Hundreds of reviewers agree these cookies are the most delicious gluten-free chocolate chip cookies around! This tried-and-true recipe was originally published in 2018 and is still my #1 recipe today!

My top tips for exceptional gluten-free chocolate chip cookies – brown the butter, let the dough rest 30 minutes and use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. Read on for all the tips!

gluten free chocolate chip cookies on brown parchment paper topped with sea salt


 

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’ve been searching for the BEST gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe – look no further! I’ve been eating 100% gluten-free for almost 10 years now and THIS is the chocolate chip cookie recipe of my dreams.

I’ve tweaked this recipe and tested it many times over the years and this recipe is the ultimate best. No more tweaking or re-testing needed.

These cookies are soft, chewy and golden like a good chocolate chip cookie should be. If you’ve tried making gluten-free chocolate chip cookies before you probably know they can turn out dry, grainy and pale.

This recipe has a few tricks so you get golden, non-grainy cookies with a delicious depth of flavor and crisp edges every time.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • Rated 5-stars by hundreds of reviewers
  • Easy-to-make – no mixer required!
  • Soft and chewy
  • AMAZING flavor
  • Undetectably gluten-free

VIDEO: Watch how to make them!

Table of Contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of ingredients to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

Here are a few notes on the key ingredients to make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

  • Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Baking Flour: For best results, use a high quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour is my favorite gluten-free flour. I’ve also had good results with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
  • Almond Flour: I like using a little almond flour because it gives the cookies richness and helps them to bake up golden brown. It’s my secret ingredient in many gluten-free baked goods! If you’re allergic to nuts you can leave out the almond flour and substitute more gluten-free baking flour.
  • Butter: Browning the butter is the secret step to AMAZING gluten-free cookies! Sometimes gluten-free cookies can lack a depth of flavor. Brown butter gives these cookies a delectable nutty, toasty almost caramelized flavor that you can’t get from anything else.
  • Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are usually naturally gluten-free! I’ve used the bag from Costco, Nestle and Enjoy Life all with great results.

Weighing Gluten-Free Flour

On my site I use 150 grams = 1 cup of gluten-free flour.

I recommend weighing gluten-free flour for results. I find that 1 cup of King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour weighs about 150 grams. The package says 120 grams, but I find it’s always more when I scoop it myself.

At the end of the day a cup measurement is subjective. I like to make my recipes so they will turn out for both people using cup measurements and grams measurements.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

dry ingredients mixed together in bowl

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

pot of brown butter on stove

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted start to whisk constantly. First the butter will begin to foam, then after a couple of minutes it will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Turn off the heat as soon as the solids turn brown and the butter gives off a nutty aroma. Pour into a glass mixing bowl to prevent burning.

eggs and sugar mixed together in bowl
  • Add the milk, brown sugar and white sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy.
dough mixed together in bowl
  • Using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients until well combined.
chocolate chips stirred into dough
  • Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
cookies scooped and baked on baking sheet
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop the cookie dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place a few inches apart on the baking sheets.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and the center is set.
  • Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!
close up shot of cookie on brown parchment paper

The Science Behind the Recipe – Why it Works!

1. Brown the Butter

The first secret ingredient is brown butter. Sometimes gluten-free cookies can lack a depth of flavor. Brown butter gives these cookies a delectable nutty, toasty almost caramelized flavor that you can’t get from anything else.

If you’ve never browned butter before this is a great tutorial. It’s easier than it sounds!

2. Add a Tablespoon of Milk

The next trick for this gluten-free cookie recipe is to add a tablespoon of milk. This helps to compensate for the liquid that evaporates from the butter during the browning process. It also helps the cookies get a golden color and prevents grittiness.

Gluten-free flour needs a little extra liquid for best results so you don’t have chalky cookies.

3. Use a High-Quality Gluten-Free Flour

I wanted to keep this recipe simple with easy-to-find ingredients. I like to use a high quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in this recipe. This blend has a mixture of brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. Other high-quality brands of gluten-free flour will work, just be sure to use a blend that contains xanthan gum.

4. Add Almond Flour

I like using a little almond flour because it is non-gritty and helps the cookies get that golden color and chewy texture. It’s my secret ingredient in many baked goods!

If you’re allergic to nuts you can leave out the almond flour and substitute more gluten-free all purpose flour.

5. Use Brown Sugar

Using mostly brown sugar instead of mostly white sugar also gives these cookies delicious flavor and chew. A splash of vanilla extract is also key!

This recipe works with any kind of chocolate chip you like. I usually use semi-sweet chocolate chips but milk chocolate chips are also amazing!

6. Give the Dough a Rest

After you mix the dough altogether it’s important to give it a 30-minute rest at room temperature. This gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and really makes a difference. It’s key for non-gritty gluten-free cookies!

Luckily just a room temperature 30-minute rest will do and no overnight-in-the-fridge chill is needed. So you can still have chocolate chip cookies shortly after a craving strikes!

cookies stacked on brown parchment paper with glass of milk in background

Storage/Freezer Instructions

  • TO STORE: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • TO FREEZE: I love to make a double batch of this gluten free cookie dough to freeze for later! Just scoop the dough into balls then place the them in a ziplock bag or freezer container to freeze. You can bake the cookie dough balls straight from the freezer – simply add 2-3 minutes onto the bake time. Just pop onto a baking sheet and bake – no thawing needed!

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these cookies dairy-free?

Yes! To make these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies dairy-free you can use melted vegan butter in place of the brown butter. No need to brown the vegan butter (it won’t work!). You can also replace the milk with almond milk.

Can I make these cookies nut-free?

Yes! To make these cookies nut-free simply substitute the 1/4 cup almond flour with an additional 1/4 cup gluten-free baking flour.

Can I let the dough sit longer than 30 minutes?

Yes! This dough really only gets better as it sits. The flour absorbs more and the cookies take on a depth of flavor. If you’re letting this cookie dough sit more than 30 minutes, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Be sure the container is airtight so the cookies don’t dry out!

Can I use all almond flour?

No. I don’t recommend using all almond flour in this recipe. Almond flour has very different properties than gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. Check out this recipe for a great almond flour chocolate chip cookie!

cookie with bite taken out of it on brown parchment paper

In Summary…

  • Brown butter: Gives these cookies a delectable nutty flavor
  • A tablespoon of milk: Prevents grittiness and helps the cookies get golden
  • 1/4 cup almond flour: For a golden brown color and yummy flavor (can use GF all-purpose flour in place of this if you have a nut allergy)
  • 30 minute rest: Gives the flour time to hydrate and prevents grittiness
  • A sprinkle of sea salt: Optional, but delicious for gourmet bakery-style cookies!

There you have it! I hope all the tips and tricks in this post have set you up for success making gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. If you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I hope you love the cookies as much as my family and I do!

chocolate chip cookies topped with sea salt on brown parchment paper
4.99 from 991 votes

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 18 -24 cookies (depending on size)
The BEST Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies! A few tricks make these gluten-free cookies perfect – soft, chewy, golden and irresistible! Easy-to-make and NOBODY will guess they are gluten-free! 

Video

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (113g) butter
  • 1 tablespoon milk or almond milk
  • 3/4 cup (160g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups (200g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
  • 1/4 cup (25g) almond flour finely ground
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
  • Sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted start to whisk constantly. First the butter will begin to foam, then after a couple of minutes it will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Turn off the heat as soon as the solids turn brown and the butter gives off a nutty aroma. Pour into a glass mixing bowl to prevent burning.
  • Add the milk, brown sugar and white sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy.
  • Using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop the cookie dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place a few inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and the center is set.
  • Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

Notes

GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR: Be sure to use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I use King Arthur Flour Measure-for-Measure Flour. Other 1:1 gluten-free flours that contain xanthan gum such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour will also work. 
DAIRY-FREE: To make these dairy-free use earth balance buttery sticks and reduce the amount of almond milk to 1 teaspoon.
NUT-FREE: Use 1/4 cup more gluten-free flour in place of the almond flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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Hi, I’m Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I’m here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

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Comments

  1. I want to make these for my BFF who has celiacs. Could I make the cookie dough to freeze so that she could have hot cookies whenever she likes? Thank you! Can’t wait to try

    1. Yes that works great! You can scoop the dough into balls before you freeze it. Just 2-3 minutes to the baking time straight from the freezer. Enjoy!

  2. 5 stars
    My husband recently went gluten free and I have been searching for a good cookie recipe for him. Well, this is not a good recipe – it’s a GREAT recipe! I followed it to the letter and I cannot believe how delicious they are! Absolutely wonderful! Thank you thank you!!

  3. We don’t have any of this flour locally and I need to make these tonight… Can I just use standard GF flour and add some xanthan gum? If so how much should I add? Would you use plain or self raising?

  4. 5 stars
    I made this with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, and their egg replacer (egg allergy in the house) and they turned out great! I even had to put them in the fridge overnight and there were no issues. Thank you for this recipe! So happy to be able to make such delicious cookies for the family! Looking forward to trying your other recipes.

  5. 5 stars
    These cookies are fabulous and truly taste as good as non gluten free! I have a good friend who is gluten intolerant and has been for most of his life. He says that these are THE best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever tasted and he would know since he”s tried alot of cookies in his lifetime! He always asks me to make some when we come over!

    Will this recipe work just as well if we double it so that we’ll have more cookies?? I just want to make sure nothing will change if I try it!!!

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT RECIPE!!
    Patti

    1. Hooray! I’m glad your gluten intolerant friend loves them! You can definitely double the recipe. I double it all the time!

    1. It helps the flour to absorb the liquid so the cookies don’t turn out grainy. Gluten-free flour takes longer to hydrate than regular flour – I hope this helps!

  6. 5 stars
    Fabulous recipe. At last my search is over. This is the best tasting gluteen free chocolate chip cookie. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I’ll be sure to try many of your other recipes.

  7. Has anyone tried these with a sugar free substitute? I’ve been subbing 1C of monk fruit sweetener in place of the other sugars. Both times my dough has come out very crumbly. Could that be the reason? I’m using 1-1 GF flour they sell at Costco along with the d aslmond flour. It has Xanthan gum in the flour. Is there a substitute that would work better?

    1. These can turn out flat depending on the type of flour you use and it you measure the amount of flour correctly. What brand of flour did you use?

  8. 5 stars
    I accidentally made these with King Arthur’s Paleo flour which is still gluten free but has different ingredients than the regular KAGF and they turned out great!

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