What’s better then a warm, ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookie? The same cookie in under twenty minutes, of course! These paleo chocolate chip cookies from my friend Caroline are one of my family’s tried-and-true favorites, right up there with our paleo sugar cookies.
Oh, and did I mention that they make the entire kitchen smell like happiness?
All you’ll need are a handful of wholesome ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time. Oh, and also the willpower not to eat all the dough before you start baking, of course. You can totally eat some, though. This recipe is egg-free, so feel even if you usually wouldn’t feel free to lick the bowl clean.
Chocolate Chip Cookies (GAPS Approved, Gluten-Free, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or raw honey)
- ¼ cup butter ( or substitute sustainably harvested palm shortening or coconut oil - melted over low heat)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients together (except chocolate chips) in a medium bowl. Add in wet ingredients and combine well, then mix in chocolate chips.
- Scoop out 1 tablespoon cookie dough with a measuring spoon and place it on your cookie sheet, then press down a little with the palm of your hand to flatten the cookie. Place the next cookie about three inches away from the first one and continue until the baking sheet is full.
- Bake for 6-10 minutes. These cookies will be very soft while they're baking, but will firm up after they've cooled for about ten minutes. Don't rely on firmness to know when they're ready - to check, gently lift one cookie to see if it is slightly golden brown on the bottom. If it is, they're ready!
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet so they can firm up, then enjoy. These cookies freeze well, so feel free to make a double batch and save half.
Notes
Nutrition
This scrumptious recipe was shared with permission from Caroline of Gutsy. Check out her snickerdoodle recipe here.
Oooooh… interesting….
This is an absolutely incredible recipe for substituting honey for sugar in cookies! It is just as tasty as wheat flour cookies too.
I made these and they are great! I chose to use honey and instead of chocolate chips I just chopped up a dark chocolate candy bar boy was it good.
I have heard on multiple occasions that honey turns toxic for the body once it is heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve never done the research on it myself but learned it from a very natural healer and he seems to be right about everything he’s ever mentioned to me. So if your interested in learning about whether or not that’s true info please look into it. I have just stopped cooking with honey because I totally trust his oppinion and frankly just haven’t done research on it yet.
So how is honey garlic made then?
Humm.. check this article out: https://grist.org/article/2009-10-28-heat-makes-honey-toxic-and-other-myths-of-the-hive/
I have done the research and it is toxic to heat honey according to Ayurveda. So we make these cookies now with date syrup and they are great!
My 11 yr. old son is struggling with diet and somewhere between GAPS and SCD but he likes to experiment in the kitchen so I will show him your blog Caroline. Thanks!
Julie, that is awesome that your son is so young and is already taking charge in the kitchen. I was his age when I started my kitchen love 🙂
Can I use tigernut flour in place of almond?
Unfortunately they absorb liquids at a different rate and cannot be used interchangeably in this recipe. Sunflower seed flour would probably work, though.
Would it be possible to sub coconut or cashew flour for the almond flour? And have you ever made these with eggs? I’m interested in doing a higher-protein version (and I don’t have almond flour).
Hi Esther! I do usually use eggs in my recipes, but this one did not seem to need any. I would try subbing cashew flour because it resembles almond flour more, and I’m sure that won be absolutely yummy! If you want to add an egg and experiment, maybe add in a few tsp of coconut flour to absorb that extra liquid (just the type of things I would think of when I experiment!) Happy baking!
I did half almond and half Tiger nut flour. I also added an egg because I thought it really needed it. They were quite tasty.
Hi Caroline,
would you happen to have the nutritional facts (how many servings and all you need to know) to track these cookies in my my fitness pal app?
I made this recipe and also wondered about adding egg to it. The second time I made it (and many subsequent times) I added 1 egg and 1/4 to 1/2 coconut flour. I have also added cinnamon to the dough when I didn’t have vanilla. The coconut flour and egg makes the cookie stabler, but add too much coconut flour and the cookie is too dry. I loved it when I found this recipe and made it for my boys 3rd birthday. My family is on the GAPS diet.
SheBear, you say 1/4 to 1/2 coconut flour… but what measuring device? –cup, tablespoon…?
Love that these are egg free! My son is allergic to so much including eggs but he can have everything on this list!! Need to make these for him ASAP! 🙂
Im so happy that your son will be able to have a tasty treat, and honestly, my family who knows what “fake” cookies taste like LOVED these (shh…don’t tell them they are sort of healthy!)
I just made these! They are super easy and SUPER tasty!! I won’t feel ‘bad’ sending these to school with my son. . .they actually have food value. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I agree with you Lisa. I send a cookie with my brother sometimes and he doesn’t come home with a sugar buzz or headache. Its nice to give kids a whole food treat once in a while to brighten up their day!
Yay for cookies!
🙂
This looks really similar to my friend’s recipe that she posted on her blog. http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2012/02/27/chocolate-chip-cookie-bites-grain-egg-refined-sugar-free-cookies/
Hi Rochelle! I once posted a recipe only to find out that a dear friend had posted almost the exact thing a week earlier. Total coincidence but it happens! 😀 P.S. I checked with Caroline on this and she assures me she did not know of your friends posts prior to sharing here. She did study about 15 grain-free versions before experimenting in her own kitchen, though!
These looks cookies look so delicious… and the dough even more so! If I made these, I don’t think any would make it to the oven. Lovely recipe, Caroline!
Well, you know Lauren you could always just make the dough and simply eat it (no need to feel bad about baking it) ! We made some at our house and froze it in little balls to throw in kefir ice-cream!
Wow, these look amazing, I am going to make this weekend. Thank you!
Hi Margaret! Weekend baking is so much fun…especially when it is something so good 🙂
Made these just a minute ago! I added ground flax seed for some more bene’s and ate a few spoonfuls right outta the bowl! They are amazing – thank you for posting!
Yay! So glad to hear that Carissa!
Made these today with my 2-year-old. Very delicious – lucky any made it to the oven!!!
Made with homemade carob chips also worked well.
One tip for those in chillier climates would be part melt the coconut oil/honey to together first – was very hard to mix but we got there!
GREAT RECIPE thanks
Hi, Heather
Technical question: How do I get rid of the “Like, Tweet, numbers” bar on your site that is covering up part of the text and photos?
Thanks. Love your blog. Have shared it with many friends.
Ginger
Hi Ginger! What device are you viewing the page on? It’s not possible to remove the bar but I can try to troubleshoot with you to see if we can get it back on the side (where it’s supposed to be :))
I get that, too, on my desktop, or my husband’s laptop. Would love to know what to do.
I made these cookies with my girls yesterday and they were yummy warm, but I think they tasted even better today! I will definitely be making double batches in the future – so quick and easy, and so tasty! Has anyone experimented with freezing the baked cookies? That would make for quick snacks, too.
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Hi Sheridan, I make the dough and freeze it in a log of parchment paper for quick easy cookie dough and then slice off preshaped cookies and pop them in the oven when I want. I find that fresh cookies are best! Glad you are enjoying the recipe!
I bake a double batch every time I make them, then freeze them in ziploc bags. They work wonderfully, just thaw them in the frig for the next day. I agree that they taste even better the second day after baking.
These look yummy! I told my family that I would make cookies yesterday, but never got around to it, I’ll have to give these a try!
These look great! I haven’t got the time or willpower to stick to GAPS, but I’ve been looking for a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. (Mine keep coming out with funny textures over here….)
One question: Can these be made with the coconut flour instead? Living in Japan makes it pretty hard for me to find things that are out of the ordinary. (I can’t even get whole wheat flour without paying an arm and a leg!) But it shouldn’t be too hard to find shredded coconut and make the flour like you suggested in another post.
Hi Clara! Coconut flour requires MUCH more moisture than almond flour so recipes don’t translate unfortunately 🙁
Just made these. YUM. So easy and so delicious. I’ve been looking for an easy soft baked cookie. I toasted the almond meal before using because I prefer the taste of toasted almonds. Didn’t have choc chips, so made chocolate frosting: honey, cocoa powder, coconut oil.
Those are seriously THE BEST looking, no-grain, paleo/GAPS cookies I have ever seen. I’m not big into baking, but I need to try these.
Yum-oh!!! Thank you, Caroline! These are delicious and a thumb’s up from each of our family members. Finally, we found a replacement to ‘traditional’ chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for cutting down our trial and error efforts
These look great! I don’t have any specific allergies, but I would make these cookies any day! Thanks so much for the inspiration.
How long would you suggest I bake these and what size pan would you use if I want to turn them into bar cookies? I doubled the dough recipe, so I was thinking about putting them in an 8×8 inch pan, but maybe a 9×13 would be better. My hubby prefers bar cookies, so I thought I would ask to see what you recommend!
Sorry Faith, I have no idea!
Are those homemade chips in the picture? LOL
these cookies are deliciousssss!!! just made them – made the house smell yummy and they are so soft (i love soft chewy cookies) thank you!!
These are so yummy! Thank you for an awesome recipe. P.S. My 2-year-old thanks you, too!
I made these for New Years and they were fantastic! The only downside was that they flattened out as they cooked. Next time I’m going to try refrigerating them before I bake them. But they tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe! A dear friend of mine has recently needed to change her diet, which has left her not being able to eat much of what the rest of us do. I’ve so wanted to be able to cook for her, so that she still feels included in our gatherings, especially when it comes to dessert. These turned out amazing! My husband and I tried them first and they are delicious. Who would have thought?! Thank you for sharing this and for giving me a chance to love on my friend with safe dessert options. =]
Was it just me, or did these cookies taste a bit too salty? I think I’m going to leave out the salt next time.
These are delicious!!! Thank you for my most successful gaps endeavor yet!
My 5 yr old autistic son came running towards me and said “It’s yummy!”. I used clarified butter and the cookies are so delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Hey there! I would need to use coconut flour due to nut allergies. Do you happen to know how I would substitute this? Thanks so much! These look great!
Unfortunately, coconut flour requires A LOT more liquid than nut flours, so a straight substitution won’t work. Since I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut flour I am not sure what proportions would work, sorry!
My son is allergic to almonds and coconut flour is hard to find where I live- any other possibilities?
My whole family lives this recipe! My son is allergic to peanuts and some tree nuts but he is not allergic to almonds so this has been a great way to get some healthy fats and brain food into him! Wanted to know if you knew how much fat, calories, fiber and protein are in each cookie if recipe makes one dozen.
Yum! These are so good! So excited to have this recipe! Can’t wait to make cookie dough ice cream 🙂
I just made these–my first attempt at grain free cookies. They taste really good. I like cookies with a bit less texture though. I will try a different brand of almond flour next time. Thanks for such an easy recipe.
Could you use gluten free flour instead of almond flour?!
I haven’t tried it, Amber, so I can’t really say. My guess is it’s probably not a 1:1 substitution.
Almond Flour is Gluten Free!
Yum! I love that this recipe is so simple! I have all of those ingredients in my house right now and must make these ASAP!
we used hazelnut flour (which IMHO has the same texture as almond flour) and I thought they were delicious! My daughter thought they were horrible, but what does she know!! 😉
These look wonderful, but they’re not GAPS- friendly. They contain ingredients (your recipe for chocolate chips) that Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride does not recommend, even on the full GAPS protocol.
If you’re not on GAPS, enjoy these- they look great!
I wondered about that since I have read Dr. Campbell-McBride’s book & she very specifically puts chocolate (& even carob) on the “illegal” list. Plus, isn’t baking soda also GAPS illegal? I lent my book out and need to get it back. I’d really like to know why it is that baking soda is illegal. But these should be great for all my pale friends. 🙂
I believe in a later version she said that chocolate is okay if it is well tolerated. The same case is true for baking soda in small amounts, I think. The reason for the restriction on baking soda initially is that it lowers stomach acid. Since most GAPS patients have low stomach acid to begin with (and as a result weak digestion), baking soda was considered a no-no.
Chocolate is okay on Full GAPS once you test it, if your okay with it great if not wait for another year or so before trying again. Also you should only have it occasionally. Baking soda is also okay if you can tolerate it, but only in small amounts. Hope this helps!
I saw that several people asked this, but I’ll ask anyway – what about tree nut allergies? My son is allergic to tree nuts, so no almond flour allowed. What could you use instead? Many, many paleo recipes call for almond flour and it’s so disappointing. So many people have nut allergies, that I wish they would suggest a substitute.
Hi Kris, if sunflower seeds are okay you might try this: http://empoweredsustenance.com/sun-flour/
What about chestnut flour?
Heather already mentioned sunflower seed flour…
What about pumpkin seed flour?
I’m assuming coconut flour is out…hmm…
That’s all I got for now!
How many cookies do you get out of this recipe?
Thanks!
OH MAN, THESE ARE SO GOOD. Just like the (bad-for-you) chocolate chip cookies of my childhood.
^^ZOSIA, I got 14 cookies out of the recipe, measured by tablespoons.
I tried this and it did not come out like the pictures. Can someone tell me what I’m doing wrong? Mine just looked like an almond flour clump. I wasn’t crazy about it but my boyfriend loved them anyway. However, I’d like to make them properly so please HELP!!
Hi there!
We had fun with this recipe. We made a bit of a science experiment out of it. We made it with the coconut oil and then the butter and compared how they came out!
http://www.earthwormsandmarmalade.com/2014/01/grain-free-gaps-friendly-chocolate-chip.html
Thanks a million!!
Midge
Love your idea!
I have a lot of ground hazelnuts, can I substitute for almond flour using same quantity?
I’ve never tried the recipe with hazelnut flour so I can’t say, unfortunately. Please let us know how it turns out if you do!
OOOMMMGGG, these are the best alternative chocolate chip cookie, I have made. Even my picky eater loved them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Oh, wow!!! These are amazing, yummy, wonderful, awesome, perfect! They passed picky 17 year old teenager test and even the dough passed the hubby test! =P thanks so much!!!
Can’t wait to give these a try. I did notice however that Gutsy hasn’t posted/blog in a while I hope she returns again soon.
Just finished making these about half an hour ago and they’re delicious!!! And it was so fast to measure, mix and bake! I only baked 9 tbsp size cookies and made a log with the rest of the dough and put it away in the freezer. Now I can have a few freshly baked cookies all week! It was a bit of a challenge to not eat the dough because I had a taste and it was soooo good. I know I *could* eat the dough, but the goal today was cookies 🙂
I used coconut oil in mine and took the advice of someone who commented earlier to heat the honey and the oil first so it’s easy to mix. Great tip 🙂
Will I have to thaw the dough to cut the slices for more cookies or will I have to increase the baking time if the dough slices are frozen?
has anyone tried rice flour? That is all I have except for the regular flower..
I attempted making these cookies this morning. I put all the ingredients in a kitchen aid standing mixer. The almond flour wasnt combining with my melted coconut oil. It was crumbing. I proceeded to add in the chocolate chips and mix it in with a spatula. Scooping up the crumbly dough into a cookie scooper. Currently they are in the oven. Managed to form little ” golf size balls” without them falling apart. What do you think I can do different to prevent this?
thanks !
Absolutely yummy! These will be my go to cookie! Thanks for such an easy, yummy recipe!
oh my! 🙂 Question…right now we need to use stevia only as the sweetener…do you happen to have any suggestions on how to alter the recipe since we cannot do the honey right now? I am guessing that the honey helps to hold it all together instead of eggs, and sweeten it, so if I used stevia, what would I use as the liquidy part to help hold it all together?
Thanks so much!
Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe with stevia. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Delicious!! thank you
Can these be made with other gluten free flour? My Dad and step-mom are gluten free and she’s highly allergic to nuts so I can’t use almond flour. Thanks!
Hi Lindsay, they could be made with ground sunflower seeds if she can have them, but I wouldn’t recommend using other gluten-free flours with this recipe.
Oh my goodness…these are incredible. I was so nervous initially that they weren’t setting and sure enough 10 minutes later they were set. I do wonder how your dough picture doesn’t look so mealy like the dough I make with the almond flour. Any idea? Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
New to the paleo thing and this was the perfect recipe to be my almond flour dessert! I made a few alterations, instead of honey i used maple syrup, and added 1tsp of vanilla and used coconut oil. So good! Maybe even better then the actual chocolate chip cookies! Perfect mix of chocolate, almond and a tinge of coconut. I am not a huge fan of coconut but this was a very subtle taste! So good! Thank you!!!!
HELP!!! I did something wrong! After finding this recipe and reading all the comments I was sure these would be awesome. But the batter wasn’t batter-y, it was all crumbly, kinda like a topping for an apple crisp recipe. I didn’t have almond flour so I used a combination of rice flour and coconut flour. Could that be the issue? I also subbed agave for the honey, as I’m doing a 28-day clean eating challenge, and honey is off limits. (Chocolate chips are too, but I figured if I stayed away from the honey, I could “cheat” with a few chocolate chips.) I’m so sad these didn’t turn out. What came out of the oven was a dry, crumbly mess. :o( I’m willing to try again, but before I ruin another batch of ingredients, can someone offer some suggestions. Thank you CCACC-lovers!
Hi Leesa, coconut and rice flour are not good substitutes for almond flour. If you don’t have access to almond flour another nut flour will work. Macadamia is one of my favorite flours.
You can use the red mill all purpose flour ! This worked beautifully!
My new favorite cookie!!! My husband loves these. We use unrefined coconut oil. We love the taste of coconut 🙂 the husband said they tasted like coconut macaroons. Soooooooo good!
I used coconut oil and refrigerated the dough, but these cookies still melted into a puddle. They worked better for me when I used butter and added a little extra flour. My homemade chocolate chips were another disaster altogether…
Wow – these are fantastic! Thanks for a great recipe. Next time I make these (and there WILL be a next time), my plan is to reduce the honey slightly, and for adequate liquid increase slightly the coconut oil (I used combo of coconut oil and softened butter). Either it’s my taste buds, or just preference but the 1/4 cup of honey provided more than enough sweetness.
As to difficulties others had with the dough crumbling, mine initially was crumbly but I hand mixed it and probably added a little more fat (combo butter, coconut oil) than what the recipe called for (I’m notorious for guesstimating things when cooking). I was able to roll these into perfect little balls that cooked up fabulously. Thank you!
Just made these cookies ad i must say they are extraordinarily amazing. My izzie loved it and exclaimed “perfect!” And she is usually a picky eater!!! I am absolutely in love with this recipe!
What is the carb content for a serving?
Unfortunately I made these as directed and they were so crumbly they were impossible to eat. I made another batch and added an egg. They still fell apart before even making it to my mouth! I know your intentions are good but they are simply not edible.
I would refrigerate the dough for an hour if using coconut oil, to avoid having a cookie turn out like a pancake 😛
These are the most delicious GF cookies! This is the 2nd time i made them. I chose maple syrup since honey is so over powering. (The first time I made them I used 1/2 syrup & 1/2 honey). Thank you for sharing. My family thanks you too!
THESE ARE AMAZING! I’ve been searching forever for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and these are perfection. Thank you!!
These were amazing! Made them today with my four year old, and it only took about 10-15 minutes with minimal clean up. They are a big hit at our house and our new go-to recipe.
Just made these! Added an egg and a dollop of unsalted peanut butter (could also use sprouted almond or cashew butter) after they were baked. RIDICULOUS!! Yum yum
I lOVE these cookies! This is my quick, easy and delicious go-to recipe! The only problem I have with these cookies is that they don’t last long! Going to double up on the batch tonight. Thanks for sharing the recipe! <3
Hi. Can you tell us the nutrition information on this recipe; how many carbs, fiber, etc
Thanks so much!
I made these cookies using maple syrup. They came out incredibly delicious! Definitely will be making them again very soon.
My husband is new to Paleo and misses his snacks. I made these a couple of days ago and he loved them. I agree that they are delicious, and as good as regular chocolate chip cookies. Next time I will double the recipe and bake them a little longer.
I have tried a few of your recipes and love them! So thank you. I have had my son on a GAPS diet for nearly two years…. Chocolate and sugar are not on the diet, so I dont believe those chocolate chips will work, unfortunately.
These are the perfect healthy cookie or just dough! Thank you.
Do you have nutritional information for these cookies? They are amazing!
Curious about the nutrition facts as well to track!!
So incredily dry. Do not recommend
I’m living in Buenos Aires and have had limited access to my favorite baking items. I was able to get everything for this recipe and I’ve already made them 4 times. Thank you SO much! 🙂
These were incredible. I feel like mommypotamus and I must have similar requirements for our treats as her recipes are the only failsafe ones I’ve found so far for healthy baking. My husband would not stop eating these! Kids loved them, I loved them… the only problem was how fast they got eaten!
Lol, I have the same problem when I make pizza. So glad you enjoyed them!
So disappointed… Major flop. The “batter” wasn’t a batter. Super dry and crumbly. I managed to press them in my hand and then sort of shaped them to put on the cookie sheet to bake. They basically cracked and crumbled in the oven. I used honey and coconut oil. I even added an egg but it still wasn’t enough moisture to hold them together. 🙁
These are a deliciously moist cookie. I have made them with coconut oil or pecan oil. They turned out great with either oil. Definitely watch the baking time.
Thank you for the recipe!
Just made them a few minutes ago… YUM!!! I’ve been looking for a delicious lower carb/sugar alternative chocolate chip cookie recipe. I think I found the one I’m going to stick with! I changed up the recipe a touch though. I added an egg like some other commentators had done and the texture of the dough was a tad runny, so I just added 1/3 cup of almond flour and that did the trick. I also used 2 tsp of vanilla extract and only 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Next time, I might use half of the maple syrup and substitute with a few drops of stevia to get these cookies even lower sugar. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I am curious about the nutrition facts. How can these cookies contain any kind of flour or chocolate and contain no calories. And maple syrup does translate into some level of sugars, right?
I LOVE this recipe! It’s so quick, easy, and healthy. I am allergic to chocolate, so I just omit the chocolate chips and bake the cookies by themselves. They still taste wonderful and are the perfect treat for my toddler!
Thanks so much for this recipe! <3
Love these cookies! I use maple syrup from a local farm and coconut oil. Soo yummy! Sometimes I replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chunks and unsweetened dry cranberries! Its delicious and great for the holidays too!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Chris! ❤️