These gluten-free Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies are super quick and easy to make with minimal chill time. They are packed with almond and chocolate flavours and have a delicious chewy yet gooey texture.
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Why we love this recipe
Move over, classic chocolate chip cookies - these chocolate chip cookies made with almond flour are about to take over! If you like the deep, nutty flavours of almond, you will LOVE these cookies.
The chocolate chip cookies have an incredibly soft texture and delicious taste thanks to the almond flour - just like these Almond Shortbread Cookies or Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies.
They have slightly chewy edges with a deliciously gooey centre. The cookies are packed with chunks of dark chocolate and some flaked almonds for extra crunch.
Just like these Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies they are completely flourless, grain-free and wheat-free. A great gluten-free chocolate chip cookies alternative!
Ingredients
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
- Butter: Unsalted Butter, at room temperature / soft.
- Sugar: an equal mix of Brown and White Sugar for that caramelised taste and chewy yet gooey texture. See FAQs section below if you want to use all brown or all white sugar.
- Egg: medium to large egg, at room temperature.
- Almond Meal: I used a fine Almond Meal made from peeled almonds. I have tried this recipe with coarser almond meal as well and it works fine too. The texture of the cookies will be a bit changed depending on the flour / meal you use.
- Chocolate: I used Dark Chocolate Chunks (chopped from a chocolate bar) but you can use Chocolate Chips if preferred. I personally prefer the Chocolate Chunks over the chips as they give you delicious pools of melted chocolate inside the cookies!
- Flaked Almond: Optional, but a simple way to add some crunch to the cookies. You could also use slivered almonds or even chopped raw almonds if preferred.
If you are after a stronger nut flavour, you can also add a few drops of Almond Extract to the cookie dough. To finish the chocolate chip almond cookies, I added a sprinkle of coarse Sea Salt on them once baked for a balance of flavours.
How to make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate almond cookies can be made in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Start by chopping the Chocolate Bar (if using chocolate chunks) and set aside.
- Prepare a large baking sheet (you might need two depending on the size of your oven) with baking paper / parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Photo 1: Place the very soft butter, brown sugar and white sugar in the bowl.
- Photo 2: Cream the butter and the sugar for a couple of minutes or until it resembles a thick paste.
No need to cream the batter for too long here, we are not trying to incorporate a lot of air into it.
- Photo 3: Add the Egg and Vanilla Paste (or vanilla extract).
- Photo 4: Mix on low speed until a thick mixture comes together. Stop to scrape the bowl with a spatula if required.
- Photo 5: Add the Almond Meal / Almond Flour, Baking Soda and Salt.
- Photo 6: Stir on low speed until you get a thick cookie dough.
- Photo 7: Fold in the chopped Chocolate Chunks (or chocolate chips) and optionally the flaked Almonds.
Optionally, keep a few chunks and flaked almond to press over the cookie dough just before baking them.
- Photo 8: Scoop the cookie dough on the prepared cookie sheets using a medium size ice cream scoop or cookie scoop. Place the sheet in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes then scoop the chilled cookie dough on the baking tray.
- Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the edges are lightly golden.
- Optionally: when just out of the oven, carefully tap it a couple of times on a hard (heat-proof) surface to break any air bubbles. Use a round cookie cutter (slightly larger than the cookies) to scoot around the edges and create an even round shape.
Optionally, sprinkle the cookies with some Sea Salt when just out of the oven.
- Leave on a wire rack to cool down completely before moving the cookies. They will be very soft when still warm and will break if you try to move them too early.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe will work with both almond flour and almond meal. Almond Flour cookies will have a smoother texture while almond meal cookies will have more of a bite to them.
I have tried this recipe with a few different types of almond flour. I personally find that a fine almond meal (coarser than almond flour but with smaller grains than a coarse almond meal) gives the best results in terms of flavour and texture.
You can use both Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Chunks to make these almond cookies - it is simply a question of personal taste. I personally prefer chocolate chunks for a more intense chocolate flavor. They also give you those delicious pools of melted chocolate throughout the cookies!
Yes - this recipe uses an equal amount of brown and white sugar but will work with only one or the other. Using all brown sugar will give you a more soft and fudgy cookie while using only white sugar will create a crispier texture.
I have tried this recipe with no chill at all, 30 minutes in the fridge and up to 2 hours in the fridge. In terms of spreading and texture, my personal preference is the 30 minutes chill time. You get cookies that don't spread out too thin in the oven but aren't too chunky either.
Tips & Tricks
- When scooping out the cookies, remove any large chocolate chunks from the bottom of the cookies. They would melt in the oven and potentially make the cookies break once baked.
- To get nice round cookies, gently tap the baking tray on a hard surface when just out of the oven (be careful, it will be hot) to burst any large air bubbles trapped inside the cookies. Then using a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies, circle around each cookie, gently pulling the soft edges towards the centre.
- The amount of time you chill the cookies before baking them will change their texture. If baked straight away without any chilling, you will get very thin cookies that will spread out a lot in the oven. If chilled for more than 1 hour, you will get chunkier cookies with a very soft centre.
Storing & Freezing
These chocolate chip almond cookies can be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Thanks to the almond meal, they will stay fresh and moist for much longer than classic chocolate chip cookies!
To freeze, scoop the cookies on a lined baking tray and place in the freeze. Once hard, transfer into a freezing bag or container for up to 1 month for the best texture.
Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking (you might need to add 1 or 2 minutes of baking time depending on how frozen the cookies still are).
Made this recipe?
Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment below, and tag us on Instagram @a.baking.journey with a photo of your creation!
Recipe
Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter - soft
- 75 gr (1/3 cup) Brown Sugar
- 75 gr (1/3 cup) Caster Sugar
- 1 Egg - medium to large, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste - or vanilla extract
- 200 gr (2 cups) Almond Meal - or almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Table Salt
- 150 gr (5,5 oz) Chocolate Chunks - or Chocolate Chips
- Flaked Almonds - to taste, optional
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- If using chocolate chunks, start by chopping a chocolate bar in large chunks. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper or a baking mat (see note 1).
- Place the very soft Butter, Brown Sugar and White sugar in a large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream for a couple of minutes or until it resembles a thick paste (see note 2).
- Mix in the Egg and Vanilla Paste on slow speed, then the Almond Meal, Baking Soda and Salt. Mix until a thick cookie dough comes together.
- Fold in the Chocolate Chunks (or chocolate chips) and optionally the flaked Almonds (see note 3)
- Scoop the cookie dough on the prepared baking tray using a medium size ice cream scoop, leaving enough space between each cookie for them to spread. Place the sheet in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes (see note 4).
- Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the edges are lightly golden. Sprinkle with some Flakey Sea Salt when just out of the oven (optonal).
- Optionally: when just out of the oven, carefully tap the baking tray a couple of times on a hard (heat-proof) surface to break any air bubbles. Use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to scoot around the edges and create an even round shape.
- Leave on a wire rack to cool down completely before moving the cookies (see note 5).
Notes
- Depending on the size of your oven, you might need to use two trays and bake the cookies in two batches.
- There is no need to cream the batter for too long here as we are not trying to incorporate a lot of air into it - you just want to make sure that the three ingredients are well mixed together.
- Optionally, keep a few chunks of chocolate and some extra flaked almond to press over the cookie dough just before baking them.
- Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes then scoop the chilled cookie dough on the baking tray.
- They will be very soft when still warm and will break if you try to move them too early.
