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!
Do you have the nutritional value for these cookies? I’m most concerned about the carbs and fat?
I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :)
I can’t believe you won’t post nutritional values.
I live in Germany and I’m legally not allowed to post nutritional information. I hope that’s an acceptable reason for you!
Erin, thank you for developing all of these amazing recipes and testing them out until they’re perfect, then posting all of your hard work here for us… for free! Every one I’ve tried has become a family favorite in my house! Your recipes make our healthy life a little sweeter!! xo
I’m sorry for just now seeing your super nice comment! Thanks for being so appreciative of the recipes and I’m really happy that they’ve become family favorites. :) Your comment made my day! Thanks again.
So delicious! I doubled the recipe, added cinnamon, and 2 cups chocolate chips was perfect! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! Cinnamon sounds like a delicious addition. Yum! Thanks for your comment. :)
I love these cookies! I made a double batch!. Can I freeze the extra dough?
Thanks You!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! Yes, you can freeze the dough. :)
Absolutely delicious! Mine made 23 good size, medium cookies, not minis but not giant either. I used the coconut oil and brown sugar options with just one cup of mini-chips. Wow!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cookies. :) Thanks for your feedback!
These are, hands down, the best “paleo” cookies I’ve tried! Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe! My son finally has a cookie to take into school on kids’ birthdays that he’s more excited about than the cupcakes everyone else gets to eat that he can’t have!!
Aww, yay! How awesome that he’s more excited about these cookies than the cupcakes the other kids get. :D Thanks for your comment!
Hi! I have loved your recipe here for years. Thank you! I’m bringing it to a dinner today, and watched the video you now have up here- it shows the use of dry milk, but that’s not in the actual recipe you have posted here. How much dry milk do you use, and why is it important? How does it change the texture/spreadability?
Thank you.
Lol- never mind. MIX, not milk. I see that now.
Whoops, sorry! I just now saw your second comment. I’m glad you got it figured out in time! :)
Hello! I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your question. The video says “dry mix” (as in flour, baking soda, etc.) and not “dry milk.” :) Hopefully you were still able to make them! I’m happy to hear that you like the cookies and sorry again!
I may have already sent a comment before about these cookies; however I need to tell you how truly wonderful they are. Several people I work with have dietary restrictions so I always bring something they can eat when we have parties. But everyone seems to love these. I overheard a conversation where this guy, who has no dietary restrictions, was grabbing one of these cookies and someone told him- “You know those are vegan/gluten free!?” And he said, “Yes, they are great, they just melt in your mouth.” I do put signs to let people know they are vegan/gluten free.
Thanks for so many wonderful recipes that I can make for my friends.
You’re welcome for the recipes! That’s so nice of you to make cookies for the people with dietary restrictions. I doubt many other people do that. I love the conversation you overheard. :) Thanks for your nice comment!
My only negative comment is that these are absolutely addicting! Very soft and my kids even love them. My son said it tastes like a muffin cookie.I make them once a week now and keep the left overs in the freezer so I don’t eat all of them at once.
Haha. Not the worst negative comment, I suppose. :) That’s a good idea to keep them in the freezer! They’re hard to resist. Thanks for your comment!
Currently I’m doing the whole life challenge and I’m nearing the end of the 6 weeks but craved some yummy cookies. I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe, because they are fabulous! Instead of chocolate chips I took a 1/4 of the final dough, added raw Cacao powder and rolled into the center before refrigerating. When I cut the cookie dough they had a chocolate center. I don’t even miss the chocolate chips!
Oh, wow. What a great idea with the chocolate center! I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like that. So creative. :) I’m glad you found some cookies that work for your challenge. Thanks for your feedback and sorry for my slow reply!
The Best!! I’ve tried a lot of Paleo cookies and these are by far the most delicious. I used cashew butter instead of almond and added macadamia nuts and collegen peptides for extra protein. Amazing!!
Yum! Your version sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that. :) I’m thrilled that you think they’re the best paleo cookies! Thanks for your feedback and sorry for my slow reply.
These are absolutely amazing cookies and I crave them more than regular, sweet cookies that I used to absolutely love. Thank you for the recipe!! I am wondering though… for some reason, when I ball up these cookies, they don’t flatten out after baking. They stay balled up. Still delicious, but looks more like dough bites than cookies. Anything I might be doing wrong? I do use 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead of 3/4 but that’s the only change. Your advice would be great! Thank you!
I’m very sorry for just now seeing your question! The reason why they don’t spread is the big reduction in sugar. Sugar has all kinds of magical properties that does wonders for cookies and unfortunately only using a third means they won’t come out as they’re supposed to. But as long as they’re tasty, I suppose all is good, right? :) I’ll have to try your version! Thanks for your comment and sorry again for my slow answer.
Thank you! I’m paleo and am trying to convert my husband. He loves chocolate chip cookies and he loved these. I made a few changes for him. I used arrowroot flour instead of coconut flour and more butter instead of almond butter for a total of 12 Tbs of butter. I also accidentally used 2c of almond instead of 1. He loved them and said they were close to toll house. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Oh, wow! That’s crazy that they worked out well with double the almond flour. But maybe it makes sense since you use arrowroot instead of coconut flour (which absorbs way less liquid than coconut flour). I’m so glad that you and your husband both enjoyed the cookies! Thanks a bunch for your feedback and my apologies for my very slow reply!
I think they are by far the best Paleo baked good I have come across! They are soft, delicious and the texture is perfect. Thanks for the recipe this one is definitely a keeper!
You’re welcome for the recipes! I’m thrilled that you think they’re the best. :) Thanks for your feedback and I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment!
Hi Erin,
These cookie are INSANELY GOOD. Thank you for sharing your recipe. However, question for you… I would like to reduce the fat just a little to make them less caloric. Do you think I could reduce the coconut oil without sacrificing taste and texture? Thanks in advance for your reply. Jessica
Hello and I’m so sorry for only seeing your comment now! Reducing the oil won’t change the taste but will make them more cake-like. Maybe try reducing a tablespoon per batch until you don’t like them anymore? :) Sorry again for my slow reply!
I made them withour the almond butter and they turned perrrrfect i just put 100 gr of chocolate. There you have some calories saved it :)
Haha. Thanks for the tip on how to save some calories. :D I’m glad you liked them!
Hello, thanks for the recipe. They are delicious. Would there be anything in it that would cause green flakes? I made them 24 hours ago and today when I broke one open I could see like little green crumbs. The craziest thing. I didn’t know if any of the ingredients would cause that coloring. Thank you
I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your question! Did you use sunflower seed butter? Because that combined with baking soda makes stuff turn green. :) Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for my super slow reply!
Erin, you are a genius ! Batter and cooked cookie taste like they have brown sugar in them ! I need sugar free and gluten free; made these with 1/2 c. xylitol and 1/2 tsp pure stevia (I use NOW better stevia) and 1/2 c. of lily’s chocolate chips. Family loved them !!!!! I haven’t had chocolate chip cookies in years. Oh, and I was surprised how they spread – I got 26 medium sized cookies – and they were very satisfying just eating 2. Great recipe !!!!!!!!!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your nice comment! That’s awesome that they came out well with xylitol. What brand did you use? I’d like to try it, too! I tried making these with a different low-carb sweetener and they didn’t spread at all. Thanks a bunch for your feedback and sorry again!
I went Paleo about 2 months ago for health reasons and sweets is something that I have missed terribly, especially my homemade milk chocolate chip cookies. I saw this recipe with all of the rave reviews and thought I would give it a try (even with the dark chocolate chips.) Let’s just say I was blown away. The taste and texture is incredible. Thank you so much for posting this, it has filled a void in my chocolate sweet tooth.
Aww, yay! I’m so very glad to hear that you no longer have to miss sweets. Thanks so much for your comment! I have lots more paleo desserts that you might like. :)
I was wondering if there is a difference in taste using coconut sugar. This is one of my favorite recipes and I have made it many times with the brown sugar.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I prefer them with coconut sugar as they have a deeper more caramel-like (very subtle) flavor.
Thank you for your response. Everyone loves these cookies and asks for the recipe. I always hear the comment that they taste like regular chocolate chip cookies. My teenage son was even surprised to hear that they were GF. Also, the dough rolls easily into balls and bakes into these perfect round cookies that look like they came from a professional bakery. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe:)
As you can see, I’m having issues with the comments. Sorry. :( I’m so glad that you think they’re like from a bakery! That’s great. :) And how awesome that your son can’t even tell that they’re GF! Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for the slow reply.
Oh my gosh, I am so glad I found this recipe. I needed to bake some cookies for a friend with special dietary needs and tried a few that I wouldn’t give my dog. These were perfect on the first try. Thank you so much!
Haha. I’m happy these were good enough to share with your dog and your friend! :D Thanks for your comment!
Hi! Btw these cookies are terrific! I would like to know the carb and calorie amount if possible. I keep thinking no way are these paleo, LOL! Thank you!!
Hi there! I’m happy you enjoyed them. :) And they’re indeed paleo as long as you stick to paleo ingredients. :D I don’t have the nutritional info but you could use this recipe analyzer.