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These Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth! Made with nourishing almond flour, they take just minutes to stir together and will quickly become one of your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This gluten-free cookie recipe is made with blanched almond flour, which means the skin has been removed from the nuts before they were ground into flour.
Your cookies will have a crispy, buttery texture when you use this type of grain-free flour, but you can use almond meal (made with whole ground almonds) if that’s what you have. Desserts made with almond meal tend to be denser and not quite as crisp, so just keep that in mind.
Maple syrup and coconut oil help to bind this recipe without using an egg or flax egg, but if you prefer to use coconut sugar as the sweetener, check out my classic almond flour cookie recipe instead. They taste like the Tollhouse cookies, only made with almond flour!
Using coconut oil keeps this recipe dairy-free, but if you’d prefer to avoid any coconut flavor, look for refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil which has zero coconut taste. You can also use your favorite vegan butter, or real butter if you don’t need a dairy-free cookie.
Use dark chocolate chips to keep this recipe lower in sugar, or try adding dried fruit for another variation. I like to use mini chocolate chips to distribute the chocolate flavor even more.
How to Make the Best Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Mix.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Stir well until a thick cookie dough is formed. (Because this recipe is not made with traditional flour, there’s no need to whisk the dry ingredients together before adding in the liquid ingredients.)
Fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to stir too much. Almond flour cookie dough can become oily when overmixed.
2. Bake.
Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the prepared pan, about 2 inches apart from each other. You should get roughly 19 to 20 cookies from this batch.
Use your hands to gently flatten each cookie mound, as they won’t spread much on their own. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top, if you’d like a sweet and salty cookie, then bake at 350ºF for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges look lightly golden.
3. Cool.
Once the cookies are done baking, let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. They will firm up as they cool.
The finished cookies will have a crispy edge and a slightly chewy center, reminiscent of a shortbread cookie studded with chocolate chunks.
Serve these paleo cookies warm or let them cool completely on a wire rack. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container, but they do become softer and less crispy in that case.
For crispier results and longer shelf life, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Coconut flour is unlike any other flour on the market and needs a totally different ratio of ingredients. Check out my coconut flour cookie recipe for guidance.
I love Hu brand, which is naturally sweetened if you can find it at your local store. Otherwise, dark chocolate chips make a great lower-sugar option, or you can chop up your favorite chocolate bar. For a sugar-free option, try using crunchy cacao nibs instead.
Looking for more paleo cookie recipes? Try Almond Butter Cookies, Almond Flour Sugar Cookies, or the Healthiest Cookies Ever.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil , melted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup (at room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (or cacao nibs, for sugar-free)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Stir well, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten and shape the cookies to your liking; they will NOT spread when baked, so make them the shape you want.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The darker they get, the crispier they will be.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will soften if stored at room temperature, so for the crispiest results, store them chilled.
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Notes
Nutrition
If you try this paleo chocolate chip cookies recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.
I typically don’t comment on blogs, but now I feel compelled to! I literally make this recipe almost weekly, and everyone I know loves it so much! I’m asked to make it for get togethers, and even as gifts for people…this is the most incredible Paleo cookie recipe out there! THANK YOU SO MUCH you are one brilliant cook 😉 Keep posting recipes like this…please!
Absolutely a 5 star cookie. I’m still getting over how balanced they are: plenty sweet, light texture (crispy yet soft, almost like a shortbread) and satisfying. I’ve made other recipes with almond flour and was starting to get discouraged b/c they tasted too nutty, like they had an aftertaste. And while I prefer to use unrefined sugar, I don’t care for honey in cookies or cakes. Thank you, Megan. This is the go-to cookie I’ve been looking for. I made a double batch and just added a little grape seed oil b/c I ran out of coconut oil.
I’m so glad you love them as much as I do!
Megan,
I’m baking them again. They were a hit at work but I keep on getting 13 -15 cookies instead of 24 am I missing something? I’m using a Tbs measuring spoon to scoop it. Please help
I’m using a tablespoon-size cookie scoop, which I scrape along the bowl so that it’s flattened– not a “heaping” tablespoon. Perhaps the scooper doesn’t give me the full tablespoon, since some of the dough gets stuck in the gears. I happen to like making small cookies, but if your cookies end up being bigger, that is perfectly fine!
Just made these and they came out wonderful! Hubby ate them up and that’s always a good sign 🙂 5 stars!!
you win! i have tried multiple recipes and these cookies are the closest to non-vegan, non-paleo cookies. they are great! i can wait to try out more of your recipes. 🙂
Made these today – ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Can I use raw honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes, you can! In my experience, maple syrup results in a slightly less sweet cookie, and sometimes the resulting baked good can feel a bit “sticky.” But, it’s always delicious! 🙂
these cookies were so yummy will definitly make these again
who needs to bake these?? i just ate the dough – awesome recipe!! yum!
Made these tonight and they were so good! Felt great to eat something so tasty with minimal whole food ingredients. My dad is the chocolate chip cookie lover so I make them for him all the time and he told me these were the best he’s ever had!! thank you for sharing 🙂