This is the cookie recipe you have been waiting for. These gluten free chocolate chip cookies with walnuts are chewy, with just a slight bit of crispness on the outside. I also include dairy-free and nut-free options!

A stack of four chocolate chip cookies.

As I was saying above, these cookies are incredible. My daughter wanted to make cookies today, and I am so glad I let her! These homemade cookies have all the classic ingredients for the perfect cookie…brown sugar, butter, chocolate chips, and walnuts!

These are some of the best cookies on the blog, and you are going to want to make a big batch! If you are a cookie fanatic like me, check out my delicious gluten free cookie recipes!

If you are looking for the best gluten free chocolate chip walnut cookie recipe, this is definitely one you need to try! Just in case you are making several kinds of cookies, you will also want to try this delicious drop-style gluten free sugar cookie recipe.

10 years GF and these are the BEST chocolate chip cookies EVER!

Lori I.

Why These Cookies Are Great:

  1. If you love a chocolate chip cookie that is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, this is it. It just melts in your mouth with its buttery brown sugar goodness!
  2. These cookies are easy to make, and you can go from mixing the cookie dough to eating them in about 20 minutes.
  3. These homemade gluten free chocolate chip cookies are perfect for a snack, dessert, bake sales, class parties, and more!
  4. Make these cookies extra large, and you can make ice cream sandwiches with them!

Wow! Wow! Wow! I’ve settled on using a less than amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies because at least it resembles a chocolate chip cookie. But the results were inconsistent and I didn’t get a thrill from baking them. But these… after failing at so many recipes, these worked! Beautifully! Thank you! Wish I could attach a picture.”

Ashley

If you love classic cookies, you will also want to try my delicious Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies recipe.

Tips For Sucess:

  • Take special care to measure correctly. If you add in too much gluten free flour or other ingredients, it can mess with the cookies as they bake.
  • Chill the dough when possible. I know you are probably ready to eat your cookies, but taking a few minutes to chill the batter makes them less likely to spread.
  • Don’t let the cookies sit on the pan too long. After they have baked, only let them sit on the baking sheet for up to 5 minutes. The pan will still be hot and continue baking them otherwise.

Check out my Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide and my Favorite Tools For Baking Cookies article for more tips.

A chocolate chip cookie on a plate.
Top Pick
King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 lbs

This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)

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Ingredient Notes:

Photos of the chocolate chip cookie ingredients.
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend, My DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend, and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
  • Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon. If you need this to be xanthan gum-free, use my DIY Blend listed above.
  • Brown Sugar – This cookie recipe can use dark brown or light brown sugar.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract – I do not recommend imitation vanilla for this cookie recipe.
  • Chocolate Chips – Use Lily’s brand for sugar-free chocolate chips, or Enjoy life if you need dairy-free chocolate chips
  • Chopped Walnuts – Optional. You can use any nut in these cookies or omit them if you are nut-free. Pecans also taste great.

Substitutions:

  • For dairy-free gluten free chocolate chip cookies, dairy-free butter like Earth Balance and dairy-free chips.
  • If you can’t eat nuts and are in a nut-free household, omit the walnuts. You can substitute something else like freeze-dried strawberries.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Cookie steps 1 and 2 photos.

Step 1: Combine your gluten free flour blend, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.

I recommend using the spoon or leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour accurately. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.

Note: you can use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer.

Cookies steps 3 and 4 photos.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients on top of your dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and nuts. Use a wooden spoon to mix the two into cookie dough.

TIP: Some gluten free flour blends are a bit grainy. I recommend letting your cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping and baking. This is optional, but it greatly affects the cookie’s taste and texture.

Step 4: Drop your cookie dough onto a cookie sheet with a medium-sized cookie scoop. You can use a larger cookie scoop if you prefer large monster-sized cookies.

HINT: The best way to prevent cookies from sticking to the baking pan is to line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can use parchment paper, use a non-stick cookie sheet, or grease your cookie pan.

Step 5: Bake the cookies at 350º F. This cookie dough will spread out when baking, so leave an inch or two between each cookie dough ball. To lessen the spread, chill your dough first.

A chocolate chip cookie with a bite missing.

Customize your cookies with even more of your favorite things. Here are some great ideas to try:

  • M&Ms
  • Peanut butter chips
  • Heath candy pieces
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Raisins or different dried fruits

You may also love my Gluten Free Toll House Cookies. They are classic chewy cookies.

Recipe FAQ:

Can you use different kinds of nuts?

You can definitely use different nuts. I also love to use pecans and macadamia nuts! If you want to try a great cookie recipe with macadamia nuts, give this easy gluten free cranberry macadamia nut cookie recipe a try.

How do you know when the cookies are done baking?

These cookies will bake for 8-10 minutes or when the tops are slightly golden brown. If you are making large oversized cookies, you will need to adjust the baking time to longer.

Can you make this chocolate chip cookie recipe dairy-free?

You can easily make this chocolate chip cookie recipe dairy-free by using vegan stick butter and ensuring the chocolate chip brand is dairy-free, like Enjoy Life brand.

Can you freeze these gluten free chocolate chip cookies?

To freeze them, allow the cookies to cool completely. Place the cookies in a freezer bag.

The top view of a cookie cut in half.

Reader Testimonials:

I substituted applesauce for the egg as I am gf, df, ef at the time. They did not spread, but they had great cookie dough texture.”

Sarah, Pinterest User

Thank you so much for recipe I missed chocolate chip cookies since I quit gluten, dairy, and eggs. Came out delicious.”

Maria G, Pinterest User

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Sandi Gaertner
These delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookies are one of the best gluten free cookies ever!
5 from 30 votes
gluten free allergy icon
soy free allergy icon
vegetarian icon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cookies and Bar Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 20
Calories 139 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ¾ cup brown sugar use light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 eggs large
  • ½ cup butter + 1 TBSP softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • cup chopped walnuts optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add your gluten free flour blend, baking powder and soda, brown sugar, and sea salt and whisk well.
  • In a small bowl, add your wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
  • Note you can also use a standing mixer to mix up your chocolate chip cookie dough.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the chips and walnuts and mix well. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (if you don't have a non-stick cookie sheet) and use a medium-sized cookie scoop to drop cookie balls onto the cookie sheet.
  • The cookies will spread so leave an inch or two between each cookie.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove to cool on a cooling rack when done baking.

Notes

  1. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend in this recipe. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
  2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum, add 1 teaspoon.
  3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
  4. You can easily make monster-sized cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Bake an additional 5 minutes for larger cookies.
  5. These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer. To freeze these cookies, be sure they are completely cooled. Put the chocolate chip cookies to a freezer bag and place in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 176IUCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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Recipe Rating




38 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These cookies are delicious. My kiddos loved them. This will be my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for sharing!

  2. 5 stars
    Best chocolate chip cookies I have had in 12 years. Delicious, I,bow toy.you Queen Sandy. I saw this recipe on FB then couldn’t find it but very easy to find on your site.

  3. Sandy…Hi, your site is amazing and I’m definitely going to try more recipes. The GF Chocolate Chip Cookies were the strangest ever made in my baking history. Unable to figure it—more of that in a minute. They were too brown before they were done, spread very wildly, too gooey in the middle. Solution: Put two layers into an 8×8 glass baking dish, interspersed with remaining cookie dough, more of that on top in drops. Baked another 17 minutes at 325, topped with more chocolate chips, 2 more minutes in oven to melt. Spread that around. Out it comes as chip/nut brownies! Perhaps the extra humidity lately in the northwest that did not favor cookies today. Brownie squares yes! Thank you again for the new experience!!

    1. Sandi: Would you please confirm the recipe only uses 1 1/4 c of flour? Every cookie recipe I have used at least two cups of flour with 1/2 cup butter etc? I’m going to make with my granddaughter tommorrow! Thank you kindly! Patricia

      1. Hi Patricia, the recipe is correct with the blends I tested. If you use a different blend and think it needs more flour, you could add it.

  4. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I followed this exactly and had great results. Even my non GF family members enjoy these. The tip about letting the dough sit and the gf flour differences have made a huge improvement in my baking. Thanks Sandy!

  5. 5 stars
    Excellent cookies! I used earth balance butter and KAF measure for measure. I chilled dough in fridge for two hours. I put salt on top before baking. Big beautiful cookies..and so good.

  6. These cookies look so pretty! Although my dough turned out more like a batter? I’m looking at your pictures and wondering if you actually melted your butter? And Wondering how you incorporated it?

    1. Hi Carmell, I did slightly melt my butter, but not all of the way. It will also depend on the gluten free flour blend. Some mixes are very starch heavy compared to others.

      1. 5 stars
        Ok I did end up doubling the flour with the particular brand I used, and surprisingly they turned out great!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!

      2. Hi Carmell, I want to make sure I understand. You doubled the flour but kept the other ingredients the same…or did you double the whole recipe? I am very glad you enjoyed the cookies!

    1. Hi Elayne, I haven’t tested an egg replacer in this recipe, but I typically use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer without issue. If you try it, please keep me posted how they turn out.

  7. Hi Sandi,
    I desperately want to make these cookies. Do you perhaps have the conversion to grams?
    Mel

    1. Wow! Wow! Wow! I’ve settled on using a less than amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies because at least it resembles a chocolate chip cookie. But the results were inconsistent and I didn’t get a thrill from baking them. But these… after failing at so many recipes, these worked! Beautifully! Thank you! Wish I could attach a picture.

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve been gluten free for 8 months after a hashimoto’s diagnosis. I’ve really missed baked goods. The rest of fam (not gluten free) loved them as well! They are the perfect size, texture, chewiness with a crispy outside. I used Bob’s redbmill 1 to 1 and ghiradelli 60% bittersweet. Fantastic. Next time, I may try browned butter, just for a slightly darker cookie with little extra nutty flavor.

    1. 5 stars
      Thanks heaps for creating such a yummy gluten free cookie recipe! I doubled the recipe and added 2tsp of xantham gum- the chocolate I used was a broken up dark chocolate and almond block and some small pieces of 86% cocoa chocolate that melted through and balanced out the sugar beautifully. These are heading to our kiwi cowshed to help feed the farming staff through calving, thanks again for such a great recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    I love it, I tried a GF recipe literally right before this one and was so disappointed, it was so dry, so I did this one and didn’t finish the first batter (from diff recipe). I prob beat my wet ingredients longer than I was supposed to, they came out like “cookie muffins” you see at Panera but I still love it. They’re like chocolate chip pillows 🥰 I don’t have a mixer so yeah did by hand. Prob got too carried away lol

  10. Yummy! We have some GF in our family and some who aren’t so it’s always difficult to find recipes that appeal to everyone! I don’t want to cook or bake twice, you know? These were perfect. SO good. The walnuts add a great depth of flavor. Love your website and all your recipes. This is no exception!

      1. Hi Sandi
        Any substitute for the xanthan gum? What about using ground flaxseed? If using it, what is the measurement like?
        What if I only have flour blend from authentic foods, can I use this instead?
        Thanks

      2. Hi Christine, I haven’t tested other gums or flaxseed. Can you do guar gum? I love Authentic foods and have used their Multiblend quite a bit. That should work well in this recipe. Thank you.