These oat flour chocolate chip cookies are made with “regular” grocery store ingredients—and they're gluten free even without any rice flour at all. They have lightly crispy edges, and oat flour makes them super chewy and satisfying.
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Why I love these oat flour chocolate chip cookies
- Ideal texture: The mix of oat flour and a bit of cornstarch makes a crisp-edged, chewy chocolate chip cookie.
- Easy-to-find ingredients: Unlike our classic gluten free chocolate chip cookies, which require a gf flour blend, these cookies rely only on oat flour and cornstarch. A single trip to the grocery store and you have everything you need.
- One bowl: There's no need to mix the dry ingredients separate from the wet and combine them. Just whisk together the wet ingredients, add the dry, and mix.
- Naturally gluten free: If you're not gluten free but you have a guest who is, just choose gluten free oat flour and you can make a treat that everyone can enjoy, easily!
Key ingredients & substitution suggestions
- Oat flour: The base of these cookies, finely ground oat flour (make sure it's gluten free if you're GF!) creates a chewy, hearty texture and adds flavor.
- Cornstarch: Helps stabilize the cookies and brings some more structure. To make these corn-free, try using potato starch, arrowroot, or even tapioca starch instead.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies brown in the oven.
- Salt: Brings out the other flavors.
- Sugars: Both add sweetness and tenderness; brown sugar adds depth of flavor and some moisture; granulated white sugar helps create those crisp edges.
- Butter: Adds flavor, tenderness and chewiness. If you're dairy-free, try using vegan butter in its place. Since the butter is melted, virgin coconut oil may also work.
- Eggs: Add structure and thickness, help bind the cookies together. If you're egg-free, try 2 “chia eggs” in place of the 2 eggs (mix 2 tablespoons ground white chia seeds + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water and allow them to sit until the mixture gels).
- Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor and aroma.
- Chocolate chips: I usually use Ghirardelli dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use whatever chips are your favorite.
How to make oat flour chocolate chip cookies
Combine the wet ingredients & cornstarch
Begin by whisking together melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add the cornstarch, and whisk until smooth.
Add the oat flour & chocolate chips
Add the oat flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine. The cookie dough will be very soft and sticky. Mix in the chocolate chips until they're evenly scattered through the soft cookie dough.
Chill, shape, and bake
Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes and up to 4 days (or even more). Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon mounds, place them at least 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes. Let the cookies set on the baking sheet until firm.
Recipe tips & tricks
Use finely ground oat flour
I usually grind my own oat flour, but in these cookies like in our oat flour brownies, I prefer commercially-prepared finely ground oat flour for the smooth texture and superior performance. Bob's Red Mill has finely ground oat flour, and so does nuts.com. If you're gluten free, be sure to buy the Bob's Red Mill bag that says “gluten free” on the label.
Chill the raw cookie dough
We make this cookie dough with melted butter to make chewy cookies, so the dough is very soft. If you bake it without chilling it, your cookies will spread way too much in the oven.
If you have the time, try chilling the prepared oat flour cookie dough for a few days. That will help the flours absorb moisture, making the dough easier to handle. It will also help the cookies brown in the oven and deepens their flavor.
Don't skip the cornstarch
You might be tempted to make these with all oat flour and to skip the cornstarch, but it really helps the cookies develop nice crisp edges and helps prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cookies. The starch also helps make the cookie dough firmer and a bit easier to handle.
Use a #40 cookie scoop
A #40 ice cream/cookie scoop has a volume of about 2 tablespoons, which is the perfect size for these cookies. I have this #40 cookie scoop (affiliate link; shop around!).
Place some chips at the bottom of the scoop
When you scoop the cookie dough, try to make sure that there are some chocolate chips on the bottom of the scoop first, so they'll end up at the top of the cookie.
Flavor Add-In Ideas
Try customizing the taste of these cookies with just a few tweaks to the flavoring extract and the mix-ins. Here are some of my favorite variations:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans in place of some or all of the chocolate chips.
- Peanut butter, butterscotch, or white chocolate morsels in place of some or all of the chocolate chips. If you're gluten free, though, be sure to check labels since some chips are not GF.
- Almond extract or butter flavoring in place of some or all of the vanilla extract.
Storage instructions
These cookies are stable at room temperature and have the best crisp-tender edges and chewy center that way. Place them in a sealed glass container and they'll stay fresh for up to 5 days. If any of your cookies were underbaked in the center, though, they may stick together, so eat those first!
For longer storage, I like to keep them in the freezer. I place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and in the freezer for about 1 hour, then pile them into a zip-top freezer-safe bag. They'll keep really well frozen for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes. For a fresh-baked taste and to restore those crispy edges, sprinkle very lightly with water and place in the toaster oven at 300°F for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can try using coconut palm sugar in place of light brown sugar in these cookies. Since it tends to have a very coarse grind, just pulse it in your blender or food processor before adding it to the mixing bowl.
Yes! Use either vegan butter (Miyoko's Creamy brand is my favorite) or virgin coconut oil, the type that's solid at cool room temperature, in place of butter in these cookies. And make sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free, too.
I haven't tried making these cookies with an egg-replacer, but I think you might be able to make them with 2 “chia eggs” (mix 2 tablespoons ground white chia seeds with 2 tablespoons lukewarm water).
If your cookies have a grainy texture, your oat flour may not be finely-ground enough. Try grinding it again before baking with it, or purchase superfine oat flour, already ground.
If your cookies didn't hold their shape during baking, the cookie dough may have been too warm. You need to chill the cookie dough for at least 45 minutes before shaping and baking it. If you have any cookie dough still left to bake, try chilling it either already shaped or in a bowl before baking it.
For the best shaped cookies, roll the chilled portions of dough into round between your palms before baking. If the cookies have lost their shape at all during baking, immediately place a large round cookie cutter, at least 1/4-inch larger than the cookie itself, around each cookie and move it around in concentric circles to coax the still hot cookie into shape.
Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies | Naturally Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- ⅜ cup (54 g) cornstarch
- 2 cups (240 g) oat flour gluten free if necessary
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces chocolate chips semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, place the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Then add the oat flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine. The cookie dough will be very sticky and soft.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 minutes or until very firm. The longer you chill the dough, the easier it will be to portion and handle. I have chilled it for as long as 4 days with great results.
- When you are nearly ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- Once the dough is chilled, scoop the dough into pieces of about 2 tablespoons each. A #40 spring loaded cookie/ice cream scoop is ideal for this purpose. For more uniform cookies, roll each tightly into a ball between your palms.
- Place the pieces of cookie dough about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For slightly thicker cookies, roll the cookie dough into balls between your palms and return them to the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven. Bake just until the balls of dough have melted and spread, the cookies are brown around the edges and are mostly set in the center (about 12 minutes).
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
- If any of the cookies have lost their shape during baking, as soon as you take them out of the oven place a large round cookie cutter, at least 1/4-inch larger than the cookie itself, around each cookie and move it around in concentric circles to coax the still hot cookie into shape.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet so they are stable before you move them. It should take 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Jessica Whitaker says
Hello Nicole,
I am allergic to anything corn – what can use to replace corn starch that will be just as effective?
Nicole Hunn says
You can find my suggestions under the “key ingredients and substitution suggestions” section, Jessica. I haven’t tried these substitutions, so I can’t promise they’ll work exactly the same. But I would suggest beginning with potato starch or arrowroot.