These Gluten Free Basic Chocolate Cookies are so rich and chocolate-y! Serve them plain or with your favorite mix-ins and no one will even know they are gluten free!
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Need a recipe for plain gluten free chocolate cookies? One that tastes great and won’t crumble into a million pieces? One you can add your choice of mix-ins to and it’ll hold up? You found it!
These Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies came about after feeling guilty for making Dark Chocolate Cookies that my gluten free fiancé wasn’t able to eat. I simply swapped out the regular all purpose flour for a gluten free all purpose flour and viola! These cookies turned out amazing – you can’t even tell they are gluten free!
Why This Recipe Works
- These homemade gluten free cookies taste just as delicious as a non-gluten free version.
- The cookies come out of the oven soft in the center with crispy edges just as you’d expect any homemade cookie to be.
- This is a versatile recipe that you can enjoy on it’s own, or add mix-ins like chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, or even fruit bits to.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
Prep!
Make sure to set your butter out to come to room temperature about an hour before you begin baking. If your butter is too warm (if you microwave it to soften it this can happen) or too cold, the cookies may not turn out perfectly.
When you are ready to begin, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Create!
In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream together on medium speed until completely smooth. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
Stir in any mix-in’s, if you’re using them.
Drop by the tablespoon full about 2 inches apart on to a baking sheet (I use a Silpat mat to prevent sticking).
Bake 9-10 minutes until cooked through.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to prevent breakage.
Present!
Serve these Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies warm out of the oven, or cooled. They go great with an ice cold glass of milk!
Mix-in Suggestions
I’ve made a few different varieties of gluten free chocolate cookies using this Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies recipe as the base. If you need some ideas for what you may want to mix in, try these to start:
- Gluten Free Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tips & Techniques for the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
- Make sure your butter is room temperature soft. If it’s too warm (as it might be if you microwave it to softened it) or too cold, the final results of the cookies may differ.
- Don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup. Simply spoon it in and level off the top.
- Be sure to allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. If you attempt to move them too soon, they may break. They “set-up” more as they cool.
- Store extra cookies in an air-tight container and use within a week for the best results.
FAQ’s
- What is the best gluten free flour to use for baking cookies? I have made this recipe with both Pillsbury Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I found that the cookies made with Pillsbury puffed up a little more, but broke a little easier. The cookies made with Bob’s Red Mill had more “crinkling” on top but held up a little better.
- Can you freeze these gluten free cookies? Yes. You can roll out the dough ahead of time and store it in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to add a couple minutes to the bake time. You can also freeze baked cookies on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag.
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Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour * see notes for recommendations
- 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups butter * softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Cup mix-ins of your choice * optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream together on medium speed until completely smooth. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Stir in any mix-in’s, if you’re using them.
- Drop by the tablespoon full about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet (I use a Silpat Mat to prevent sticking).
- Bake 9-10 minutes until cooked through.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to prevent breakage.
Notes
Tips & Techniques for the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
- Make sure your butter is room temperature soft. If it's too warm (as it might be if you microwave it to softened it) or too cold, the final results of the cookies may differ.
- Don't pack the flour into the measuring cup. Simply spoon it in and level off the top.
- Be sure to allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. If you attempt to move them too soon, they may break. They "set-up" more as they cool.
- Store extra cookies in an air-tight container and use within a week for the best results.
FAQ's
- What is the best gluten free flour to use for baking cookies? I have made this recipe with both Pillsbury Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I found that the cookies made with Pillsbury puffed up a little more, but broke a little easier. The cookies made with Bob's Red Mill had more "crinkling" on top but held up a little better.
- Can you freeze these gluten free cookies? Yes. You can roll out the dough ahead of time and store it in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to add a couple minutes to the bake time. You can also freeze baked cookies on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on May 30, 2016. New images and text were added in January 2019. The recipe itself was not changed.
