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Soft and chewy Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies are the perfect gluten free cookie! Made with butter, sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder, this recipe is scrumptious, easy to make and so delicious.
Almond flour may just be my gluten free flour of choice, and it's the star of the show in these Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies.
I figured since my almond flour chocolate cake is such a hit, why not create a similar recipe but in cookie form? Almond flour tends to create a light and airy texture, versus other gluten free flours, which can occasionally cause desserts to be dense.
My almond flour blueberry muffins and almond flour peanut butter cookies are two of my favorite almond flour recipes, so if you haven't already, be sure to check them out!
Recipe features
- Tons of chocolate-y flavor bursting throughout these almond flour chocolate chip cookies.
- Soft and chewy texture, just the way cookies should be.
- Delectable gluten-free cookies that you'll want to make for anyone in your life who may be following a gluten free diet.
Ingredients
This list is to provide further clarification on a few things; the full ingredient list is below in the recipe card.
Butter - Regular dairy butter or dairy-free butter works, and make sure it's at room temperature.
Sugar - A combination of cane sugar (granulated sugar) and light brown sugar works wonders in this recipe.
Egg - I haven't tested this recipe without an egg (aka using a flax egg); Typically, gluten free baking can be a bit tricky, so I highly recommend making these with an actual egg and not an egg substitute.
Vanilla extract - Necessary for almost all cookie recipes!
Almond flour - Make sure to use almond flour, and not almond meal. Almond meal will work, but the overall taste and texture will be slightly different.
Cocoa powder - A must-have for almost all chocolate recipes.
Chocolate chips - I used semi-sweet, but dark chocolate chips will work too.
Instructions
Cream the butter and sugars. Start by placing the softened butter into a large mixing bowl, then pour in the brown sugar and cane sugar. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream them together, then add in the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk to combine. Last, stir in the chocolate chips by hand with a wooden spoon.
Roll into balls. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into balls, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake the cookies. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. Immediately remove the baking sheet from the oven and drop it onto your stovetop a few times to flatten the cookies out.
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack. Sprinkle with a little flakey sea salt before eating (optional, but highly recommend!).
Tips and FAQs
To quickly soften butter: I never remember to take the butter out of the refrigerator ahead of time. Instead, place the stick of butter on a small plate and microwave it for approximately 15 seconds, until you can easily press your finger down into it.
Use a cookie scoop: Truthfully, I don't own a cookie scoop (I know, I know, who am I?), but if you want the cookies to be even in size, a cookie scoop is the way to go. Otherwise, using your hands is fine.
Pan-banging technique: If you want a cookie with slightly crunchy edges and a soft middle, this is the way to do it! (NOTE: since these cookies are gluten free, the texture won't be exactly the same as traditional cookies). To do this, remove the baking sheet with the baked almond flour cookies from the oven and lift it 1-2 inches above your stovetop, then drop it onto the stove. To this a few times, which will flatten the cookies out.
Is there a way to make these cookies healthy?
I mean... kind of? I didn't develop these cookies with the intention of them being healthy. But, if you want to lighten them up a bit, try using coconut sugar instead of cane/brown sugar, and use less chocolate chips, which will reduce some of the sweetness.
If you're looking for a healthy cookie recipe, try my chocolate avocado cookies or my healthy birthday cake cookies.
Do I have to use almond flour?
Yes! This is very important. Almond flour cannot be subbed for any other kind of flour, as it's its own unique properties and is very different from all purpose flour/coconut flour/oat flour/etc.
Can I make them vegan?
I wouldn't! I use eggs in my almond flour recipes to ensure they bake properly. You might be able to get away with using a flax egg, but I haven't tested it myself.
Add-ins:
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Peppermint extract
- A pinch of cinnamon
- Sliced almonds
- 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (haven't tested this but I'm guessing it would work)
Storage
Room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Or, wait for them to cool, then place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
More gluten free cookies
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- â…” cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour packed
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and cane sugar together in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer; then, add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, stir the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine, then stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Use your hands to roll the dough into balls (slightly smaller than golf-ball sized) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. NOTE: you may need to bake the cookies in batches.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. Immediately remove the baking sheet from the oven and hold it about 1 inch above your stovetop (or kitchen counter) and drop it a few times on the counter. This is known as the pan-banging technique and it will help flatten the cookies out.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Rosemary says
I made these using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, and I got 35 cookies instead of 22. I baked them for 10 minutes. Being chocolate, it's a bit harder to know when to take them out of the oven since you can't look for browning edges, the way you can with regular chocolate chip or sugar cookies. I found the consistency to be a bit grainy and the edges of the cookies to be a bit dry. Not sure if I should have baked them less time, or processed the almond flour a bit to take away the graininess.
Erin says
Great questions. I probably made mine larger than 1.5 tablespoons, hence why I ended up with 22 larger cookies vs. more smaller ones. As far as the texture goes, make sure to use almond flour and not almond meal, as that tends to result in a grainier texture.
Barbara says
Made them and added peanut butter and pecans. Will definitely do that again. Yummy cookies
Erin says
Yumm sounds great! Thanks Barbara!
mg says
Yum! Wanted to make some gluten free, decadently chocolate cookies on a cold, snowy day & fell upon this recipe. Absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Erin says
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed them!
Joy says
Skipped chocolate chips but added some unsweetened shredded coconut. Every recipe I tried before was egg free and it just doesn’t taste or feel as good as this one. Do I need to refrigerate for storage?
Erin says
You can store at room temperature for a few days but if you're going to take longer to eat them then yes, I'd refrigerate or freeze them.
ML says
Yummy, easy, no flour. I did use a cookie scoop. I DOD NOT ROLL THE DOUGH.
Tina says
I substituted 1/3 cup of avacado oil for the butter and 1/2 cup of honey for the sugar/brown sugar. Turned out great!
Erin says
Happy to hear the substitutions worked and that you liked the cookies!
Susan says
My new favorite cookie! Delicious!
Erin says
I'm so glad you like them!
Tamie says
I doubled the recipe and cut back on the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. I used vanilla sugar that I made that had a lot of ground up vanilla beans, so I skipped the vanilla extract. Also, used semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Very delicious cookies!! Serving them to a group tomorrow. And gifting to a couple of others.
Erin says
Sounds delicious -- so glad you liked the cookies!
Corinne says
These came out perfect; great texture! I love the tip about dropping the baking tray. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Erin says
Thanks Corinne -- I'm happy you enjoyed the cookies!
Noelle says
Delicious! Topped with sugar and salt crystals to give a bit of bling and that yummy salty flavor. The whole family deemed them delicious. I'm taking them to a cookie swap this weekend and will have to guard them to ensure there are any left!
Erin says
This makes me so happy -- I'm glad everyone liked the cookies!
Margo says
Made these vegan with an egg substitute and added vegan white and semi sweet chips. DELICIOUS. Crispy edges, dense, chewy, and chocolatey. I will be making these often for my vegan, gluten-free daughter and the whole family because these cookies are the bomb!
Erin says
I'm so happy they worked even without the egg!
Teresa says
Very chocolately and quite tasty! I didn't have cane sugar so for that portion I subbed the measure with 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 vanilla protein powder. I also used 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil.
Thanks for the recipe!
Erin says
Happy you liked the cookies, Teresa!
Trish says
I used cream cheese chips instead of chocolate chips. Declicious!
Erin says
Yum that sounds delicious!
Erin says
I used this recipient for my mom's small group and it turned out fantastic! My dad doesn't like almond flour and I finally convienced him to try it and even he liked it (and my father is very picky)!
Erin says
Happy to hear even dad could get on board with these cookies!
Linda says
Hi. Do you know if these freeze well? Thx
Erin says
They should!
Tecca Obligacion says
My 14 year old son wanted to make some cookies and used this recipe… They were super delicious and I didn’t help him at all 🙂 so easy to follow also!
Erin says
That makes me so happy to hear!
Diane says
Can these cookies be made with Stevia as the sweetener? I have a friend who is diabetic besides needing to be gluten free. They sound delicious!!
Erin says
Yes I think that should work, as long as it's the granulated Stevia and not liquid 🙂
Sanjiv Shah says
Outstanding. Really quick and simple. We'd already started to switch to almond flour. We now know our grandson is celiac, so we'll be making this. A lot..
Jo Ann says
These Almond flour Chocolate Chip Cookies came out so delicious! I will definitely be making them again & again…. 🙂
Erin says
Woohoo -- glad to hear you like them as much as I do 🙂