This recipe for gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies is a great place to start. There is a lot to learn about cookies! Once you know a few things about the properties of gluten free flour, you can skip the frustration and bake your way to success.
If you've got cookie tasters lined up doing a head-to-head comparison of gluten free cookies is a fun way to learn. I'd make this recipe and compare it to my Chocolate Chip Cookies with teff flour or this exact recipe using my cookie flour blend instead of the one listed. You'll soon see how different flours change a recipe.
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Ingredients
Old recipes often don't convert by simply substituting an everyday gluten free flour blend. By starting with recipes written for gluten free, you can find success then work your way backwards to make the exact cookie you remember.
- EGFG gluten free flour blend - In this recipe my everyday EGFG flour blend works.
- baking soda
- xanthan gum - Needed to create structure.
- butter
- brown sugar & white sugar
- egg
- milk
- vanilla
- chocolate chips
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions for Gluten Free Cookies
The high fat content and short cooking time for cookies present new challenges for gluten free cooks. There are exceptions to every rule so think of these as general tips rather than rules. Use this information as you taste your baking and learn to apply some of these tips as you try new recipes.
- Resting cookie dough gives gluten free flours and starches more time to absorb liquid. This can prevent the gritty mouth feel you get from some flour blends.
- Melting the butter, in some cookie recipes, or decreasing the amount, helps the flours absorb the fat more fully. If you've had greasy cookies you know what this means.
- Adding extra liquid, milk in this recipe, makes up for the decreased fat and helps hydrate the flour.
- Xanthan gum is important for the structure of cookies.
- Letting cookies cool completes the cooking process and improves structure.
This was the first cookie recipe I tried using melted butter. If you're experimenting you can try the butter melted or not. Let me know what you think.
Substitutions
EGFG gluten free flour blend - I know you can substitute the America's Test Kitchen flour blend in this recipe but I haven't tried others. If you use a different flour blend and have tried it in other recipes where I use this blend, then it will likely work.
Cookie flour blend - Substitute my everyday blend with this cookie flour blend. It includes almond flour and brown rice flour, two flours that work well in cookies. I make six or seven different cookies using what I now call my cookie flour blend. This happened one year when I got serious about remaking some of my holiday cookies.
Variations
These are chocolate chip cookies. You can add your favourite nuts or dried fruit, use any kind of chocolate, and even dip your cookies into melted chocolate. Focus on perfecting the taste and texture first, then vary to your hearts content.
Equipment for Making Cookies
Baking pans may last for ten or twenty years so collect good quality pans over time. Pay attention to what you like and what works well for you. This is what I recommend for cookie baking.
- Two cookie sheets, like a baking sheet without edges.
- Two jellyroll pans, also known as baking sheets. They have ¼-inch sides all around and are used more for cooking but helpful for a cookie baking spree.
- Metal scoops in various sizes for cookies, muffins, meatballs and more.
- Cookbooks are also an excellent resource. America's Test Kitchen published two cookbooks, followed by a third which is a compilation of the first two. I highly recommend any of them for yourself or as a gift.
- How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook and Volume 2 The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook.
Storage
Gluten free baked goods go stale more quickly than baking with wheat flour. Store cookies in air tight containers as soon as they have cooled completely. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them in small amounts, just enough to eat in a few days. Cook from frozen as directed in the recipe.
Top Tip: Help with Gluten Free Cookies
I struggled with cookies for several years but you don't need to do that. Commit to learning what you need to know starting with these Tips for Making Gluten Free Cookies then get baking. Work on one or two recipes at a time, keep learning and before you know it you'll have a collection of favourites. These are mine, A Round Up of Gluten Free Cookies. You can even listen while you bake, here's my interview on A Canadian Celiac Podcast, Baking Gluten Free Cookies.
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups EGFG gluten free flour blend* (225 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In medium bowl whisk together flour blend, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix melted butter and both sugars until combined.
- Add egg, milk and vanilla stirring until smooth.
- Using a stand mixer add flour to butter/sugar and mix until soft.
- Add chocolate chips, mix until evenly combined.
- Cover cookie dough and let rest for 30 minutes. Or make dough balls using a portion scoop. Cookie dough balls can be frozen at this point.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place cookies on baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown and the edges are set.
- Place baking pan on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes then transfer cookies to the wire rack and cool completely.
- Store in air tight container for maximum freshness.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hesthrt
These are delicious and don’t have that gritty quality that some GF cookies have. Once you make the flour combo, you are all set!
Cinde Little
Thanks Heather, I'm so glad you liked them. I struggled with cookies when I first started so was happy this recipe worked with my everyday flour blend. I'm excited to hear more about what's cooking in your kitchen!
Raj A.
These are the best GF cookies ever! The only change I made was that I substituted maple sugar for both the white and the brown sugar. I was diagnosed with Celiac in 2023. I also have allergy to Tapioca, so store bought GF blends/mixes don't work for me. Cinde's EGFG flour blend recipe has been a lifesaver! Give these cookies a try, you will not regret it!
Cinde Little
Thank you Raj! I'm so happy for you that you found a flour blend that works. And of course everyone needs a chocolate chip cookie recipe too. Enjoy and happy baking!
Camille
Which blend would better suit these chocolate chip cookies -- the EGFG one above, or your cookie blend:
90 grams brown rice flour (⅔ cup)
25 grams almond flour* (¼ cup)
30 grams potato starch sifted (3 Tbsp)
15 grams tapioca starch (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon )
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
thanks Cinde
Cinde Little
Hi Camille! I only make this recipe with my EGFG flour blend. I don't think I've tried this recipe with the Cookie Flour Blend because it is from before I had that cookie blend. There are many small adjustments we gluten free cooks can make to improve cookie recipes like melting the butter, decreasing the fat and replacing it with cream, adding liquid and on and on. I would have done that to make this recipe work. Changing the flour is another change but is always worth a try. If it sounds good to you I would certainly give it a go. When I do recipe testing now the recipes are always good, they just don't always look like I hoped they would (maybe too flat or less chewy than I wanted). I hope that helps you decide and I'd love to hear how they turn out. Happy baking!
Camille
Thank you, Cinde! I made dough using EGFG yesterday afternoon and put it in the fridge to rest, but was too tired to bake them last night. I cannot tolerate sugar alcohols, but since I'm making them for my husband who has high triglycerides I replaced all the sugar with a 1:1 erythritol product (which unfortunately carries some health risks.) Hopefully they'll turn out alright today.
Cinde Little
How did they turn out Camille. I have not learned a lot about sugar substitutes. Cookies are my weakness. I still use regular white and brown sugar and just try not to make them too often (or give them away). I hope they met your husbands expectations.
Camille
They turned out great! Scooped and baked directly from semi-frozen resulted in a slightly spherical cookie with crispy exterior; flattened a bit gave us even more crispiness, which he prefers. Thanks, Cinde!
Cinde Little
That's great news Camille. Thanks for following up, especially with the sugar adjustment you made. Happy baking as always!
Steshni
Awesome recipe! Made the best homemade cookies. 🍪❤️
Cinde Little
Yeah for you Steshni! I'm happy to hear that your first try making gluten free cookies was a success. Keep it up.