Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan / keto options)

These perfect paleo chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy and have the perfect texture. Many of the reviewers have called these the best cookies ever and said that nobody had a clue that they were paleo (or even gluten-free)!

This recipe also has vegan and keto options. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for making today’s post possible!

I first posted this recipe four years ago and am reposting it today with new photos and more tips. Since I posted it, it’s been my most popular recipe, and the photos just didn’t do it justice.

All almond flours are not created equal

When I first made these paleo chocolate chip cookies, it’d been quite a while since I last posted some grain-free recipes. I had run out of my favorite Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour months before and was so frustrated with the brands of almond flour available here in Germany since they’re so inconsistent.

Because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of ordering flour from the US, I thought I’d wait it out until Christmas, when I’d be back in the US and could buy all the Bob’s Red Mill I want.

But then I got a hankering for chocolate chip cookies. And I really wanted to make paleo cookies.

So I went to work, and while every batch tasted amazing, the appearance and thickness were different every single time. The only variable?

The almond flour. The almond flour I’d been buying varies from brand to brand and even within the same brand.

Variation in baking = bad

They come in tiny 1-cup bags here, so I go through a load of them when recipe testing. I’d open one bag and find some finely ground almond flour, then I’d open another bag from the same company, and it was overall coarser, with bits of sliced almonds.

Sliced almonds! In my almond flour. That was the final straw.

To save my sanity, I ordered some Bob’s Red Mill almond flour. 

Consistency matters a lot

The cookies made with Bob’s Red Mill came out thick, chewy, and just as delicious and magical as all-purpose flour chocolate chip cookies. I doubt that anyone would be able to tell that these are paleo cookies! And the 750+ reviewers agree with me.

And every batch comes out the same. I can say this very confidently as I’ve made these cookies over 100x in the last 4 years (yes, that’s about 2x a month!). Hooray for consistency!

Some of the reviewers have mentioned the same issues with random brands of almond flour vs. Bob’s Red Mill. And homemade almond flour? The cookies definitely won’t come out the same! This has been confirmed by several commenters.

So the almond flour obviously plays a huge role in the final outcome of these paleo chocolate chip cookies. Another thing that will affect the cookies is the temperature of the coconut oil.

Pay attention to the coconut oil

If you make these in the summer when room temperature coconut oil means melted coconut oil, you’ll need to refrigerate the coconut oil until it’s firmer, like softened butter.

If you make these dairy-free cookies with melted coconut oil, the dough will be very greasy, and the chocolate chips will be hard to incorporate into the dough.

It doesn’t work to use melted coconut oil and then just chill the dough. I don’t understand wh,y but it doesn’t work!

Coconut sugar (for paleo) vs brown sugar

You’ll also need to chill the dough if you use coconut sugar rather than brown sugar. I made one version with brown sugar and one with coconut sugar at the same time, and the brown sugar cookies were nice and thick, while the coconut sugar version spread flat and was super thin.

I refrigerated the remaining coconut sugar dough until firm, and that resulted in nice and thick cookies, just like the brown sugar version! Just a little darker colored.

Size also matters

If you can’t tell by the pictures, these paleo chocolate chip cookies are huge. Instead of making 8 cookies, you can make 16 to get regular-sized cookies.

I just prefer how they bake up with gooier and chewier centers when they’re larger! Several of the commenters have said that they make them half that size and enjoy them, and other commenters have said that they agree that the key to making these cookies so perfect is to make them huge.

Variations of this recipe

If you’ve had enough chocolate chip cookies lately but like the sound of this recipe, I’ve got you covered! I’ve made several variations of these cookies over the years:

• Coconut flour cookies – they don’t use any almond flour, in case you need a nut-free version! And they’re somehow every bit as delicious as the version below.
• Paleo “Peanut Butter” Cookies – these use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter for a version that tastes super similar to real peanut butter cookies.
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies – they also only use coconut flour. I spent 4 years trying to make the below paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe with peanut butter. I didn’t like the results. But I finally nailed it, and they are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had!
• Paleo Double Chocolate Cookies – So. Much. Chocolate!
• Paleo “Oatmeal” Cookies – these cookies taste really close to traditional oatmeal cookies!
• Paleo Peppermint Cookies – so perfect for Christmas!

Substitution questions?

Can I use something instead of almond flour?

Almond flour is only really interchangeable with other nut flours, so cashew or hazelnut meal would likely work. I’ve heard of some people using sunflower seed meal as a sub for almond flour, but I haven’t tried it myself.

Can I use something instead of coconut flour?

Nope! There isn’t a really good sub for coconut flour. A few people have mentioned using oat flour (for a non-paleo version) with success, but I haven’t tried it.

Can I use something instead of almond butter?

I’ve tried using peanut butter but didn’t like the results. So I really don’t recommend using peanut butter.

Using it in the all coconut flour version? Amazing! It’s linked to above. If using sunflower seed butter, you need to make a few changes (see the Paleo “Peanut Butter” Cookies linked to above).

Hazelnut butter would probably be awesome in this original recipe! Reviewers have used cashew butter, but the cashew butter I get and make is SO much firmer than almond butter; I can’t imagine the cookies coming out the same as with almond butter.

Can I use something instead of coconut / brown sugar?

Subbing in a liquid sweetener won’t work. There’s no liquid to reduce to make up for the added liquid, so it’d make the cookies cakey. Any other granulated sweetener would probably work.

What can I use instead of the egg or chia egg?

I’ve tried flax eggs, but I don’t like the taste (people say that flax eggs don’t taste like anything, but I think they do). Others have used it with success in this recipe. I haven’t tried it, but Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Vegan Egg Replacer would probably work.

Can I make these cookies smaller?

Yes, but I think they have a better texture when they’re baked as huge cookies.

Can I bake these cookies as bars?

You can make them in an 8″x8″ pan. I’m super forgetful and never remember to write down the baking time but I recommend to start checking around 15 minutes.

Do you have nutritional info?

There are loads of free online nutritional calculators online. I’m not a dietitian and not legally allowed to post this info. Sorry about that!

If you try these paleo chocolate chip cookies, I’d love to hear how they come out!

Thanks again to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Be sure to check out some of their other gluten-free flours if you’re into gluten-free and paleo baking. :)

And here are some resources if you’re new to the vegan or gluten-free diet:

• Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
• Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free?
• Is Baking Soda Vegan?
• Is Baking Soda Gluten-free?

Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan / keto options)

Author Erin Dooner

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16

4.97 from 302 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

These perfect paleo chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy and have the perfect texture. Many of the reviewers have called these the best cookies ever and said that nobody had a clue that they were paleo — or even gluten-free!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (100 grams) almond flour finely ground, blanched
• ▢ 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil room temperature but NOT melted, see notes; or unsalted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar very tightly packed – it's best to weigh this; or brown sugar; or for keto, see notes
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter the kind with just almonds in it and no added fat / sugar, room temperature, see notes
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature; or 1 chia egg for vegan, see notes
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (213 grams) paleo chocolate chips or chopped paleo chocolate chunks, divided

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  1 cup (100 grams) almond flour, 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer, beat together the fat, sugar, almond butter and vanilla extract at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. If you use coconut oil, it may not come together easily. If that’s the case, use your hands to combine it and then beat another 20 seconds.
  6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil, 3/4 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar, 6 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Beat in the egg on low and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Then stir in 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips (ignore the quantity listed below – it's a technical error I can't change). If you used brown sugar, skip to the next step. If you used coconut sugar, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until the dough is firm.
  1 large egg, 1 1/4 cups (213 grams) paleo chocolate chips
• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
• Roll the dough into 8 (75-gram) balls and place the remaining 1/4 cup (43 grams) of chocolate chips (ignore the quantity listed below – it's a technical error I can't change) on the top and on the sides of the dough balls. You can also roll them into 16 smaller balls but then you need to adjust the baking time (a few minutes less than recommended below). Place 4" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press the cookies down lightly with the palm of your hand.
  1 1/4 cups (213 grams) paleo chocolate chips
• Bake for 11-14 minutes (if using coconut sugar or the keto version) or 14-17 minutes (if using brown sugar) or until the surface of the center of the cookies no longer appears wet. They’ll be very soft but will continue to cook as they sit on the cookie sheet.
• Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

• If your coconut oil is a little melty, put it in the fridge for about 10-20 minutes or until firmer, like softened butter. If you use slightly melted coconut oil, the dough will be greasy and the chocolate chips will be hard to incorporate.
• I haven’t tried these with ghee or shortening or anything other than coconut oil and butter.
• If you use unrefined coconut oil, the cookies will likely have a slight coconut taste. I prefer refined coconut oil for absolutely zero coconut taste (but most reviewers have used unrefined and are happy with them!).
• The sweeteners I used were for a keto version were: 100% xylitol, 100% erythritol and 100% stevia. If you don’t have a scale, then this is about:
  • 1/4 cup + 3/4 teaspoon (2 ounces or 57 grams) xylitol
  • 3 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon (1.5 ounces or 43 grams) erythritol
  • 1/4 teaspoon stevia
• Here’s how to make almond butter.
• To make a chia egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds and 2.5 tablespoons water. Let sit 5-15 minutes or until goopy like an egg.
• For paleo: use coconut sugar, coconut oil, and paleo chocolate (some consider Enjoy Life to be paleo, some don’t. If you really don’t want to use cane sugar, try Pascha’s 100% cacao chocolate chips.
• For dairy-free / vegan: use coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate.
• For keto / low-carb: use the keto option. Some consider it paleo, some don’t. I had previously listed Lakanto but this other mixture works much better! Also use sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Pascha 100% cacao chocolate chips (paleo) or Lily’s Chocolate Chips (not paleo, due to soy).
• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 128mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 17

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