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).
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
1630 comments on “Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan / keto options)” — Add one!
51 comments are awaiting moderation!
I’m not sure why, but mine turned out nearly inedible — they were super dry and crumbly! Almost like sand or chalk. Which surprised me since the recipe is so highly rated! I didn’t use any subs and used all the same ingredients. Any idea why this might have happened??
Sorry for just now seeing this! You’re the first person in about 600 reviews to say that they didn’t come out well so something definitely went wrong. Did you maybe pack your almond flour very full? I’d recommend going by weight. If you didn’t, I recommend trying again because every now and then, I accidentally leave an ingredient out of a recipe when baking and don’t realize until later. I know it’s probably not the answer you were looking for but it’s the only thing I can think of if you didn’t make any changes at all to the recipe.
I’m vegan, and my boyfriend is (mostly) paleo. As soon as November hit I got a serious craving for chocolate chip cookies! I wanted to make something we could both enjoy, and after much research, I landed here. My guy is a chef, so he’s quite the critic. Until NOW, I haven’t been able to impress him with vegan/grain free cookies. This recipe is perfect! I made my own almond butter (wouldn’t have if I hadn’t run out…a blessing in disguise!), and used the coconut sugar, chilling it like you said. Luckily I didn’t bake them all at once, or they’d be gone! Thank you for this! :)
Delicious! First batoh I did exactly as the recipe said and it was so tasty…second time I have substituted almond butter to 100% crunchy Peanut Butter and Its great too! I like both versions, would say that I wouldn’t use that much oil with peanut butter next time, but other than that it works fine.
Thank you very much!
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you enjoyed both versions. :) Thanks for your comment and the tip on using less oil when using peanut butter!
I never comment on these things -thats how incredible these are. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made, period. Don’t skip the chilling, it helps so much. I used coconut sugar for the first time and it was great! Thanks for my new go-to cookie recipe!
Hi! Sorry for just now seeing your comment. And best ever?! Yay! I’m thrilled to hear that. And that you were inspired enough to leave a review. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
This is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use now! My husband is even in love with them! Seriously- the best cookie I have ever had!!! Thanks so much for the recipe! It will be used in my family for years and years to come! ❤️
You’re welcome! I’m very happy to hear that you’ll be making them for years to come. :) And how awesome that even your husband loved them! Yay. :D Thanks for your comment!
3/4 cup coconut sugar is around 116g, not 150g like the recipe says. So which measurement should I follow??
3/4 cup tightly packed coconut sugar is around 150 grams. I use cups + grams when measuring and that’s what I get (it’s also what the back of the bag says – 192 grams for 1 cup).
These were incredible – my husband, daughter and I were in awe at just how yummy they were! I saw a reference to doubling the batch – any special instructions when doing that? Whether baking time, etc? Thanks again for a wonderful recipe and all of the responses to the comments. I’d rate it 10 hearts!!!
Thanks for the 10 hearts! :D There aren’t any special instructions for doubling the recipe. You’ll have to do two batches (or more depending on your cookie sheet size) but the baking time would stay the same.
These were amazing! I used wholemeal Spelt flour instead of almond (as I didn’t have) did 4 T coconut oil and 2 T olivani (DF) and I totally forgot the almond butter as I was rushing with a toddler assisting. I literally just beat it all together and threw in the choc chips and they turned out amazing!!
Oh, interesting! In all these reviews, I think you’re the first to use spelt. I’m glad to hear that it worked well! And that’s awesome that you came out well with almond butter. Thanks a bunch for your feedback! :)
How much fat and carbs are in these?
I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile.
I made these & they came out suuuuuper soft, very bread like. I am in love with them.
I put them in the freezer to firm up more & added low carb vanilla ice cream & made cookie ice cream sandwiches with them.
I’m in LOVE with the recipe.
I used SF chocolate chips & crunchy almond butter, but again they were delicious.
Thank you!
You’re welcome! I love the idea of eating these with ice cream. Sounds delicious! What brand of chips did you use? Thanks so much for your comment!
If using butter, how much do i use for this recipe?
The amount listed in the recipe is correct. So 6 tbsp. :)
I have made paleo chocolate chip cookies in the past and they did NOT turn out very well. When I made them following your recipe, I made them with peanut butter because it is the only nut butter I have in my pantry right now. They turned out perfectly and taste a-maz-ing!!!!!
Hello, again! :D So happy that they worked well with peanut butter for you! Thanks again for your comment. :)
I just made your cookies using almond flour. Chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite, but at my age i can’t always eat a lot of sugar. When I found your recipe i became so happy.
Well I’m happy that you became so happy. :D Did you use all almond flour or also the coconut flour that’s called for? Thanks for your comment!
Yes I did use Coconut flour along with the almond flour and they turned out perfect. They looked and also tasted like the real thing. I can not express enough how happy that makes me.
I know that feeling well so I totally understand. :) And thanks for coming back to let me know!
Just made these with date sugar and they are wonderful
Sounds great! I’ll have to try that. Thanks for the tip!
Just made these with a few substitutions and they were great! Everybody in my house liked them, even those that don’t always like sweets or cookies.
I used xylitol instead of coconut sugar and chocolate chunks instead of chips. I used a tablespoon to portion out each cookie & 11 mins was the perfect baking time for them. They didn’t spread that much, so I got away with putting them and inch or two apart instead of four inches apart.
Thank you so much for the great recipe! 😃
You’re welcome! It’s great that your sugar-free version came out well. :) What brand of xylitol did you use? Thank so much for sharing your version with us!
I used the Xyla brand, it’s made from hardwood trees. I think some brands are made from corn, which could be gmo, so I prefer the hardwood type. And no problem!
Interesting! Thanks for the tip. :)
Hi. I have a sugar substitute that is a stevia/erythritol blend. Do you think I could substitute this in your recipe? If so, how much do you think I should use?
Thank you!
Hi! I just responded to your other comment. I’m guessing 6 tablespoons would work here but since I haven’t tried it, I really can’t say. I’ve tried a low-carb version of these cookies and they fell apart and weren’t chewy so I’m not super hopeful. :(
These cookies are the best I have ever made! I’d take these over the nestle recipe I grew up on any day! It has been over 3 years since I’ve had gluten, but even my family members who eat the standard American diet thought these were amazing. Seriously, do make them already! Oh and tip, I always double the batch because one batch is never enough!!
Doubling the batch is definitely a good idea. ;) I’m so happy that they were enjoyed by everyone! It’s always great to hear that people who can eat gluten liked the cookies, too. Thanks for your comment. :)
Omg! These are absolutely delicious. These are better than Starbucks cookies. I don’t feel guilty eating these. My kids totally enjoys them. We will be making these cookies more often. Your the best. Thank you for the recipe.
Better than Starbuck’s?! Wow. I’ve never had them but I’ll take it as a big compliment. Thank you! :D I’m so happy you and your kids enjoyed them! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
In the recipe video you add dry milk, but in your recipe it doesn’t state it in there. Which is correct? I’m assuming no dry milk as that’s not Paleo friendly.
It says “dry mix,” not dry milk. :)
Hi, would you happen to have the calorie count for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi! I don’t have that info but could use this recipe analyzer if you’d like for the nutritional profile. :)