Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies {The Best!}

Published March 29, 2014. Updated May 22, 2021

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These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are THE BEST! These don’t taste like they’re gluten-free and are so easy to make. I honestly can’t believe how amazing these are! 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies on baking sheet

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

What is the best way to judge the success of a gluten-free cookie recipe? If no one can even tell it’s gluten-free. This these chocolate chip cookies, no one knew. That is just how insanely delicious these are!

I’ve tried several gluten-free chocolate chip cookies recipes on the lookout for the best, and these are hands down THE BEST! Six picky eaters (my two kids, my nieces and nephew, and my husband) all requested two and finished them off in no time. No idea. Yes, I call that success.

The other gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipes I tried left me wanting more. Simply put, I wanted a gluten-free cookie that tasted just like a gluten-filled chocolate chip cookie.

One of the recipes I tried was Alton Brown’s Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie. In my opinion, I thought they were flat, crisp, and greasy. I also didn’t like the flavor of the brown rice flour.

These cookies, however, are soft, chewy and moist (in a non-greasy way). They have a great structure (as in they don’t deflate into nothingness when you take them out of the oven), and their flavor is perfect. And of course, you can always fancify them a bit and add some Maldon Sea Salt or vanilla beans.

I’m nowhere near experienced in the field of gluten-free baking (it can be a tricky thing for sure), but these homemade chocolate chip cookies were a breeze to make and seem nearly fool-proof. Just as easy as the ordinary chocolate chip cookies, but with a little more measuring since there is more than one type of flour.

If you have been looking for an incredibly good gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe, be sure you try this recipe! I was thoroughly impressed.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies sprinkled with sea salt on baking sheet

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

For these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, you’ll need:

  • White rice flour
  • Potato starch
  • Tapioca gum
  • Xanthan gum
  • Baking soda
  • Gluten-free baking powder
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Light brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chocolate chips
  • Sea salt, optional

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies on red and white plate next to jar of milk

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Stir together dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet in another.
  • Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet, then fold in chocolate chips.
  • Drop dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until golden. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Can I Substitute Something Else for the Potato Starch?

Whether you’re out of potato starch or you have a sensitivity to it, you can likely use something in place of it (like arrowroot powder or cornstarch). However, without having tested alternate versions of this recipe myself I can’t say for sure what substitutions will work.

Quite a few readers have left their substitutions in the comments section below, so I recommend reading through the comment thread to see what worked for other people!

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Yes, these cookies can be frozen and enjoyed later on. Simply let the cookies cool completely before storing them in the freezer inside a freezer bag. Let them thaw in your fridge or on the counter when you’re ready to enjoy.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies on baking sheet

Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Cookies

  • When measuring the dry ingredients, you need to scoop and level them (rather than pouring the dry ingredients from the pouch and then leveling the dry ingredients).
  • If desired, you can reduce the vanilla to 1 tsp and add the seeds of one small vanilla bean when blending the butter and sugars.
  • I used 2/3 cup each of bittersweet, semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips when I made these cookies. But you can use any chocolate chips you have on hand!

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5 from 6 votes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best gluten free chocolate chip cookies! They have a perfect texture and incredible flavor.
Servings: 28 cookies
Prep15 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups white rice flour*
  • 1/2 cup potato starch
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 3/4 cup (firmly packed) light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract**
  • 12 oz (2 cups) gluten-free chocolate chips***
  • Maldon Sea Salt , for sprinkling tops (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt for 30 seconds, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until mixture is well blended and creamy (if you aren't using a beater blade, the paddle attachment that scrapes the bowl while mixing, then occasionally scrap down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process). 
  • Mix in eggs one at a time, blending until combined after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 
  • With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredient and mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips. 
  • Drop dough (I shaped into balls for more even rounds) about 2 1/2 Tbsp (45g each) at a time onto Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. 
  • Bake in preheated oven 9 - 11 minutes until golden. Sprinkle tops with Maldon Sea Salt if desired, and cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • *All the dry ingredients are to be scooped and leveled (rather than pour from the pouch and level).
  • **If desired, reduce the vanilla to 1 tsp and add seeds of 1 small vanilla bean when blending butter and sugars.
  • ***I used 2/3 cup of each bittersweet, semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips because the blend of the three is my favorite, but use whatever kind you prefer.
  • Recipe Source: adapted from Land O Lakes
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 201 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 117mg5%
Potassium 118mg3%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 175IU4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.