grandma's recipe. Or try these Gluten-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!
- Peanut butter and chocolate? Yes, please!
- Click here to see all my cookie recipes!
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Happy Cooking!
Mary
Outstanding results! Thank you! Delish.
Mary
Delicious!
Kim Dunaway
Thank you for recipe! I’ve had to eat GF for more than 15 years. Early on, it was extremely hard to find GF products-maybe one brand at the local health store. That sufficed then, and over the years, many more GF products, mixes, and recipes have come out. Thank goodness! But sadly, many just aren’t that good. I started baking when I was 6, and have always loved the Toll House chocolate chip cookies. I continued baking and was known as that mmmmm great cookie baker. But when I became gluten intolerant, it got harder and harder to make and bake things I couldn’t eat. ( Tho’ I still do for friends, events, and functions)
I’ve never really been satisfied with the many, many GF cookie recipes or box mixes out there. I told myself, I just can’t bake anymore-lost my touch. I thought. Now, I can’t have dairy or chocolate/caffeine either. Tough! It has been so frustrating not to have a good tasting treat! I so ached for a cookie like my younger days. I found your recipe and it seemed spot-on. Tho’ I used half GF flour and half almond flour. Also used half butter and half shortening. I used butterscotch chips instead of chocolate. The dough was looking good! Nice sigh. The baking looked good! Then, tasted them. OMG!
Finally. Finally. The cookie I’ve been wanting for years! So wonderful. Aaaahhhh. I’m thrilled. So delicious and could eat them all in one sitting! I’ve never found a GF cookie box or bag mix or recipe like this-even making some adjustments of my own. You should tell these companies how to do it! I like the brown sugar bigger measurement to the white sugar. Congrats on your continued experimenting - this is a delicious cookie and ‘best I’ve had for many years. You’d never know it was GF. Thank you!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Kim,
Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments and thoughtful reply! You had me tearing up! I know the feeling about losing your touch, I felt that way too for a while! I'm so thrilled to hear you loved this recipe! Thanks for sharing your modifications, that's so great they worked out so well!