Small Batch Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This recipe makes four extra large gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. For a thin, wrinkled cookie, bang the pan on the oven rack about 10 minutes into baking. This gives the cookies crisp edges and a chewy center.

There are times when you want to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. And then there are times when you just want a cookie, not a commitment. 

This recipe is for those times. It makes four gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. That’s it. Not a whole tray. Not enough cookies for a bake sale. Just four perfect chocolate chip cookies.

One thing you must know before baking: these are large, thin cookies with lovely crinkles and ripples on the edges. (They’re inspired by Sarah Kieffer’s genius “pan banging” chocolate chip cookie technique.) They bake up crisp on the edges with centers that are crispy-chewy. They’re really a perfect chocolate chip cookie—in a perfectly small batch.

What You’ll Need

The ingredients you’ll need for these cookies are pretty simple. I recommend dark brown sugar because it adds a nice pop of flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, light brown sugar works great too. And for my dairy-free friends, swap the butter for your favorite dairy-free buttery spread and use dairy-free chocolate chips.

• Gluten-Free Flour. Bob’s Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour gave these cookies a crispy texture.
• Butter. Melted butter adds a buttery flavor. If you’re dairy-free, use a dairy-free buttery spread. I don’t recommend coconut oil for this recipe. 
• Egg Yolk. Just the yolk from one large egg brings the dough together.
• Granulated and Brown Sugar. The granulated sugar makes the cookies crisp. The brown sugar brings the classic chocolate chip cookie flavor. You can use either dark or light brown sugar. Dark adds a little more flavor and color. So it’s my favorite for this recipe.
• Baking Soda. A tiny amount, just ⅛ of a teaspoon, gives these a little lift.
• Salt. Enhances all the other flavors. Use fine (table) salt for the dough. You can always sprinkle on flaky salt after baking if you’d like
• Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks. Both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks work.

How to Make a Small Batch of Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. You only need one small bowl to mix the dough. Here’s how to make it. And remember: mix the dough first. Heat the oven second.

1. Start by stirring together the melted butter and sugars. Since this is such a small batch, you can do this in a small bowl. 
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until it looks creamy. 
3. Stir in the gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a dough comes together.
4. Finally, add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 10 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat your oven. 

5. Divide the dough into four pieces. Round into large balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you want, press a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each dough ball. 
6. Bake the cookies until the edges are set. If you want flat, wrinkled cookies, follow the next steps. It’s totally optional. If you skip this step, the cookies won’t have the rippled appearance you see in my photos. But they’ll still taste great! Do whatever works for you. 

Pan Banging: The Key to Flat Cookies

If you love flat cookies with a wonderfully rippled texture, bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. You’ll want to use a timer for this! Open the oven. The cookies won’t be baked at this point. Carefully lift the pan up, about 4 to five inches, and drop it back onto the rack. Do this a few times. If you don’t want to do it in the oven, drop the pan onto a heat proof surface, like your stovetop or a wire rack. Then return the cookies to the oven. 

Doing this creates those lovely wrinkles and crisp edges. You’ll see the cookies deflate as you bang the pan.

Bake the cookies for an additional three minutes. Repeat the process one more time. Then bake the cookies until golden brown. 

Big cookies not your thing? No problem!

This recipe makes four large cookies. If you prefer a smaller cookie, divide the dough into six pieces instead of four. The smaller the cookie, the less wrinkles you’ll get. So you can skip the pan banging step if you’d like.

Storing Leftovers

Keep any leftover cookies wrapped on the counter. They last for about five days.