This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Even though I’ve been developing Paleo recipes for over a decade, I still get excited when I make something that’s grain-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and 100% delicious. When you get it right, you want to share it with the world!
That’s how I feel about this Paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe.
I originally shared Vegan Almond Flour Cookies made with maple syrup and no eggs, but they have more of a shortbread texture. (Which is delicious, but doesn’t quite remind me of a regular chocolate chip cookie.) That’s why I decided to revisit this recipe to see if I could make it even more authentic.
When my family immediately devoured 8 of these cookies straight off the pan, I knew I had a hit on my hands. I hope you’ll enjoy them just as much!
Paleo Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- Blanched Almond Flour. Almond flour is usually sold in two forms: blanched almond flour (pictured below) or almond meal, which includes brown flecks from the skins. I prefer using blanched almond flour for this recipe so the cookies turn out a little crispier around the edges.
- Arrowroot Starch. This addition helps give the cookies a chewy texture, almost as if they were made with white flour. You don’t need much, but it does make a big difference!
- Coconut Sugar. Granulated sugar is important to a cookie’s texture. If you cut back on the sugar, these cookies won’t spread as they bake… so you’ve been warned. If you don’t keep coconut sugar on hand, regular white or brown sugar will work, too. (However, they taste sweeter, so you might want to reduce it slightly in that case.)
- Egg. This acts as a binder, so these cookies won’t crumble when you pick them up. If you need an egg-free cookie, try vegan almond flour cookies instead.
- Baking Soda. This also helps the cookies spread as they bake. Baking soda also helps baked goods brown better than baking powder does.
- Coconut Oil. To keep this recipe dairy-free, I use coconut oil instead of butter. But if you don’t want your cookies to taste like coconut, be sure to buy refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil. That way, you’ll get zero coconut flavor. (Or just use butter if you don’t need a dairy-free recipe.)
- Chocolate Chips. If you want a naturally sweetened chocolate chip, try Hu chocolate chunks or unsweetened cacao nibs (I find both at Whole Foods). But if you’re not a perfectionist, like me, you can also use whatever chocolate chips you prefer.
How to Make Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper). This recipe makes approximately 20 cookies, so you may want to prepare two baking pans if you want to bake them all at once. I prefer to bake the pans one at a time, so both batches get the top shelf of my oven. (This shelf bakes cookies best for me.)
In a large bowl, combine 1.5 cups of blanched almond flour, 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 cup arrowroot starch, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
Stir the dry ingredients together until they look well mixed.
Step 2:
Want to save this for later?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Next, add one large egg, a 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir well until the dough looks uniform, with no visible flecks of flour. (It might even look a little greasy, which is okay at this point.)
Fold in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. I like to reserve about 2 tablespoons of these to press into the tops of the cookies later.
Step 3:
Then use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the prepared pan. You’ll get about 20 cookies from this batch, but I can only fit about 12 on a half-sheet pan. They will spread as they bake, so leave an inch or two of space between the cookie dough.
Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 11 minutes. The cookies will spread as they bake, and should look lightly golden around the edges. They might feel soft to the touch when you remove them from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Look Better
If you want to press some of those reserved chocolate chips into the hot cookies, it’s best to do that while they are hot from the oven. This can help fill in any bare spots! Food photographers and bakers do this to make their cookies look better.
As soon as the cookies have fully cooled, they are ready to be picked up and enjoyed.
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Chewy Texture!)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup coconut oil , melted (see notes)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot starch, baking soda, and salt. Stir well.
- Next, add the egg, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Stir again, until the mixture looks uniform with no visible grains of flour. Then fold in the chocolate chips. I like to keep some extra chocolate chips nearby to add to the top of the cookies later, too.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. These will spread as they bake, so leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake, as almond flour is prone to burning. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, press a few extra chocolate chips on top in areas that look bare. (This is what makes the cookies look prettier for presentation, but you can also skip this step if you prefer fewer chocolate chips.)
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 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.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Almond Butter Cookies
- Healthiest Cookies Ever (Fruit-Sweetened & No Flour)
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (no eggs!)
- Healthy Chocolate Cookies
If you try this paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how you like them.
I just made a double batch of this recipe. I used avocado oil for the coconut oil and used fresh lemon for the vanilla and added chopped walnuts. Otherwise, I made them exactly as the recipe. Mine spread out some and I used a little avocado spray on the parchment paper. I let them sit for 10 minutes to cool. I had a hard time removing them from the parchment paper without them falling apart. I was disappointed with the end result. I put them in the freezer.
Kind of wild to change a recipe and then still rate the recipe with your changes. The issues you had absolutely could have been due to the changes you made.
100%
Hi Megan, I try to avoid using coconut oil – is there another oil/fat (not vegan or regular butter) that can substitute? Almond/walnut butter or avocado oil in place of coconut oil?
They come out great with no oil at all. I’ve made this recipe many times, and one time I forgot the oil and was amazed how they came out w/o it. Since then, I’ve omitted the oil, as I try to avoid oxidized fats as much as possible.
Loved making this with my two year old!
Stellar recipe. I love it, and I feel good after I eat.. and feel good about eating it. It gives me good energy.. refuel me. Keeps me going. Thank you! I’ve been following you for over a decade. I always come back to your recipes! The best, in “my” book!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! Even though we can eat egg, we were out and still wanted cookies. We subbed the choco chips with pecans & walnuts. We also subbed the maple syrup for alchohol free berry essence+stevia. Sooo delicious. My 10 yr old read the recipe and helped. The directions were easy! And yes….we had to taste the cookie dough…hehehe
Made these cookies and they are so delicious 😋 thank you so much for the recipe!!
Wow! I just made these for the first time, and they are easily my most favorite cookies. They don’t even taste paleo! AND, we can eat the raw dough! With teenage boys in the house, that’s a big win. Sooooooo good. Thank you!
This has been my favorite cookie recipe for years. I always double or triple and freeze the extras. My husband and in laws love them. I usually make them as is but sometimes I half the chocolate chips and add chopped walnuts.
Wow! I have just made these cookies, so incredibly easy. I am not too keen on coconut flavored food, but the taste is not too strong. Absolutely delicious and very moreish! I followed the recipe to the t, no tweaks necessary. I live in the UK and there is the option to change the measurements to Metric which is very handy. I will be buying the ingredients in bulk now, as these are too delicious not too make again. Thank you
this is my go-to chocolate chop cookie recipe!! I’m allergic to dairy and sensitive to gluten, and this recipe is my all time favorite. I often find vegan recipes too elaborate and since I can eat eggs I really enjoying baking with them. I love this recipe’s short ingredient list, and how simple and perfect these cookies are. The nutty flavor of the almond flour is delightful. I’ve been making them for at least 4 years now (I found this when I was in college, and now im out of grad school- wild!) and for the first time I accidentally grabbed the orange extract instead of vanilla! The difference was immediately obvious, so I pivoted to adding pistachios and it really saved the day! (I think cranberries would have been good, too, if anyone else ever makes the same mistake.) The liqueur flavor of the orange extract was a little strong but the cookies tasted wonderful the next day 🙂 These cookies are genuinely fool proof!
This is my go to recipe for postpartum mamas! I sub a 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1/4 cup flax seed and 1/4 cup milled oats. I also love the recipe as is. I double the salt and add flaky salt to the top.