Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
These healthier almond flour chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy, slightly crisp around the edges, and made with just seven simple ingredients. They’re naturally gluten-free and grain-free, with an easy dairy-free option, and sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
Best of all, they come together in one bowl and bake in about 10 minutes!
Why You’ll Love These Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft and chewy with lightly crisp edges
- Made with just 7 simple ingredients
- No refined sugar
- Naturally gluten-free and grain-free
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- No mixer required
- Easy to freeze for later
I’ve always loved finding simple ways to make our favorite recipes with ingredients we keep at home, and these cookies quickly became one of my favorites. They’re incredibly easy to make, satisfy that chocolate chip cookie craving, and have the soft, chewy texture I love.
A Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie
I love finding simple ways to make our favorite treats with ingredients we keep at home, and these almond flour chocolate chip cookies quickly became a favorite. They’re soft, chewy, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and satisfy that chocolate chip cookie craving!
If you love healthier cookie recipes, I’ve linked a few more of my favorites at the bottom of this post.
Prefer a double chocolate chip cookie? Try my chewy and gooey double chocolate chip cookies.
I love chocolate chip cookies that are soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges, and these almond flour cookies are exactly that!
The recipe is simple as written, but there are plenty of easy ingredient swaps depending on what you have on hand.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almond Flour
Use finely ground almond flour for the best soft and chewy texture. I don’t recommend substituting coconut flour 1:1 because it absorbs liquid very differently from almond flour.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla gives these cookies their classic flavor. You can experiment with almond extract or a little cinnamon for a different flavor.
Sea Salt
A little salt balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Chips
I use dairy-free, no-added-sugar dark chocolate chips, but you can use your favorite chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup naturally sweetens the cookies while also adding moisture. Because liquid and granulated sweeteners behave differently in baking, I’d avoid promising that sugar, stevia, monk fruit, honey, etc. can all be substituted interchangeably unless you’ve personally tested each variation.
Baking Soda
Helps the cookies bake and brown properly.
Egg
The egg helps bind the almond flour cookie dough together.
You can reduce the sugar and carbohydrates by choosing lower-sugar chocolate chips, but I haven’t tested every alternative sweetener in this recipe. Because maple syrup also provides moisture, replacing it with a dry sweetener may change the texture of the cookies.
How to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
STEP ONE: Add the almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
STEP TWO: Add the egg, vanilla, and maple syrup. Mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
STEP THREE: Fold in the chocolate chips or your favorite mix-ins.
STEP FOUR: Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press each cookie down with your fingers to flatten it slightly. Almond flour cookies don’t spread as much as traditional chocolate chip cookies, so this step helps create the perfect cookie shape.
STEP FIVE: Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before moving them. They’ll be soft when they’re warm and will firm up as they cool.
WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW
Tips for the Best Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are super simple to make, but a few little tips will help you get that soft and chewy texture every time!
- Use finely ground almond flour. Almond flour gives these cookies their soft texture. I prefer finely ground almond flour rather than coarse almond meal.
- Flatten the cookies before baking. These cookies don’t spread as much as traditional chocolate chip cookies, so gently press the dough down before putting them in the oven.
- Don’t overbake them. Take the cookies out when the edges are lightly golden. The centers may still look soft, but they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet. Almond flour cookies can be delicate while they’re warm. Give them time to firm up before transferring them.
- Use your favorite chocolate. Dark chocolate, semi-sweet, dairy-free, or chopped chocolate can all work in these cookies.
- Add a little sea salt on top. If you love a sweet-and-salty cookie, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt over the cookies after baking.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie FAQs
Are almond flour chocolate chip cookies gluten-free?
Yes! Almond flour is naturally gluten-free, so these cookies are made without traditional wheat flour. If you need them to be strictly gluten-free, make sure your other ingredients are certified gluten-free as well.
Do almond flour cookies spread when baking?
Not very much. I gently flatten the cookie dough before baking so the finished cookies have the shape and thickness I want.
Why are my almond flour cookies falling apart?
Almond flour cookies are softer and more delicate when they first come out of the oven. Let them cool directly on the baking sheet so they have time to set before moving them.
Can I substitute regular flour for almond flour?
I wouldn’t recommend swapping all-purpose flour for almond flour in this recipe. Almond flour behaves differently in baking, and this recipe was specifically developed using almond flour.
Can I freeze almond flour chocolate chip cookies?
Yes! Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight freezer-safe container. I like freezing them individually so it’s easy to grab one whenever I want something sweet.
How should I store almond flour chocolate chip cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container after they’ve completely cooled. Here I want you to use your real experience: if you normally keep these on the counter, say room temperature. If you refrigerate them, say refrigerator. I don’t want to invent a storage method for your recipe.
Can I make these cookies dairy-free?
Yes. The cookie dough doesn’t contain butter or milk, so simply use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Are these almond flour cookies refined-sugar-free?
The cookie dough is sweetened with maple syrup instead of granulated sugar. If you’d like the entire cookie to contain no refined sugar, choose chocolate chips that meet that preference as well.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies (with almond flour)
Lemon Honey Almond Flour Cookies (no refined sugar)
Healthy Pecan Cookie Pie Bars (Gluten-Free & No Refined Sugar)
Healthy Double Chocolate Cookies with Almond Flour Recipe
Healthier Flourless Monster Cookie Recipe
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Almond Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Roll each portion into a ball and gently flatten it into a cookie shape. These almond flour cookies won't spread as much as traditional cookies.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before moving them. They'll be soft when warm and will firm up as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
A Cookie We Make All the Time
These almond flour chocolate chip cookies have become a weekly recipe in our house! We avoid refined sugar for my son, so I’m always looking for simple treats I can make at home using ingredients like maple syrup or fruit for sweetness. He loves these cookies, and I love that they’re easy enough to throw together in one bowl.
I usually make a batch to keep in the freezer, which makes it easy to grab one whenever we want a little sweet treat.
How to Store Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
I like to store these almond flour chocolate chip cookies in the freezer. They stay extra chewy in the center and are so good with a cup of coffee! Store them in an airtight container and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying.
The centers stay soft and chewy, almost like a macaroon, which is one of my favorite things about these cookies!
Want to switch up the flavor? Try these almond flour cookies with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries! You can also add a little almond extract for an extra boost of almond flavor. It’s such a good combination, especially during the holidays.
I hope you love these almond flour chocolate chip cookies as much as we do! They’ve become a weekly recipe in our house, and I love having a batch tucked away in the freezer. If you make them, leave a comment and rating below and let me know how they turned out or what mix-ins you tried! 😊
Love this recipe! I’m following an AIP protocol and needed cookies back in my life! I’m using stevia and coconut oil to make them Candida protocol friendly, too! 10/10
Did you have a bad relationship with food as a kid? Absolutely NOT. Mum was always on a diet and I was either binging or restricting. Now, with my own tween daughters I say “fit, healthy” never skinny. Never talk about weight. Calories are called energy. Do we want energy from a healthy place or a soul food style? We use different verbiage to understand food and it’s power. I’m grateful they love every veg/fruit and are always willing to try new things! I don’t allow family to speak of diets unless it’s a medical issue requiring it. We just have stay mindful of words used. Exercise is a mood boost. 🙂
What healthy cookie recipe (or any recipe) would you like to see in 2023?
Coconut tea cookies or cinnamon ginger! They’re so good for the gut. Basically, any type of gut health friendly. Love ingredient’s that create a memorable moment w/ fam but work wonders for our bodies!
Happy NYE!!!
Hi, Kalisa!
I love that advice ♥️ We definitely grew up in a generation of diet culture.
ohhhh a coconut ginger sounds amazing!!
These are incredible! My family and I devoured them!
Longtime pinterest follower. You helped me get through my at home Mama days with great recipes (thank you). I’ve been remiss in interacting, but I do enjoy reading your blog!
You asked about getting bebe to eat healthy, for my 14 and 11 y.o. it was just a matter of feeding them good healthy food! Disclaimer: We are vegetarian and I’ve always loved fruits and veggies… so this might just be nature
1. I made my own food. Did my best to keep balance, we’re all human, but for the most part made everything 100% homemade. (especially their baby food)
2.I subscribe to the 20 times theory (sometimes you have to try it 20 times to like it). I was always trying new recipes, but made sure the kids had at least one thing on the dinner plate that I knew they loved. one “polite bite” was all that was required.
3. When I’m making sweets, I automatically cut the sugar in half if not more.. this has been huge in keeping their food preferences to less processed sugary foods.
4. I never say no to them asking to try new produce.
Now I have 2 young ladies who love their fruits, veggies, and adventurous healthy eating.
Did you have a bad relationship with food as a kid? -No, but I was raised by a Mom who was always on the latest fad diet, and my Dad’s side of family had no boundaries with food. My hubbies family also ate without boundaries, so we’ve had to figure out a better life for our littles and health.
What are some food boundaries you use with your family?- No eating while preoccupied, wait 20 minutes for seconds, don’t ever feel like you have to finish something. I will change the subject when people have inappropriate body shaming/ talk or discussing of diets in front of my kids and I refuse to partake of these conversations away from them. We talk about keeping your body healthy and showing it love. Most of all, I love my body and all of it’s beauty… best boundary you really can have for your kids!
I made these tonight, and they were delicious! I used 1 tsp of almond extract and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I substituted the maple syrup for monk fruit, and used 1/2 cup of Lily’s dark chocolate chips. They turned out so good! I was worried I would want to eat them all, but 1 was rich enough to satisfy my sweet tooth! Thank you for the recipe!
I grew up in the diet culture era as well, and I’m trying hard to change my mindset so I can set a better example for my daughter.
Hi, Candice!
I need to try these with almond extract! I love anything with almond flavor.
Thank you for sharing your subs and feedback!!
I’ve been eyeballing these yummy-looking cookies over on your IG and hopped over to make sure I save the recipe! 🙂 Can’t wait to try these out soon!
Make Life Marvelous
A good cookie option for the kids without overload of sugar. They taste great too!
The most important guidelines in our family are to focus on “real” food, cook at home mostly, and enjoy everything moderately. It works out well!
I make these cookies all the time, thank you so much!
Hi there,
Can you provide the calorie count? This is most important, but nutritional info. would be nice.
Thank you,
Suzen
I would also like to know
These cookies were delicious. My Husband and I had them for breakfast with our coffee and literally almost at them all in one sitting.. Thank you this is my new go to cookie recipe.
Very easy to make and turned out super tasty
We have made these cookies plenty of times, and they always come out delicious and not grainy like many almond flour recipes. Thank you!
Would be great if you have the calorie and nutritional information. Made them per the recipe and they are tasty. Thank you!
Hi, Tracy!
I try not to include calories or nutrition facts on my blog since I try my best not to look at calories when eating foods, but there are a bunch of free calorie calculators on the internet where you can type in the ingredients, and it’ll give you a nutritional label 🙂
So yummy. Love this recipe ! I used around 3/4 cup of dark chocolate morsels 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Judy! 🙂
I loved them! The texture was just right. We are trying to eat healthier and cut out sugar but we love cookies so this recipe is definitely a keeper.
These came out delicious and soft. I made a second batch and substituted the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and cranberries. delicious!
so good!! Not sure how to store them because it became super wet in a container the next day. Any suggestions?
Hmm, they should not have become wet. Were they still warm when you stored them? Maybe the moisture from the heat? I’d leave them out to cool down comptletely before storing them in the freezer!
so good, no butter but delicious ! my grandparents are obsessed
Made jalapeño cheddar was a hit
Soooo soft!
These cookies are super yummy! I used dark chocolate chips but reduced the amount to 1/2 cup. Thus far, the best healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried! I’ve already shared and will definitely be making again as is and using to create alternate variations. Thank you!
Several people have asked about calories. I entered the information into Very Well’s Nutritional Calculator. As written, for 24 cookies, it’s approximately 104 calories each.
Loved these!!
These are the perfect cookie! I followed the recipe, then before baking I rolled up the dough in a log shape and froze for 15 mins. Then cut dough and topped with flakey salt and baked as recipe said. so delicious! will make again!
Made these today…they are delish!
YUMMY! I probably have the biggest sweet tooth out of anyone I know. However, in the past few years, I have really been doing my best to cut out refined sugar, processed foods, etc. I love how simple this recipe is and how delicious these cookies turned out! Now I have a guilt free snack that I can make in just a few minutes that is way healthier than anything store bought. Thank you!
I’m so happy you loved these cookies!!! You need to try the chocolate one next!:)
Came out soft and delicious. On the next go around I added oats, coconut and craisins. A great base recipe.
They are awesome! One of the few treats I dare eat with high cholesterol.
We make them slightly less sweet and get asked for the recipe frequently.
So easy and quick to make, too!
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing a review, Susanne!!:)
So easy and the best recipe, healthy or not.
Could I replace the almond flour with oat flour?
Yes!
Quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious. Second time around I made one batch and replaced the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts, and to another batch I added a few tablespoons of cocoa. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and I highly recommend it.
I made these and loved them but now I would like to add vanilla protein powder. Can I reduce the flour by a 1/3 C and add the protein powder?
absolutely the BEST cookies ever! healthy is the best
They were good! Hit the spot!
We make these weekly!
Tara Lynn,
So happy I came across your Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! They are delicious and will definitely become a favorite treat. ~ Joanne ~
So happy you love them!! 🙂
I literally never leave reviews. I just had to say I’ve been trying so many healthy cookie recipes and this one is by far the best. Using almond flour will never give you the normal cookie consistency you’re used to, but this is close enough. I made the recipe exactly as written except I added one scoop of vanilla protein powder. I feel like the consistency was the same or close to what it would have been without it. I did use an extra large egg so maybe that compensated for the additional dry ingredient?
Anyway, these were super easy and they really do taste like traditional chocolate chip cookies for the most part. Thanks so much for your recipes!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! Also I love the idea of adding protein powder and im going to try that today!! I’m always looking for a way to sneak in extra protein for the family.
oooh I never thought to add protein powder!
Are they crispy? Can i not sift the almond or coconut flour? Thank you.
If you switch out the almond flour for coconut flour, it’ll give you a super dry texture. You’d have to play around with the other ingredients as well.
These cookies have a soft center and crispy outside.
My boyfriend and I have both recently started a diabetes healthy lifestyle and we’ve been really missing chocolate chip cookies so I went looking for a recipe using almond flour and here it is. the only change that I made was I used sugar-free maple syrup because I was trying to get as carb-free as I could without sacrificing my chocolate chips and I also added a tablespoon of organic baking cocoa to make them chocolate chocolate chip. I don’t know if these are going to make it through the evening. They are absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making these again!
Thank you for the feedback!! so so glad you enjoyed and they fit your lifestyle!
Can you please share the recipe version with Banana and cranberry? I’d love to make these with my soon to go bad bananas. Thanks
Thank you!!!….I’m glad I found your recipe the cookies were delicious. I made them with vegan chocolate chips and 1/2 the maple syrup. I wanted to use monk fruit because I use for everything else, but didn’t want the cookies to turn out dry. I will experiment next time with the monk fruit.
this is a favorite, the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I make now. I use Choc Zero chocolate chips and Choc Zero maple syrup!
the best
hubby is addicted
Thanks
Chocolate chip cookies tasted really good!
thank you !
Hi- would you freeze the cookie dough in balls or flattened out? How long do you recommend baking/air frying from frozen? Excited to try!
Just made these and OH MY GOODNESS! First of all, I couldn’t stop eating the dough! Second of all, I can’t wait for my toddler to wake up from her nap so she can have one! OBSESSED!!!! Love this recipe so much!!
YAY!! I’m so happy you love these. THey are my son’s favorite. I have a double chocolate version and a peanut butter version you must try next!