When I think of gluten-free cookies, I think bland, cardboard flavor and an overcooked crispy texture that creates a cookie monster in my dreams. I mean, after a cookie like that, would you dream of anything else but a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie? I desperately needed something to change my mind about gluten-free cookies, and this is it! When you sink your teeth into the soft crunch of the outside and the creamy and warm chocolate center, you may have as much trouble as me not finishing the whole batch of cookies all by yourself.
Not only did I take on the challenge of an easy-to-make cookie, but I was determined that it is possible to make a gluten-free, processed-free, vegan, and not all-nuts cookie and still have it taste amazing. There is a little almond flour in here, but only enough to lighten the texture and blend the gluten-free flours into a pillowy and almost cake-y chocolate chip cookie. These are truly the best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Though you could replace any of these flours, there is a reason why gluten-free recipes usually have flour blends. The idea here is you don’t want to instantly think you’re eating a healthy cookie even if you are. The truth is, we all want that no calorie cookie, but since I think empty calories are worst thing I could give you, given the chemicals that would include, instead I’m delivering a cookie that will be burning calories as you eat it. That’s the beauty of eating whole foods. The sugars and flours in this recipe make your body work for these calories! And that’s something I can’t say about hulled flours like white flour or cake flour.
My first bite of this cookie surprised me. After a bit of trial and error, I had the most delicious, 15 minute cookie evaaah. I get that sometimes you just want a white flour, white sugar cookie that you don’t have to add an extra couple of ingredients for, but these are worth the extra step. They are perfect to bring on a lunch for a guilt-free chocolate chip energy cookie or snack.
The Nutrition
Oats: One of my favorite ingredients in baked goods are oats. They produce a beautiful flavor and texture, provide 41% of your daily iron and 26 grams of protein in just one cup. I may not feel satisfied after one cookie because they are so delicious, but after 1 cookie the fiber helps me feel full and regulates my blood sugar. It sure doesn’t hurt that oats are also loaded with calcium and magnesium and a little bit of vitamin B6.
Something that most people don’t realize is oats are gluten-free. The reason why they include a label is oats are a rotation crop. That means if a farmer harvests wheat as well, it may be planted in the same field, just at a different time of year. If you are allergic to gluten, make sure you buy it gluten-free to be sure it isn’t rotated with gluten crops.
I do have one confession to make. I didn’t sneak vegetables in here. Sweet potato probably would’ve been good in place of the water, but we can try that next time. Right now, I just wanted a delicious quick snack I can whip up for a movie or for a party. Wanna join?
Ingredients
- Gluten Free flour blend:
- 1 cup oat flour (I grind my own, but you can buy it already ground)
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour (may be substituted for one of the other flours or another nut flour)
- Add:
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt (regular salt is fine)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water (or whatever milk you prefer, I just used water)
- 1 - 1 1/2 cup chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (In my oven, I put them in a cold oven for 15 minutes and I loved them! Try them both ways to see your preference)
- Mix ingredients in the order listed, stirring the dry ingredients together before adding the wet.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown
Notes
Do not refrigerate this dough unless you are making ice cream with it since it will yield a slightly more tough texture. If you plan to make cookie dough ice cream with it, my cookie dough protein balls may be slightly better.
Oat flour: I like to take whole oats and grind them in my vitamix, but you can buy it at the grocery store or Amazon already ground.
These cookies do not have much spread, therefore, make sure you smash them down to the desired size.
Kitchen Tip: If you want cookies to soften after baking, store them in a sealed container with a piece of bread at the bottom.
I was planning to make chocolate chip cookies today, and this recipe has come handy just in time! Will use your version and will let you know how it went.
apsara recently posted…Tricolor Paniyaram / Savory Pops – Independence Day Special (Diabetes Friendly Thursdays)
Yes! Please do! I would love to know what you think Apsara 🙂
Foodscape recently posted…Lunch Meal Planning For Work and School Year
These look perfect. I have had to start eating gluten free and whilst most of the meals I eat are naturally gluten free anyway, I am not very experience with gluten free baking. So that is something I am going to have to start doing.
Absolutely! Gluten-free baking is a challenge in itself…add plant-based/clean eating into the mix and it can feel impossible. But it’s not, I promise! Just lots of trial and error. 🙂 Let me know how you like the cookies and thanks for commenting!
Foodscape recently posted…Bulu Box Review + Discount
OMG cookies, seriously, send me your leftovers!! I love love love chocolate chip cookies. I could eat like 10. They are the perfect way to refuel after a tough workout (at least that’s what I tell myself). Hooray for cardboard free cookies!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Mexican Turkey Lettuce Wraps
I’ll send them to you ASAP Sam ;op After all, they do travel pretty well. Thanks for commenting!
Foodscape recently posted…Lunch Meal Planning For Work and School Year
I love me a good GF cookie recipe! They are hard to find. These look delicious and not dry and flaky! I will definitely be giving these a try! Thanks for sharing!
J @ A Hot Southern Mess recently posted…Caprese Quinoa Casserole
They are definitely not dry! Especially when you have really great chunky chocolate chips in them….I think I need to make another batch! lol So good…
Foodscape recently posted…Bulu Box Review + Discount
These cookies look incredible! I love the flour blend and the list of wholesome ingredients and lower sugar content! I can’t wait to make these…except I’m sure I’ll be addicted.
Thanks Jessica! No guilt with an addiction here, so don’t worry! You could eat these every day as a workout snack and they’d be great. 🙂
Foodscape recently posted…Bulu Box Review + Discount
These cookies look delicious!! Definitely going to give them a try. The gf flour blend can that be used for other recipes that call for a gf flour? Thanks
Hi Debbie, thanks for commenting! Hmmm…I haven’t personally tried making it ahead as a blend but I think it would work. The thing I would be careful of is make sure that you are using a liquid sweetener with the recipe instead of a dry one since brown rice can have a grainy texture if it doesn’t have enough liquid – kind similar to how coconut flour reacts but not with the crazy absorption power of coconut flour. Let me know what you try it with!
Foodscape recently posted…Bulu Box Review + Discount
These cookies look so chewy and delicious!! Question though – can you sub almond meal for almond flour? 🙂
Sarah | Well and Full recently posted…Lemony Summer Harvest Falafel w/ Smoky Sriracha Tahini
Hi Sarah! Thanks for commenting! I don’t want you to be disappointed, so I will say they are fluffy but this is not a chewy cookie. If you like your cookies to be chewy, not fluffy, you may not go for these. Personally, I love them and so did my testers. They are the best gluten-free cookie I’ve tried yet that doesn’t have a million nuts in it, so I still hope you make them! Almond meal/almond flour is fine, whatever you have in the house! In fact, if you want them to be chewy, try switching the proportions of the brown rice flour to 1/2 cup/almond flour to 3/4 cup. Hope that helps!
Foodscape recently posted…Bulu Box Review + Discount
I love chocolate chip cookies! These look yummy.
Bethany recently posted…Gluten Free Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
I had the same thoughts on GF cookies. Crumbly, tasteless (actually cordboard-tasting, so they are actually tasteless), and blah. These look the exact opposite. I will have to keep this recipe and try it out for sure! Thanks for sharing!
J at A Hot Southern Mess recently posted…Spicy Pumpkin Bacon Dip