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The Best Ever Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These delicious, chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are so rich, soft and sweet. This bakery-style gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe makes cookies that are perfectly gooey on the inside.  Dairy-free option as well!

best gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Why is this the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe?

I’m going to start right off the bat with this proclamation: These are the most delicious, bakery style gluten free chocolate chip cookies out there. I know- it is a pretty big claim. And it’s totally worth this proclamation because these really are!

Since these are considered bakery-style, they are pretty big in size. Also, they are soft and chewy, slightly golden brown on the edges-with a gooey center full of chocolate flavor that will keep you coming back for more!

I’m so proud of these bakery style cookies!  Someone who isn’t gluten-free would have a difficult time telling that they are indeed gluten free.

I promise you, you will love these just as much, if not MORE.  If you love gluten-free baking, then this delicious recipe is just for you! My husband agrees, even though he’s known for loving cookies with both chocolate and peanut butter!

These cookies were a lot of work. Not literally to make the cookies, but creating the recipe. It took me a lot of time and I went through a lot of ingredients to get here. Blood, sweat, and tears my friends!

If you are looking for some other varieties of this delicious dessert that you and your family will crave, try my gluten-free sourdough chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Both of these are guaranteed to make your mouth water and will be a crowd-pleaser for sure!

GF chocolate chip cookies on a pan

Does the dough need to be chilled ahead of time?

You NEED to chill the gluten free cookie dough for at least 8 hours. 24 hours or up to 48 hours is best. Yes, you read that correctly. LONGER IS BETTER. Why? It really helps to develop the flavors and will give you the maximum amount of deliciousness!

Pro Tips to help you make the best homemade GF chocolate chip cookies ever!

  1. Do not skimp on quality ingredients. I repeat, DO NOT skimp on the quality of your ingredients here. Grass-fed butter over a store-brand, use pure vanilla extract, and use a high-quality chocolate like Dagoba.
  2. ALL the ingredients need to be room temperature, including the melted butter. Yes, even though the dough will chill, bring that egg to room temperature. It is important to let wet ingredients come to room temperature so they will mix better.
  3. The middle of these cookies will look under-baked when you take them out. Trust me – take them out! They will finish cooking through as they cool on the pan. If you keep baking them until the center looks done, they will be over-cooked.
  4. Freeze leftover cookies to maintain their freshness if not eaten within a day.
  5. See recipe notes for freezing the raw cookie dough.
  6. Make sure your oven is proper temperature.  Bake time may vary depending on your oven and if it’s calibrated correctly! Use an oven thermometer (they are super cheap) to make sure your oven temperature is actually correct!
  7. PS- don’t forget the baking soda and salt.  This recipe calls for baking powder as well!

Key Ingredients you will need

  • All-purpose gluten free flour blend (omit xanthan gum if using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1)
  • Vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • Chocolate chips, such as DAGOBA Chocodrops. Make sure it is a high quality chocolate chip for the best flavor!
  • xanthan gum
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • fine sea salt
  • butter melted
  • light brown sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • pure vanilla extract

Recommended Kitchen Equipment Needed


How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (step by step process shots)

Mix in ideas

Want to make your easy bakery-style cookies a little more fun?  Try these different mix ins!

  • Sprinkles
  • Reeses pieces
  • M&Ms
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pecans
  • Walnuts

If you love macadamia nuts, you should try my gluten-free chocolate macadamia nut cookies!  You won’t regret it. Promise 🙂

What kind of gluten free flour blend is best?

I have a few recommendations that I mentioned previously.

  1. Try my all purpose gluten free flour blend. It’s very easy to make and you can store it for months in an air-tight container.  Make sure that if you use this blend for my recipe (it’s in the recipe card), add xanthan gum! Xanthan gum helps to bind the ingredients together so they don’t come out super crumbly and a mess!
  2. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour 
  3. King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.  
  4. Cup4Cup

Measuring your gluten free flour

I highly recommend you follow and sign up for this free guide on how to properly measure your flour.  It’s so important to do it properly.  It will make this recipe and all of your other recipes that you bake much more likely to come out properly.  Consistency is key!

How do I make these gluten free chocolate chip cookies dairy-free?

There are only a couple of substitutions that you need to make!  First, I recommend using Enjoy Life chocolate morsels or Enjoy Life chocolate chunks.  These are both dairy-free, nut-free and vegan! Also, in place of butter, use Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter.  

Important Note: Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, and Cup4Cup already have xanthan gum added.

soft and gooey GF chocolate chip cookie

Properly storing and freezing directions

To store: Place the cookies in an air-tight container stored at room temperature for no more than 3 days.

To freeze: You have a couple of options here!  First, you can store cookies that you’ve already baked in a freezer bag or air tight container in the freezer and pull them out to thaw or even warm up when you’re ready.

Another option is to make the dough, roll them out, and place in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container.  Then, when you are ready to bake, you can place them on a cookie sheet and bake directly from the freezer. You’ll typically have to bake the cookies for an additional two minutes.  It may vary depending on your oven so keep checking on them!

homemade chocolate chip cookies gluten free

The best homemade gluten free chocolate chip cookies!

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears my friends! Minus the blood, obviously, because that would be disgusting. But yes to the sweat because I’m the smart little cookie (pun totally intended) who decides to start testing cookie recipe after cookie recipe when it’s 90+ degrees outside.

Anyways, and tears because recipe testing is no joke. I mean, just look at the ingredients and multiply that by at least 15. That’s an insane amount of gluten free flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate to go through. And by insane amount, I definitely mean A LOT!

And yes, I did test this recipe at least 15 times because it took tweak after tweak to arrive at this insanely delicious, and dare I say it, PERFECT result.

But I did it for you, my friends, because a really great recipe for bakery style gluten free chocolate chip cookies is exactly what everybody needs. So you’re welcome (sang in the Maui voice from Moana, of course).

gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe up close

Delicious, chewy gluten free chocolate chip cookies

I sacrificed so you don’t have to because mediocre chocolate chip cookies are not worth it. When you’re using good ingredients, you expect good results every time.

So let’s talk a little bit about the trials and tribulations. I’ve tried making these without refrigerating the dough. While you can make them, they won’t be the same. The dough will spread and you’ll end up with crispy/chewy cookies. Tasty, but not what I’m after.

Also, as I mentioned above, using good ingredients is KEY. I know, it’s a little too Ina Garten to say “good vanilla extract”  but it’s absolutely true in this recipe if you really want your cookies to be the best ever.

Since these are chocolate chip cookies, chocolate is the single most important ingredient here. You really want to use a good quality chocolate – it will completely impact the way your cookies taste

More delicious Gluten Free cookies to try

Watch the video below (right below the recipe) to see how easy it is to make these bakery style gluten free chocolate chip cookies. You can also watch this video on Facebook where you can easily share it.

finished GF chocolate chip cookie stacked on top of each other
be sure to follow me on instagram and hashtag #whattheforkfoodblog or tag @whattheforkfoodblog – i love seeing what you make!
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Perfect bakery style chocolate chip cookies
These are the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever have! They’re buttery, soft in the middle yet firm enough to dunk in a glass of milk. They’ve got chewy edges and are filled with melt in your mouth chunks of chocolate. Easy to make too! Recipe from @whattheforkblog | whattheforkfoodblog.com | Sponsored | gluten free cookie recipes | homemade cookies | bakery style cookies | gluten free dessert recipes #glutenfree #glutenfreecookies #chocolate #chocolatechipcookies #dessert

Gluten Free Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.78 from 76 ratings
These delicious, chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are so rich, soft and sweet. These bakery-style GF chocolate chip cookies are perfectly gooey on the inside.  Dairy-free option as well!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 34 minutes
Servings: 16
Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour see note 1
  • 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup butter melted (see note 2)
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 6 oz. DAGOBA Chocodrops

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
  • Add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Pour in the flour and mix on low speed until completely combined. Turn off the mixer and add the chocolate chips, stirring them in by hand. Form the dough into one large ball in the bottom of the bowl then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (24-48 hours is best).
  • After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Let the dough sit out at room temperature while the oven is preheating.
  • Once the oven has preheated, scoop the dough out and form into 16 even-sized balls of cookie dough. 
  • Place 8 cookies per baking sheet (bake in 2 batches) and flatten very slightly on the top. Keep the 2nd half of the dough balls refrigerated while the first batch bakes.
  • Bake for 14 minutes on the center rack. Cool the baked cookies on the baking sheet. Do not over bake.
  • Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. After that, freeze leftover cookies to preserve optimal taste and texture.
  • See notes for freezing the raw cookie dough.

Video

Notes

  1. I use my Gluten Free Nightshade-Free Flour Mix in this recipe.
  2. For best results, use a high quality butter such as grass-fed butter, organic butter, or European style butter.
  3. To freeze the raw cookie dough, chill for 24 hours before scooping into dough balls. Once the dough has chilled, scoop in to balls, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. Then freeze solid before transferring to a freezer bag for storing.
  4. This recipe can be doubled.
  5. For flatter cookies like pictured, be sure to flatten the dough balls a little bit (like a puck). If you choose to bake rounded dough balls, cookies will be taller/puffier but will still taste equally delicious! 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimers

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.

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Shay

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Recipe Rating




  1. Sherry says:

    4 stars
    Good day,
    I feel I am missing something. I clicked on this recipe for a gf sourdough discard recipe, but I can’t find in the recipe where you add the sourdough discard. Please help, and sorry if I am missing something that is right in front of me!

  2. Tassie says:

    Hi Shay!
    Thank you so much for all your recipes! I’ve been following a gluten free diet my whole life and it is only with your recipes that I was first able to bake delicious good that even my non gf friends really like!
    I have a question. I just moved to a new place and I only have a deep roasting pan so far and now with that whole mandatory self-isolation thing I really don’t want to go out and search for a cookie sheet. Do you think it is possible to bake cookies in a roasting pan, or not really? Thank you so much in advance!

  3. Katie says:

    I was wondering if this recipe will work as a cookie cake. I just bought an 11 1/2 “ pan for making cookie cakes and I’m excited to try it with this recipe!

  4. Joe P. says:

    Can I ask how big these cookies are that you only get 16 from a batch? I prefer smaller cookies so just wondering if i will get as many as i do from other recipes that I have used for normal cookies. ie i like mine to be about 2-3″ round as apposed to bigger so just wondering approximately how many you think i would get of that size? Thanks in advance!

  5. Linda says:

    These cookies look delicious, but I’m a little surprised to see you use volume measurements instead of weights. I’ve found measuring by weight to be essential to success in GF baking.

    • Shay says:

      Hi Linda, I provide measurements by volume because after doing a reader poll, I realized everybody is using different flour blends. No two gluten free flour blends weigh the same so if I listed my flour blend by weight and you used something different, the amount of flour in your recipe will be off. Properly measuring your flour when using cups is what will make or break the recipe.

  6. Just made these for the first time for a gluten free friend and they’re very good! I followed the recipe exactly with cup4cup flour except I mixed it all by hand. Great crispy chewy texture. Really can’t tell they’re gluten free.

  7. Angela says:

    If I freeze the dough to use at a later date, do I take them out and defrost completely in fridge, then bake or do I just keep them frozen and bake while still frozen?

    • Shay says:

      You can freeze the dough balls and then bake them right from frozen. They take a minute or 2 longer but I do this all the time with my cookie dough so I don’t have to bake all the cookies at once.

  8. Jenny says:

    Way too much flour. They cracked and tasted dry and not very sweet

  9. Grace says:

    I don’t like the gritty texture of white rice flour. Do you think sweet rice flour would alter the texture much?
    I too can’t eat nightshades so I have developed my own blend which is like yours, only using sweet rice flour instead of white. It has worked well in pie crusts and sugar cookies.

  10. Kassandra says:

    Can I use almond flour??? ( they sound delicious btw 😋)

    • Shay says:

      Hi Kassandra, I haven’t tried this recipe using almond flour, just typical gluten free flour blends made with rice flours and starch.

  11. Kimberly H says:

    I’m making this recipe for my gluten free sister-in-law , but I’m going to attempt to turn it into a cookie cake. Do you think it’s still necessary to refrigerate it for the 8+ hours and then let it come to room temperature again?

  12. Isabella says:

    Hi, in your video it shows you whisk the wet ingredients and then mix the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, and then incorporate all with that same wooden spoon.

    Yet in your written recipe you say to use a mixer and beat the ingredients.

    Which method works better? Thanks!

    • Sharon says:

      Using the stand mixer is way easier. I only used the spoon for the video because I had a hard time getting a good shot inside the mixer. Doing it by hand was A LOT of work so if you have a stand mixer or hand mixer, use that for sure!

  13. These glutten-free cookies sound so good! When I head out to the city on the weekend, I will pick up some of that Dagoba chocolate for the recipe 🙂 by the way…your images are stunnning

  14. Laura says:

    My family needs egg and dairy free. What suggestions do you have for any substitutions?

  15. Sharon says:

    Oooh, these look scrumptious! My daughter, who empowers me, would have fun baking them with me. We share our love of cooking and she empowers me by encouraging me to try new things and break out of my steadfast ways! Love her dearly, and am so proud of her! #EmpoweringWomen #DagobaOrganicChocolate

  16. Gina @Running to the Kitchen says:

    These couldn’t be more perfect! I wish I had one right now!

  17. GINGER BY CHOICE I FOOD & LIFESTYLE BLOG says:

    Your bakery style gluten free chocolate chip cookies look amazing and they’re a hot candidate for my christmas cookie list 😉

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe with us!

  18. What great looking cookies!! It’s official, I’ll be dreaming about these ALL day! <3 I'm so glad that you have you grandmother and mother cheering you on and supporting you no matter what. You've done an AMAZING job of turning your hobby into a successful business! I support you, always! xoxo

  19. Megan says:

    Call me old fashioned, but I still go weak in the knees for a good chocolate chip cookie. It’s classic and can’t be beat!

  20. Sharon, your photos are beautiful & love all the tips for making the perfect cookie. I try to chill mine before, but usually get too impatient to wait that long!

  21. Wow, these look perfect Sharon! I spotted those Dagoba chocolate chips the other day and was so tempted to buy them!

  22. Kristina says:

    wow – after hearing all you went through for this recipe, I cannot wait to try it myself! woot! 🙂

  23. Erin @ The Speckled Palate says:

    These cookies look and sound dreamy! Also, I now have “You’re Welcome” stuck in my head. 😉 So thanks for that, haha.

  24. I’m a sucker for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Love this! Perfect for the holidays too!

  25. Melt in your mouth chocolate chips! That is so rare and makes me wish I had a plate (or 2) of these cookies in front of me right now.

  26. Dee says:

    I need to make these for my husband’s office party. They look amazing!

  27. I say sing it from the rooftops, because these look super amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever made a chocolate chip cookie that looked so good! Bravo!!

  28. These look so good! I want to grab one from my screen!

  29. Audra says:

    Love this cookie and love this campaign from Dagoba!

  30. Erin Dee says:

    These look so delicious! I sure wish I had a couple right now!

  31. What a great looking cookie! Know one will notice if they are gf or not with all that yummy chocolate!

  32. I can’t tell you how bad I’m craving chocolate chip cookies now. These look perfect!

  33. These cookies look insanely good. I could eat a million of them.

  34. Taylor says:

    Dagoba chocolate is my JAM! And, I am a sucker for a good chocolate chip cookie. NEED THESE!

  35. These cookies look scrumptious! I could eat a dozen!

  36. naomi says:

    Those cookies look spot on! I need to try their chocolate!

  37. Randi says:

    Sharon:

    Can you use Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour or GF 1 to 1 Baking Flour for these? I am new to gluten free baking and have never made a flour blend before. Your recipes look so amazing and your blog is great. Thanks.

    • Sharon says:

      You could, just omit the xanthan gum I called for in the recipe. Be sure to stir your flour first and measure it with the spoon and level method so you don’t ever measure it 🙂

  38. Susie P says:

    Hello, Sharon.

    Just by looking at the pictures, my mouth immediately watered. I am amazed how dedicated you are in making this recipe. I really appreciate it. I will print this and try it as soon as possible.