With nut allergies becoming more prevalent, I’ve been looking to create a vegan and gluten-free cookie that is nut-free, as well. This turned out to be quite a challenge!
First, I tried adapting my favorite Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies, using oat flour instead of almond meal, but the result didn’t hold together well. I realized that oat flour requires an egg-like binder, such as a banana or a “flax egg,” and since I didn’t want a banana-flavored cookie, a flax egg seemed like the best choice. However, I should mention that I actually prefer to use ground chia seeds over flax seeds, in most cases, as I find their flavor blends more seamlessly into baked goods.
During the recipe development process earlier this month, I posted one of my trials on Instagram, mentioning how the cookies tasted good, but I still felt like they were missing something. (I’m very particular when it comes to cookies!) Kelly, from Cut Cut Sew, saw my Instagram post and kindly offered to share her own recipe with me, passed down from her sister-in-law. So, we all have her to thank for helping this recipe come to life.
The resulting cookies are lightly sweetened, with a crisp outside and soft, tender inside– just the way I like them. I hope you all enjoy them, too!
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Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 12 cookies
Adapted from Kelly at Cut Cut Sew
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour*
3/4 cup coconut sugar
2 flax or chia “eggs” (recipe here)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
*I made the oat flour at home by grinding gluten-free rolled oats in my blender.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, chia eggs, oil, vanilla and salt, and stir well to create a uniform dough. Fold in the chocolate chips, then scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of space between the cookies. Gently flatten the dough with your fingers, as these cookies won’t spread too much with baking.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F, until the cookies are lightly golden and the edges are firm. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour*
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 flax or chia "eggs" (recipe here)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- *I made the oat flour at home by grinding gluten-free rolled oats in my blender.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, chia eggs, oil, vanilla and salt, and stir well to create a uniform dough. Fold in the chocolate chips, then scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of space between the cookies. Gently flatten the dough with your fingers, as these cookies won't spread too much with baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F, until the cookies are lightly golden and the edges are firm. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 233, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 34g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 5g
Notes:
- Non-vegans can substitute real butter for coconut oil, if you prefer. I haven’t tried making this recipe with real eggs, so I’m not sure if you’d need 1 or 2 eggs for this recipe– please leave a comment below if you try it out!
- For a grain-free vegan cookie, try my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe instead.
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite flour to bake with? I’m partial to nut and seed flours, but I also enjoy grinding my own flour from oats and buckwheat.
Many thanks to Kelly and yourself for working in collaboration on this wonderful chocolate chip recipe. Nut allergies are definitely on the rise! It really makes me think, are more people getting diagnosed with these allergies or because doctors are now more able to do so, or are there truly just most people with allergies? And yes, I ask myself this same question about autism and vaccines, and so many questions that remain unanswered in my mind. I really appreciate recipes such as thing because I can bring them to church, a family gathering, or just having a few friends and I always a little sign that says “vegan, nut free and gluten free” so those with different food requirements know whether or not they can have one, and I find people are grateful for taking just a bit of extra effort. You have encouraged me to try grinding my own flour, I think I’m going to try the buckwheat flour.
OMG, they look so yummy.It’s funny but I actually make almost the same recipe just without the chocolate and with one teaspoon of cinnamon.
These look delicious, I love oat flour and the natural sweetness it brings to treats. My daughter and I are sensitive to various nuts as well, so I love using chickpea flour in recipes. It tastes awful before baking, so there’s no eating the dough, but it makes delicious chocolate chip cookies! 🙂
These look amazing! I absolutely love all of your recipes, keep ’em coming! 🙂
Just thought I’d let you know I tried the recipe with two real eggs but unfortunately they didn’t turn out very well. They were very dry and cake-like. My husband ate them all anyway so it wasn’t a total loss, lol. I’ll have to try them again with the chia-eggs. Love your recipes!
Megan, these were delicious!! I say were because we made them Monday night and they’re already gone
Sorry for some reason the rest of my comment didn’t post…Thanks so much for the recipe, I’ve been needing a good chocolate chip one!!
I would like to try coming up with my own low-carb Trim Healthy Mama (http://trimhealthymama.com/) adaption of these cookies by using a combination of defatted peanut flour and oat fiber… I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Thanks for such great recipe inspiration! 🙂
~God Bless~
Sophia
I just made these and they’re amazing!!! I cut the recipe in half-because it was my first time making it-and made a few tweaks. I had a little more than a tablespoon of chia seed meal so I used it all and added another 2 tablespoons of water. I used just one tablespoon of coconut sugar and added 1/4 teaspoon of liquid vanilla stevia. The cookies held together well, and they taste so yummy! (It was my first time using stevia for baking so I’m quite impressed that the cookies turned out so tasty!) Thank you for this recipe!!!!!
Amazing recipe! I added goji and cocoa nibs instead of the chocolate chips and it turned out amazing!
Any suggestions for something other than the oat flour?
I’ve used Almond & Coconut before, but as they are in the majority of my recipes I wanted to try something else. I follow a candida diet, so many flours out there do not work that well for me. Thanks!
I used two eggs, cane sugar, a bit extra oat flour plus 1/4 cup whole oats. I left everything else the same. So, so yummy.
Thank you for your wonderful website and recipes.
Yum! I made a batch of these to share with friends tonight. After I tried them, I made a second batch at the first chance I got. Thanks for sharing such a nourishing and delicious recipe :-).
Oh em gee!!!! These are hands down THE BEST vegan and gluten free chocolate chip cookies! The recipe is PERFECT and taste just like TollHouse cookies but even better and healthy! They’re so moist and delicious. I think I’ll add peanut butter next batch. Mmmmm. These are so addictive. Can’t wait to make these next Christmas for cookie swap! Thanks for sharing these delightful treats from heaven 🙂
I tried this with two small eggs, and although the mixture was a bit “runny” (not too, too much though), it just made for larger cookies! My hubby called them chocolate chip saucers! They tasted great! Thank you!
Wow! These cookies are amazing! Thank you for such a simple, delicious recipe!
I made these and they ‘re absolutely amazing.
I had to leave them in the oven for 35 minutes though… I don’t know if it’s the altitude (i’m from México) but still worth the wait. Thanks for sharing 😉
Will Applesauce instead of chia egg , work?
I am so happy to try this reciprecipe right now. I am allergic to nuts while staying gluten free/vegan. That also means I cannot use coconut sugar though. I am replacing the coconut sugar with white sugar. 3/4 of a cup seems like a lot. I am trying 1/2. Do you think that will suffices? Is 3/4 of a cup a lot of sugarsugar in the recipe?
Any recommendations for another type of non sugar to use instead of coconut?
You could also try date sugar.
Danielle, I have great luck with SWERVE granular alternative sugar (Target, etc.). There is NO aftertaste as stevia has for me.
Judith
So yummy! I used two real eggs but it came out cake-like. Loved it either way but going to try the chia eggs next time 🙂
I made these cookies tonight and they are wonderful! I added a little more coconut sugar, plus 3 tablespoons Brewers yeast to make them into lactation cookies! Just what this healthy mama needed to cure a sweet tooth! I used bittersweet chocolate chips as well…so good!
How should you store these yummy cookies – and how long do you think they will last before they are too old?
They could probably last up to 5 days at room temperature, but I always store mine in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer to keep them more firm. In the freezer, they can last for up to 6 months. In the fridge, I’d probably only keep them for about 2 to 3 weeks.
This is the second time I have made these and they are great. The first time I made them with bittersweet chocolate chips by mistake, but that didn’t stop the whole plate from being devoured at a party. I think these are perfect for parties, since you never know who is allergic or sensitive to what. In my recipes, I used 2 eggs rather than flax eggs and they worked out well. I also love the use of coconut sugar since it is lower on the glycemic-index… why have a sugar crash just because you want a cookie! Thanks again!
Thanks for the recipe, I made these instead of your paleo cc cookies because oats are cheaper than almonds. They had an awesome taste, similar to girl scout samoas. My husband and I are not allergic to nuts, but I believe that we are sensitive either to gmos in general or wheat, because we both get itchy reactions on our bodies when we eat pizza (haven’t given it up yet or swapped to healthy crust) and I really became bored of traditional ways of making desserts. I hope your family has a Merry Christmas!
Hello, just a thought as a family member had a problem with their skin itching, he was allergic to yeast. Took a long time to diagnose. Yeast is also present in wine and beer so try to take notice if this also might affect you skin itching after you consume these.
Great cookies! I went one step further and used soy, nut, and dairy free, chocolate morsels (Enjoy Life! brand). Thanks for the recipe!
I used regular gluten free flour for this recipe and it was a disaster! Super
Gluggy and not enough liquid to make a dough. Does gluten free flour do this?? My
Flax eggs were more solid too, not egg consistency despite using the right measurements 🙁 will try out flour next time, however in Australia we don’t have gluten free oats
HI! So thrilled to find your recipe! Do you know of any other non-dairy substitutions for the coconut oil? My stomach doesn’t like it for some reason. Thanks so much!
I used energy egg replacer and there wasn’t enough moisture. I added half a cup of pear puree. They never got crispy or brown, but they were tasty. More like mini banana breads in texture, if that makes sense. Maybe more sugar and oil would produce a crispy cookie.
I have been looking for a nut free cookie option for my kids lunch and these are perfect. The kids gave them two thumbs up!
We have made these with both flax and chia eggs and found them to be too ‘eggy’ for our liking. The chia ones we made last maintained the chia like texture after baked. Is it possible to cut the amount of egg replacer in half and still hold together? Would refrigerating the dough before baking help?
So made these exactly according to the instructions, and they WERE delicious, but never achieved that dry, outer-cookie shell with chewy center or oven-gold brownness. Also, the dough was solid and slick with oil. Hard to form into cookies since the chocolate chips kept falling out. Perhaps it was my altitude, which is 387′ above sea level, but next time I’ll try less flour, and less oil? Maybe more chia egg. Idk XD It could have even been my oat flour.
So I never comment on these but I had to THANK-YOU! These cookies, made with chia egg, have been a lifesaver for me to start off the school year. One thing you don’t mention in the title is that they are also NUT FREE which means they can go to school (YAY!!). They were also beautifully tasty – crisp on the outside and moist & tender on the inside – I had to freeze them or there would be non left for lunches! Being a paleo family it is truly hard to find a good tasting, non-processed, snack for my kids so again, thank-you!
These are one of the best gluten free and vegan cookies I have made. I made these with Olive oil and added 1/2 tsp of baking soda and added only 1/2 cup of light brown sugar. sooo good
I replaced 3/4 Cup of oat flour with PBfit (defatted peanut powder). I used 2 flax eggs instead of the chia eggs. I had to adjust the consistency of the dough by adding 1 tablespoon of water. The cookies came out FANTASTIC! These are the first vegan GF cookies I’ve made that were not sticky-soft. They remind me very much of the traditional chocolate chip cookies from my childhood. Thank you for this well-thought-out recipe!
People! Don’t you get it?? A fricking ten yr old knows that chocolate chips contain frickin milk!!! That me! Chocolate is not vegan!
There are several brands of vegan chocolate chips available– my favorite is Enjoy Life brand.
I just found your date paste recipe….im trying to rid my life of sugar 🙂 do you think I could replace the coconut sugar with the date paste and still get good results?
Youare10 years old, aren’t you?
So yummy! I substituted applesauce for a little more than half the oil and used Bobs Red Mill GF flour(not oat). Nice and chewy.
Fantastic! I didn’t have any flax or chia so I used one egg + 1 egg white and they turned out perfectly.
These look so good! Can I make these with olive oil instead of coconut oil?
I made these using two flax eggs and adding a bit of water to the dough at the end because it seemed a bit too dry (and then I worried that I’d made the dough too wet) but they are SO DELICIOUS. Truly some of the best cookies I’ve had, vegan or otherwise. I was amazed!
I used two eggs and they turned out fine. I added only a half cup of sugar because my coconut sugar is kind of strong and I loved them! The perfect healthy treat to curb my sweet tooth
I made these finally today and I used two eggs and cane sugar. They came out very dry and cakey. Not sure what I might have done wrong. They taste great but not my kind of mouth feel.
Yes, chicken eggs would make a big difference in this case– I would try using only one next time (or try the flax eggs that the recipe calls for!), as two eggs would make it more cake-like and dry.
Thank you for your reply. I will try it with one and then with flax eggs I know it needs more moisture.
Great recipe! I used ground chia seeds and did everything as per the recipe. I would just like to make them crispier as they were quite chewy, and would like to replace the coconut oil for olive oil since my son doesnt like coconut flavor. Any suggestions to make them crispier, while still GF, vegan, nut free?
Love this recipie, but NEVER use Whole Wheat Pastry flour with this it comes out crummy and bad. But I really do love this recipie 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly… Maybe I did something wrong but I don’t think so? At the very least, the person who rated this well and said it tastes like a Tollhouse cookie clearly hasn’t tasted a Tollhouse cookie in a very long time (if ever), Lol. Mine were more cake-like, no crisp, and for me there was a strong flavor of chia seeds. So, I personally did not like this recipe. I can see how someone might. But if you’re looking for a real delicious chocolate chip cookie that is on the healthier side, I’m not sure it will be this one. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is super easy. And it seems like a lot of people adapted the recipe a bit. So maybe if you want to experiment and use it as a base for a healthy cookie recipe, that’s an idea too.
So, as a lover of sweets and chocolate chip cookies specifically, I wasn’t a fan. But a lot of other people were. So. Anyway, I hope that helps you make your decision!
Loved these! We aren’t vegan and don’t have allergies(intolerances), but I have loved Detoxinistas recipes and changing our eating from the same things…
Back to the cookies. Butter is expensive in Canada and I wanted to make cookies. I tried my hand at these not telling the family they were vegan. We ate the whole batch in one evening. Today I am trying with some chopped walnuts.
I know someone else tasted the batter and thought gross but I tested and it had the right proportions of sweet and salty like normal cookies and I thought good.
I followed the recipe to the T. Ground my oats, used flax seed and coconut sugar. I have Himalayan salt and used that, only I used a rounded 1/4tsp instead of flat. I liked how the batter tasted this way and the cookies were great. I use a tablespoon measuring cup and scoop into small cookies. I wet my hands to get out and flatten. I have a large sheet pan and bake all at once for 12 min in my oven.
I love learning new recipes and how these are nutrient dense and flavorful. Thanks
Can i use eritritol with monk fruit instead of coconut sugar?
I’ve never worked with that, so I have no idea how it will turn out as a swap for coconut sugar. Maybe it will work? I’d love to hear if you give it a try!
How do you store these? I’ve been wrapping in parchment paper/brown paper bag & leaving @ room temp for 3-4 days….