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!
These are truly fabulous! The only problem will be not eating all of them in one sitting! You are a genius! My other paleo cookie recipe was very flat and greasy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for figuring out the secret!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. :) And I guess that’s not such a terrible problem to have. :D Thanks for your feedback!
This is hands down the best recipe I’ve ever used for chocolate chip cookies. And I am not kidding when I say that the so called ”real” version of cookies can’t hold a candle to these. The texture taste mouthfeel everything is amazing. I’ve been making it since 3.5 years atleast and I usually use butter because I love the taste of butter in baked goods. I find the quantity of sweetener a little too much do 120 gms suffices for our taste buds. I have now started making a keto version of these cookies with sukrin brown sugar replacement and stevia Sweetened chocolate chips and they taste just as good just don’t spread as much. Thankyou so much for this recipe. ❤️
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m really happy that you like cookies so much and enjoy the low-carb version as well. :) Thanks for your feedback and sorry again!
These turned out fabulous even tho I did not have any coconut sugar, so I used a scant cup of honey. I also doubled the recipe with no problem. Thank you for this great recipe!
Oh wow. I’m surprised that they came out well with honey! Thanks for your feedback. :)
I have made this recipe 4-5 times in the last couple of months. I have been making them low carb and to me it is the best low carb cookie recipe that I have come across. So I have been using Swerve brown or Truvia brown sugar substitute in place of the coconut sugar. The only difference I find is I don’t typically need as much almond flour in the recipe as your recipe calls for. Like I usually double the recipe when I make them and I use about 1 – 1 1/4 cups of almond flour when doubling the recipe.
Oh interesting that you’re almost halving the almond flour! I’ll have to try them that way and see how they compare. Thanks for the tip! I’m so glad that you think they’re the best (with your change!). Thanks as always for your feedback. :)
Hi I just made your cookies last night and they are DELISH! My sister wants to make them but can’t have almond flour and I was wondering if there was a substitute for that flour?
Thanks!
Again… SOOOO GOOD!
Hi! I’m happy you enjoyed them. :) Can she have other nut flours? Hazelnut flour / meal should work fine! Unfortunately there aren’t any non-nut subs for almond flour but I link to my all coconut flour version of these cookies in the post. :)
How is the nutritional value broken down
You could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile.
Can dough be ftozen
Yes!
Thank you for this paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe! I’ve tried a couple of different paleo chocolate chip cookie recipes, and they were good but the cookies were soft. I missed the crunchiness of the “standard” chocolate chip cookie until I tried your recipe – wonderful! I took a batch to the Bible study group I attend, and they said “these cookies are good!” I made them small enough to make 12 and they were still a good size. I came home with an empty container. This recipe will be my go-to when it’s time to make more chocolate chip cookies!
Yay! I’m glad that you have a new go-to. :) And how awesome that the study group enjoyed them and ate them all up! Thanks for your feedback. :)
OMG! You are right! It is really PERFECT! I just made it tonight and my teenager keeps coming back for more cookies while it is still on the cooking rack! I love love it!!!
Haha, yay! So glad you and your kid enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment. :)
This looks so yum that I cant wait to have one right away. But I can’t have one because I m on diet. I will surely have this once I m done with diet or will have a cheat day in between ;)
I hope it’ll be worth the cheat! ;)
We have been making this recipe for several years! It is THE BEST paleo cookie out there! We like to make them big too! We also freeze the scoops then bag them up and they way we can make 2 fresh baked cookies for a treat. They bake beautifully straight from the freezer as well! I have made them Keto using brown sugar swerve and Lilly’s chocolate chips and they are good too! But nothing is better than the original recipe with coconut sugar and Good Life chocolate chips! Thanks for creating the best cookie recipe and sharing it!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that you’ve been making and enjoying them all these years. :) I also love having a stash in the freezer so you can bake them up fresh and not have to worry about eating 8 cookies in one night. I might have done that a few times. ;) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
I NEVER comment on recipes, but these cookies were beyond incredible. Nobody knew they were Paleo and I have been told that I have bring them to every family event going forward. I’ll never need another chocolate chip cookie recipe! Thanks, Erin!
Woohoo, yay! So glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment on the recipe. :) I really appreciate it (and sorry for my slow reply).
Another excellent recipe! I weighed the ingredients… Used butter and coconut sugar and they turned out perfect! My children are impressed!!! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m glad the kids liked them and that you’re enjoying the recipes. :D Thanks for your feedback!
I have been making these cookies for a long time now. All my customers I cook for, these are their favorite cookies. Almond flour does not agree w/me anymore.
I’m so glad they like them! Have you seen that there’s an all coconut flour version linked to in post?! Please try them! They’re just as amazing. :)
Made these with my toddler son and nieces. Made them smaller and got quite a few from the mixture. By the evening they were all gone.. everyone LOVED them! For some reason mine never bake flat lol but they were definitely delicious!v Could be becuase the mixture became quite oily by the time I mixed everything in. I used all paleo ingredients as per the recipe.
I’m glad that everyone enjoyed them! :) Was your coconut oil firm or kind of melty? If it was slightly melty, that would explain the greasy dough issue! Thank for your feedback.
I refrigerated it so it was very firm at the start but I must have worked the mixture too much as by the end of it, it was quite oily. Will try to be quicker next time and it will probably be easier when the weather is cooler. It’s horribly hot and humid here in Malta at present.
Ah, okay. If it’s horribly hot, I can see that being a problem. I hope next time goes better! :)
I made this with tahini as a sub for the almond butter. They were delicious! Chewy and tasty.
Yum! That sounds delicious. :) Thanks for the tip!
THIS WAS AMAZING! I used a nut flour blend instead of the almond flour and they still came out amazing. Kudos to you for figuring this out for all of us who are making lifestyle changes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! What nut flour blend did you use? Thanks for the tip and sorry for my slow reply (I just got back from vacation!).
I made these last night. Three words. OMG. I cannot stop eating these. LOL I’m a cookie connoisseur and when I realized that gluten gave me the jitters, I wondered if I’d ever be able to enjoy my favorite dessert.
Enter your website and your recipe.
Only changes I made were to use ghee instead of coconut oil or butter. And I used a flaxseed egg instead of a real egg. In my humble opinion, a perfect chocolate chip cookie consists of crunchiness on the perimeter and gooeyness in the middle.
I’ll admit though, I wasn’t a believer at first. I worried when these first came out the oven because they were soooo goeey. I honestly believed I did something wrong and worried if the lack of a real egg prevented them from binding properly. But I folded your advice, let them cool down completely and they solidified into the perfection that they now are…
Next time I will use the coconut oil and see if they come out just as good. Do you think using coconut oil will cut down the crunchiness perimeter? Either way, worth a shot. And if it’s a winner, that’ll make it a truly vegan chocolate chip and the best one I’ve ever eaten in my life.
Clearly, I’m a fan. I’ve never taken the time to write a comment on a recipe before but here I am. Thank you for sharing these amazing recipe with the world. May you be blessed, and your children, and your children’s children. 👏🏽😂
I’m so sorry for just now answering your super nice comment! I just got back from vacation. I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cookies so much. :) I’ve never used ghee so I’m not sure how that version compares to the coconut oil one. But I can say that they’re nice and crunchy on the outside! At least I think so. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! I really appreciate it. :) It made my day!
Forgive me because I’m new to paleo/vegan baking, but I had a few questions. I made these last night and the flavor was incredible but my cookies were pretty gritty/grainy and crumbled when we tried to eat them. I followed everything exactly, but used dark brown sugar and a chia egg. Just curious if anyone can recommend an adjustment to try or maybe why they were that texture. Living in a small town I didn’t have any Bobs Red Mill almond flour, wondering if my almond flour maybe didn’t have the best texture to begin. Thanks so much in advance! This absolutely tastes like the perfect recipe!
Hello! I’m so sorry for just now replying to your question. I was on vacation and just got back. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on this recipe but people haven’t really mentioned them being gritty. Do you have a scale? If so, I recommend using it to ensure that you’re not measuring out too much flour. That’s the only thing I can think of! Sorry I don’t have a more definite answer for you. I’m glad you enjoyed the taste, though! Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for my slow answer.
I made these paleo chocolate chip cookies for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. Thanks in advance and also for sharing, Erin ;)
You’re welcome and thank you for your feedback! I’m so happy that they were a hit. :) Sorry for my slow reply.