Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Updated
These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are one of the most popular cookie recipes on my website, and it’s easy to see why! Each cookie is perfectly chewy, has a slightly crisp edge, and is loaded with gooey chocolate chips. I promise no one will even know they’re gluten-free! This recipe also includes dairy-free and vegan options. These cookies are my family’s favorite, and I love how they come together quickly in one bowl and require no chilling time.
Your Favorite Cookie Made Gluten-Free
When I went gluten-free, this was the recipe I mourned the most. Nestlé Toll House cookies were the standard I grew up on, and every gluten-free version I tried in the early days came out either cakey, gritty, or flat as a cracker. It took a lot of trial and error, and a lot of ruined cookie sheets, before I landed on the combination that actually gets you there: the right flour blend, one small ingredient most recipes skip, and knowing exactly when to pull the pan out of the oven.
This isn’t a specialty recipe with a long ingredient list. It’s a true one-bowl, everyday drop cookie, and it comes together the same way a “regular” chocolate chip cookie does, just with a gluten-free flour swap. I’ve also built in dairy-free and vegan options, so if you’re baking for a mixed household, you don’t need a second recipe.
These cookies are an easy answer any time you need something homemade without much planning. They’re sturdy enough for lunchboxes and bake sales, quick enough for a last-minute after-school treat, and they hold up well on a dessert table if you’re adding them to a holiday cookie tray alongside your other Christmas cookie favorites. You’ll know they’re ready the moment the kitchen smells like brown sugar and vanilla, and the edges have just turned golden. That first bite, warm chocolate pulling away from a soft center, is exactly what you’re after.
GLuten-Free Flour
For this specific cookie, one gluten-free flour blend stands out: Pillsbury Gluten-Free Flour Blend. It’s a rice-flour, cup-for-cup blend that already has xanthan gum built in, and that xanthan gum is doing real work here. It’s what replaces the stretch and structure gluten would normally give the dough, which is exactly what keeps these cookies from spreading too thin or baking up gritty.
If your blend doesn’t already contain xanthan gum, add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum for every cup of flour in the recipe. Skip it, and you’ll likely end up with cookies that spread into thin, greasy puddles instead of holding their shape.
If Pillsbury isn’t what you have in your pantry, other popular cup-for-cup blends like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour are reasonable stand-ins, since both are also rice-flour-based and already come with xanthan gum built in. I haven’t tested this exact recipe against every blend on the market, so expect small differences in spread and chew from one brand to the next, but any cup-for-cup blend with xanthan gum already included should get you close to the same result.
This recipe is built specifically around a rice-flour blend, so it isn’t the right fit for almond flour or coconut flour. Both behave completely differently in a dough like this: almond flour has no starch to absorb moisture, and coconut flour is extremely absorbent, so swapping either one in for the gluten-free blend here will throw off the texture. If you’re baking with one of those flours specifically, I have dedicated recipes built around them instead:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies — built from the ground up for almond flour’s texture
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies — accounts for how much liquid coconut flour soaks up
- Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies — a great option if you’re also avoiding rice flour
One more tip that makes a real difference: measure your flour with the spoon-and-level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level off the top with the back of a knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and is one of the most common reasons gluten-free cookies turn out dry.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened. For dairy-free use Smart Balance butter, or vegan butter.
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) molasses
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 large (50 g) egg , For egg-free/vegan use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Egg Replacer.
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 2 cups (360 g) chocolate chips, For dairy-free/vegan use Nestle Simply Delicious or Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large bowl beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the egg (or egg replacer), molasses, and pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Add the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Either stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon or use your mixer on low to mix the chocolate chips into the cookie batter.
- Drop by rounded tablespoon or use a greased cookie scoop. (I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until they start to turn golden brown (the centers of the cookies will be soft). Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
- Cool and store leftovers in an air-tight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- Soften the butter 15-30 minutes at room temperature before you start — cold butter changes the texture of the finished cookie.
- Pull the cookies at 8 minutes, even though the centers still look soft — they firm up as they cool on the pan.
- Molasses adds moisture and flavor, not structure, so the recipe still works without it, just with a slightly flatter flavor.
- Measure flour with the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry, crumbly cookies — see the flour section above for why the blend matters here.
- Dairy-free butter, like Smart Balance or a vegan stick, doesn’t need softening time — mix it in straight from the fridge.
- This recipe is built around a rice-flour gluten-free blend with xanthan gum, like Pillsbury Gluten-Free Flour Blend, and is not a fit for almond or coconut flour. See the post above for dedicated almond flour, coconut flour, and oat flour versions.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze baked cookies or raw dough for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Step-by-Step
Gather the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together. Preheat to 375°F (190°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup (227g) softened unsalted butter with ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar and ¾ cup (165g) packed brown sugar until the mixture looks pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter than when you started. This usually takes 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer. That extra air is part of what keeps the finished cookies soft instead of dense.
Mix in the egg, molasses, and vanilla. Add 1 large egg, 1 tsp (5ml) molasses, and 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until fully combined and smooth. You can leave the molasses out if you don’t have any on hand, but I highly recommend using it. It adds flavor and a touch of extra moisture that keeps these cookies soft instead of cakey, and it’s what gives them that classic, slightly deeper flavor you’d get from a bakery cookie. I use Grandma’s® Original Molasses. The mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy once everything is combined, with no streaks of egg left.
Add the dry ingredients. Add 2½ cups (350g) gluten-free flour blend, ½ tsp (2.5g) baking soda, ½ tsp (2.5g) gluten-free baking powder, and ½ tsp (3g) salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined. The dough should come together into a thick, scoopable mass, not sticky and not crumbly. If it feels dry and won’t hold together, you likely packed the flour too tightly when measuring.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Stir in 2 cups (340g) chocolate chips with a spoon, or mix them in on your mixer’s lowest speed. Keep going until you don’t see any dry pockets of flour left at the bottom of the bowl and the chips are spread evenly through the dough.
Scoop and space the dough. Using a greased 1½ tbsp (22ml) cookie scoop (or a rounded tablespoon), drop the dough onto your prepared cookie sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5cm) apart. That spacing matters. These cookies do spread as they bake, and crowding them means the edges will run together instead of baking up with that classic crisp edge.
Bake the cookies: Place the cookies in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) and bake for 8-10 minutes. You’re looking for edges that are just barely turning golden while the centers still look soft, slightly puffed, and a little underdone. That softness is exactly what you want. It’s what turns into a chewy center once the cookies finish cooling. Every oven runs a little differently, so start checking at the 8-minute mark rather than walking away.
Cool, then store: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They’re too soft to move right out of the oven. Once fully cool, store leftovers in an airtight container. See the storage section below for how long they’ll keep.
Ingredient Substitutions
Egg
Use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Egg Replacer in place of the egg, following the package instructions for one egg. It works as a 1:1 swap in this dough.
Dairy
- Butter: Swap in Smart Balance or a vegan butter stick. Unlike regular butter, it doesn’t need time to soften first, so you can mix it in cold.
- Chocolate chips: Use Nestlé Simply Delicious or Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips to keep the recipe dairy-free and vegan.
Sugar
I haven’t personally tested every sugar alternative in this recipe, but based on reader feedback, Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener and Swerve Brown Sugar Substitute both work as swaps for the granulated and brown sugar. If you’d rather use a liquid sweetener, maple syrup can replace the brown sugar at a ratio of ¾ cup maple syrup for every 1 cup of brown sugar, though you’ll need to reduce the flour slightly to account for the added liquid. Keep in mind that any sugar swap will change the texture and taste somewhat compared to the original recipe.
Serving Suggestions
The classic way to serve these is warm, straight off the cooling rack, with a cold glass of milk on the side. That first bite, while the chocolate is still a little melted, is really what this cookie is all about.
Beyond that, a few ways I like to serve them:
- As an ice cream sandwich. Let two cookies cool completely, then sandwich a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream between them. This is my go-to in the summer, when the cookies stay soft enough to bite through easily even cold. If you want to build these on purpose instead of freestyling it, gluten-free ice cream sandwiches walks through the whole method, and dairy-free ice cream recipes roundup has options if you’re using the dairy-free version of this dough.
- Alongside coffee for an afternoon treat. The slightly caramelized edges pair well with a plain cup of coffee, no fussy pairing required. If you’re already putting on a pot, gluten-free cinnamon coffee cake is another good match for the same spread.
- Packed in lunchboxes. These hold up well at room temperature for a full school or work day without drying out, which makes them an easy grab-and-go option. Pair one with a gluten-free Uncrustables for an easy homemade lunch that travels well.
They also make a solid addition to a holiday cookie tray if you’re rounding out a dessert table this season, sitting easily alongside spiced or frosted cookies without competing for attention.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
These cookies don’t need refrigeration. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Freezer
- Baked cookies: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat before serving (directions below).
- Cookie dough: You can freeze the raw dough, too, which is an easy way to have fresh cookies on hand without starting from scratch. Portion the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet, then flash-freeze for about 10 minutes, until they’re firm but not rock solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag, where they’ll keep for up to 3 months. You don’t need to thaw the dough before baking; just add an extra minute or two to the bake time.
Reheating
Thaw cookies at room temperature, or microwave them for 10-15 seconds if you want that just-baked warmth and softness back.
Make Ahead
You can mix the dough up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before scooping, since cold dough will be firmer and harder to portion.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie & Cookie Dough Recipes
- Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies: Built on a similar one-bowl technique to this recipe, but with cocoa worked into the dough for an all-chocolate version if plain chocolate chip isn’t quite chocolatey enough for you.
- Gluten-Free Edible Cookie Dough: If you’re the type who steals a spoonful of dough before it hits the oven, this version is made to be eaten raw, no egg or baking required.
- Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies: A different flour angle than the Pillsbury blend used here, built around a naturally gluten-free grain flour instead of a rice-flour blend.
- Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies: Want to sneak a little extra protein into cookie time without losing the classic chocolate chip flavor? This is the one to try next.
I’m so sad 🙁 I tried really hard to make these for my friend who’s gluten free, and I even bought your preferred flour, but they spread like crazy, burned sugar onto my pan, and started LEAKING BUTTER!?!? I’m not sure what went wrong I’m just disappointed because now I’m out of materials.
I’m so sorry, that’s such a frustrating experience, especially after buying the flour specifically for this. The good news is this is very fixable, and it’s almost always about butter temperature. This dough needs butter that’s softened, not melted, if you press your finger into it and it leaves an indent without the butter sliding around, that’s the right texture, usually 15-30 minutes at room temperature. If the butter gets too soft or starts to melt, especially in a warm kitchen, the dough turns loose and wet, and that’s exactly what causes the spreading, burning, and leaking you described. It’s also worth double checking how the flour was measured, spooning it into the cup and leveling it off rather than scooping straight from the bag makes a real difference. I’d love for you to give it another shot when you’re able, I really think cooler butter will turn this around completely.
Honestly, best GF cookie recipe. 8 year celiac and this one tops the charts for me. Chewy, thick, and the molasses adds a perfect flavor. I refrigerate my dough for about 20 mins before baking to help them keep their cookie shape
Thank you so much Sara! We’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies as much as we do!
Hi would King Arthur GF Cup for Cup work in this recipe, it’s has the xanthum gum mixed into the flour?
Thanks, Jen
Hi Jen, We haven’t tested this recipe with King Arthur Cup for Cup, so can’t guarantee the results. Since Cup for Cup already has xanthan gum built in, just make sure not to add the extra xanthan gum on top (only add it if your blend doesn’t already include it). If you decide to try it, keep an eye on the dough consistency and let us know how it turns out!
I did it with King Arthur one to one and it was amazing!
Thanks for letting us know which flour you used! It’s always good to hear which alternate flours worked for people. We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
I made last night… I was impressed by the touch of molasses in there! I’m constantly referring to all kinds of different chocolate chip recipes, and nothing is ever REALLY different, except for the reverse creaming method to make a state’s style chocolate chip cookie by Serious Eats. I loved the touch of molasses and it was simple and delicious! Good stuff 👍
Thank you Jamie!
Wow! They turned out golden brown and crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. I did it for 8 mins.
Wow. Just wow. These cookies came out tasting like NORMAL chocolate chip cookies!!!!!
Thank you Flora!!
I made these cookies today for the first time and they came out beautiful, sweet and soft. I did leave out the molasses since I was using Splenda brown sugar blend. Very happy with this recipe and I’ll make them again.PS my husband is not gluten free and he loved them.
update they taste delicious 😋!!!
I made these with plant-based butter for a dairy nd gluten free friend and they were awful. I followed the recipe exactly. They spread out into a solid sheet even though I spaced them 2″ apart. They were greasy and flat and I threw oit the remaining batter. Don’t know if it was the “butter” or what, but the results were not good.
Hi, I’m so sorry these turned out that way, that’s frustrating after doing everything right. My guess is the plant based butter is the issue, not something you did. Tub style spreads have more water and oil and less solid fat than dairy butter, so they melt thinner in the oven, which causes that greasy, flat spread. The recipe calls for Smart Balance or a similar stick style vegan butter for a reason, since sticks hold their shape closer to real butter. If you try again, use a stick style vegan butter and chill the dough for 30-60 minutes first to help it hold together in the oven. Let me know if you give it another shot!
I made these according to the recipe, but the first batch did not flatten and spread and were very dry. After looking at the recipe, and checking the back of the chocolate chip pkg, I realized it was the exact same recipe minus 1/4 flour and 1 egg. The first batch of cookies was a throwaway, so for the rest I went ahead and added the extra egg – and also an additional egg white. The cookies look and taste much better, but I believe I still need to tweak this to get that chewy/crispy texture. But all in all a good recipe to start with!
Hi Janet, Sorry the first batch didn’t work out. A couple of things that might help you get that chewy/crispy balance without needing the extra egg: double-check you’re using the spoon & level method to measure the flour rather than scooping directly from the bag. Second, make sure your butter is softened (15–30 minutes at room temp) before creaming it with the sugars.