These perfect paleo chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy and have the perfect texture. Many of the reviewers have called these the best cookies ever and said that nobody had a clue that they were paleo (or even gluten-free)!
This recipe also has vegan and keto options. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for making today’s post possible!
I first posted this recipe four years ago and am reposting it today with new photos and more tips. Since I posted it, it’s been my most popular recipe and the photos just didn’t do it justice.
All almond flours are not created equal
When I first made these paleo chocolate chip cookies, it’d been quite a while since I last posted some grain-free recipes. I had run out of my favorite Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour months before and was so frustrated with the brands of almond flour available here in Germany since they’re so inconsistent.
Because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of ordering flour from the US, I thought I’d wait it out until Christmas when I’d be back in the US and could buy all the Bob’s Red Mill I want.
But then I got a hankering for chocolate chip cookies. And I really wanted to make paleo cookies.
So I went to work and while every batch tasted amazing, the appearance and thickness was different every single time. The only variable?
The almond flour. The almond flour I’d been buying varies from brand to brand and even within the same brand.
Variation in baking = bad
They come in tiny 1-cup bags here so I go through a load of them when recipe testing. I’d open up one bag and find some finely ground almond flour, then I’d open up another bag from the same company, and it was overall coarser with bits of sliced almonds.
Sliced almonds! In my almond flour. That was the final straw.
So to save my sanity, I ordered myself some Bob’s Red Mill almond flour. By the way, if you have Bob’s Red Mill in a retail store in your area, you can use one of these $1 coupons.
Consistency matters a lot
The cookies made with Bob’s Red Mill came out thick, chewy and just as delicious and magical as all-purpose flour chocolate chip cookies. I doubt that anyone would be able to tell that these are paleo cookies! And the 750+ reviewers agree with me.
And every batch comes out the same. I can say this very confidently as I’ve made these cookies over 100x in the last 4 years (yes, that’s about 2x a month!). Hooray for consistency!
Some of the reviewers have mentioned the same issues with random brands of almond flour vs. Bob’s Red Mill. And homemade almond flour? The cookies definitely won’t come out the same! This has been confirmed by several commenters.
So the almond flour obviously plays a huge role in the final outcome of these paleo chocolate chip cookies. Another thing that will affect the cookies is the temperature of the coconut oil.
Pay attention to the coconut oil
If you make these in the summer when room temperature coconut oil means melted coconut oil, you’ll need to refrigerate the coconut oil until it’s firmer, like softened butter.
If you make these dairy-free cookies with melted coconut oil, the dough will be very greasy and the chocolate chips will be hard to incorporate into the dough.
It doesn’t work to use melted coconut oil and then just chill the dough. I don’t understand why but it doesn’t work!
Coconut sugar (for paleo) vs brown sugar
You’ll also need to chill the dough if you use coconut sugar rather than brown sugar. I made one version with brown sugar and one with coconut sugar at the same time and the brown sugar cookies were nice and thick while the coconut sugar version spread flat and was super thin.
I refrigerated the remaining coconut sugar dough until firm and that resulted in nice and thick cookies, just like the brown sugar version! Just a little darker colored.
Size also matters
If you can’t tell by the pictures, these paleo chocolate chip cookies are huge. Instead of making 8 cookies, you can make 16 to get regular-sized cookies.
I just prefer how they bake up with gooier and chewier centers when they’re larger! Several of the commenters have said that they make them half that size and enjoy them and other commenters have said that they agree that the key to making these cookies so perfect is to make them huge.
Variations of this recipe
If you’ve had enough chocolate chip cookies lately but like this sound of this recipe, I’ve got you covered! I’ve made several variations of these cookies over the years:
- Coconut flour cookies – they don’t use any almond flour, in case you need a nut-free version! And they’re somehow every bit as delicious as the version below.
- Paleo “Peanut Butter” Cookies – these use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter for a version that tastes super similar to real peanut butter cookies.
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies – they also only use coconut flour. I spent 4 years trying to make the below paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe with peanut butter. I didn’t like the results. But I finally nailed it and they are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had!
- Paleo Double Chocolate Cookies – So. Much. Chocolate!
- Paleo “Oatmeal” Cookies – these cookies taste really close to traditional oatmeal cookies!
- Paleo Peppermint Cookies – so perfect for Christmas!
Have you made one of them? Or the original? Which one is your favorite?
Substitution questions for these paleo chocolate chip cookies:
- Can I use something instead of almond flour?
Almond flour is only really interchangeable with other nut flours so cashew or hazelnut meal would likely work. I’ve heard of some people using sunflower seed meal as a sub for almond flour but I haven’t tried it myself.
- Can I use something instead of coconut flour?
Nope! There isn’t a really good sub for coconut flour. A few people have mentioned using oat flour (for a non-paleo version) with success but I haven’t tried it.
- Can I use something instead of almond butter?
I’ve tried using peanut butter but didn’t like the results. So I really don’t recommend using peanut butter.
Using it in the all coconut flour version? Amazing! It’s linked to above. If using sunflower seed butter, you need to make a few changes (see the Paleo “Peanut Butter” Cookies linked to above).
Hazelnut butter would probably be awesome in this original recipe! Reviewers have used cashew butter but the cashew butter I get and make is SO much firmer than almond butter, I can’t imagine the cookies coming out the same as with almond butter. - Can I use something instead of coconut / brown sugar?
Subbing in a liquid sweetener won’t work. There’s no liquid to reduce to make up for the added liquid, so it’d make the cookies cakey. Any other granulated sweetener would probably work.
- What can I use instead of the egg or chia egg?
I’ve tried flax eggs but I don’t like the taste (people say that flax eggs don’t taste like anything but I think they do). Others have used it with success in this recipe. I haven’t tried it, but Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Vegan Egg Replacer would probably work.
- Can I make these cookies smaller?
Yes, but I think they have a better texture when they’re baked as huge cookies.
- Can I bake these cookies as bars?
You can make them in an 8″x8″ pan. I’m super forgetful and never remember to write down the baking time but I recommend to start checking around 15 minutes.
- Do you have nutritional info?
There are loads of free online nutritional calculators online. I’m not a dietitian and not legally allowed to post this info. Sorry about that!
If you try these paleo chocolate chip cookies, I’d love to hear how they come out!
Thanks again to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Be sure to check out some of their other gluten-free flours if you’re into gluten-free and paleo baking. :)
And here are some resources if you’re new to the vegan or gluten-free diet:
- Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
- Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free?
- Is Baking Soda Vegan?
- Is Baking Soda Gluten-free?
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, see my disclosure.
Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan, keto options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8 huge bakery-style cookies or 16 regular-sized cookies
Please read the notes at the bottom before beginning!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 grams) blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil1 or unsalted butter, room temperature but NOT melted (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.)2
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar, very tightly packed for a paleo version (it's best to weigh this!) OR brown sugar OR for keto, use 2 ounces (57 grams) xylitol + 1.5 ounces (43 grams) erythritol + 1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia3
- 6 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter (the kind with just almonds in it and no added fat / sugar), room temperature (here's how to make almond butter)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature (or 1 chia egg4 for vegan)
- 1 1/4 cups (213 grams) paleo chocolate chips or chopped paleo chocolate chunks, divided
Directions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, 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 fat, sugar, almond butter and vanilla extract at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. If you use coconut oil, it may not come together easily. If that's the case, use your hands to combine it and then beat another 20 seconds.
- Beat in the egg on low and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Then stir in 1 cup (170 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 (75-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. You can also roll them into 16 smaller balls but then you need to adjust the baking time (a few minutes less than recommended below). Place 4" 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 the keto version) or 14-17 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 3 days.
Notes
- If you use unrefined coconut oil, the cookies will likely have a slight coconut taste. I prefer refined coconut oil for absolutely zero coconut taste (but most reviewers have used unrefined and are happy with them!)
- I haven't tried these with ghee or shortening or anything other than coconut oil and butter.
- The sweeteners I used were 100% xylitol, 100% erythritol and 100% stevia. If you don't have a scale, then this is about 1/4 cup + 3/4 teaspoon xylitol, 3 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon erythritol + 1/4 teaspoon stevia.
- To make a chia egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds and 2.5 tablespoons water. Let sit 5-15 minutes or until goopy like an egg.
- For paleo: use coconut sugar, coconut oil, and paleo chocolate (some consider Enjoy Life to be paleo, some don't. If you really don't want to use cane sugar, try Pascha's 100% cacao chocolate chips.
- For dairy-free / vegan: use coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate.
- For keto / low-carb: use the keto option. Some consider it paleo, some don't. I had previously listed Lakanto but this other mixture works much better! Also use sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Pascha 100% cacao chocolate chips (paleo) or Lily's Chocolate Chips (not paleo, due to soy).
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1630 comments on “Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan / keto options)” — Add one!
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These are amazing! Better than regular flour chocolate chip cookies. I cut back on the chips and added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for more texture. One thing though-I found that the last few cookie balls were hard to stick, I’m thinking on account to the coconut oil melting from the heat of my hands. I might try a chilled ice cream scoop next time.
So happy you liked them better than regular cookies! :D Good to know that walnuts worked out well. And great tip with the ice cream scoop! Thanks for your comment.
Great Recipe! My go to chocolate chip cookies!! Friends love them!
So happy that everyone enjoyed them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Made these yesterday with my boys. So delicious and easy! They came together so quickly and then we chilled them during swim lessons to bake up after dinner. I love that you include so many variations and tips for success if using certain ingredients. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy you appreciate the variations and tips! I hope your boys had fun baking. :) Thanks for your comment!
The yummiest cookies I ever made!! Made a batch yesterday and it was all gone that fast! Making another batch later and making it double! This recipe is the best!
Woohoo! So happy to hear that. Good luck with not eating all of the double batch! ;) Thanks for your comment!
Hi- I tried scrolling through a few pages but didn’t see the answer- can these be made with white or whole wheat flour at all?
Trying to find a vegan and nut free cookie for the teachers at my daughter’s school.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, nuts flours aren’t interchangeable with non-nut flours. So wheat flour won’t work. Sorry about that!
These were the bomb!
So happy you liked them! :)
Thank you sooo much! My boyfriend has ulcerative colitis and is on a paleo diet because of it. He also has a gluten, dairy, and soy allergy. He’s been in the hospital for two weeks and has been craving something sweet. These are currently in the oven to take to him tomorrow. They were pretty easy to make, and I can’t wait to see how they come out!
I hope that your boyfriend enjoyed them and that he’ll recover quickly! That was nice of you to make him some cookies. :) I hope you liked them, too! Thanks for your comment.
He did! He said they were better than his mother’s. Shhh! :)
This recipe is a keeper!
Hahaha. Always great to hear that. ;) Thanks again for your comments!
What is the carb and calorie count per cookie ? Just curious.
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
Did you figure out the carb count per 16 cookies?? T1d here thinking about switching out the sugar with swerve too.
I have made these cookies so many times and every time they are a hit!! I have shared this recipe so much!! They are perfect for people that can’t have sugar and white flour ( like me!) thank you for sharing this!
That’s awesome that you’re enjoying them so much! Thanks a bunch for your comment and for sharing the recipe. :)
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! My husband who is a chocolate chip cookie fanatic agrees! I love that this is a healthy yet tastier choice to bake for my family. The only downside is now I am asked to make these all the time! Thanks!
Haha. Not such a bad downside. ;) That’s great that you and your family have been enjoying them! And the best cookies you’ve ever made?! Woohoo. That’s great! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
I found this recipe on pintrest…I’m so glad I did…made them today, yummy!I will definitely be making them again, I found them to be soft in texture which is a plus I really don’t mind either way. I thought we had raw almond butter but instead it was raw peanut butter so I used that…they had a little bit of a peanut butter flavor however peanut butter cookies use to be my favorite. Thanks for this recipe…good job.
They came out soft because of the peanut butter (which is why I don’t recommend it :)) But if you like them that way, that’s awesome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the cookies. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you so much for this recipe Erin, it is the best cookie recipe I have ever found – I have just made these for the 5th time! Since giving up refined sugar I have really, really missed cookies and biscuits and now I can eat them, plus they are much tastier than shop bought ones.
I use about 100g 85% dark chocolate that I blitz in my Magimix food processor, this turns it into chocolate chunks for me without having to cut it up! For me this is a good amount of chocolate for the cookies.
I also found the first time I made these (with butter and coconut sugar) the mixture was really oily / greasy and my latest batch was made with just 2 tbsp almond butter and they tasted just as amazing as the first batch, with the batter much less greasy (also this helps me to make it a bit cheaper to make!)
I get 18 cookies each time I bake these and they taste incredible on the day I make them and also just as great the day or two after (although they don’t last long in my house!!) when stored in a glass airtight container.
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! :)
That’s great that they work well with less almond butter! And that’s interesting that you can chop up chocolate in my food processor. I think it’d kill mine. ;) I’m thrilled that you’ve found a cookie that you can enjoy and that you like them even more than store-bought ones. :) Thanks so much for your kind comment!
I’m so in love with these cookies! My husband, who isn’t typically a sweets fan, has asked me to make these twice since I found this recipe last week! Getting ready to make my fourth batch. Thanks for sharing!!!
Wow! Four batches. Such dedication. :) I love it! Thanks a bunch for your comment! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the cookies.
I just made this, delicious! Me and my husband both ate 3…WHOOPSIE! I used 6 tablespoons coconut butter instead of almond butter because I didn’t have it on hand. I also used 6 tablespoons of ghee. They turned out excellent!
Haha. Well, you could have eaten 4 each and then the whole batch would’ve been gone. ;) Great to know that coconut butter works well! I’ve been wondering about that. Thanks for your feedback and sub tips!
I just made these, and they did not disappoint! Even my husband thought they were some of the best cookie he’s had, paleo or otherwise. Thank you for all your thorough instructions and explanations. I can’t tell you how helpful it is, especially in the world of paleo baking!
Aww, thanks! I’m so happy that you appreciated the crazy long instructions. :) And awesome that you and your husband both likes the cookies! Thanks for your comment.
I just made these and my husband who is very new to paleo needed something for his sweet tooth! He loved them… Maybe too much lol. They are definitely a keeper for us. Thank you so much!
Haha. Well I’m happy he liked them too much! Thanks for your comment. :)
I made these just as you said and they were delicious. Even my grandson who is such a picky eater loved them. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes as I’m new to this whole Paleo thing. Thank you!
That’s great that both you and your picky grandson enjoyed them! I hope you’ll like the other recipes just as much. :) Thanks for your comment!
Hi , has anyone tried adding Flax Seed to this recipe? Thanks!
I’ve used a flax egg but haven’t tried adding additional flax. I’m thinking it’d work as long as you don’t add too much!
Hello! I have made these cookies and honestly they didn’t last very long in this house! They were amazing! Just one question…do you know if I can substitute the brown sugar with honey? Or maybe dates? Thank you for this recipe!
Sorry just saw that someone already asked this!
No worries! I’m happy you found your answer. :)
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! I just added info to the recipe concerning subs. Thanks for your comment. :)
Sounds great but almond flour and almond butter makes these way too expensive for me… apart from a treat now and then :-)
Hey there! You could also use almond meal, which is normally cheaper, and homemade almond butter, which is much cheaper than store-bought. You only need 6 tablespoons. :)
I have used Skippy Natural Peanut Butter and it tastes the exact same to me. I also accidentally used Almond Meal instead of Almond flour the first time I made them and again, they tasted the same.
Erin, these cookies are fantastic! I prefer them to a regular choco chip/peanut butter cookie any day!
Aww, yay! I’m thrilled that you prefer these over regular cookies. :) And that’s awesome that Skippy works well! Maybe I should give up on trying natural peanut butter (the kind with just peanuts and salt) in these. Thanks a bunch for your comment!