Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
These gluten free chocolate chip cookies have crisp, golden edges and soft, chewy centers packed with melted chocolate. They’re the kind of cookie that disappears fast, and nobody will guess they’re gluten free.
You don’t need a specialty flour blend with a long ingredient list. One good 1:1 gluten free flour gives you a buttery dough that bakes into cookies you’ll want to make again and again.
Why These Cookies Work
Most gluten free cookies I’ve tried end up crumbly, sandy, or flat. These stay soft and chewy for days thanks to brown sugar and a little extra vanilla, and they bake up with a crackly top just like classic chocolate chip cookies.
The dough comes together in one bowl and doesn’t need chilling, so I can have warm cookies in under 30 minutes. That’s the kind of reliability I want on a weeknight.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened: keep it cool but pliable, not greasy
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar: light or dark both work; dark gives a deeper caramel note
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar: for that thin, chewy edge
- 1 large egg: at room temperature if you remember, cold is still fine
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract: a touch more than usual makes the flavor pop
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free 1:1 baking flour: use a blend that contains xanthan gum (like Bob’s Red Mill in the blue bag)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt: fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips: dark or milk chips also work
Variations / Substitutions
- Chocolate chunks: use chopped bar chocolate instead of chips for bigger, melty pockets; a 4-ounce bar is about right.
- Add nuts: fold in 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips for extra crunch.
- Dairy free: swap the butter for a good vegan butter stick and use dark chocolate chips; the texture stays almost identical.
- Darker caramel: swap all the brown sugar for dark brown sugar and sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on top before baking.
If you love chocolate, try our Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies for a rich, fudgy dessert.
How To Make Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugars
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the 1/2 cup softened butter with the 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer or a sturdy spatula.
The mixture will look grainy at first, then gradually turn pale and creamy. Don’t rush this step; properly creamed butter traps air and is what helps the cookies spread just enough while staying chewy.
Step 2: Beat in Egg and Vanilla
Add the egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fully combined, about 30 seconds.
The dough may seem to separate for a few seconds, but keep mixing and it will come together into a glossy, cohesive mixture. Scrape down the sides once so nothing gets left out.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips
Sprinkle the 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour, the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt over the wet mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
Gluten free dough can be stickier than regular dough, but resist the urge to add more flour. The dough should hold its shape when scooped, and adding extra flour will make the cookies dry.
Step 4: Scoop and Bake
Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look soft and slightly underdone.
The cookies will spread into thick rounds with beautiful crackled tops. Don’t overbake; they firm up a lot as they cool, and pulling them out when the centers are still soft is what keeps them chewy.
Step 5: Cool and Serve
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then slide a thin spatula under each one and transfer them to a wire rack. Serve them while still warm for gooey chocolate, or let them cool completely for a chewier texture.
A cooling rack keeps the bottoms from getting soggy, but honestly they rarely last long enough for that to matter.
A Few Notes Before You Start
- Weigh your flour if you can.: Spooning flour into a measuring cup can pack it, which leads to dense cookies. If you have a scale, 1 1/2 cups of gluten free blend is usually about 180 grams.
- Chill for thicker cookies.: Popping the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking yields a slightly taller cookie, but the recipe works perfectly well without chilling.
- Nudge the edges while warm.: Right after baking, use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently push any uneven edges inward for perfectly round cookies.
- Keep them soft.: Store a slice of plain bread in the cookie container; the cookies draw moisture from the bread and stay tender.
Bake times by cookie size:
| Cookie size (dough per cookie) | Bake time at 350°F |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon (small) | 8 to 10 minutes |
| 2 tablespoons (standard) | 10 to 12 minutes |
| 3 tablespoons (large) | 12 to 14 minutes |
Keeping Cookies Fresh
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A paper towel tucked inside the container helps absorb excess moisture and keeps the texture just right. To freeze the dough, scoop individual portions onto a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. A quick 10 seconds in the microwave brings a stored cookie back to life with a warm, gooey center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use oat flour instead of a gluten free blend?
No, oat flour doesn’t have the same structure as a 1:1 blend and will make the cookies crumbly and dry. Stick with a blend that contains xanthan gum.
Why did my gluten free cookies spread into flat puddles?
The butter was likely too warm or the dough needed a bit more flour. Make sure your butter is softened but still cool, and if your kitchen is very warm, chill the dough for 20 minutes before baking.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Can I make these without eggs?
You can use a store-bought egg replacer or a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax plus 2.5 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes). The texture will be a little more tender and slightly less chewy, but they still turn out well.
Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
