These ultra chewy chocolate chip cookies are hands down the best! They also just happen to be healthy, gluten free, paleo, dairy free and vegan too. This family favorite is a go-to whenever you’re craving a good homemade chocolate chip cookie, and they’re perfect to bring to a party or serve to guests!
Making chocolate chip cookies NEVER gets old. Even after testing 3 or 4 batches, I’m usually still ready for more.
Okay, that might be an exaggeration – I usually need about a day to come out of that cookie coma before I’m ready to get back in and bake another batch 🙂
Anyway, I’m thrilled to share this cookie recipe today for so many reasons. Number one being that yes – they are my own personal favorite which is why they are labeled the “best” chewy chocolate chip cookies.
These cookies are loosely based on my original vegan + paleo “oatmeal” raisin cookies. When I made those cookies for the first time I knew I’d hit on something extra special!
My family devoured them and couldn’t believe they weren’t actual oatmeal cookies, for one.
I started bringing them to people’s houses whenever we had to go somewhere and the feedback was consistently “wow!” which only encouraged me to experiment further.
Since then, I’ve made countless variations of that cookie – all paleo and vegan – including chewy lime coconut cookies, cranberry orange chocolate chip cookies, and double chocolate chip cookies.
Each time, I tweak the recipe a bit to get the flavor and consistency I’m going for. Testing out these cookies was really fun – I wanted to see if I could make the ultimate chewy egg-free, paleo, and vegan chocolate chip cookies!
In the original recipe I always used almond butter in combination with refined coconut oil, but for these I experimented with cashew and was very happy with the results!
Since cashew butter is so creamy and neutral, it gives the cookie great texture without any almond flavor. That said, they’d be delicious with almond butter as well, so use what you have – you can even sub in tahini if you prefer!
To sweeten them, I deiced to go with both maple syrup AND maple sugar – though you can sub in coconut sugar here if you prefer – the cookies will appear darker but the overall flavor won’t be affected much.
The benefits of maple sugar in my opinion are all about the appearance, flavor, and texture. Since maple sugar is light in color with a fine texture, it works more like white sugar in recipes, which is great when you’re trying to mimic a traditional cookie!
I highly recommend trying out maple sugar for baking if you haven’t yet – you’ll be hooked in no time! You can see the exact one I use myself linked below the recipe.
As you can see above, these chewy chocolate chip cookies are awesome and versatile! You can serve them plain or go fancy with an ice cream sandwich for an extra special treat!
(If you want to make your own paleo vanilla bean ice cream, you can find the recipe here!)
These cookies also happen to hold up well at room temperature (unlike some paleo cookies) making them great for parties and gatherings – they travel with perfect ease!
Lastly, a note on the chocolate chips I use. I love using Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips even though they contain cane sugar and therefore are not technically paleo. I use them because they’re free of dairy, soy, and any additives and I’m find with a little cane sugar for the ease of use.
That said, you can use any chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips that you like, OR you can even make your own paleo chocolate!
If you use the recipe for the chocolate in my truffle recipe, you can simply chill the chocolate in a shallow parchment lined pan and then chop it into chunks to use in this recipe or any recipe that calls for chocolate chips.
I hope you’re ready to make your new favorite cookies! May they become a favorite that you go back to again and again. Now, let’s bake!
Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies {Paleo + Vegan}
Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies {Paleo + Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil solid but softened
- 1/4 cup smooth nut butter almond or cashew butter - the creamier, the better
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp pure maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 1/2 Tbsp water, allowed to sit 15 minutes
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate - see notes for a paleo chocolate recipe to make your own*
Instructions
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Prepare your flax egg as described above and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Whisk together the almond and arrowroot flours, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
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In a separate bowl with an electric mixer or whisk, cream together the nut butter and coconut oil until smooth, then add the maple syrup, maple sugar, and vanilla, continue to mix until very smooth.
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Add in the flax egg and continue to whisk (or beat on low) until fully combined.
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Slowly mix in the flour mixture (with a spoon) until a sticky cookie dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips, then chill the mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes if the dough is very sticky. If it's scoopable, there's no need to chill.
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Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the mixture onto a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart since they will spread a bit.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are set in the center and beginning to brown around the edges. They will be very soft but don’t over-bake to maintain a chewy texture.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 14 cookies. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Make your own paleo chocolate chunks with this recipe
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo + Vegan Cookie Recipes? Try One of These!
Cranberry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Soft Chewy Date Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Almond Thumbprint Cookies
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Hi!
Is it possible to sub an egg for the flax egg? If so, do you have a recommendation of in what quantity to do so?
Thank you! Your recipes are so good!
I just made these using an egg and they worked out perfect! Just one egg in replacement of flax egg.
Thank You Regan! Just what I needed to know!
This was my first time making paleo cookies. They turned up soooo good! I was a little worried because my coconut oil was melted. I used almond butter. Will definitely try cashew butter next time. And there will be a next time! My kiddos even liked them. I ended up with 21 cookies. I will have to put them away (they are on my counter cooling down)…already ate two….OMG. These are soft and chewy and oh so delicious! Thank you so much
Is tapioca starch the same as tapioca flour? Can I use tapioca starch in this recipe?
Could I substitute quinoa flour or oat flour for the almond flour?
I would like to substitute coconut flour for the almond flour. Would I just use a 1/4 of the amount of almond flour?
Hi, I would like to know about using egg as well. Thanks
Love how allergy-friendly these are; can’t wait to share these with a friend who has many intolerances!!
These cookies look so amazing! I love that beautiful texture!
These were sooooo so good. The best paleo chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made (and I’ve made a lot). Super easy too! Michelle nails it yet again!
These turned out great! Family loved them. I used 1 egg instead of the flax egg. I’m assuming that the nutritional information is per cookie? Just wanted to double check.
Best chewy cookies ever!
I hate it when someone leaves a comment on a recipe saying how they made the recipe and thought it was really bad and then they mention that oh, they used a few different ingredients, like they don’t realize that that is probably why it didn’t turn out!? WTH!! Well, I am here to say, I was determined to make these cookies last night only to begin and realize I only had un-blanched almond flour, only tahini, no flax, so had to use an egg. Guess what? They were still fabulous!!! Next up, a trip to the grocery store to buy all the correct ingredients and make another batch! Thank you Michelle for such a forgiving recipe.
Making these for the second time! Loved
Delicious! Made with egg, turned out great- these pass the grandkid test! Not sure what’s the best way to store these?
Hi there! Are the nutrition facts for one cookie or 100gr? I’m guessing one cookie but I hope 100GR haha 😀
Can I substitute a real egg for the flax egg when I see them?
Best paleo cookies I’ve ever had. I made these as well as the chewy chocolate chip cookies with almond butter your site. It was almost a tie but then I froze them and these were still so chewy and delicious I couldn’t believe it. I did use a real egg and instead of maple syrup I used dates with water (to get the consistency of maple syrup). Perfection. Thank you for this fab recipe (:
I’ve made these 3 times in the last week….they’re THAT good. I use nutiva buttery flavor coconut oil and a full tablespoon of vanilla but otherwise I follow the recipe. They. Are. Amazing. Not as good the second day, they lose the crispy bits and are just soft….but fresh out of the oven they rival tollhouse. Crisp around the edges and soft on the inside. Delectable.
I love that coconut oil! Sounds great, glad you like them!
Delicious! My new “go to” when I need a chocolate/dessert fix. My paleo husband and his friends devour them! Of note, the cookie does change a bit based on how creamy your almond butter is. Like the recipe states, the creamier the better. Yumm!
Love this! I did make adjustments to make it more keto friendly. Substituted tapioca flour for Coconut Flour, Used Walden Farms sugar free pancake syrup instead of maple, Swerve instead of maple sugar, 1 egg rather than flax and i increased vanilla extract to 1 full tablespoon. I’m addicted! Finally a low carb, low sugar cookie that tastes GOOD! Thanks! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes…
I made these cookies 3 times already. I can’t get enough they are super delicious. My friends can’t, believe me, they have the ingredients they have, of course, the fact they do not have egg, butter or sugar throws them off.
thank you!
Yummmmm! I made these last night when I was craving a homey, warm treat during a snow storm. These were perfect! I used an egg instead of the flax egg. 12 mins was a little too long for my oven; I’m going to try 10 mins next time!
I used an egg instead of the flax egg, a chunked up raw dark chocolate bar and a sprinkle of sea salt on top… absolutely perfect! I also didn’t have maple sugar so I went straight maple syrup. Thanks for the recipe!
Amazing cookies- my family devoured them before realizing they were paleo! Held their shape, got chewier they next day. Paleo is new to me and some desserts aren’t awesome- I will make these again and again!
I recently started eating a paleo diet. I have been trying different paleo chocolate chip cookie recipes over the past month. I have to say, this is the best one so far!!!
These are delicious! Do you think I could use this recipe and just bake a giant cookie on my round baking stone?
Did you try it as a cookie cake? If you did, how did it turn out? Thank you.
These are our new favorite chocolate chip cookies. So delicious and you would never know they are paleo. I did use one egg in replace of the flax egg and it worked perfectly.
Yes!!! I’m going to make like 3 batches just to freeze them and pull them out whenever my kids say the dreaded “I’m hungry”
I’m not complaining by any means because I love your recipes and use so many of them often! But I have noticed that as of late, the majority of your recipes are vegan. I hope you are not going to jump on the vegan bandwagon and remain paleo! I do realize some recipes can be both but I just want to make that observation. Thanks for all you do!
ilene, I am very greatful that she has joined the vegan bandwagon. I have kids with allergies that fall in paleo and vegan and it is so hard to find good recipes. I love finding someone Michelle who only gives you great recipes anyone will love! It make my life a little easier and a little more normal
I have never commented on someone’s recipe before. THESE came out SO delicious! I will be making these often!!
I made these today with my kids. They were absolutely delicious and will definitely become a regular in our house. The cookie dough itself was so tasty that my kids wanted to eat it right out of the bowl without baking. No raw egg so no worries there! We did finally get them to stop eating the dough long enough to get some cookies made. Super yummy. They were skeptical seeing all the “weird” things going in – very different than when they bake cookies with grandma but I think we’ve made believers of my kids!
Your choc chip cookies are the BEST! I have baked from scratch over 50 yrs and still continue. I have followed paleo several yrs. Testing numerous paleo recipes, by far, your choc.chip cookies are the Best! I baked numerals batches freezing some and refrigerating some for the lake. All were devoured! I am very happy to have found your site! All the best to you and your beautiful family!
Can you use an egg instead of flax seed?
Yumm!! I think I could eat the whole batch by myself!
The best chocolate chip cookies ever!
Are the cookies sweet? It doesn’t appear to have enough sweetener in the cookies. Can I add nuts to them and would it change the texture? What about oatmeal cookies because I don’t want to use sugar but want the cookies taste good.
AMAZING!
EVERYONE NEEDS TO MAKE THESE! made them with tahini and coconut sugar… unreal and so easy
These cookies sound SO delicious!!! Is it possible to get the flour measurements in grams to make sure I’m using the exact same amount as you? Can’t wait to make these 🙂
These turned out perfectly!!! Thank you so much for a fabulous recipe with easy-to-find ingredients. 🙂 I followed the recipe as written and I will definitely be making these again.
OMG i just made these and they are so good!! They are the first GF/DF cookie i have made that didn’t taste fake to me. love, love , love! I used an egg instead of a flax egg.
Are these 219 calories each? I saw it said 219kcal! I felt as though that was a bit high per cookie since they’re allergen friendly, but was just checking.
Best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever and so quick and easy. I really craved a good chocolate chip cookie at 35wks pregnant and this really hit the spot!!!
These are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in the last 8 years of being GF and egg free!
We just made these and they are delicious!! The best paleo/vegan cookies we’ve tried, the recipe has gone straight in the book! Thank you
I made these and they are delicious. I have to stop myself from eating too many at once. Do these freeze well? Thank you.
So thankful for these cookies. We are out of eggs, and because of Coronavirus cannot get more right now. We subbed chia seeds for the flax egg and it worked perfectly. We also subbed half of the chocolate chips for chopped pecans, and that was awesome too.
These were so good!! My daughter and I almost ate all of them after I made them today. I used one egg and 6 tbsp of coconut sugar and they came out perfect.
I’ve made these cookies twice now and used a duck egg each time in place of the flax egg and they turned our so fluffy and chewy. Better than any chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever made.
These cookies are the absolute best and better than any traditional cookie. They are crisp on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
This recipe varies slightly from your recipe in your new cookbook, Paleo Baking at home. Is the nutrition information posted here for 1 cookie?
My husband, who is not 100% loving my recent paleo dietary changes, said these are the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever had. Paleo or conventional. That is the highest praise I could offer a recipe.
They’re seriously delicious – taste just like the real deal. I used an egg in place of the flax and Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Making our third batch in less than a week. ?
I’m new to paleo diet and I tried making these paleo choc chip cookies. I was nervous to see if they would come out chewy or dry or weird because I didn’t use regular flour. And finally when it was all out of the oven and I had one. It’s tasted great, perfectly chewy and chocolatey. Yes, just like a non paleo choc chip with better nutritional value!! Used so much less sugar and better ingredients then I would making regular flour cookies. This will now be a staple dessert in my household.
Best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made!!!
It’s just me eating these…can you freeze them to eat one at a time??
Thanks!
This is the first healthier option of a classic chocolate chip cookie that actually tastes like a cookie. Good job!
Best paleo chocolate chip cookie I’ve made(and I’ve tried a lot of recipes)!!!! I used almond butter and coconut sugar. These are everything a chocolate chip cookie should be!
Have you ever subbed date purée for the maple syrup and coconut sugar? I’ve made this recipe before and is my FAV paleo/vegan cookie recipe! I’ve been focusing on only whole food ingredients and will try dates!
I make these cookies again and again. I use agave nectar instead of maple syrup but have made them with maple syrup as well. Both variations are delicious!! I share these with everyone ? thank you for sharing these! I love them and so does my sugar eating husband. ❤️
These are amazing! I used an egg instead of the flax egg but otherwise made exactly per the recipe. After some disappointing tries with other paleo chocolate chip recipes, I’m glad I finally found a winner!
Absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make! A real favorite!
Really love these!
Oh my goodness…words can’t describe. These cookies have been out of the oven for less than 5 minutes and my family and I ate half the batch.
Wonderful!
These were delicious! I was wanting a chocolate fix suddenly and checked on this site because I have good results with baking here. These were as good, if not better than regular chocolate chip cookies, thank you!
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These are some of the best cookies I’ve ever had, allergen friendly or not! I use this recipe all the time and people are always surprised when I tell them the ingredients! Thank you !
Love the recipe. So chewy and delicious! Mine didn’t turn brown, but I baked the recommended time and they were perfect. I used the Artesian brand cashew butter. Yum!
I have made this recipe several times now. We LOVE it! I have been Paleo for one year now and my boyfriend a bit longer. We have a fairly active lifestyle and I have lost over 80#! FYI- I am 66 and my boyfriend is 79! I attribute our good health to Paleo and having a good outlook on life!
These are absolutely amazing cookies – I usually get 20/21 cookies out of the batch which makes the nutritional panel even better!
Excited to try this! How big is your medium cookie scoop? A tablespoon? Two tablespoons? Something in between? I searched the interwebs and it seems there are a zillion (or at least 9!) different cookie scoop sizes and I don’t own any, so not sure where to start. Thank you!
The texture on these babies is DIVINE. Coming from someone who’s not even vegan! So happy I finally found a go to cookie recipe after years of trying countless other ones.
These taste great! I made these modifications:
1 large egg is fine.
Instead of 3 T maple sugar, 3 T dark brown sugar is fine.
Tahini works well, you can’t taste it.
My dough was very sticky so I plan on refrigerating overnight next time and 2x the recipe since mine yielded only 12cookies. Also, baking them a few min longer (13-14min) to get them more brown for a chewier texture vs cakester texture.
Hi, I’m loving your recipes. I’m looking for a crunchy chocolate chip cookie – think Chips Ahoy. If you have one, please let me know. thanks again.
These are so great! I subbed regular butter for the coconut oil and used almond butter. I felt 1/2 cup chocolate chips was plenty. Very easy to make and they hold together really nicely unlike some paleo cookies I’ve tried.
Delicious substitute for a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Thanks for the recipes!
These are amazing! Best chocolate chip cookie! Have made these several times and they never disappoint. These are my son’s favorite.
Green ?! I made the dough and refrigerated it to bake later and the top of the dough turned green … any ideas why or ever heard of that?!
New to the whole Paleo lifestyle. These cookies are the BEST!! Thanks for the recipe!
Made these today and the other reviewers don’t lie… Chewy on the inside and a nice crunch on the outside… Couldn’t believe these were GF/Vegan and neither could anyone else. So easy to make and 100% delicious!!