What’s a girl to do when she can’t enjoy a nice spring walk outside because of rain during quarantine? Bake the BEST gluten free chocolate chip cookies on the planet.
Obviously.
Some of you may remember this gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe from back in 2014 when quinoa was just as trendy as matcha lattes, turmeric, cauliflower and almond flour are now. I’m reposting it now with just a few tweaks. And, even though quinoa flour isn’t as popular as it used to be, these cookies still deserve to be baked because they ARE HONESTLY SOME OF THE BEST COOKIES YOU WILL EVER EAT. I recently tested them again and could NOT STOP EATING THEM. They look, feel and even taste like regular chocolate chip cookies.
FYI: sometimes caps are necessary to get my point across.
These chocolate chip cookies are perfectly crispy on the outside, but ooey-gooey in the middle. They stayed soft for days and they had this SLIGHTLY unique flavor from the quinoa that I absolutely LOVED. I really think that this is one of the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies EVER. But obviously, I’m a little biased. That’s why I need you to make them and report back!
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What flour makes these cookies gluten free?
I first came up with this gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe by just experimenting also known as the ‘buy a bag of crazy gluten-free flour and see what you can make’ kind of recipe. Luckily for me (and you!) it worked out like magic. TOLLHOUSE I’m coming for you.
My flour of choice? Quinoa flour!
Is quinoa flour healthy?
Quinoa flour is incredibly healthy! It’s naturally gluten free and made by grinding quinoa seeds into a super fine flour (which I do NOT recommend trying at home). Quinoa flour feels kind of like whole wheat flour, and it’s high in both fiber and protein so I love to use it in gluten-free baking.
Not only does quinoa flour provide an amazing texture for these gluten free chocolate chip cookies, but it also makes them a bit healthier with a boost of nutrition, fiber, and protein plus it gives them a slightly nutty, delicious flavor.
Ingredients in gluten free chocolate chip cookies
These chewy gluten free chocolate chip cookies are SO easy to make with all natural simple ingredients. And guess what? They’re dairy free and perfectly thick and chewy without xantham gum — an ingredient often used in gluten free cookie recipes that help to thicken them (no thanks!) Here’s what you’ll need:
- Quinoa flour: I used quinoa flour which is naturally gluten free. It’s also high in protein and similar to bread flour in the fact that it will make your cookies extra chewy and soft. You can usually find quinoa flour at Whole Foods and some specialty grocery stores. I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand best. I recommend toasting your quinoa flour in the oven to remove any ‘bitter’ taste before baking.
- Baking soda: Make sure it’s fresh! I’m serious. If you’re baking soda is more than a few months old, toss it.
- Melted coconut oil: I used virgin coconut oil in this recipe which gives these a subtle coconut flavor, although you can use grapeseed oil, regular butter or melted vegan butter (like Earth Balance or Mykonos) instead.
- Eggs: I like to use a large egg for rich flavor and texture, but I’m fairly certain a flax egg would work well in this recipe if you want to make these vegan-friendly!
- Vanilla: Some people consider vanilla to not be gluten-free as it contains alcohol. My recommendation is to buy alcohol-free vanilla if you’re worried and truly want to make these gluten-free. Or just skip the vanilla and add a splash of fresh coffee. Learn how to make your own vanilla extract here!
- Dark brown sugar: You know I don’t mess around with light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is truly that much better at creating a flavorful cookie. It has a higher ratio of molasses and so you get a cookie that’s a bit richer, but light brown sugar will work. I haven’t tried these with coconut sugar, but let me know if you do!
- Chocolate: Here’s where you get to be creative. You can use your favorite chocolate bar and chop it into chunks, or just grab a bag of your favorite chocolate chips. If you’re vegan or dairy-free, use dairy free chocolate chips. I love using dark chocolate, but milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips would all be delicious.
- Sea salt: Don’t you dare forget that sprinkle! Well, I guess you can if you want. I don’t want to be too bossy. But again, these cookies are pretty damn fantastic when they’re a little sweet and salty.
Perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies in 6 steps
- Toast the quinoa flour. Add your quinoa flour to a large baking sheet and bake it for 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees F before using it in the recipe. This helps to reduce the natural bitterness of the flour.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together your wet ingredients until they’re nice and smooth.
- Make the dough. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough forms. Then stir in your chocolate chips. You can use a mixer if you’d like, but I typically just mix the dough by hand.
- Scoop & bake. Use a cookie scoop to grab the dough and roll it into 1-inch balls. Place them on your cookie sheet and bake until they start to turn golden brown.
- Cool & enjoy. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Top with sea salt and enjoy!
Don’t forget these cookie-baking tips
- Melt then cool your coconut oil. Measure out your coconut oil after it is melted and then allow it to sit at room temp for 5 minutes to allow it to cool off a bit. While your coconut oil is cooling off, you can measure your other ingredients out. This ensures that it doesn’t coagulate with the other ingredients or slightly “cook” the eggs.
- Use dark brown sugar. I love using dark brown sugar because it has a tiny bit more molasses in the flavoring, which makes this gluten free chocolate chip cookie taste just like the real deal. Light brown sugar will also work well in this recipe, they just won’t have as deep of a flavor. And don’t forget to pack your dark brown sugar!
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before using. This recipe calls for 2 eggs, and you want to make sure they are at room temp. Simply place eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using them in the recipe.
- Test a cookie before you bake the entire batch. I always, always test one cookie before baking. Put it on a cookie sheet then bake as directed. Once it’s done you can see if you need to flatten the dough with the palm of your hand in order to create a thinner cookie, or chill the dough for 10 minutes if the cookies are too flat.
- Why do your gluten free cookies go flat? If this happens I suggest simply chilling the dough for 10-20 minutes before baking. They should bake up perfectly.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: these healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies will stay good at room temp in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. If you’re going to keep these cookies longer, I’d suggest freezing the dough or the cookies themselves.
- To freeze: you can either freeze the cookie dough or the fully baked cookies! Get all of my tips and tricks for doing so here.
More cookie recipes you’ll love
- Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan & gluten free!)
- Grain Free Snickerdoodles
- Blow Ya Mind Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free, too!)
- Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- Grain Free Birthday Cake Cookies
Get all of my cookie recipes here!
I hope you love these easy, healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also snap a photo and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The BEST Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup virgin unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled**
- 1 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)*
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 heaping cup chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
- coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add quinoa flour to a large baking pan. Bake quinoa flour for 9-10 minutes. This is known as 'toasting' the quinoa flour and will help get rid of any bitterness. Once done toasting, transfer quinoa flour to a bowl to cool off for 5 minutes. Keep heat in oven.
- In the large bowl, whisk together quinoa flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together melted and cooled coconut oil and brown sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat again until smooth and creamy.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix together until combined and a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet leaving 2 inches apart. Bake 8-11 minutes or until edges just being to turn a golden brown. Do not over bake; we don’t want crispy cookies here! If you noticed that your cookies are baking super flat, then you may want to chill your dough for 10-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes on baking sheet. The cookies will need to set and will be a little fragile at first so you have to be a little patient for the edges to harden a bit before removing them.
- Once the edges and bottom harden a bit, transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes 20 cookies, feel free to double the recipe if you want more.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
A fellow mom from our homeschool group is always looking for gluten free recipes due to her Celiac. I will have to pass this along to her. They look just heavenly. Thanks for sharing!!
Wowwwwwwwwww, It’s amazing post.
I’m sure you’ll be even more creative working hire.
Thank you for the lovely inspiration also waiting for next recipe 🙂
Is there a way you could list the nutrition info?
Looks deeee-lish!
My quinoa got burnt? Brown in the toasting phase. Is this expected? Should I start over? Thanks.
Yes, it sounds like your oven ran hot and may have burnt the flour. Be sure to watch it like a hawk next time!
Have you ever made your own quinoa flour? I was thinking of doing that and maybe even toasting the quinoa first…
I have made my own quinoa flour. I toast it in a dry pot with a lid. They will pop like popcorn. Add the quinoa to the pot before putting it on the heat. I let I cool and then I in it through my Ninja. Do it in small bursts because it will heat the blades.
I'm not sure if this will show up but when i did the calculations on myfitnesspal for 20 cookies, this is what it came back with: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/42192247
This link isn’t showing anything, was the recipe removed? Thanks!
These looks delicious! Do you think I could sub brown rice flour instead of quinoa flour? 🙂
Yes, I replaced mine with rice flour, it really works just as well(if not better).?????????
I’m assuming this won’t work with egg substitute? Since it won’t have the moisture you talk about? 🙁 I’ll just be sad for a moment. OK, now I’m good 🙂
You could try baking them in a 9 inch pan, and add chia or flax seeds to help bind. 🙂
Is using flax seeds a common binder for vegN cookies?
I don’t know if it will work as I haven’t personally tired it, but I have a Paleo recipe that calls for a “chia egg” which is one tablespoon ground chia seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, or until gooey like an egg, and incorporate into your recipe. I will try this soon, just haven’t yet.
Hey,
To replace eggs, I usually use bananas, or chia seed that I let soak in water for 20min before. I mix them with the sugar and wet ingredients first so it meets the baking soda at the last moment.
The thing is that usually, baking soda will interact with the egg to create the air. You can investigate on internet as to what baking soda reacts well with, and combine the ingredient that fits better to your recipe. With the right quantity of that ingredient, you won’t taste it in the cookie! Without it, you might taste the baking soda AND have flat cookies.
I have had good results with JustEgg available in Target and Whole Foods. I
Reminds me of that book about the hen who made her own flour and throughout the whole process no one helped her – so they didn't get any cookies (or bread).
Do you know the nutrition information?
OMG I HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS!
Gah!! These cookies sound so delicious!! Love the quinoa in there!
I love any gluten-free recipe that requires just ONE kind of flour. Flour blends are fun and all, but…wait, flour blends aren’t fun. 😉 Anyway, even setting that aside, these cookies look awesome. Thanks for sharing this must-try recipe.
I agree!
i have to make these. i’ve been wanting to use quinoa flour because i have some. yum!
I have to have these!
Girl you are a GENIUS. Rushing to the store to get some quinoa flour STAT
What, if any, other oil could you use in this recipe? I absolutely detest the flavor of coconut!
Oh these are yummy!! I did make a few changes…used flax/chia egg, used 1 cup coconut sugar & 1/4 applesauce for sweetener, half coconut oil & half butter for fat (no coconut taste at all, my coconut oil is not refined so it has flavor but couldn't taste it in the cookies).Also only used half a cup of chocolate chips, still very sweet. You can taste the quinoa in these, which I like, but some people don't. You can use buckwheat or half buckwheat (or whatever gluten free grains you have on hand) and half quinoa. Very good recipe! P.S. I grind all my flours fresh…which also makes it tastes yummy!
Just ate my 3rd one right out of the oven. These are fantastic. Hubby loves these. I didn't have quinoa flour but only had 1 cup of quinoa. I actually browned the quinoa for a few minutes. After cooling I added 1 cup of oatmeal. Then ground both of them together in my Ninja to make a flour. I had 2 cups. I kept to the recipe on the rest. The coconut oil and the nutty flavor of the browned quinoa made this cookie scrumptious. Will be making these often. Oh yes, I actually use a tablespoon measuring spoon to get the cookie dough and scoop on the baking sheet. This makes my cookies all the same size.
Yum yum yum! I would have hated the thought of using coconut oil in a cookie until recently, I had one too many bad coconut oil experiences but I finally found one I love (Loving Earth for the Aussies here) Do you think I can sub natural cane sugar/rapadura/muscavado sugar for the dark brown sugar?
Yes, I think you can sub muscavado sugar or coconut sugar.
Oh My! You cookies look awesome, and using quinoa flower just puts them over the top!
Ok, First of all I LOVE your blog & recipes are sssooo great and of course nutella-chip cookies are a hit.
But here, I didn’t have quinoa flour – so used plain flour & peanut oil instead of coconut oil also used sucanat instead of brown sugar…so i’m guessing I got a totally different cookie, but this was THE most interestingly tasting kinda whole wheat flavour ever !! It was a SUPER HIT here! so thanks – AMAZING!!:)
big hug from Italy!:)
Could you make your own quinoa flour by milling it yourself? I have quinoa, but not quinoa flour.
I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure you could!
Absolutely! I buy whole, white quinoa and blend it fine in my vitamix. Then, because quinoa has a bitter, grassy flavor, I toast it in the over at 250 F for a couple of hours. The oven will heat up the house and do double duty.
Another great looking cookie! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! I made these and they are so freaking good. They remind me of that brand “Soft Batch” that was so popular in the 80s, but way better. I’m not even gluten free, and I would take these over so many flour-laden cookies.
So glad to hear that. Love soft batch cookies! 🙂
I’ve been a celiac for over a decade, and I’ve made dozens and dozens of different chocolate chip cookie recipes over that time. This beats them all. Hands down. The texture was perfect, the taste was awesome. Thank you!!
That is so wonderful to hear, Heather! I’m glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks for leaving a comment.
What is the best substitute for quinoa flour? Can you use half gluten free flour and half ground almonds? I tend to do this with cakes and it is delicious but unsure if it would work with cookies? I cant find quinoa flour anywhere in uk!! please help!!
I just made two separate batches. The first was exactly like the recipe and the second was the same EXCEPT I substituted 1 cup gluten free flour and 1 cup almond meal for the 2 cups of quinoa flour. It did NOT work. The first batch looks amazing and tastes great except that some of the kids did not like the quinoa after taste. The second batch was a messy goo! Maybe adding xanthan gum would help?
Hi Shelly! I can’t really help you with the second batch, because it sounds like you completely changed the recipe. Next time, you may want to try toasting the quinoa flour first for 5-10 minutes in a skillet over very low heat (stirring frequently). This helps eliminate the quinoa taste you are describing. Hope this helps!
I actually changed this recipe byusing 1/2 quinoa and half cup for cup flour. I believe it changed to cooking time a bit so if anyone else does this, I had to add about 6 minutes additional time to the first batch that went in. They were still very soft when they came out of the oven, and hadn't turned that golden brown on the edges yet, so figured it would be ok. They are still cooling on my counter at the moment and we can't wait to try them. Thank you for this recipe.
mine did turn out flat but smell delicious! is the refridgeration the only trick?
Did you refrigerate them? If not, then yes that probably was the problem. Also, is your baking soda fresh?
I made these cookies a few days ago and they were so good! Hubby and kids loved them too. By far the best “healthy” cookie I’ve ever made! I was wondering though, if there was anything you would recommend instead of using all brown sugar? I was thinking maybe honey, but wasn’t sure if that would mess with the texture too much. Maybe coconut sugar? Thanks!
Coconut sugar should work. Haha I’m not sure if these would be considered healthy though!
My cookies stayed in balls and never flattened out. Anyone else have this problem? What did I do wrong?
Did you follow the directions exactly? I’m sorry you had trouble. Did you flatten down the dough a bit?
Mine also stayed in balls. After the 10 minute mark, when I saw this, I pulled them out and sort of flattened them with the back of a spoon, then put them back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Just took them out and they’re cooling now and seem quite crumbly, but I tasted part of one and it tastes good. I have to admit to using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of the quinoa flour, so that could be the issue here. That and I refrigerated them for 5 minutes before baking since they were really gooey when I first made the balls.
I cannot eat regular chocolate since it inflicts a migraine! Is it possible to use white chocolate instead and also to add in walnuts? And could the coconut oil be replaced using vegetable shortening?
Yes you can use white chocolate and walnuts. I am not sure if shortening would work – I haven’t tried it but let me know if you do.
I made them for those in my office who are gluten free, and everyone in the office loved them, not just those who were gluten free. Heck, I loved them, as did my very picky boyfriend!!
That’s wonderful, Jackie!
Can I use butter instead of the coconut oil? I am making these for my boss who has a severe gluten allergy but is not a fan of using substitutes for oil/fat ingredients. Wondering if using regular butter would give them a more authentic taste? Thanks!
That should work. You may need to increase butter to 3/4 cup.
Monique, I’m new to gluten free baking and just tried your recipe tonight. I chilled the dough for 20 minutes then baked. They are absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe. I’d love to send you a picture. How do I email you?
The cookies are delicious! I made them with half almond flour and half quinoa flour, reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup, and used rapadura sugar instead of brown. They came out wonderfully. I made them bite-sized and used EnjoyLife mini chips and my husband positively squealed over how adorable they looked. Tasted great, too. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely check out more of your posts.
Looks great! I’m excited to give this a try. Btw- vanilla/alcohol doesn’t contain gluten. I have celiacs and have done a terrible amount of research. I make my own vanilla with vanilla bean and vodka (which is made from potatoes) and even the varieties that are made from wheat are considered gluten free due to the distillation process.
Cheers!
Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Im interested in substituting the quinoa flour with either coconut flour, or almond flour. Which would you recommend?
Hmmm probably almond flour, but to be honest you can’t sub those flours 1:1. If you want a recipe using almond or coconut flour for cookies, try this: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2015/03/paleo-coconut-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hi! First let me say your cookie looks very tempting! Could you suggest if I can use alternatives for sugar (honey/applesauce) and oil (coconut oil or any other from of fat like more egg)?
Hi! Is there any replacement for the brown sugar to make then sugar free? Would xylitol work?
How are good are these for diabetics seems the sugar content may be high is there an alternative?
This cookie is sooooo good!!! i substitute the quinoa for almond flour and used coconut palm sugar. my kids dont even know its not the usual chocolate chip cookies! great recipe, thank you!
Not a fan these coolies at all; the choco pieces/chios kept falliout of the dough. Ended up chucking it out the window.
I’m sorry you had to chuck your cookie out the window. Sounds like a crime!
i made these and subbed Bob’s Red Mill G/F Flour. Wonderful!
Happy that you guys had fun in AZ. Wow, not a native; camelback is quite the challenge, I can manage about 1/2 way up to Piestewa peak. I had quinoa flour and need to use it ip, but was just a few tbl spoons shy, so I used less sugar and added a few tbl spoons of agave for moisture.Balls never spread out but I pressed down, I’m sure it was because it is cooler out and I didn’t melt the count oil. I added unsweetened coconut flour. my husband and I loved them. The house smells great!
Happy that you guys had fun in AZ. Wow, not a native; camelback is quite the challenge, I can manage about 1/2 way up to Piestewa peak. I had quinoa flour and need to use it ip, but was just a few tbl spoons shy, so I used less sugar and added a few tbl spoons of agave for moisture.Balls never spread out but I pressed down, I’m sure it was because it is cooler out and I didn’t melt the coconutoil. I added unsweetened coconut flour. my husband and I loved them. The house smells great!
Made these twice already, once for Christmas, and just now. 🙂 They are so yummy I like them better than regular choc chip cookies. Not that it needs it , but I added a little extra sea salt and use Trader Joe’s vanilla flavoring instead of extract. Mmm. Love.
Is that correct , 180 cals. per cookie and 15.4 gms. of sugar per cookie? It seems high. I have made them and they taste great, unique flavour form the quinoa. Just concerned re: high sugar content. Please respond. Thank you.
It should be correct. It’s most likely from the chocolate chips and sugar in the cookie dough. If you want less sugar, then reduce the amount of chocolate chips or use a sugar free stevia based chocolate.
I made these today delicious (Monday
I am serving them sunday
Should i freeze them or just leave in tupperware
You usually always pack brown sugar, but I think leveled would work just as fine in this recipe.
Just tried these cookies and the dough does not stick together. It’s like powder. I have tried to put the crumbly dough flat on cookie sheet and see if it cooks that way but this recipe did not work for me at all. I did make it with quinoa flour. I make my own flour so it may be that that’s the problem?
I just made these and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was a bit worried about the coconut oil, but these were so delicious and I love the fact that they are butter free!
I will make these cookies again. Thanks for the post.
Ok, just made these. I did add the 3/4 cup coconut and it made the dough quite dry and crumbly and the dough didn’t spread at all, just stayed in a ball. Perhaps an extra egg and or coconut oil might fix that problem. I also used carob chips instead of chocolate because that’s what I recently purchased to try for this particular type of recipe. I found that using the coconut sugar it was too sweet and intense. I recommend that anyone using coconut sugar instead of brown to cut back at least 1/4 cup. The flavour was terrific and will be making again with minor adjustments. Thanks for posting and sharing!
These cookies are just awesome! my first time baking with quinoa flour and I loved it.it has the unique flavor and is absolutely delicious.Thanks for the recipe
Hi, they look great. Can the sugar be replaced with stevia? If so, how much?
These cookies are seriously AMAZING! We have made them twice in the last month and both batches have been splendid! Perfect consistency, perfectly sweet, and just wonderful all around. Yum yum yum 🙂
Forgot to leave my star rating!
These cookies surprised me with their deliciousness. I used coconut sugar so they were quite dark in color-looked like chocolate cookies. They were VERY oily when I rolled them in my hand; I was concerned that they would spread over the entire cookie sheet but they remained intact! I used a spoon and pushed them down flatter from the ball shape while they were baking..sprinkling w the extra salt is great…I’ve ever used quinoa flour before..yes..an interesting smell to it but the time in the skillet seems to help…I will make these again…I would have to give 5 stars for their goodness and a bit better for us than the traditional recipe..THANK YOU!
First gluten free cookie the family liked! Thanks so much! We used a combination of muscavado sugar and coconut sugar and lowered it to 1 cup. Delicious!
Wow. Just made these tonight and they are delicious!!! Thank you!!!
These are awesome! I’m having a hard time not eating the whole batch at once. Even my non-gluten free, picky family like these which is REALLY saying a lot! My problem is I don’t want to share….
These cookies were amazing! Thank you for all the hard work that I am sure it took to create the perfect GF chocolate chip cookie.
Thanks for the recipe! I had some quinoa flour to use and decided on cookies since my kids aren’t fond of the taste of quinoa.. I cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup (used mainly coconut sugar with a little white) and used half butter and half coconut oil. I also only used 1/2 cup chocolate chips because I used the mini enjoy life ones. They were a big hit with my kids.
Mmmmmm turned out great!
I’m so glad!
I made this cookie for my mil who is a celiac. It was my 1st attempt at a gluten free cookie. I was very worried about how it would come out, since I have never baked with most of the ingredients. I’m very happy to report that it turned out amazing! I followed the recipe to a T. I doubled the recipe and used unrefined coconut oil. I did sautee my quinoa flour as suggested (thank you for that!) I had googled how to bake with quinoa flour and was very worried when I read it is used by weight vs. by just measuring 2 cups worth. I finally just decided to measure 2 cups worth. It did work out and I’m so happy. But could you clairify this for me?? I will def. make this recipe again … for ourselves! The ingredients all work wonderfully together. The slight coconut flavor, the dark chocolate and the sea salt??? OH MY!!! Thank you soooo much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! They’re one of my favorite gluten free cookies (and are the best for a reason!) 2 cups should be perfect in here.
Which is your other fave gluten free cookie??!!!
This one is also amazing!
Thank you for the recipe! In my country, we have a lot of “organic” panela, or raw cane sugar, and they turned out quite good. They are a bit brownier than your picture, but they taste great. Thanks again!
Meant to put “panela” in brackets. 😂
Glad the panela worked out for you! Love these 🙂
Just came across this while looking for something nice to make a friend with intolerances similar to celiac. I substituted 3/4 c butter per the discussion feed. These were amazing! To me they tasted so close to the real deal it was wonderful. In fact I think these turned out better than the ‘normal’ batch I made minutes before. Thank you for the great recipe! Look forward to discovering your other ones too.
So happy to hear that! Hope you find some others you love here too 🙂 Happy baking!
Do you measure the coconut oil before or after melting?
thx!
Great question! It’s always best to measure it out once it’s melted 🙂
I like the use of quinoa flour and the sprinkle of sea salt! Sweet and salty heaven!
Best combo ever!
Ooh, I have never used quinoa flour in a recipe before! I might have tried it in gluten free vegan cookie dough, but I’m not entirely sure. I bet it has a really lovely flavor and texture–your cookies turned out amazingly!
YES it makes the cookie texture amazing!
These look so good Monique! I love how simple the ingredients are too. Will be trying these and your bran muffins today, can’t wait!
If you use butter instead of the coconut oil, would you still melt it? or just soften it like traditional recipes?
I made these yesterday. They were exactly as you described. Texture was wonderful. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Will make again! Thank you for creating these great GF recipes!
So happy to hear that! They’re my fav GF cookies 🙂
Hi, is it possible to get the original recipe for these? I really should have it memorized I made it so many times! 🙂 I did try these, however, preferred the original. Thank you in advance.
Hi Stefanie!
The only thing that’s different, is that this recipe is halved and includes one egg. If you double this recipe and include only 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, it’s the original recipe. In my opinion, this recipe has better texture!
Hi,
Is it possible to get the original recipe? I made them several times, I really should have it memorized. I tried these, however, prefer the original. Thanks!
We too! What was the original recipe? I know I remember toasting the flour.
This is the original. The only difference was that I left out toasting the quinoa flour and added 2 eggs instead of 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.
Hi , is it possible to get the original recipe still? I loved it!
Hi! I would like to add oatmeal to these cookies? How would I go about that? Do I replace some of the flour or can I just add some in ?
Thank you!
I would do 3/4 cup quinoa flour and 1/2 cup gluten free oats!
I recently did a food sensitivity test and was shocked to find out I was pretty much intolerant to all of the foods I was eating. For the past two months, I have had the hardest time finding something sweet that I could eat- until now! THANK GOODNESS FOR THESE COOKIES!!!! They were so easy to make and so delicious! It was my first time baking something from scratch and I didn’t mess it up! I have an egg intolerance and substituted the egg for 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce which tasted super delicious.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
I’m so glad you found these!! Best treat 🙂 Enjoy!
I made these cookies and they are by far the best gluten free cookie out there,! Toasting the quinoa flour is a must and a great tip for cooking any kind of quinoa as it takes away that earthy flavor. Using coconut sugar is the best for a more healthy cookie. The only other sweetener I would try would be organic 100% maple sugar. They are gluten free, nut free and by using non refined ingredients, it makes for a fairly healthy cookie. Thank you for sharing your gift of cooking with us😊
So glad you love these! I do love using coconut sugar (but I’ve never tried toasting the quinoa flour!)
JK I HAVE HAHAH. that was an older post. 🙂
Cookies are looking amazing!!
So good!!
Fantastic!!!
WOW. Thank you for sharing!
Although I did not toast the quinoa flour, I didn’t taste the quinoa at all! Gosh these are good. I’ll be making these again.
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
Just made these. Made a few changes, 1cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup coconut sugar also I used a vegan butter substitute instead of coconut oil. These cookies are amazing! Thank you!!
Perfect! Glad those swaps worked out.
Doesn’t sea salt make everything better! I love baking with it.
It really does! A little sprinkle on top is the best.
Like it but to sugar for my taste. If I reduce the sugar should I increase other ingredient?
If you reduce the sugar, the cookies may come out dry! I would maybe just decrease the flour a bit, not too much though!
I made these and they are delishous! Even the kids loved them!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So happy to hear that Molly!
I must try these! My kids would LOVE them!
Absolutely!!
Hello Monique,
I want to start by saying how much I love your recipes. I just made this one and although it tastes great I found the dough a bit hard, making it hard to incoporate the chocolate chips. I follow the recipe almost as is, I ran out of coconut sugar so I used a cup coconut sugar with 1/3 cup raw cane sugar and I realized I forgot to add the 2nd egg, would this have made the dough less hard? I want to make it again i just want to know how to soften the dough incase it does happen again.
Hi Stephanie! The egg adds moisture and liquid so yes, it will make a HUGE difference.
Just made these. They are the most beautiful and greatest tasting non-flour cookies I have ever made! My hubby loves them too! I’m a Chicago native and was happy to see you live there!
I’m so glad! These are one of my go-to’s. Happy to see a fellow Chicagoan 🙂
These cookies are AMAZING!! They are soft and chewy and taste like a regular chocolate chip cookie! Thank you for sharing this recipe! ❤️ 🍪
So happy you loved them! The perfect treat 🙂
Hi Monique…I’m from India…I love baking and make cakes on order. Recently got a sample of quinoa flour and was looking for recipes using the same and stumbled upon your post. Just tried the recipe…they were amazing. my girls loved them and as the first batch came out of the oven ,3 cookies were already gone. Thanks for sharing.. will definitely make them again.
Hi Ansila! I’m so glad you found this recipe – one of my favorite ways to bake with quinoa flour. Happy your girls loved them, too!
These are the best damn cookies I’ve ever made. I was a little worried on how they would turn out since I’ve never made gluten/dairy free bake goods before. But due to a recent development of intolerance I’m forced to adapt and explore.
THANK YOU for this! They are amazing
I tried your recipe but I halved it, because I didn’t want to make a whole batch if I didn’t like it.
Amazingly enough they were awesome. I could taste a hint of the quinoa, maybe toasting would help it but my daughter who won’t eat healthy cookies, really liked them.
I am amazed that they are crisp and look exactly like a regular cookie.
My half batch made 12 cookies which is plenty to satisfy a sweet tooth or two.
Perfect! So glad you found this recipe and that your daughter loved it, too 🙂
Can you make this as a cookie cake?
Sure! Sounds amazing.
I followed the recipe to a T but something does not seem right and I wish I knew what it is.
I toasted the quinoa flour for 10 minutes-let it cool. I used fresh baking soda, melted and cooled the coconut oil, used coconut sugar, vanilla extract, large eggs, and folded in the ingredients until it formed a dough. Once I added the 2 cups of flour to the wet mixture it was very difficult to combine. The final dough product was a brown colour ( the colour of brown sugar), greasy, stiff, and the chocolate chips would not stick to the dough.
I have made this recipe countless times without issue, so I’m wondering if for some reason the coconut sugar made it not as ‘wet’ of a dough. The coconut sugar would make it brown. Also usually when cookie dough is greasy it means that the coconut oil was too hot when you added the sugar, causing the sugar to melt and create a greasy cookie dough. I recommend trying again with brown sugar as the recipe calls for. I indicated that I have not tested the recipe with coconut sugar in the notes.
These are delicious! I made them as described and turned up temp a bit (higher altitude) and they came out perfectly! Thank you for another amazing recipe! 🙂
I may just be your most loyal baked goods taster, lol. I enjoy ALL of your recipes.
Amazing! So happy you’re finding treats here that you love 🙂
If I could give these cookies 10 stars I would! these are the best cookies I have ever made. They’re the perfect combination with the little crunch on the outside but soft on the inside. Instead of 2 cups quinoa flour I put in 1 1/2 half cups quinoa flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour. This worked perfectly because the coconut flour held the cookie together, whereas most quinoa flour cookies crumble. Love these and I will be making them again! Thank you!
I’m glad that worked out well! The perfect treat!
I made them today and they are incredible delicious! I used coconut flower sugar and they are crispy outside and soft in the middle!
Thank you for this great recipe
Cathrin
I’m glad they turned out well! Perfect treat 🙂
I made these with home ground red quinoa, and coconut sugar, and added some chopped pecans……..they were delicious!!!
The red quinoa didn’t grind very fine…..but the little bit of crunch it imparted was satisfying.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I’m glad that worked out well! Yum 🙂
Really good recipe. A couple of tricks that I think are important. First of all, we used whole unsalted butter. The dough seemed a little wet so we added 2 Tbs of King Arthur Gluten Free Flour. We also added 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecan pieces. We spooned dropped the cookies without refrigerating the batter. They spread out a little but keeping them thick keeps them moist. We baked for 9 minutes at 350 degrees on parchment paper.
I’m glad those swaps worked out for you! Such a great treat 🙂
Not sure if anyone is still making these yummy cookies in 2020, however, I hope so and I highly recommend it!
Definitely follow the instructions and toast the quinoa flour before hand as is instructed.
It is such an interesting taste that I can’t describe it compared to the usual chocolate chip baked cookie.
I toasted some raw pecans before hand as I love texture to a cookie and I used a milk chocolate chocolate bar that I chopped into chunks. I didn’t have sea salt on hand so I topped with pink himalayan salt and a few chunks leftover from the bar.
I made them quite big so it only made a dozen cookies with following the recipe to a tee.
.
Delish!!!!
They are! Pecans sound delicious in here 🙂 so glad you enjoyed!
I made these tonight with coconut sugar and they turned out so great! The first batch was room temperature- I rolled and baked them on a cookie sheet with a silpat straight after mixing and they were perfect. The second two batches were after I refrigerated the dough for about 20 min bc I thought I’d see the difference it made and they didn’t spread as well. They were a little too round and tall so I definitely prefer them baked without refrigerating. I used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips and it tasted wonderful! Thanks for the great recipe!
Perfect! Glad you were able to test them out both ways 🙂 such a great treat!
Great cookie but the ads on this site are driving me crazy
Thank you for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
These got a resounding “good!” from my picky eater, so they passed the test. I followed the recipe, except to put in a bit less sugar. I flattened the dough balls a little and they turned out perfectly, a little puffy. I didn’t have to refrigerate the dough.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Hi, is the sugar amount correct? 1 cup + 1/3 cup in total? The reason I ask is that the biscuits I made are a lot darker than the images shown so I wondered if a typo had occurred
It could simply be the type of brown sugar you used. Sometimes dark brown sugar can be really dark! Or if you used coconut sugar that would be why they came out dark.
I made these cookies and they were AMAZING! I did chill the dough for 10 min which was perfect. The flavor was fantastic and cookie was gooey inside and perfect on the outside as promised!!
So happy you loved them! Great tip to chill the dough 🙂
These came out soo good!!.. Thank you for this recipe! I had quinoa flour on hand and wanted to make cookies, but I didn’t have enough coconut oil, so I used vegetable oil (I know it’s not the healthiest.. but I was craving cookies! Ha!) It worked out great! The only thing is you can taste the quinoa in the cookies, but I don’t mind it at all! I actually like the taste! I’m sure the taste is lessened with the coconut oil, but like I said, I like it! Definitely beats using white flour. Makes me feel at least a little healthy eating a chocolate chip cookie!😉 Next time around I’ll def be healthier and use coconut oil! Thank you!!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great treat 🙂
Yeah I’m not impressed with this recipe the dough was dry. I’m pretty upset I waisted my good ingredients on this.
Sorry to hear that! I wish I could help troubleshoot!
I did them with normal flour as I did not have quinoa one and they are the best cookies I ever made! So chewy! Thank you so much! Your recipes are the bomb!
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great treat 🙂
These cookies were amazingly delicious. One problem though….they began to harden by the end of the day. I stored them in a tupperware container, but maybe I should have used a ziplock type of bag. Your thoughts please! I also have a question….do you think I can use monkfruit sweetener instead? If so, what ratio? I would like to bake a batch for my diabetic friend. Thanks!
So strange! They shouldn’t harden at room temp and the ingredients actually keep them pretty soft. I would make sure the container is airtight. Unfortunately I don’t bake with sugar-free sweeteners like monkfruit so I’m not 100% sure how the taste will turn out. Let me know if you give it a try!
I used 1 cup tapioca flour & 1 cup coconut flour instead of quinoa flour. As I couldn’t find your flour in Australian supermarket. Consistency of dated cookie a little crumbly but if carefully loosed on tray & allowed to cool before moving to a wire rack there fine. Taste great.
I’m glad they still worked out well after cooling!
I have been making gluten free cookies consistently for a few years now, and this is seriously the BEST GF chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever had!!!! Will definitely make again and again 🙂
I’m so glad! Perfect treat 🙂
These are unreal. They are like crack. I have been making these cookies for months now, exactly as the recipe states and they are amazing. People BEG me for these lol
I found that I ALWAYS need to chill the dough for 30 mins so they dont flatten too much.
What is it that determines whether we need to chill or not?
My brother in law likes his cookies flat so I always bake one batch without refrigerating. LOL
So glad they’re a hit! You can always do a test cookie first to see how they bake up and then adjust and flatten (or don’t) depending on what kind of cookie you want. It could just be how you measure your liquids or dry ingredients, too!
Make them! My only question sorry if it’s a dumb one…201kcal per serving…what’s the k stand for and is it really 201 calories per cookie or is that a typo??
You can ignore the “k,” they’re just 201 cals per cookie 🙂
Can honey or pure maple syrup be used instead of brown sugar?
I haven’t tried it, but let me know if you do. You likely won’t need to use as much!
Made half of the recipe as written but used melted butter instead of coconut oil. Batter was on the thin side so I refrigerated for 30 minutes then could form rolled balls of dough on the cookie sheet (12 cookies). Baked 13 minutes and they spread nicely. Cooled completely. Very nice chewy texture.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I’ve been having trouble with this recipe since you changed it 😬 any chance you have a copy of the old version? I’m really struggling with flat cookies over here
I actually never changed this recipe, that I can remember. I just updated the photos and retested to make sure it was perfect. If you need to, feel free to add a few more tablespoons of flour, or you can chill the dough.
Best gluten free cookies I have tried. Easy to make and so delicious. Definitely a keeper for my recipe box.
Yay! I’m so glad you’re loving these, Sandra!
Ummmm, Idk if this was suppose to happen but my cookies did NOT flatten they stayed balls, but they are cooked. I used butter instead of oil and baking powder and no baking soda because I didint have any.
They did taste really good though!
Hi, Eva! Yep, it sounds like the ingredients you used caused them to stay in ball shape. Glad they tasted good! Let me know if you try them again with coconut oil and baking soda 🙂
OMG!!! These are so good! My daughter has a gluten intolerance, and she’s also allergic to rice. I have been searching everywhere to find a gluten free chocolate chip cookie that she would actually like. She loves these! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Oh yay!! So happy to hear that these are safe for her and that you guys are loving them!
Oh my gosh you saved me with this recipe. I was making almond flour cookies and accidentally added quinoa flour! After lots of cussing, I got myself together and found this recipe and the batch was saved! AND….they are delicious!! Thank you for sharing! I have a new healthier cookie to add to my favorites!! PS I already had 1/2 cup shredded coconut in my dough and it was a nice addition to the texture of this cookie in case you are feeling experimental!
Why do you not recommend grinding your own quinoa flour? I grind most of the gf flours I use myself. It is such a huge savings.
Amazingly soft and tasty. These are great cookies!! Easy to put together. The batter freezes well, too.
SO happy you’re a fan of these, Jaime! Thanks for the review 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! I added 1/4 cup gluten free flour to the 2 cups toasted quinoa flour because I like a cake like cookie vs. The gooey kind.
Also used coconut sugar. Cookies turned out nice and brown, I think because of the toasted flour.
So glad that worked out and that you loved them, Maureen! Thanks for sharing 🙂
When were baking them they got very big but they made enough for 3 people to have.👌 Something was wrong with them. They were also to light.
Hmmm sounds like something went wrong! Did you follow the ingredients/instructions carefully? And did they look similar to the cookies pictured in the blog post?
I thought the cookies 🍪 were fine.
Thanks for sharing! You might like this recipe more 🙂
My first time using quinoa flour and my husband, my toddler, and I all give this recipe two thumbs up! I subbed coconut sugar because it’s all I had available and they turned out great. Leaving them on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack was critical to keep their shape but worked perfectly.
Woohooo! I’m so happy you all loved these 🙂 And yes letting them chill out for 5 minutes is essential!
Had quinoa flour hanging around that I wanted to use up. I was blown away by the soft chewy texture of these cookies! I’ve been baking GF for twenty years and can’t believe I hadn’t really yet discovered how well this flour worked. My wheat-eating friends were equally amazed! The ultimate compliment is having a friend say “I’d never know these were gluten free!”
These were delicious and went down a treat with the whole family. Thank you
I’m so glad to hear that!! Thanks, Rosie!
These cookies are amazing, they taste just like a reg cookie with added benefits. I love that they have more protein and all the nutrients you find in quinoa. I do have to chill mine a bit but not long i stick it in the freezer for maybe 5 min or less and its perfect for me to roll in my hands.
Thanks so much for the review, Emily! Good to know about the chilling before rolling — great call. Happy you love them!
I don’t have any quinoa flour, so I subbed with 1 cup rice flour, 2/3 cup sweet potato flour and 1/3 cup corn flour. It was still pretty liquid then, so I added another .5 cup of rice flour and then it was a really nice texture to roll the cookies out. Much better than many other recipes I have tried, so I will be saving this one. Thanks!
Glad those subs worked well! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Follow the recipe exactly and you won’t be disappointed! The toasted quinoa adds a nutty unique flavour. Delicious!
I chilled my dough for 10 mins before baking, and sprinkled Sea salt as directed. Amazingggg
Love, Love, LOVE the cookies I made using your recipe. Thank you for such an easy, precise and yummy cookie recipe. The whole family is in love with them.
Ah yay! I am SO glad you’re loving theses cookies and they turned out great for you and the family!
These are the best sugar free, gluten free chocolate chip cookies I have tried. I toasted the quinoa flour first, this helps. I used golden monk fruit instead of sugar and Lily’s chocolate cookies. Very happy with the texture and flavor.
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely delicious! I used olive oil and honey (~1/2 cup) instead of brown sugar and it was much too sweet so I will use less next time. Cookies spread out quite a bit (flat) but I do not mind! Will make again. Thank you for the recipe
Honey is much sweeter than brown sugar, which is where that flavor is coming from! And swapping a granulated sweetener for liquid will make the batter a bit thinner. Glad you enjoyed regardless!
Just made these and they’re really good! I made a mistake and flattened the first batch and they all ran together, but the second batch was done as directed and came out nicely. 😉 I’ll definitely make these again.
I’m glad the second batch turned out well!!
These cookies are amazing! I’m always looking for better ways to make gluten free dishes. I can say that I’ve never made anything bad from Ambitious Kitchen. Love her cookbook as well.
So glad you love these and the recipes from the cookbook!!
These cookies taste fantastic! The quinoa adds such a nice nutty/toasty flavour. Perfectly sweet. Mine ended up quite flat tho, even after chilling the batter. That’s the only reason my rating is not 5 stars…they are flat like pancakes! (Maybe because i made my own quinoa flour?? That’s the only substitution i made)
I’m glad the flavor was delicious! Hmm it could be the homemade flour – let me know if you give it a try with a store-bought flour and if makes a difference.