These paleo chocolate cookies are ultra rich, soft and chewy and taste just like traditional chocolate cookies! This recipe has a vegan option and they’re also grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
The only thing that’d give these cookies away as not being made with all-purpose flour is the little specks of almond flour. And I don’t think most people would even notice!
This recipe uses a mix of almond flour and coconut flour, but I also now have an all coconut flour version of these cookies. Check out these → Chocolate Coconut Flour Cookies if that sounds interesting!).
I adapted this recipe from my Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies. Mr. Texanerin thinks it’s kind of funny how many variations of this cookie I intend on posting.
I don’t think it’s funny at all. I think to not post all the versions I can think of would just be stupid. ;)
To come up with the original recipe, I made them at least 2-3 dozen times – usually half batches. And I baked them up one cookie at a time, adding more flour or oil or whatever until I was closer to what I was going for.
It was actually kind of fun because of the almost constant stream of fresh cookies coming out the oven. So after that labor of love, I feel like posting several variations is totally acceptable. :D
But none of the recipes are just calling for different add-ins! Different types of nut butters and flours have different fat contents and that requires adjustments to the recipe. If you use peanut butter in this recipe without making any other changes, it wouldn’t come out very well (I’ve tried).
These Paleo Oatmeal Cookies, which are a variation on the original, are a reader favorite. So are these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies.
If you use hazelnut butter and meal here, the batter is weirdly wet and so that requires some adjustments, too. This double chocolate version differs from the original in that I decreased the almond flour by 1/4 cup, added 1/3 cup + 4 teaspoons cocoa powder, and a little more oil.
These cookies are huge. Some commenters in the original recipe, which yields 8, said that they got way more than that. If you want normal-sized cookies, you can get about 16.
But I wanted big bakery-style cookies! I just like how they bake up that way. If making smaller (more reasonably-sized) cookies, be sure to adjust the baking time as necessary.
I always use Dutch-process cocoa powder because I like the darker, chocolaty taste and I recommend you do the same, at least for these cookies! If you can’t find it, Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder should do the trick.
Looking for more delicious paleo treats? Try these Gluten-free Dairy-free Chocolate Candy Cookie Bars!
I hope you’ll enjoy these cookies if you try them out! I’d love to hear your thoughts below. :) Thanks!
Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8 large cookies or 16 regular-sized cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour
- 1/3 cup + 4 teaspoons (48 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder1
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons (98 grams) refined coconut oil,2 not melty3 or for non-paleo/vegan, unsalted butter,4 room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar (or brown sugar for non-paleo)
- 6 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter, room temperature5
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature or 1 chia egg for vegan6
- 1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (use paleo/vegan chocolate, if needed)
Directions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer, beat together the fat and sugar at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Beat in the almond butter and vanilla extract on medium speed and mix until combined. Beat in the egg on low and mix until well incorporated.
- Stir in the flour mixture until well combined.
- Then stir in 3/4 cup (128 grams) chocolate chips. If you used brown sugar, skip to the next step. If you used coconut sugar, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until the dough is firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into 8 (93-gram) balls and place the remaining 1/4 cup (43 grams) of chocolate chips on the top and on the sides of the dough balls.
- Place 3" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press the cookies down lightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes (if using coconut sugar) or 12-15 minutes (if using brown sugar) or until the surface of the center of the cookies no longer appears wet. They'll be very soft but will continue to cook as they sit on the cookie sheet.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 3 months.
Notes
- Using regular natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process may result in cakey cookies.
- I used refined coconut oil. If you use unrefined, these cookies may have a little coconut taste to them.
- If your coconut oil is a little melty, put it in the fridge for about 10-20 minutes or until firmer, like softened butter. If you use slightly melted coconut oil, the dough will be greasy and the chocolate chips will be hard to incorporate.
- Butter works in these cookies but they're fudgier and in my opinion, better, with coconut oil.
- The almond butter shouldn't have any added fat or sugar.
- To make a chia egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds and 3 tablespoons water. Let sit for 1 minute or until goopy like an egg.
Adapted from my Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
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179 comments on “Paleo Chocolate Cookies” — Add one!
7 comments are awaiting moderation!
I made these for my husband – we started a keto diet, but he was craving chocolate! They are SO chocolatey! He LOVES them!
I swapped out the coconut sugar for a monk fruit/ erythritol blend to lower the carbs & used unsweetened choc chips. They were A-MAZ-ING!
I made the cookies ½ the size first as the weight of individual cookies seemed a lot, but they were still a chunky sized biscuit, so made 20 out of the cookie dough in my next batch and they were just the right size for a sweet treat!
I used unsalted, grass fed butter and really enjoyed the slightly crisp outside with the fudgey centre. Really hit the spot!
Cool tip: Bake half and keep the extra dough in the fridge to use again a few days later. Best to let the dough come back to room temp before putting in the oven (or adjust the cooking time).
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! It’s great to know that your keto sweetener worked well. I’ve tried these with Lakanto and thought the taste and texture were terrible. And yes, I love freezing some dough for later! It’s like you get twice the amount of happiness for the same amount of work. ;) Thanks for your feedback!
I just made these as I ran out of the cookies I made a few days ago. I made the this afternoon and they are GREAT. Come to find out the cookies I ran out of happened to be one of your recipes too! I made your chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips and they were just as good as your brownie recipe.
I’ve tried a few recipes that weren’t so good. Thank you, thank you!!!
Kath
I would give this recipe 5 stars (hearts)
Haha. I love that the other cookies were one of my other recipes, too. I do love postings cookie recipes. ;) I’m so glad that you enjoyed these cookies (and the others and the brownies)! You’re welcome for the recipe and thank you for your lovely comment and the 5 hearts!
These are great! Not too sweet but still delicious. For anyone wondering I calculated the calories and for 8 cookies it’s 424 calories each and for 16 cookies they’re 212 cals each (the whole batch is 3397 cals). Thanks for the awesome recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing the nutritional info! It’s a good reminder to not eat half the batch. ;) Thanks for your comment!
Can’t wait to try this tomorrow. I’ll be using 1 cup of Red Mill Paleo Flour instead of the almond flour/coconut flour combination and will be using peanut butter.
Good luck! I’m not sure if that mix will work in these cookies but I hope it will. :)
These are the absolute best Paleo cookies I have ever eaten. So beyond sinful. Would have never guessed they were Paleo!!! Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!
You’re welcome! I’m thrilled that you liked them so much! Thanks a ton for your feedback. :D
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Not chilling the dough shouldn’t have caused that problem. I’ve gotten quite a lot of feedback on these and have made them myself many times and never had them come out dry. What kind of cocoa powder did you use? And did you use a scale? If not, it could be that you’re really packing your cups of flour and that would result in dry cookies. I hope we can figure out the issue. :)
Can I use Guittard red dutch process cocoa for this recipe? Will it work?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I just returned from vacation. I haven’t tried it but think it’ll work. :)
I did not have chocolate chips, so I rolled them in unsweetened cococut instead Just be careful not to overbake as the coconut can get toasted. They look like chocolate snowballs. Delish!
That sounds so good! Thanks for the tip. :) I’m glad that you liked them!
I’ve made these several times and they are always delicious! I’ve made with brown sugar and coconut sugar. They look “prettier” with the brown, but I prefer coconut since I try to avoid refined sugar. My husband (not paleo) loves them and his parents (palates of children and definitely not paleo) thought they were amazing! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recipes!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m really glad to hear that the cookies impressed your husband and in-laws. :) Thanks a bunch for your kind words and sorry again for my slowness! (I’m not usually this bad)
Did you make any subs at all to the recipe? Did you weigh your flour? It could be that you really packed in the flour or cocoa tightly or that you didn’t add enough coconut sugar. I’m sorry it didn’t work out well! If you didn’t use a scale last time, I recommend trying again with one. :)
I’ve only made them once and I had this exact problem as well. I know my measurements were correct….is there some way to have known and remedied this before baking? Even though they were kinda dry the flavor was fantastic and I’d like to give them a go again.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! Could your oven be running high? Or did you use a very dark colored pan? Did you bake them longer / make them smaller than the recipe says? There’s not really any way to know how the dough should be before baking unless you’ve made them successfully before. I hope we can find the cause of the dryness (if you’re positive you didn’t pack the dry ingredients!). :)
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make. My 10-year old daughter just made a batch. She used coconut sugar and butter, and they turned out perfectly! She also used the chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s as well as their cacao powder. Will definitely be making these again.
I’m happy that you’ll be making them again! And I love that your daughter made them. :) Thanks for your comment!
Hi,
I tried these but used 1 egg, brown sugar, butter (no almond butter), and all almond flour (no coconut flour).
The mixture tasted divine before going into the oven.
In the oven, the balls spread out flat and into one big square mass. Not sure why? I’m sure when the slab cools down it will taste great and will just cut them like slices. :-)
I’d like to try this recipe again, but can’t find coconut flour here in southern Italy.
Hello! They spread flat because you didn’t use coconut flour. Coconut flour isn’t interchangeable with any other flour as it absorbs so much more liquid than any other type. I recommend buying some coconut flour online. It might be expensive but you normally only use a little at a time! Hope the next try will go better. :) I also recommend using almond butter or another type of nut butter. The recipe won’t come out correctly without it.
Ah right, thanks for clarifying that, what if I used normal flour?
My partner doesn’t like the texture of coconut so guess I’ll have to try another recipe, sadly as these are delicious.
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Like I said, coconut flour isn’t interchangeable with any other flour as it absorbs so much more liquid than any other type. So normal flour wouldn’t work. Sorry about that. You really can’t tell there’s coconut flour in there so maybe your partner would like them!
Hi these sound delicious.cant wait to try them. However, one question do I need to add almond butter. Not crazy about it and am looking for a richer chocolate taste. No nut! What is is for?
Hi there! It’s for the texture of the cookies – not the taste. You could use another type of nut or seed butter in its place! The cookies don’t taste nutty.
Does peanut butter work? (Like the all natural kind)
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Yes, it works. :)
I’ve made your regular chelate chip cookies and even my non paleo friends liked them and wanted to recipie so I sent them your link. Though when I made them I used an organic creamy peanut butter from Costco and they were so go. My question is have you tried making them in a baking pan like brownies and cutting them? If so how might I need to alter the baking time, if at all?
Hi! I’m happy you like them and thanks for sharing the recipe with your friends. :) You can use an 8″x8″ pan and bake until they look ready. I think about 10 minutes is right.
I can’t wait to try these! I baked some of your paleo chocolate chip cookies today (I always have some dough balls in the freezer). This batch has semi sweet chocolate and peanut butter chips and they’re amazing. As I ate them, I literally wondered how I could modify the recipe to be chocolate cookies w/ peanut butter chips since that was my favorite cookie growing up. I’m delighted that you’ve already developed a recipe! I’ll be testing them soon.
Aww, yay! So glad to hear that I was able to help out with your idea for a double chocolate version. And with peanut butter chips?! Yum! I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies. :)
Just made these cookies tonight! I used Ghirardelli 72% cacao chocolate bar broken in small pieces. The batter made more than 8 cookies, so I made one batch of 12 cookies without semi-sweet chips on the outside of the cookies, and a second batch of 11 cookies which I rolled in Nestle Toll House mini semi sweet chocolate chips. I also didn’t have any coconut flour so I used a full cup of almond flour. The cookies are just a bit oily, which I’m sure wouldn’t be if I used the coconut flour. I’ll get some coconut flour and remake them. But delicious!!!
I’m so happy that they turned out well for you! Good call on getting some coconut flour for next time. ;) It absorbs a whole lot more than almond flour. Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Ok these are the first gluten free cookies I’ve ever made and they’re seriously amazing! My teenagers loved them!
Yay! So happy to hear that. :) Hope your adventures in GF baking will go well. I have loads more gluten-free recipes you might like (most of them desserts!). Thanks for your feedback!
I have made these cookies every week for a month now. They are so delicious! I freeze mine to make them last and believe me when I say, they are so tasty when frozen. I’m going to need to walk a few extra miles after eating so many of them. Thank you!
So happy to hear that you’ve made them a few times! I’ll have to try them frozen next time. :) Thanks for the tip and your comment!
These cookies were awesome, just like the description! Just what I needed the week I went gluten-free/dairy-free and was struggling to feel like I had anything good to eat!! I am going to try them next with the chia-egg for my vegan daughter. Thanks for sharing!!
So sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m happy that you enjoyed the cookies and I hope that your daughter will enjoy the vegan version. :) Thanks so much for your feedback and sorry again for the slow reply!
I ate the entire batch you guys!!! 🙄 I can’t stop
Haha. It’s so hard not to eat the whole batch while they’re cooking! Thanks for your comment. :D
I tried this recipe with a bit of my personal taste. I used 100 gm Natvia and 50 gm brown sugar and replaced the semi sweet chocolate with 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup 90% Lindt chocolate bars. It was fabulous to say the least! I also used butter. Thanks so much Erin! I love your recipes. ❤️
You’re welcome! And thanks so much for your comment. :) I’m happy that you love the cookies and the other recipes! It’s great to know that Natvia works well here. Thanks for the tip!
I’ve made these 3 times, 1 time with brown sugar, 2x with coconut. Either way, they are delicious! SUCH an amazing recipe, thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you’ve been enjoying the recipe. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
These were amazing! I have never had luck baking with coconut flour before. Sometimes it just makes cookies and muffins taste dry to me. But it worked perfectly in your recipe. I used dark brown sugar & reduced it by 1/4 cup, and I didn’t have a full cup of chocolate chips, but they were still chocolatey enough. Very tasty!!! These cookies have made it to my permanent cookie list! :)
I feel the same way about coconut flour! So I almost always use a mix of almond and coconut flours. So happy to hear that they’ve made it to your permanent cookie list! :) Thanks for your comment.
These are amazing! They melt in my mouth. How did you ever create such a delicious recipe?
Thanks so much! So happy you liked them. If you’re really interested in how I created the recipe and didn’t just ask rhetorically (it’s hard to know online :)) then check out the paragraphs under the first picture! Thanks for your comment. :)
Just made this for Xmas eve for my family. They taste great and look exactly like the photo. I used coconut oil and coconut sugar, as well as almond butter. These are such a treat. Thanks for the recipe !
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that they came out well. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment and sorry for my slow reply (Christmas chaos got in the way!).