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!
Haley says
I only had 1 cup of almond flour, so I blitzed 1 cup of rolled oats to use as a sub for the second cup of almond flour. I also didn't have chocolate chips so I added walnuts instead. YUM. Nice deep flavor. Will definitely make these again!
Kim says
I made these exactly as the directions to a tee and the cookies are crumbly. I even did the cookie bang to help flatten them and then they really crumbled. I packed the almond flour, so wondering maybe if I had too much?
Ludi says
Absolutely delicious and decadent !
Would they work with normal flour too?
Erin says
Unfortunately not, as almond flour and all purpose flour are very different! I'm glad you liked the cookies 🙂
Jan says
I made these cookies with chia seeds/ water as a replacement for the egg. Worked fine! Delicious cookies!!!
Erin says
That's good to know -- I'm glad they turned out and you liked them!
Joel says
I made these with chia seeds as a egg sub, also didn't add chocolate chips and used monkfruit instead of sugar!! They are a great snack to get the sweet fix!!!
Alena Navarra says
Absolutely delicious almond flour chocolate cookies! I made them exactly as your recipe says, and they were amazing! I look forward to making them again for my daughter and son-in-law when we see them in the near future! It was so much fun using the "drop the cookie sheet" banging method! Thank you for such a healthy and delicious recipe!
Erin says
I'm so glad you liked the cookies, Alena!
Alena Navarra says
I had the almond flour sitting in my pantry, so I thought I would try your recipe - they were AMAZING!!! I will definitely make them again - I followed your recipe exactly and had so much fun with the "banging of the pans" technique! Definitely a "keeper" recipe! Thank you so much --::))
Julie says
My goodness they were good and very easy to make. Will try alll your recipes.
Erin says
Thanks Julie -- happy you liked the cookies!
Kimberly B. says
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as written and these cookies were perfect!!!
Allison says
I just made these last night and they were delicious! Super easy to make and your directions were easy to follow, especially the "pan-banging technique." I live a keto lifestyle, so I used Swerve granulated sugar and brown sugar substitutes. They cookies turned out great; I can't wait for my boyfriend to try them! 🙂
Cheryl says
Is "cane sugar" the same as "granulated sugar" ?
Erin says
Yes!
Emily says
Made these for my family this week. Ate them up so quickly!
Erin says
Thanks for the positive review, Emily -- I'm glad the cookies were a hit!
Beth says
Easy and delicious! We are dairy free and they came out great w Wegman's plant based buttery sticks.
Michelle says
I really want to make these! They look scrumptious! Do you use dutched or regular cocoa powder? Thx!
Erin says
regular! but either should work
Diana says
These are soooooo chocolatey!!!!! They are definitely being put in rotation at our house! My son's friends went crazy for them too,!
Erin says
I'm so glad they were a hit!
Nat says
Would it work with honey and coconut oil instead of sugar and butter?
Erin says
I don't think so!
Reshma Vij says
I use coconut oil and honey in place of butter and sugar for my matcha almond flour cookies…. and it worked
Norma says
Sounds yummy, I am going to try making them with keto sweeteners. How many cookies does this make? Thanks for the recipe!
Erin says
This recipe makes approx. 22 cookies. If you're going to sub keto sweeteners, I recommend sticking with monkfruit or something similar, rather than using a liquid sweetener which will alter the texture too much.
Elizabeth Novotny says
Thank you for the recipe, but these are the worst cookies. They look just like the picture. I dropped the cookie sheet on the counter (about 2-3" above it) and they flew everywhere.
I haved baked my whole life and usually have great success--won't make them again.
Erin says
Hi Elizabeth! I'm sorry that happened -- definitely don't hold the pan up that high next time. 1" is probably good.
Bernie says
Are they gluten free cookies?
Erin says
Yes!
Selena C says
I saw these on instagram, realized i had all the ingredients and immediately made them!
You wouldn’t believe these were made with almond flour. They are super chocolatey, gooey, and delicious!
Erin says
Thanks so much Selena -- I'm glad you liked the cookies!