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Here they are folks, the most Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies! I have to say, it took me about 15 attempts and a lot of failures, but they are here and I absolutely cannot wait for you to make them.
For me, warm chocolate chip cookies — with a touch of flakey sea salt — are my favorite dessert ever. Fresh out of the oven and still warm, it’s a classic staple that you just cannot beat! For me, I like a chocolate chip cookie that is not super chewy, and definitely not fully crunchy. I like it somewhere in the middle. You know, like the texture you get when you bake a batch of Tollhouse cookies! Golden brown edges with a perfectly soft, and only slightly chewy center.
That is exactly how these cookies turned out. My own husband — a very tough critic when it comes to paleo baked goods — said they tasted like the ‘real deal.’ Cady, who works on my team, said they tasted so much like Tollhouse and it would be very hard to tell the difference. My kids devoured them and my neighbors sent rave review texts when I dropped them off on their doorstep. A total win!
Here are some of the key ingredients that are inside this cookie and why I chose them:
- Coconut Sugar and Maple Syrup– these two together really help sweeten the dough and add that delicious caramelized flavor you want in a cookie.
- Liquid Coconut Oil– a great sub to butter here in this recipe to add fat. I like to use liquid coconut oil (as opposed to traditional melted and cooled coconut oil). I find it is more neutral in flavor and does not make the cookies taste like coconut. You can sub avocado oil here if you need to, and I am sure melted and slightly cooled butter would work, also, but I have found this works best.
- Almond Flour and Tapioca Flour– these two grain-free flours come together to really give these paleo cookies the perfect texture. With almond flour alone, they taste slightly grainy and have some grit to them which I know many people do not like. With the addition of tapioca flour, it softens the texture for a soft and chewy center and smooth texture that doesn’t taste grainy at all — just perfectly crumbly.
Other helpful tips for baking the Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Waiting for your dough to chill is quite frankly, the most frustrating part; however, it is essential in this recipe! Not only does it make the paleo dough easier to work with, but it also helps the flavors to mend.
- Paleo cookie dough is a bit more wet/sticky than traditional cookie dough. Using a cookie scoop helps tremendously when forming the cookies; however, if you don’t have one on hand and end up having to use your hands to help form the cookies prior to baking, damp hands work best! This way the dough will not stick to you.
- Just like all cookies, these are best served fresh out of the oven. I provided some tips below on freezing your cookie dough into pre-portioned balls so that you can have fresh cookie dough in your freezer at all times for a bake-as-you-want-it experience. Don’t worry, they still taste great for about 3 days…but as I said before, fresh. out of the oven cannot be beat!
Also, be sure to try my Brown Sugar “Pop-Tart” Cookies!
Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Wet:
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup liquid coconut oil can also sub avocado oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Dry:
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups super-fine almond flour (from blanched almonds) *I use Bob's Red Mill
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour *I use Bob's Red Mill
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips use dairy-free dark chocolate to keep paleo, I also like to use a mixture of mini chocolate chips and regular sized!
- Maldon salt optional for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the vanilla extract, egg, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Whisk until very well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, almond flour, tapioca, baking soda,and kosher salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir until just combined and smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours (I know it’s hard to wait, but it really helps the flavors mend and the grain-free dough to thicken/harden a bit, making it perfectly delicious and easy to work with!)
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. When the dough is ready, scoop dough by rounded 1 – 1.5 tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet(s), placing at least 2 inches apart. I really recommend using a cookie scoop, since paleo dough is a bit more difficult to work with. If you don’t have a cookie scoop and you may need to use your hands to shape into balls, damp hands work best!
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the cookies are golden brown on the edges, yet still soft in the centers, about 8 minutes. Don’t over-bake your cookies or they will be too hard!!
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.
Notes
To bake from frozen- just set the cookie dough out on the counter while your oven heats. Then place the dough on a baking sheet and bake for 1-2 minutes longer than the recipe directs, keeping an eye on the cookies during those last few minutes so that you can see when they are ready to go.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Just made these and they were a 10/10!! I used avocado oil because it’s all I had. Chilled for three hours. Eaten exactly 15 minutes out of the oven 🤗. I’m freezing some dough too.
I am so glad you loved!!!
I have made these twice now and they keep turning out super flat and thin and gooey. Still really good and this is obviously a personal problem but I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong!
one thing I can think of is your baking soda? is it old? you may need to get a fresh batch.
Okay I will try that next time I make them! They still taste amazing so I’ll probably keep baking them until I figure it out!
Is there anything you can swap tapioca flour for? My town does not have any, I looked at all of our stores.
The best swap would be arrowroot flour.
I just pulled a fresh batch out of the oven!! WOW! Not only did I eat 2 immediately but my 19 and 17 year old LOVED this recipe. Thank you for sharing!!! Love all of your recipes!!! Keep them coming …..
fantastic news!!! Thanks for the review/comment xo
Can you substitute a flax egg for the egg?
These are great! I made as is, but only had cane sugar. I left dough in the fridge 2 hours as noted and they were easy to scoop. I did have to bake more like 11-12 minutes to reach golden brown edges. I have made many paleo chocolate chip cookies and these are the most ‘regular cookie like’ yet! Bookmarking this one for sure!
Follow this recipe down the yellow brick road that Alex has paved and you will find a paleo cookie of gold. The perfect kinda chewy consistency you want in a cookie. The maldon salt to top was just 👌🏿👌🏽👌🏻 Loving it! Thank you, Alex! 🍪
Chelsey, your comment made my night!!! xoxo
After scoping the dough, are we to flatten it or keep them round humps before going in the overnight? My cookies came out cakey and I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong. Your muffins were phenomenal so I bummed when I failed at the cookies.
Is there a taste difference between using the coconut oil and the avocado oil? The avocado oil has slightly better fats( i.e. poly and monounsaturated) for you. Also, can you recommend a coconut sugar you like? One’s ive tried in the past tend to clump and be grainy. Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe. 😋
Hi amanda,
so I use the coconut liquid, that I don’t feel like has a strong taste– but avocado oil is great to use here if you prefer it.
and this coconut sugar is THE BEST.
https://amzn.to/3yEeF9x
I didnt have coconut sugar so I used brown sugar. They came out flat but delicious!
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup? I just realized I’m out! 🤦🏻♀️
I wouldn’t 😉
Hi Alex! Is it okay to prep the dough a day in advance and just refrigerate until ready to make the next day, or is it necessary to freeze? Thank you!
no you can keep in the fridge!
Can you substitute cassava flour for almond flour and arrowroot for tapioca flour? Thanks. 🙂
Hi Jordan,
I wouldn’t recommend swapping the almond flour out in this recipe. The arrowroot would be ok for the tapioca, but I casssava definitely won’t be a 1:1 swap for almond, as they absorb differently
Hello, I love crunchy cookies. How much longer can I bake these to have them crunchy and not soft?
I would just keep an eye on them for an extra 3-4 mins, they cook quickly
Do you think the cinnamon is essential? Does it make it taste like a snickerdoodle?
It’s not necessary at all! I just find it adds more flavor to the cookie– it certainly doesn’t taste like a snickerdoodle.
Every time I make these people say, “these are the best cookies ever!” I love how easy the recipe is and that it only takes one bowl! I’ve been adding pecans and oatmeal to mine!