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These almond flour chocolate chip cookies are chewy, salty-sweet, and made in one bowl! This naturally vegan and gluten-free cookie recipe is so good, no one will know the difference.
Are you ready for the chewiest, salty sweet, delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookies? There’s a specific kind of craving I get for a cookie but I also want to feel good about eating it. Not in a guilt-spiral, calorie-counting way: just in the sense that the ingredients are real whole foods you actually stock in your pantry.
This recipe comes straight to you from my dear friend Jeanine’s book Love and Lemons Everyday. These cookies are made all from whole food ingredients, are downright delicious, and made with only one bowl. No all-purpose flour, no butter, no eggs: and they come out chewy, crisp at the edges, and finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt. So good!
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These are SO GOOD. They are soft, yet hold together and somehow offer a slight crunch. My whole family (including two kids; 8 & 4) love these cookies. I don’t change ONE SINGLE THING about this recipe and they turn out perfect every time.” -Sara
Key Ingredients
- Almond flour is the key: it’s simply finely ground blanched almonds. (Avoid almond meal here; check out my Almond Meal vs Almond Flour guide.) Because almond flour has no gluten, it creates a chewy cookie rather than a cakey one.
- The flax egg is the vegan binder in place of a traditional egg. To make it: whisk 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, then let it sit for 5 minutes. See my Flax Egg post.
- Coconut oil provides the fat without any coconut flavor (choose refined coconut oil; unrefined coconut oil can taste tropical).
- Almond butter adds richness and helps bind the dough alongside the flax egg.
- Brown sugar (or coconut sugar) brings warmth and chew.
- Vegan semisweet chocolate chips: I find most brands of dark chocolate chips are vegan.
- Flaky sea salt: This is what makes the cookie!
How to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s how to make these simple almond flour cookies:
- Make the flax egg by mixing flax seed and water; let it gel for 5 minutes in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: coconut oil, sugar, almond butter, and vanilla, then whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, and salt — then stir until a dough forms.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, then scoop onto a lined baking sheet.
- Press slightly, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake at 350°F for 10 to 13 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Pro Tip
The texture of these cookies is a chewier than a typical chocolate chip cookie because they are made with almond flour. Don’t expect the classic texture! It’s still super delicious and a perfect sweet treat.
Substitutions & Variations
- Coconut sugar works in place of brown sugar: it has a slightly deeper, more molasses-like flavor.
- Sunflower seed butter can replace almond butter for nut allergies.
- Dark chocolate chunks instead of chips give bigger pockets of melted chocolate: always better in my mind!
- Orange zest adds a bit of sophistication (just ¼ teaspoon).
Storage
Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
To freeze: Arrange cooled cookies on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months.
Dietary Notes
This almond flour chocolate chip cookies recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These almond flour chocolate chip cookies are chewy, salty-sweet, and made in one bowl! This naturally vegan and gluten-free cookie recipe is so good, no one will know the difference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water, plus more if necessary
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, softened but not melted
- ½ cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water and let thicken for 5 minutes.
- To the same bowl, add the coconut oil, sugar, almond butter, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Add the almond flour and sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the mixture. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir until well combined, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the mixture is too dry. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. Press each ball down slightly and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges are just starting the brown.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- When the cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container or frozen. (To reheat frozen cookies, bake in a 350F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.)
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Love and Lemons Everyday by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Matthews
Wow!! BEST vegan/GF cookies I’ve ever eaten, and certainly, ever made! My daughter helped me with these, and instead of almond flour, we subbed GF flour (1.5 cups instead of 2 cups). It worked beautifully. They rose, they’re a lovely texture, and an even better flavor. Just wow, so grateful to have found this recipe!! Thank you!!
These are SO GOOD. I have made other vegan cookies that are very enjoyable but None that compare to the ingredient list of these. They are soft, yet hold together and somehow offer a slight crunch. My whole family (including two kids; 8 & 4) love these cookies.
I don’t change ONE SINGLE THING about this recipe (I use homemade brown sugar) and they turn out perfect every time.
Can definitely, without a doubt, make these for company— even non-health nuts!
So glad to hear this! Thanks for making :)
I have made these several times and we enjoy them Very much! They are my go-to for a quick baked treat. I am wanted to share the love and hand them out in goodie bags to my family. Have you ever tried making them as bars? I am thinking I would double the recipe and bake for 18-20 minutes but I would appreciate any input. Thanks!
We haven’t tried it but that sounds about right to us!
These are excellent! The best I’ve had so far. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed!