These easy Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect treat! They’re crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle and crammed with chocolate chips. And it’s all made in one bowl!
Plus they’re gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.
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Why this recipe works
What is there to say about chocolate chip cookies? They’re the quintessential cookie: chewy and buttery, with crisp edges, a hint of vanilla and full of chocolate chips.
But some of us can’t tolerate or are allergic to the flour, butter and other ingredients typically used to make them. I created these Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies so everyone can enjoy them, no matter what they can eat.
Instead of regular flour, this recipe uses almond flour, which consists of almonds peeled and ground until they’re a fine powder. Instead of butter we’ll use a bit of coconut oil and instead of white sugar we’ll use coconut sugar, a less-refined sweetener.
But don’t worry – even with two coconut-based ingredients, these don’t taste like coconut!
For the chocolate chips, I often use Enjoy Life! as they’re dairy-free. They’re not strictly Paleo since they use regular sugar but it’s such a small amount that I don’t worry about it. If you want true Paleo chocolate, try Hu.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups superfine blanched almond flour (scoop and level, do not pack down), not almond meal
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life! or Hu
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a whisk
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- a baking sheet
- parchment paper
- a regular tablespoon or ice cream/cookie scoop with lever (I use a medium scoop/2 tablespoon/1 oz. scoop)
- a cooling rack (optional)
How to make Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Heat the oven to 375° F.
Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the egg, coconut sugar, oil and vanilla until well blended.
Step 4: Add the almond flour and salt and stir until combined. Do not press the dough too hard with the spatula – you don’t want to compact it too much.
Step 5: Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 6: Scoop the dough into roughly 2-tablespoon-sized balls onto the lined baking sheet. Leave about 2″ between each scoop. Again, don’t compact the dough too hard into the balls or you won’t have enough dough (as you can see from my photos in this post – I packed the dough too hard and ended up with 11 cookies instead of 12).
Step 7: Get the palm of your hand slightly damp with water and gently flatten the cookies. The thinner the edges are, the crispier they’ll get.
Step 8: Bake for 10-11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time, until they’re golden brown around the edges. Let cool (on a cooling rack, if using) to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I offer substitutions ideas for almost every recipe on this site. But I tested this recipe many times using different ingredients. The combination I use here produces, in my opinion, the best results. So I don’t recommend any substitutions but if you try any, please let me know how it goes!
Once you mix in the chocolate chips, you can store the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You won’t need to add any time to the baking time.
Once baked, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week. While this is my recommended method of storing, you can also store them at room temperature for up to 3 days, although they will soften and get chewy.
Yep! Once cooled, place the cookies, still on the parchment-lined baking sheet, in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen (about 2-3 hours), transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Other recipes you might like:
- Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Paleo “Oatmeal” Cookies
- Paleo “Peanut” Butter Cookies
- Paleo Shortbread Cookies
- Paleo Thumbprint Cookies
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted, cooled
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups superfine blanched almond flour (scoop and level, don't pack down), not almond meal
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life! or Hu
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375° F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg, coconut sugar, oil and vanilla until well blended.
- Add the almond flour and salt and stir until combined. Do not press the dough too hard with the spatula – you don't want to compact it too much.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough into roughly 2-tablespoon-sized balls onto the lined baking sheet. Leave about 2" between each scoop. Again, don't compact the dough too hard into the balls or you won't have enough dough. (But if you end up with 11 cookies, don't worry about it – they'll still bake and taste the same).
- Get the palm of your hand slightly damp with water and gently flatten the cookies. The thinner the edges are, the crispier they'll get.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time, until they're golden brown around the edges. Let cool (on a cooling rack, if using) to room temperature.
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