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These classic gluten free chocolate chip cookies have crisp brown edges, soft centers, and deep, rich flavor in every bite.
I was known for these cookies long before I started baking gluten free in 2004—and there’s almost always a batch in my freezer, both baked and raw. With nearly 400 five-star reviews, I think you'll agree: this is the ultimate recipe.
“This is an awesome cookie. We have had a family recipe that we all loved till we had to go gluten free and this was the first recipe that is better than that! Thank you so much, Nicole ❣️”
my take
What makes these cookies the best
Thick, chewy texture – These cookies are thick and chewy in the center with just enough crispness around the edges.
Deep flavor – Chilling the dough before baking develops a rich, caramel-like depth you won’t get from the typical cookie recipe.
Reliable results – With these recipe proportions, your cookies won’t spread or fall flat. They bake up just right every time.
Easy to customize – Swap some chips for chopped nuts, try almond extract, or use vegan butter. They’re flexible—and still amazing.
What you'll need
You only need a handful of classic ingredients to make these cookies—with a few key tips to get the texture and flavor just right.
- Gluten free flour blend: Any of my recommended gluten free flour mixes will work here, especially Better Batter or Nicole's Best. Even Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 performs well, likely because chilling gives the flour time to hydrate.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies turn golden brown in the oven.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and sharpens the other flavors.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and tenderness.
- Light brown sugar – Provides extra moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor.
- Butter – Adds flavor and helps create crisp edges and chewy centers. Make sure it’s at cool room temperature so it blends evenly.
- Eggs – Help the cookies rise and hold together.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a warm, background note that boosts all the other flavors.
- Chocolate chips – Use your favorite gluten free variety. I love Trader Joe’s 72% dark chocolate chips and Ghirardelli chips.
How to make them
1. Mix the dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the brown sugar last and use a fork to break up any lumps.
2. Add the wet ingredients – Add the softened butter, beaten eggs, and vanilla right into the dry, instead of creaming the butter separately. Stir until mostly combined.
3. Stir in the chips – Fold in the chocolate chips until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Shape the cookies – Scoop the dough with a spring-loaded scoop, roll into balls, and flatten into disks.
5. Chill the dough – For thick, chewy cookies that don’t spread too much, chill the shaped dough at least until firm—ideally overnight for flavor development.
6. Bake – Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes, just until the edges are golden and the centers are mostly set. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before serving warm.
Pro tips for cookie success
Chill for better texture and flavor – Cold dough bakes up thicker and chewier. For the best caramel-like flavor and color, chill for at least 12 hours. If you're impatient, bake a few now and chill the rest overnight.
Mix wet into dry – Start by creating a well in your dry ingredients. Pour in the wet, then stir from the center outward, pressing down as you go. This helps form an integrated dough that isn't too smooth.
Add extra chips on top – For photo-worthy cookies, press a few extra chips into the tops before baking—or just make sure the shaped dough has some visible chips on top.
Skip the mixer – Always mix by hand. Using a stand or handheld mixer overworks the dough and flattens the texture.
Easy mix-in ideas
Want to make them your own? Try swapping up to half of the chocolate chips, by weight, with:
- Flavored chips (like white chocolate or butterscotch—check for gluten!)
- Chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts)
- Soft dried fruit (like cranberries or raisins)
substitutions
How to make them without dairy or eggs
Unlike other recipes that require you to add almond flour, these are naturally nut-free, and easy to adapt for dairy-free or egg-free baking, too.
Dairy-Free
Swap the butter for Spectrum or Crisco vegetable shortening or block-style vegan butter (like Melt or Miyoko’s Creamery). Shortening makes crisp-edged cookies but doesn't brown much, and the dough hardens in the refrigerator, so be sure to shape it before chilling. If you're using vegan butter, chill the dough overnight to prevent spreading. And don’t forget to use dairy-free chocolate chips!
Egg-Free
Replace each egg with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon warm water, mixed and gelled). Or try 100 grams plain Greek-style yogurt at room temperature and add 1 more tablespoon gluten free flour. Either way, chill the dough overnight for the best structure and texture.
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your flour blend already contains it; use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (69°F is ideal)
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, plus more as desired, up to 16 ounces total
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (unless you plan to chill your cookie dough overnight). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, and granulated sugar.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk again, breaking up any lumps with a fork if needed.
- Create a well in the center and add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients together in tight circles in the center, then stir into the dry ingredients until combined.
- Fold in 12 ounces of chocolate chips. The dough will be thick but workable. Add more chips if desired.
- Divide the dough into 21 (or up to 24, if you used more chips) portions, about 50 grams each. Roll into balls, then flatten into disks about 1 1/2-inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick.
- If you like, press a few extra chips onto each dough ball for a more chocolatey look.
- Arrange cookies about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
- Cover and chill the shaped dough for at least 12 hours—or up to 5 days—for the thickest, best-flavored cookies.
- Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are golden on the edges and just set in the center, about 12 minutes.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
This recipe works best with Better Batter’s original blend or Nicole’s Best multipurpose flour. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 works, too, but I recommend adding an extra ½ teaspoon xanthan gum to hold the cookies together and keep them fresh longer. I don’t recommend Cup4Cup anymore—the formula has changed and results have become inconsistent. Want to make your own blend? Check out my mock all purpose gluten free flour blends. Dairy-free tips
Swap the butter with an equal amount (by weight) of vegetable shortening—Crisco and Spectrum are my go-to choices. Shape the dough before chilling, since shortening hardens in the fridge. You can also use block-style vegan butter, but be sure to chill the dough overnight. And don’t forget to use dairy-free chocolate chips. Egg-free tips
Replace both eggs with two chia or flax “eggs,” or use 100 grams of plain Greek-style yogurt plus 1 tablespoon more gluten free flour. Whichever you choose, chilling the dough overnight is key to preventing too much spread during baking. Approximate nutrition information is based on 12 ounces chocolate chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
make ahead/leftovers
How to store the dough or cookies
Room temperature: Baked cookies stay fresh in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: You can store shaped, unbaked cookie dough in the fridge for several days. Keep it in a sealed zip-top bag or airtight container and bake in batches as needed.
Freezer: Freeze both baked cookies and raw, shaped dough for up to 3 months. You can bake the dough straight from frozen—just flatten the disks slightly first, and add 2 minutes to the baking time. Or let the raw disks come to cool room temperature before baking.
FAQs
Yes! Chilling helps control spread, enhances the texture, and deepens the flavor. For best results, chill for 12 hours or more.
You may have overmeasured the flour, skipped xanthan gum, or used butter that was too cold to mix in properly. Or maybe you just didn’t let them cool long enough—they’re delicate at first!
Your dough may have been too warm, your butter too soft, or your baking sheet still hot from the last batch.
If your flour blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, adding guar gum or konjac powder instead can work in equal amounts, but results may vary. I favor konjac in baked recipes like this.
Hello Nicole,
I am about to make this recipe fpr the first time and I have a couple of questions. In the video it shows using a mixer yet in the notes of how to make the cookies it states NOT to use a mixer?
Also, can I just put the bowl of dough in the refrigerator? Or do I need to make the cookies and put cookie sheet in refrigerator?
Thank you for your response in advance.
Jackie
Hi, Jackie, it’s best to make this recipe by hand, something I’ve noticed over the many years of making it. If you’re using shortening as a butter replacement, you really need to shape the cookies first. If you’re using butter and not making any ingredient changes, then you can definitely put the mixing bowl in the refrigerator and then shape the cookies once the dough has been chilled.
I have made two recipes for my wife. Gluten free PB cookies and GF Chocolate chip cookies. Both turned out great. Could not tell they were gluten free. I did find the refrigerated dough spread more on the oven pan than fresh made with no cooling. I will be trying other recipes. Thanks
Hello,
Thank you so much for your recipes!
Step 4 states: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. First, mix the wet ingredients together, then stir to slowly incorporate in the dry ingredients a bit at a time until well-combined.
This is different than ‘traditional’ cookie recipes where the butter is creamed first until light/fluffy, then incorporating the sugar then flours. I was wondering if the ‘traditional’ method would work?
Also, have you ever made these with Pamela’s baking mix flour blend?
Thank you again
Hi, Mel, Yes, I discuss the method in the text of the post, and it’s intentional and the only way to get the intended texture on these cookies, with all the variations. No, I don’t recommend creaming the butter and sugars first. I’m afraid I also don’t recommend Pamela’s baking mix for this recipe. It contains additional ingredients and isn’t an all purpose gluten free flour blend that I can recommend.
This is not false advertising… they are the BEST! I use all butter, dark chocolate chips, Nicole’s Best, and measure by weight. By request, I make them small with a #100 scoop (about 2 tsp), chill them as balls on a sheet pan. I don’t flatten them out before baking, and they bake up just the right thickness for me. I get rave reviews from the GF people in my life, and disbelief from the non-GF people that these are actually make with a gluten free flour blend.
That’s so awesome to hear, Denise! “Disbelief” is the pinnacle of gf success. One day, we will surpass it and they will expect GF foods to be just as good if not better. But for now, it’s the best!