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grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out
Grain Free DessertBars + Cookies
September 19, 2021

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Deliciously soft, grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookies with rich, caramel-like flavor from brown butter and gooey chocolate in every bite. These cookies are easy to make and the perfect weekday treat! Options to add a boost of protein and make vegan included.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Total Time
26 mins

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It’s been a minute since I made you guys a reaaal good chocolate chip cookie. That’s about to change because today I’m bringing a recipe all the way back from 2017 (whoa) that I recently revamped to make even more amazing.

These almond flour chocolate chip cookies have crispy edges, perfectly puffy middles, puddles of melted chocolate AND a hint of toasty, nutty brown butter in ever bite. Interested? I thought so.

When I originally made this recipe I added a boost of protein with collagen peptides, and you’re welcome to do the same — see the notes section for instructions on how to do so! Nothing wrong with a little protein cookie breakfast this lovely Monday. These babies are both gluten free and grain free but taste absolutely decadent. I love that they’re made in one bowl and just so happen to be delicious straight from the freezer, too.

Your latest easy weekday dessert situation = sorted.

almond flour chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper

Ingredients in these almond flour chocolate chip cookies

I absolutely love baking up batches of these grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookies because they use easy baking staples and truly make the best, simple dessert. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:

  • Almond flour: you guessed it — the base of these cookies is almond flour! This keeps the cookies gluten free and grain free while also providing healthy fats and lovely flavor. Be sure to use a fine, blanched almond flour.
  • Brown sugar: we’re sweetening these cookies with brown sugar to give them a wonderful, molasses flavor.
  • Butter: the secret ingredient in these almond flour cookies? Browning the butter! It adds a warm, nutty, caramel-like flavor that’s absolutely addicting. I like to use salted butter for even more flavor.
  • Egg: you’ll need one egg in this cookie recipe.
  • Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract, baking soda and salt. I love sprinkling some fancy Maldon sea salt on top, too.
  • Chocolate chips: gotta have those melty bites of chocolate in each cookie. YUM.

ingredients for almond flour chocolate chip cookies in bowls

Recommended ingredient swaps

Here’s what I can recommend (and what I do not recommend) for substitutions in these healthy almond flour chocolate chip cookies:

  • For the butter: feel free to use vegan butter, ghee or coconut oil. Just know that you cannot brown any of those options.
  • For the egg: I think a flax egg should work well in this recipe. Let me know if you try it! Then be sure to use dairy free butter or coconut oil to keep the cookies vegan, as well as vegan/dairy free chocolate chips.
  • For the brown sugar: feel free to use coconut sugar to keep the cookies refined sugar free.
  • For the almond flour: unfortunately, I cannot recommend a sub for the almond flour, so please do not try using another flour.

Turn them into protein cookies

When I originally made this recipe I actually used Vital Proteins collagen peptides to give them a boost of protein! I have since updated the recipe, but if you’d like a protein boost you can add 1/4 cup protein powder or collagen peptides while you add in the other dry ingredients.

grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl

How to brown butter

As I mentioned, brown butter really takes the flavor of these almond flour chocolate chip cookies to the next level. If you’ve never browned butter before, you’re in luck! It’s super easy:

  1. Add butter to a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
  2. Once melted, the butter will begin to crackle, and then eventually foam. This will take a few minutes. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process.
  3. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma.
  4. Set aside and let the butter cool for 10 minutes before adding it to your cookie dough.

scooping grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookie dough onto a baking sheet

One bowl almond flour chocolate chip cookies

  1. Prep your pan. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Brown the butter. Use the instructions above (and within the recipe below) to make your brown butter.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the cooled, brown butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla to a large bowl and mix until smooth.
  4. Stir in the dry. Add the almond flour, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
  5. Make dough balls. Use a medium cookie scoop to shape the dough into balls and place them on your baking sheet 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake, cool & devour. Bake these babies for about 11-15 minutes or until they start to turn slightly golden brown on the edges. After baking, let the cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. Then devour or even freeze them for later!

healthy almond flour chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet

Our best cookie baking tips

  • Use room temp ingredients. Be sure to let the brown butter cool completely and use a room temperature egg so that the wet ingredients don’t coagulate. Run your egg under warm water for a couple of minutes to bring it to room temperature.
  • Pack these ingredients. Remember to pack both the brown sugar and the almond flour so that the almond flour chocolate chip cookies have the right consistency.
  • Do not overbake. When baking with a gluten free flour like almond flour, the cookies might look a bit underdone on the tops even when they’re ready to come out of the oven. That’s why it’s important to take them out right when the cookies begin to turn golden brown on the edges. No one likes overbaked cookies!

Choose your cookie thickness

I love thicker cookies with those crisp edges, but if you’re a fan of thinner cookies you can simply flatten them out a bit after placing the dough balls on your cookie sheet. A 1/2 inch thick or 1/4 inch thick will be thinner but still delicious!

almond flour chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out

Freezer-friendly almond flour chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are actually delicious straight from the freezer! Here are two ways to freeze them:

  1. Freeze the dough. To freeze the dough, simply roll it into individual balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the cookie dough balls firm up, transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply thaw out the dough and bake the grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookies as directed. You’ll likely just need to add a few extra minutes of baking time!
  2. Freeze the baked almond flour chocolate chip cookies. You can also freeze your baked cookies for later. Wait for them to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, feel free to eat them straight from the freezer or simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy.

gluten free almond flour chocolate chip cookies in a stack

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More ways to use almond flour

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I hope you love these almond flour chocolate chip cookies! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.98 from 35 votes
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grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out
Course Cookies, Dairy Free, Dessert, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo Friendly
Cuisine American
Keyword almond flour chocolate chip cookies, grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Serves 14

Deliciously soft, grain free almond flour chocolate chip cookies with rich, caramel-like flavor from brown butter and gooey chocolate in every bite. These cookies are easy to make and the perfect weekday treat! Options to add a boost of protein and make vegan included.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter (I like using salted butter)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups packed fine blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 heaping cup chocolate chips
  • Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Brown your butter: add butter to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens once it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a medium bowl to prevent burning, making sure you scrape all the butter from the pan. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

  3. In a large bowl, mix together the brown butter (or ghee or coconut oil), brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

  4. Next stir in almond flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

  5. Use a medium cooking scoop to grab dough and place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. If you want thinner/flatter cookies, you can flatten them so that they are about ½ inch thick. You can even do ¼ inch thick if you like more flat cookies.

  6. Bake for 11-15 minutes until cookies begin to turn golden brown on the edges. The longer you bake them the more crispy they’ll be. They may look underdone on the tops, but that’s just because they’re made with almond flour.

  7. Allow cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy with a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk or freeze them for later! They are amazing if you eat them frozen too! Makes about 12-14 cookies.

Recipe Notes

Do not attempt to use coconut flour or any other flour in this recipe. It will not work.

Please know you cannot brown vegan or dairy free butter. However you can sub in melted vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter if you’d like.

To make vegan: I think a flax egg would work well as a replacement for the eggs in this recipe. Let me know if you try it. Also be sure to use melted vegan butter or coconut oil.

To make protein cookies: I’ve made these into protein cookies before by adding in ¼ cup protein powder while I add in the other dry ingredients. I’ve only tested them with Vital Proteins collagen powder but they were delicious!

Nutrition
Servings: 14 cookies
Serving size: 1 cookie
Calories: 166kcal
Fat: 12.5g
Saturated fat: 3.6g
Carbohydrates: 12.6g
Fiber: 1.9g
Sugar: 9.9g
Protein: 3.3g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on December 7, 2017, and republished with an updated recipe on September 20, 2021.

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