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!
51 comments are awaiting moderation!
I’m not sure if I’ve commented before, but just in case, these are the best gluten free cookies I’ve made. I’ve also made them using Virtue sweetener from wheatfreemarket.com for a lower carb version. Super good either way. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! That’s great that they come out well with the low-carb sweetener. :) Thanks for the tip!
Okay, if I hadn’t made these for a friend’s b-day I might have just ate them all myself. Though I would not have discovered them without her. My friend has quite a few dietary allergies/intolerances so am always looking for recipes to make for her.
I did eat two. Hey, I had to taste test them! 😊
Haha. I’m happy you liked them! Thanks for the feedback. :)
Oh my goodness!!!! I recently started a gluten free, dairy free diet with little to no refined sugar (very difficult for someone so used to eating sweets!!). I randomly came across this recipe tonight, saw all the amazing reviews, and, lucky for me, had all the ingredients already in my pantry. All I have to say is- AMAAAAZZING. my boyfriend (who eats all kinds of junk food) and his 9 y.o. daughter DEVOURED these cookies. They are seriously SO good. Followed the recipe to a T and inhaled them ~10 mins out of the oven so they were still warm. pure perfection. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Yay! I’m thrilled that you all seemed to have loved them so much! It’s always nice when junk food lovers (like myself ;)) can enjoy a paleo recipe. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
I tried several paleo chocolate chip cookie recipes this year that were underwhelming at best. These are quite easy to prepare and positively ambrosial. My husband loves them and I must admit I have difficulty consuming them in moderation. Thank you!
Note: I followed the recipe exactly, using dark vegan chocolate, coconut oil and coconut sugar.
Ambrosial? Wow, thanks. :D That’s a new one! I agree that they’re difficult to consume in moderation. Thanks for your feedback!
I love this recipe and have made it several times. This time, I found myself without coconut flour in the cupboard, so I decided to experiment and got lucky. Unfortunately, I didn’t really measure so the amounts are approximate. I used 1 and 1/4 cup almond flour, then added about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of Wedo banana flour for texture. I used butter for the fat. I cut the coconut sugar down by about half, added a bit of stevia to the flour for sweetness, then also added about 1 tablespoon plus of the ‘coconut nectar’ which is a thick syrup and about 1 plus tablespoons of maple syrup as well. They really came out amazing. Even my finicky teenager (who has been spoiled by grandma making him Betty Crocker cookies and the likes! sigh) liked them. Score! They may not be paleo with the maple syrup, but they are still super healthy for cookies, relatively low-glycemic and gluten-free. I recommend experimenting with the Wedo banana flour, which doesn’t taste like bananas at all, is very nutritious, gluten-free and has a cake-like texture. Thank you Erin!
Wow! Sounds like you created a totally new recipe. I’m so happy that the cookies came out well with your changes! That’s great. :) And I’ve never heard of someone considering maple syrup to not be paleo. Everything I’ve read says it is! Not that it really matters. :) Thanks a bunch for your tips and sharing your changes!
I agree, everything I’ve read says pure maple syrup (no additives) is paleo friendly. Plenty of other paleo recipes call for pure maple syrup too. Hhmmm…..
It’s all right, though! People can use whatever sweetener they want. I certainly don’t mind. :) I just didn’t want her comment to confuse others who are worried about what’s paleo or not. :) Thanks for your comment!
Made these for my wife and kids because we have been trying more and more paleo recipes. Makes us feel better about giving our boys a treat when the ingredients are this good. They are delicious and everyone loved them! I used coconut oil and dark chocolate “life is good” chips. Thank you!
I’m so happy that you and your family enjoyed them! I love that you made them cookies. :) Thank you for your comment!
WOW. Terrific recipe. Made the full paleo version. Very happy. Thank you.
Thanks a bunch! I’m happy to hear that you liked them. :)
Wow! I am amazed at how good these cookies are. My husband said it is his new favorite cookie. I wasn’t sure if I’d like them because I’m not a fan of coconut, but I couldn’t taste the coconut. Win, win. Thank you for providing an option for those of us who eat paleo. Next I’ll make it vegan for my daughter. 👍
Woohoo! So happy to hear that your husband has a new favorite. :) I hope your daughter will enjoy them just as much! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
Is it possible to get the nutrition information for these cookies they’ Absolutely my favorite but I’d hate to over indulge and that is so easy. TIA
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
The best cookies indeed! I’m between clean and paleo eating and so pleased I discovered this recipe! I use 100% chocolate and yum yum yum!! My very special treat! My husband can’t stop going back for more and my girls love them, perfect snack! Thank you
Wow! 100% chocolate is hardcore. Wish I could like chocolate that dark. :) I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed the cookies! Thanks for your comment (and sorry for my slow reply!).
These cookies are amazing! Thank you for taking the time to devise this recipe! I didn’t have almond butter on hand so I used cashew butter, they turned out amazing. I’ve tried with coconut butter and grass fed pure Irish butter. They are great both ways. I prefer the final product consistency with the real butter :) Happy cookie eating.
Did you really try with coconut butter or with coconut oil? Or you mean you used coconut butter in place of the almond butter? I’m happy that all your variations have worked out well! Thanks a ton for your tips and sorry for my super slow reply. :)
These are, hands down, the best cookies I’ve made since going Paleo or gluten free. Thank you so much! These really taste almost exactly like my favorite non-Paleo or GF recipe, but better!
Woohoo! So happy to hear that. :) Thanks a ton for your comment!
Otroligt goda kakor!
Tusen tack! :)
Love the cookies! Could you tell me how many carbs they have? Thanks!
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
Hi Erin
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us :)
Just as a matter of interest. I don’t eat sugar and so substituted the coconut sugar/brown sugar for 1/3 cup xylitol. The chocolate was 80%.
I was a bit concerned that it might be too soft, so I refrigerated the mixture before baking. I also made the biscuits smaller (made 20 from the mixture).
They turned out so well. I may even use less xylitol next time.
Hi Sonja! Thanks so much. :) That’s great to know that the cookies work with xylitol! Lots of people have asked for a low-carb version so I’ll definitely refer them to your comment now. :) Did they come out in the same shape as the ones in the picture? When I tried with some other low-carb sweeteners, they came out very thick and not very cookie-like! I’ll have to try your version. :) Thanks for the tip!
Hello, I just made these with a combination of half butter and half coconut oil and they turned out great. Would refrigerating these or freezing be ok do you think?
Refrigerating is definitely okay and lots of commenters have frozen the baked cookies and seemed to have been happy. :)
These are truly awesome. I’ve made them twice now (butter, brown sugar, egg version) with excellent results. They are different than my tried and true CC cookies, but my family likes them just as much. I have one question for you: I notice that they do have a bit of a grainy texture (I am using Bob’s blanched almond flour so it’s not that)…so I was wondering if you ever notice a texture difference when you’ve left them to rest in the fridge? With my regular cookie recipe, the fridge time (24-72 hours) makes an enormous difference in flavor and texture since the flour has time to absorb the liquids, but I realize this isn’t going to be the exact same. I hesitated to try it since I know how coconut flour REALLY absorbs liquid. Figured I’d go right to the recipe-testing source. :) Thanks for an awesome recipe!
So sorry I just now saw your comment! I’m happy that you’ve been enjoying the cookies. :) I’ve often chilled the dough for a few days and haven’t noticed a difference in texture. Feel free to try! The coconut flour won’t dry out the dough over time or anything like that. :) As for graininess… have you made other almond flour recipes? I wouldn’t call these cookies grainy at all but maybe I’m just used to almond flour recipes? It’s just a guess!
YOU have a gift. Thank you for sharing this recipe! We are wheat and dairy free and we LOVE these cookies!!!
Thank you so much! I’m very happy you enjoyed them. :)
Hi Erin. These sound really good. However, On the pin page list of ingredients it says 4 cups of coconut sugar. My first thought was “man that’s a lot of sugar. But on the “make it” page, it calls for 3/4 cup coconut sugar. 3/4 cup seems right. Question: which amount of sugar is correct?
Hi there! Always go by what the recipe website says for a recipe instead of what Pinterest says. We unfortunately have no control over what information Pinterest shows for our recipes. So 3/4 cup is correct! Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
Hi Erin! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie has been a big deal in my life. After developing numerous food allergies as an adult, I became determined to create the perfect (paleo) cookie! Although this recipe is a real contender, Bakerita’s Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies is my favorite recipe. When I make Texan Erin’s cookies, they are a crowd pleaser, however they are quite crumbly and I have trouble creating cookies that stay together. Bakerita’s recipe sticks together and create an incredibly soft and chewy cookie. I think the big difference is the use (or not) of coconut flour, which Bakerita’s recipe does not call for. What are your thoughts? I sincerely hope this comment is well received. I’m passionate about “perfect” cookies!
Hello! You’re the first person out of about 450 who has mentioned these cookies coming out crumbly, so I’m thinking you might have an ingredients issue. Or you’re overpacking your cups. Have you ever made these using the gram measurements? There was one other person who said that she has made these cookies several times but the last time, the dough was crumbly. So either she made a mistake while making them the last time or she used a different brand of flour (or something) that could explain the difference. Also, are you changing anything at all in the recipe and following the directions exactly? The coconut oil being firm is a key point! Or do you live at a high altitude? Perhaps that could explain something. I made this recipe dozens of times before posting, with and without the coconut flour, and in all kinds of varying amounts, and it’s definitely needed (and in the amount called for) to give them the “regular” cookie texture. :)
Erin, thank you for your insightful response! I do live at a higher altitude in Colorado. Do you have recommendations for high altitude baking? Maybe up the liquids? Thanks again!
No problem! I unfortunately have zero experience with high altitude baking but I think this guide might be helpful! Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.