How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe makes buttery and rich cookies. Thanks to the melted butter, they’re super easy and quick to make. It’s really the best chocolate chip cookie recipe! Dairy-free optional included.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Just like my gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe, this is a simple cookie recipe to make. And there’s so much to love about it!

• Beginner-friendly. You just mix the ingredients into a dough, scoop into cookies, and bake. It’s a perfect recipe for beginners. 
• Flavorful. Brown sugar and vanilla extract give the cookies a deep flavor. 
• Freezer-friendly! These cookies freeze beautifully. Which is nice when you crave a gluten-free cookie but don’t feel like baking. Just grab one from the freezer.

Ingredients You Need

Here’s what you need to make these cookies along with what each ingredient does in the recipe. The full recipe, with amounts and step-by-step directions, is at the bottom of the post. Enjoy! 

• Gluten-Free Flour. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour blend. Using a different flour might change the results. 
• Brown Sugar. For a classic chocolate chip cookie flavor, use light brown sugar. If you love molasses, use dark brown sugar. 
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and makes the cookies crisp on the edges. 
• Butter. Melted butter makes these cookies quick to make. Use salted or unsalted butter. 
• Eggs. Two eggs bring the dough together and give the cookies a little lift. 
• Chocolate Chips. Traditional “toll house”-style chocolate chip cookies use semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can use whatever you love. 
• Baking Soda. A little baking soda helps the cookies to rise and enhances browning. 
• Salt. Enhances all the other flavors. Use table salt. It mixes easily into the dough.

Dairy-Free Variation

Want to make these dairy-free? These are the swaps you need to make.

• Replace the butter with a dairy-free butter-style spread. You can also use melted coconut oil. Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies made with coconut oil tend to be a little crisper than those made with butter.

• Use dairy-free chocolate chips. Always check the ingredient label to ensure the chocolate chips are both gluten-free and dairy-free.

How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These cookies are easy to make. You simply mix the dough. Add your favorite chocolate chips and bake!

1. Combine the melted butter and sugars. Do this in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth. You can use a handheld or electric mixer for this. Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Blend until thick and creamy. 
2. Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. The dough will be thick. 
3. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add your chocolate chips and, if you’re using them, nuts. Stir until the chocolate chips are mixed throughout the dough. 
4. Scoop the cookies. Drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You want about a tablespoon of dough per cookie. I like to use a cookie scoop for this step. It makes perfect cookies every time!
5. Bake. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven until the edges are set. A pan takes about 12 minutes. 
6. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Tips for Success.

• Let the melted butter cool a little. After melting the butter, let it cool for a few minutes before you use it. This way it won’t accidentally cook the egg. 
• Use your favorite chocolate. For the very best gluten-free chocolate chip cookie, use a chocolate you love. This means you can use a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips. You could use chopped chocolate. Or all white chocolate chips. It’s up to you! 
• Chill the Dough. The longer the dough sits, the better the cookies. This is because resting the dough gives the gluten-free flour a chance to absorb the liquid in the dough. So after mixing, you can chill this dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. 

Frequently Asked Questions.

What’s the best gluten free flour for chocolate chip cookies?

I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It makes cookies with a really nice texture. 

Are chocolate chips gluten-free?

Always check the ingredient label on your bag to ensure your chocolate chips are gluten-free before using.

What does parchment paper do? Do I need to use it?

Parchment paper is one of my favorite baking tools! It keeps cookies from sticking to the pan without the hassle of having to grease it.

If you don’t have parchment, you can lightly grease your pan with nonstick cooking spray. Don’t use butter or the bottom of the cookies can burn.

Gluten-free cookies baked on a greased pan spread more than those baked on parchment.

Storing Leftovers

Store them on the counter.

Let the cookies cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to five days. 

Or freeze them for later. 

If you’d like to freeze these, bake the cookies as directed. Allow them to cool completely. Place them in a freezer container, I like to put a piece of parchment between the layers. Freeze the cookies for up to three months. 

How to freeze gluten-free cookie dough. 

Having gluten-free cookie dough in the freezer makes it a snap to bake a batch of cookies quickly. 

1. Prepare the dough as directed. 
2. Scoop into balls. 
3. Place the dough balls onto a cookie sheet. 
4. Freeze for two hours or until the dough is firm. 
5. Transfer the dough to a freezer container.

How to Bake Frozen Gluten-Free Cookie Dough.

1. Remove the cookie dough from the freezer. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
2. Heat oven to 350℉. Heating the oven after removing the dough from the freezer allows the dough to thaw slightly.
3. Bake cookies until set. They usually take a few more minutes when baked from frozen. Cookies baked from frozen dough don’t spread as much as cookies made from room-temperature dough.

Other Gluten-Free Cookie Recipe to Try.

Love cookies? Me too. Here are some other yummy recipes to try.

• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. Easy recipe for roll and cut cookies.
• Gluten-Free Monster Cookies. So many good things in one recipe!
• Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies. A perfect recipes for a classic cookie.
• Gluten-Free Jam Thumbprints. These simple cookies are so tasty!