These coconut flour cookies with chocolate chips have the perfect texture and taste just like traditional chocolate chip cookies! This recipe is paleo with a vegan option and can also be made keto.
Adapted from my Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
So it seems like people are loving the coconut flour brownies I posted a few weeks ago. All the reviews have been super positive so go check them out if you need convincing!
I’ve been asked for an all coconut flour version of my chocolate chip paleo cookies pretty much since I first posted them and I’ve always said there was no way to sub coconut flour for the almond flour. Which is true. Kind of!
But after trying off and on for about a year, I finally got it! What I did was use an additional 1/4 cup coconut flour in place of the 1 cup of almond flour and I added an egg yolk. For the vegan version of these coconut flour cookies, I used 1.5 chia eggs total.
Even better than the original?! As good as regular (awesome) cookies?!
The texture is more like a traditional buttery chocolate chip cookie than the one with almond flour + coconut flour.
You know how recipes with all coconut flour usually use have AWFUL texture? Even if the recipe says, “This recipe doesn’t taste eggy to me! It has a great texture!” I have been disappointed 100% of the time. These cookies will not disappoint.
They’re super soft right out of the oven but they firm up as they cool. Then they’re crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. They’re perfect.
The next day, they’re soft – inside and outside. Like the most amazing soft batch chocolate chip cookies ever.
Coconut flour baked treats usually require a bunch of eggs that result in a weird (to me) texture. That isn’t at all the case with these coconut flour cookies!
All you need is an extra egg yolk and it definitely doesn’t do anything funky to the texture.
Vegan version
I think using egg replacers in all coconut flour goodies is usually not very easy. Because those recipes often call for an absurd number of eggs.
So I was thrilled when 1.5 chia eggs worked out so well. They’re just as delicious and the texture is perfect.
I’m not vegan and think eggs are really healthy, but still usually use chia eggs in this recipe because I don’t want to have a leftover egg white.
The key is… almond butter!
The almond butter is key to the texture and taste of these cookies. They don’t taste almondy. They taste like regular chocolate chip cookies, but less sugary and more complex (thanks to the almond butter!).
At least they taste like regular cookies when you use refined coconut oil. Then you can’t taste the coconut taste at all. If you want to taste the coconut, and quite strongly, you can use unrefined coconut oil.
Be sure to use almond butter that’s free of added sugar and fat. I have no idea how or if these cookies would come out if almond butter with added ingredients.
I usually use homemade almond butter, but store-bought works, too. Here’s how to make almond butter if you haven’t tried making your own yet! you might be able to save a bit of money. :)
Nut-free version
Want a nut-free cookie? You can use sunflower seed butter in place of almond butter! But know that the cookies might turn green.
I have some tips on how to avoid that in my paleo peanut butter cookies post.
I prefer these coconut flour chocolate chip cookies over the original but I’d love to hear what you think! :)
I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies! If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Please hashtag them #texanerin so I can find them. :)
Questions about these chocolate chip coconut flour cookies?
- Can I just add an egg instead of an egg yolk?
You could but the texture would be off. They were too cakey and couldn’t really be held when I made them with 2 eggs rather than 1 egg + 1 yolk.
- What can I use instead of the egg or chia egg?
I’m hesitant to recommend any other egg replacers in this recipe because I haven’t tried them but I’m guessing a flax egg should work. One reviewer used Orgran No Egg Egg Replacer with success! Coconut flour recipes are more finicky than wheat-based ones where you can often use whatever egg replacer you’d like.
- Can I use something instead of coconut sugar?
Brown sugar would work if you don’t care about it being paleo. Subbing in a liquid sweetener won’t work. Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener works for a low-carb version. Some people would consider it paleo, some don’t. It’s up to you! Do note that your cookies won’t be as chewy or spread as flat as the ones in the picture.
- Can I use something instead of coconut flour? (Yes, someone will ask this at some point ;))
Nope! Even the original recipe I based this off of uses 1/4 cup coconut flour so there’s no way around it.
- Can I use butter / ghee in place of the coconut oil?
Butter will work. Ghee is super expensive so I’ve never baked with it so I can’t say. Anyone want to chime in here? Does it work well most / all of the time / rarely in place of butter?
- Can I use something instead of almond butter?
For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter. I haven’t tried any other nut butters so I can’t say for sure that these coconut flour chocolate chip cookies would come out as well as with almond butter. My guess is that they wouldn’t. Whatever you use should be free of added fat and sugar.
- Can I freeze the dough / baked cookies?
Yes! Let the dough thaw overnight in the fridge. The baked cookies only take about 10-20 minutes to thaw at room temperature.
Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Cookies (paleo, vegan option)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (64 grams) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil (I used refined for no coconut taste – the oil must be solid, like room temp butter and not melted or the dough will be greasy)
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar, very tightly packed (it's best to weigh this) or Lakanto Monkfruit Golden for a keto version
- 6 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter for nut-free (the kind with just nuts and no added fat / sugar)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk or 1.5 chia eggs for vegan1
- 1 1/4 cups (213 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided2
Directions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer, beat together the coconut oil, sugar, almond butter and vanilla at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Beat in the egg and egg yolk on low and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Then stir in 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips. Chill the dough for about 1-2 hours 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 12 (54-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 4" apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes 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. On the first day, they'll be crisp on the outside. On the second day, the outsides soften. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If the cookies are too soft for your liking, chill in the refrigerator for a firmer cookie.
Notes
- To make a chia egg, I mix together 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds and 2.5 tablespoons water. Let sit 5-15 minutes or until goopy like an egg. So for this recipe with 1.5 chia eggs, you'd need 1.5 tablespoons of ground chia eggs and 3 tablespoons + 2 1/4 teaspoons water.
- Make sure to use vegan / paleo / low-carb chocolate chips if needed!
- If you are very sensitive to gluten, check out my post on Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free? to see which brands of chocolate chips are safe for celiacs. And if you're vegan, I have a vegan version – Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
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157 comments on “Coconut Flour Cookies – Perfect Texture! (paleo, keto, vegan options)” — Add one!
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I made these last night, they turned out great. But today they are green on the inside!!!??? Has any body else had this happen? I mostly followed the recipe, used egg, and half peanut/ half sunflower butter because that’s what I had in the cupboard. I can’t figure out where the green would come from…reaction between ingredients?
I’m happy you enjoyed them! And that’s normal with sunflower seed butter. I talk about it in the first paragraph after the third picture. :)
I missed that part, thank you!
You’re welcome. :)
Kudos to you Erin. These are fantastic! After many failed attempts at different recipes, I had given up hope of ever finding a paleo cookie that actually tasted like a decadent chocolate chip cookie. Hope restored! 😉 Thank you for giving us such a scrumptious recipe!! My 3 picky boys love them too!!!! 🙌🏻🍪👍🏻
Aww, yay! I’m so happy that you now have hope and that you and your boys loved them! Thanks a bunch for your nice comment. :)
Oh! My! Word! Delish!!!!
So happy you liked them! Thanks for your comment. :)
This is a fantastic recipe. My cookies have been a hit with the fam and the office! Nobody believed me when I told them they were vegan and gluten-free!
I tried these with egg replacer (rather than a 2:1 yolk/white ratio, it’s recommended I use 2 tbsp of the powder to 4 tbsp water) and added walnuts, vegan chocolate and a touch of cinnamon.
The balance and texture of these were exactly like the chewy-in-the-middle choc chips I used to have in college (straight from the hot display). I baked them for no more than 12 minutes, even though there’s so much oil going into these from the coconut oil and almond butter, but even 2 mins longer and they will burn at the bottom pretty quickly.
Thanks, Erin, for your very informative process before the ingredients list. You essentially explained how you derived at this fool-proof recipe.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I’m thrilled that the cookies were a hit. I’ve made them myself two times this week just because… why not? ;) What brand of egg replacer did you use? I can add that info to the substitution questions section (which I’m very happy you found useful!). Thanks again for your feedback!
I used Orgran No Egg (Egg Replacer) from my local Holland and Barrett. What’s brilliant about this is that it’s also gluten-free. I might give it a go with cakes and see how they turn out, but for your cookies I’d highly recommend it!
Thanks for letting me know! That helps a lot. I added a note about that brand to my post. :) Thanks again!
I am so shocked at how good these turned out! Even when I taste tested the dough, I thought they would end up like most coconut flour recipes -dry and crumbly. But not these bad boys!! They are gooey and soft just like you would expect a regular cookie to be! I only had unrefined coconut oil so they did have a strong coconut flavor but I didn’t mind – it was actually a nice touch! I will absolutely be making these again. Totally surprised!!
Yay! I’m really happy that you liked them so much. I was also surprised that they were as good or even better than the almond flour + coconut flour version. Thanks a ton for your feedback! :)
I made this cookie, and YUM! I altered the recipe just a little: I used half peanut butter and half almond butter, as I did not have enough almond butter left, and I went ahead and used two whole eggs. Also, I only used about half the amount of chocolate chips called for, but that is only because I forgot to add them on top of the cookies after I had spooned the dough onto the baking sheet…I guess I was in a hurry to get the end product. The cookies turned out great!
Great that half peanut butter and almond butter worked well! I’ve been making them with all peanut butter lately and they’re so good that way. I’m happy that they worked out well for you. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
I’ve been baking gluten-free/paleo for a long time, so I’m not a novice, yet I STILL have problems with many recipes that use only coconut flour. But this, my friends, is a home run! For today’s version, I eliminated the chocolate chips and used peanut butter instead of almond butter. (I love Lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips, but am out, and I prefer peanut butter to almond butter any day.) It made the most soft, moist peanut butter cookie I’ve had in years. It’s honestly as good as the peanut butter cookies my mom made with Crisco, Jif, and white sugar when I was a kid! As a 45 year old runner, I need this kind of food to fuel my miles, and I appreciate simple recipes like this one. Next time, I may add the chocolate chips or even raisins…..or I may just stick with the perfection that I experienced this morning. From one Texan to another, thank you!
I’m with you! Coconut flour only treats are usually so bad I have a hard time eating them. :/ I’m thrilled that these cookies were a home run for you! Did you by any chance use another sweetener to make them low-carb? I just ask because you mentioned Lily’s chocolate chips. I can’t wait to try these with peanut butter! Did they have a strong peanut butter flavor or just a hint? Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
They were seriously peanutty, which I LOVE! I’m a huge fan of coconut sugar, and I can’t imagine swapping it out for anything else in this recipe. It gives it a delicate, chewy texture and molasses-like flavor. I’m going to make them for the second time this weekend, and can’t wait!
I’ve now made these about 7 times with all peanut butter and they’re amazing! Even better than the almond butter version. Finally a peanut butter cookie with natural peanut butter that’s not cakey and just as tasty as a regular one. I realize that I’m basically leaving myself a review right now but whatever. ;) Thanks for the suggestion to make them with peanut butter!
I am a big fan of your paleo chocolate chip cookie, and make them frequently. I tried these today, using chia eggs (as I do with the other version), and they didn’t hold together at all when baked. They taste good, but are crumbs. I wonder what I did wrong? I weighed all the ingredients.
Hmm. If you weighed everything, then I’m stumped. I’ve been making these cookies almost weekly for a long time (with chia eggs!) What brand of coconut flour did you use? Did you make any subs? Any at all? Was your almond butter the natural kind (Without added fat / sugar)? Did you chill the dough? I’m so sorry they didn’t hold together for you! I wish I could help more.
I carefully froze them, and they are yummy frozen. I did use natural almond butter. Honeyville coconut flour.
Next time I will chill the dough longer, and then cool them more assidously.
Thanks for the recipe, though. I love your site and use it regularly!
I’m so happy you like the site! :) I’ve never used Honeyville so I looked it up and found this review on the product homepage. “This coconut flour is much grainier than other brands we have tried. In the first 5 lb. bag picture it looks soft and clumpy as coconut flour should, but in the big scoop and the second 5 lb. picture it looks more like sand. The sand is what I received, and it does not absorb liquid the same way in recipes. It’s almost like it’s freeze-dried.” Have you used it before successfully in other recipes? If it doesn’t absorb properly, that could definitely explain the problem! I’ve had the same issue with a few brands I’ve tried (though I didn’t try different brands in this recipe). I usually use Bob’s Red Mill but I used some random German brand (I live in Germany) in these. I’m super bummed they fell apart for you so if you try them again with another brand, please let me know how they come out. :)
I ordered some more Bob’s Red Mill and can confirm that this brand definitely works. :)
I haven’t had problems with the Honeyville brand, and I do bake with it regularly – but not ever cookies like these. I’ll try another brand. Thanks for the suggestion.
You’re welcome! I hope that’s the solution. Otherwise I have no idea. I’d love to hear how they come out if you try another brand!
My favorite cookies! My son would love these!
Did you know you’re one of my very favorite Paleo bakers? Well, you are! Everything I’ve tried from you is fabulous!! Made your chocolate cupcakes for a party over the weekend and everyone went NUTS over them so I’m very anxious to try these! I have no doubt they’ll be fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing and please keep it up!!!
Aww, thanks! What a nice thing to say. :) I’m so happy that people went crazy for the cupcakes and that you’ve been enjoying the other recipes! I’d love to hear how these cookies come out for you. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
These look fab! I’ve been wondering what to do with the coconut flour I have, so now I know what I’ll be trying :)
Simply amazing! I am pinning these for later.
Thanks! I hope you get to try them out. :)
I love the sound of this recipe!! Coconut Flour can result in a cakey cookie but these look nice and crisp.
Right?! That’s why I love these so much!
Ah, the texture of those cookies looks perfect – I want to chomp into a couple of them right now!
I love that you used coconut flour and sugar! I can’t wait to try this healthier and better-for-me cookie!
I’m excited about the texture of these cookies! I’ve been baking with almond flour and coconut flour recently and I’ve been trying to make a good cookie! These look perfect!
I bake low carb all the time because I’m diabetic and therefore have no other choice. I use Swerve brand sweetener and lately also Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener Golden, which is a great brown “sugar” replacer. The one big drawback to these Erythritol sweeteners is their inability to carmelize in the same manner as sugars. But it’s either adjust to this fact or give up baked goods altogether in my situation. I would say that Swerve or Lakanto monk fruit would be used in the same quantity with good results. I personally have used Ghee as a 1 for 1 replacement for Coconut oil with no issues in many recipes. Hope this is helpful. And thank you to Erin for the lovely recipe, looking forward to trying it.
Wow! Thanks Lisa for your super helpful comment. :) I’ll have to check out monk fruit sweetener. I’ve tried Swerve so many times in my cookie recipes and they come out nothing like they’re supposed to. So I kind of gave up. And great to know about ghee! Thanks again for your comment. :) I’d love to hear how you like the cookies and if you’re able to make them low-carb!
These look so good! Thank you for giving me all the options for making these.
I have coconut flour in my kitchen I was wondering what to make with it – and then you came up with this recipe! These cookies look so good so I’ll definitely try them soon!
I’d love to hear how you like them! :)
Can’t wait to try this recipe, but I don’t know how you could top the almond flour chocolate chip cookie! It’s hands down the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever eaten.
I’m happy you like the original recipe so much! I can’t wait to hear what people think about this version. It’s different but I somehow prefer it. :) Hope you’ll enjoy them! I’d love to hear what you think (even if you think the original is better ;))