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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You are my hero! Yum!!!!!
Haha. Awesome! So happy you liked them!
Your recipe sounds good, however they are not “very low carb” as you state. Coconut sugar knocks them out of the low carb category. Have you experimented with a low carb sugar substitute in making these with good luck?
Where do you think I stated that they’re “very low carb”? I’ve never said that these are low-carb – I actually keep telling people in the comments that they’re not. I’ve tried making these cookies low-carb and always fail. They never come out correctly, but then again, I’m not a low-carb baker so maybe that’s the issue.
I live a Paleo lifestyle (no grains) and am also allergic to almonds. Baking is nearly impossible because gluten-free recipes use grains and Paleo recipes use almond flour, almond butter, almond everything.
I have solved this problem by substituting sunflower seed meal (ground in a coffee grinder) and sunflower seed butter.
However, for this recipe, I substituted tiger nut flour (gram for gram) and sunflower seed butter for the almond butter. I also used vegan margarine sticks instead of butter (dairy allergy, of course).
These were THE BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Better than any with grain flours. Better, by far, than any Paleo recipe. Thank you so much. I will be trying all of your recipes one by one.
Oh, wow. That’s great to know that these cookies work with tigernut flour! Did you use that in place of just the almond flour, or also the coconut flour? Thanks a bunch for the tip. I’ve just started experimenting with tigernut flour and can’t wait to try! And I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes just as much. Thanks so much for your feedback (and sorry for just now seeing your comment!).
SIMPLY AWSOME…. they’re perfect
It’s so hard to find a decent recipe that tastes good!! Very good job
Aww, thanks! I really appreciate that. :)
I tried this recipe to the T and loved it. Have to give it 5 stars. I do love coconut and almonds so the taste was great. I may never make traditional chocolate chip cookies again.
Yay! That’s music to my ears. :) Thanks for your comment (and sorry for just now seeing it!).
I made these cookies last night and I absolutely love them! I used coconut oil and coconut sugar, and didn’t have any issues with the ingredients combining, nor did I have to refrigerate the dough. These are soft, chewy, and oh so good!
That’s great that you didn’t need to chill them! That may change in the summer. ;) Thanks a bunch for your comment (and sorry that I just now saw it!).
These cookies are so delicious! I just started paleo and made it 5 days with no “ sweets” but I needed something. I’m so happy I chose these. They are perfect. Not overly sweet, and I really like all the textures. Thanks so much!
I’m happy you chose these, too. ;) I hope that your paleo diet is going well! Thanks a bunch for your comment and sorry for just now seeing it.
I’ve never heard of chia egg. I do some vegan thins but I’m not exclusively vegan. Is that something you make or something you can buy at the store? If you make it how does it work. I had done flax egg but never chia. Thanks!!!
It works the same way as a flax egg. A flax egg works just as well in these cookies (I just don’t like the taste, though other people say it doesn’t have any taste). You can also use a regular egg. Directions on how to make a chia egg are towards the bottom of the post where it says 6/30/16 update. :)
I made a batch earlier today. I followed the Paleo version with coconut sugar, coconut oil and paleo chocolate…wow! Good job! These are delicious! Thank you.
You’re welcome! And thanks for your comment. :) So happy you liked them!
Omg, I don’t even know what to say. They are SOOOO good. Someone here said they would turn out salty and greasy. NOT true, they’re perfect. I’m new to flourless baking, so I too was skeptical reading the recipe for the first time. But if you follow it to a T they turn out perfect.
The only negative thing I can say about them is that I barely got any. My husband and kids were all over these. They were all gone within minutes, haha!
To be honest, I think everyone can ignore that one comment. ;) Something definitely went wrong for them since they’re the first out of about 500 reviewers who didn’t seem to love the cookies. And aww. I hope your family will leave you more next time! :) Thanks for your comment.
Hiya. These cookies seem delicious. I will try and bake them today. Was wondering if I could use oat flour instead of almond flour cause I don’t have any? Would the results be the same? Thank you
Or buckwheat?
Hi there! So sorry for just now seeing your comment. Unfortunately, oat flour’s not interchangeable with almond flour. The only other thing you could try is another type of nut flour or nut meal.
I made these on Christmas Eve and they were AMAZING!!! You’d have absolutely no idea that they are made with anything but “regular” ingredients! Thank you Erin for this amazing recipe! Going to try your peanut butter cookies next – for peanut butter blossoms – another family holiday favorite cookie. :)
You’re welcome! So happy that you thought that they tasted like regular cookies. :) Do you mean the paleo “peanut butter” cookies? Or the gluten-free peanut butter cookies I posted recently? I’m afraid neither would work as peanut butter blossoms. They spread way too much for that to work. Sorry about that! It sounds like I need to create such a recipe, though. I love peanut butter blossoms, too! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
Great cookies !!!
Even the skeptics in our family loved them.
How long does the raw cookie dough last in the fridge?
So happy you liked them! I think it’d be fine for about 3 days.
I can only find the superfine variety of Bobs Red Mill almond flour. I’ve tried three different stores. Do you know if that will still work?
Thank you for this amazing-looking recipe! I’ve two friends that are gluten and dairy free. Can’t wait to surprise them with your cookies!
That’s the right kind! I think they only sell superfine almond flour now (and almond meal, which would also work for this recipe). I hope you and your friends will enjoy the cookies. :)
Thank you so much for your quick reply!
I’m trying to think of the right words to use to explain how amazing these cookies are and I just can’t!!!!! They are too good, really (I ate a few than I should have 😊)
They seem like they might also be good as a gingerbread/molasses cookie but thought I’d ask for your advice on how to do that?
thank you so much for this delicious recipe – it’s what I’ve been missing so much since I went off gluten. No other cookie has come close!!!
Aww, yay! I think you found the right words. :D I actually posted a gingerbread version of this recipe here – paleo gingerbread cookies. I hope you’ll enjoy them! Thanks for your comment. :)
What can I substitute for the coconut flour? I have brown rice flour, chickpea flour and tapioca flour on hand. Thanks!
Coconut flour is unfortunately not interchangeable with any other flour as it absorbs so much more liquid. Sorry about that!
Oh god there are no words for how tasty these cookies look! I’m going to have to try this out.
Julia // The Sunday Mode
I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
I’m hesitant to say anything negative, but I really didn’t care for these cookies. I am an experienced paleo baker and I had some misgivings about the amounts listed here, but I followed the recipe as written. Six tablespoons of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to only one egg and 1.25 cups of flour makes for greasy, salty cookies, and they wouldn’t hold the chips. I used my hands and really kneaded, and still had a really difficult time getting the one cup of chips to incorporate…they were falling out everywhere, just sitting at the bottom of the bowl. I sound like an ingrate! This is the first Texan Erin recipe that I’ve tried and I won’t discount her work based on only one…maybe these just aren’t to my taste.
There are about 500 reviews on this recipe and you’re the very first to say that they didn’t care for the recipe. Perhaps something went wrong? The recipe is definitely correct and they’re not at all greasy or salty if you follow the recipe and read all the notes about the coconut oil. :) Sorry you were disappointed!
These were delicious! Instead of coconut oil I used Ghee. It gave them a lovely butter flavour. And because I didn’t have any almond butter on hand I used tahini. Thanks for a great recipe 😊
Oooh! Tahini sounds interesting. I’ll have to try that! Thanks a bunch for your tip and feedback. :)
I made these tonight and they were excellent. They are the best Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies that I have had. I added walnuts and substituted Sunflower Seed Butter for the Almond Butter and Truvia Baking Blend for the coconut sugar and added 2 TBS molasses. These are the ingredients that I had on hand. This Truvia Baking Blend increased the crispness but retain the moist chewy cookie.
Molasses sounds like a delicious addition! Thanks for the tip. :) And good to know about Truvia! I’m happy to hear that they came out well. Thanks for your feedback!