gluten free chocolate chip cookies

We’re branching out today.  These chewy, tender cookies are filled with chocolate puddles and are gluten free!  Stay with me here, you’ll like them whether you fill your diet with gluten or leave it out.

A few of my good friends from college can’t have gluten.  As a baker, even in college, I always wanted to make sure they were not left out when our groups shared treats.  When we moved out of the dorms and into an apartment, I began experimenting with different recipes and methods of replacing regular flour with gluten free options.  Some of the trials were complete duds.  Sunken breads, cookies running across the pan, don’t-try-this-at-home kind of mess-ups.  It is certainly not a one-to-one ratio with any single type of gluten-free flour substitute, but I’m figuring it out and learning as I go.

See that melty chocolate?  Mmmmm.  Makes me want to make another batch.

I feel like I have a few easy gluten free treats down pat, but I am definitely still working on others.  Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, no problem; gluten free quick bread, getting closer; yeasted gluten free goods, don’t hold your breath.  These cookies, however, are a definite success, loved by gluten-lovers and gluten-free alike.  Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorite desserts to make and eat.  They are my go-to, my classic, my well-known treat, and I’m excited to now be able to share some of the love with my gluten-free friends!

These gluten free chocolate chip cookies are soft and thick with a deep flavor from the dark chocolate and brown sugar.  They have a nice crumb and slightly crispy edges, which creates a great contrast of textures.  I like to chop up dark chocolate bars instead of using chocolate chips for this recipe – the chopped chocolate melts better and forms deposits of sweetness throughout the cookie.  Each bite is a wonderful melty mouthful of chocolate and tender cookie base.

I wanted to keep this recipe simple and easy enough that it wouldn’t be a task to make them.  Because making cookies should never turn into a task and everyone should have the option to have homemade chocolate chip cookies.

I have included options to use less refined sugar and no butter, if that is your thing.  Both options are delicious.  I had not used coconut sugar before this recipe and I found that it does not affect the taste or the structure of the cookie at all (I found it for a good price at Trader Joe’s).  The coconut oil makes the cookies a little more tender and lends a bit of a coconutty flavor.  It is definitely not overwhelming and Will, who does not like coconut, couldn’t taste it at all.  If you use coconut oil, you’ll want to make sure it is solid.  In the winter ours stays solid in the pantry, but in the summer it is liquid.  If you have that issue, stick it in the fridge or freezer for a bit, no biggie.

Whether you are gluten free not, these cookies are worth making.  Snag a few – you won’t be able to resist.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature (or coconut oil, soft but not melted)
½ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ cup coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 ½ cups almond flour or almond meal
2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter (or coconut oil, if using) and sugars until creamy and smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the electric mixer and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into 1-½ inch balls. Place chilled cookie dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet a few inches apart and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges become golden. You may need to press them down a bit if they are still puffy after 8 minutes.