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!
Omg! These cookies are AMAZING! My kids and husband aren’t 100% paleo and these devoured these cookies!
I used mini chocolate chips, 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp of almond extract.
Oooh, almond extract! I love adding that to sweets. :) Thanks for the tip and for your feedback! Sorry for my slow reply.
I baked these cookies and they look just like yours, however they tasted like they needed a lot more sugar and they seemed to taste oily. I used butter and coconut sugar. I followed the directions to a T. What could I have done wrong?
Hmm. I have a huge sweet tooth and think they’re pretty sweet and some people have said that these are actually too sweet for them so I’m thinking maybe you measured your coconut sugar differently than I do. Do you have a scale? If so, definitely use it next time! Or it could be that you packed the almond flour. That would also explain it!
How many carbs are in these cookies. A friend of mine said that there are about 12 carbs per cookie. Just wondering if you put this anywhere. :)
Also, these are very good with white chocolate chips as well.
I don’t have the calories but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :)
I’ve probably made these cookies 30 times! My family is obsessed! Best cookies ever!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you think so! And wow, 30 times! Just like me. :D Thanks for your feedback and sorry for the slow reply!
I’m excited to try this recipe. I’ve been trying to avoid palm oil and came to the realization that every single Paleo storebought cookie has palm oil :[ So I’ll try making it from scratch this time.
I hope that you’ll love these as much as we did! I’d love to hear what you think. :) (and sorry for my slow reply!)
I’ll come back and let you know when I do try it :)
These Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies are so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx, Erin for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that you liked the cookies. And thank you for your feedback. :)
I never post but I had to for this recipe. I have tried many different paleo chocolate chip recipes and this is by far the best one yet!!! I didn’t have almond butter so I used the MaraNatha no added salt/sugar peanut butter and it turned out great. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome! And thanks for sharing your feedback. :) It’s great to know the specific type of peanut butter you used! Thanks for the tip. :)
Ive made several different paleo cookies and these were my winner. Fantastic recipe, they really do taste like a reg unhealthy cookie lol. Would doubling the recipe work or would there be any adjustments?
I’ve made up to 4x this recipe without issue! I’m really happy that you like them so much. :) Thanks for your comment!
Very good recipe. Will try this out this week . Can we use ghee instead of butter? Also Can we use store bought almond butter ? Do they turn out ok if we skip almond butter ?
Yes, yes and no. :) Hope you’ll enjoy them!
These cookies are amazing! I just made them for the second time, this time using all butter. And!! I added one teaspoon of espresso powder to the dough. I’ve never done that before, don’t know what got into me but I’m so glad it did. Delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m definitely going to try espresso powder next time. Sounds so good! Thanks for your comment. :)
I love this recipe! It always comes out amazing! Crunchy on the outside and gooey in the middle even if I stuff it up or add different things or forget to combine things properly, they still come out perfect. Thanks for all the trialling to get the balance right. Definitely grateful for Bob’s Red Mill Almond flour, too!
I’m glad that it works well even when messing it up! :D You’re welcome for the trialing. It was tasty, at least. ;) Thanks so much for your comment!
Just took 8 out of the oven. These are a winner. Perfect look, size, but most importantly taste! Used butter, coconut sugar, almond butter with almond chunks, and a little cocoa coconut almond butter(fancy). Going to serve them to husband , son, son in law for dessert!!
I’m happy that you liked them! I hope that the boys liked them, too. :) Thanks for your comment!
I made this today and they were delicious! My family has had to make some dietary changes for health reasons, we are now dairy, gluten and egg free. I used the nutiva shortening, Aquafab for the eggs (not fans of the flax eggs) and they turned out so well. Anyone looking for egg substitute definitely recommend the aquafab has the consistency of an egg white. I will definitely be making this one again.
I’m so glad it worked out well! I think you’re the first to mention an aquafab sub for this recipe. It’s great to know that it works! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Hi! I made these last night (I was stoked because it’s rare I have ALL the ingredients) and they were fantastic. I made 8 big ones and absolutely LOVED the chewiness. The size was perfect – I was a little short on coconut sugar but that’s okay, it was still DELISH! My husband and I had one each and knew we couldn’t stop at that. I stopped myself before having 3 but it was hard.
Haha. Stopping at 2 is very admirable and impressive! I’m really happy that you liked them so much. :) Thanks for your comment!
I was pleasantly surprised at how good these are, I used butter and the brown sugar option and they turned out very good. Will be one of my go sweets. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m happy that you were surprised by their yumminess. :) Thank you for your feedback!
I have made these so many times that I know the recipe by heart. We always have them on hand. They freeze well so I double the batch. Subs I’ve made successfully: half almond butter/half tahini, cutting back the sugar to 1 cup (double recipe). Half almond flour/almond meal. I have also added coconut, nuts, dried cherries and use half chips and half a chopped unsweetened bar of chocolate. A great recipe as it’s flexible – my edits are generally based on using what I have hand. They always turn out delicious.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m really glad that all your edits have worked out well and I love that you’re able to always have them on hand. I can’t keep myself from them long enough to keep any kind of supply. ;) Thanks for your feedback!
Could I use a flax egg instead of chia egg?
Yes!
These cookies are amazing, I just have one question. I’m wanting to make them for my mother in law who is diabetic. Can I use an artificial sweetener because the coconut sugar contains too much sugar and carbs? I chose to do the 16 smaller cookies and if I did my math right it comes out to 7.2g sugar and 8.1g carbs per cookie from the coconut sugar.
Hello and sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t made these with artificial sweetener but many of the commenters have with success. Do you have one that you use that’s a good replacement for brown sugar? If so, that’ll probably work in these!
Have you tried doing these as bars?
Yes! A 8″x8″ pan works great.
I thought my baking days were over when my doc put me on a grain free/dairy free diet. But then I found this recipe. I made them with hazelnut flour and hazelnut butter since I am allergic to almonds. I chose to use coconut sugar and compromised by using 3 TBSP butter (because the one dairy thing I can have is organic butter) and 3 TBSP coconut oil. I also used bittersweet chocolate chips. Hubby said they are the best cchip cookies he’s ever had. I like them, too. Thanks.
I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed them and that you have figured out that your baking days aren’t over! There are so many yummy grain-free and dairy-free recipes. :) An all hazelnut version sounds so tasty. Thanks for your comment!