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It was about time! I recently realized I didn’t have a single “basic” chocolate chip cookie recipe here! Introducing Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies!
It’s now fixed with these soft-baked, gluten-free, crispy on the edges, tender, chocolate-chunk-loaded, vanilla-packed cookies! These are perfect for the holidays, easy to make, and SO GOOD. Like addicting kind of good.
Instead of going with coconut oil, I choose to go with vegan butter because we all know butter adds an incredible flavor to baked goods. We start by creaming the butter with brown sugar that brings moisture and a delicate caramel flavor. I haven’t tried with coconut sugar yet, but I guess it will work as well if you don’t mind its stronger flavor.
Next, add vanilla extract and a good pinch of salt. I used a full teaspoon of vanilla. Not only does it give the cookies a deep and fresh aroma, but it also helps balance with the not-super-sweet dough. That’s right, I used less sugar than in most cookie recipes for a couple of reasons. First, because I don’t like overly sweet cookies, and secondly, because I found the chocolate chunks add enough sweetness.
To keep these cookies gluten-free, we have a combination of sweet rice flour and oat flour. No xanthan gum, no flax eggs, but these cookies hold together well thanks to the sweet rice flour. Simply mix everything together until you get a smooth and slightly sticky dough. The dough will be softer than your regular cookie dough. That’s normal.
While resting time is optional, it is recommended. It allows the flour to absorb the butter, yielding a better, non-gritty texture.
10 minutes in the oven, and we end up with cookies that are perfectly tender on the inside and crispy on the edges. Let them cool completely before transferring to a serving plate.
I hope you will love these vanilla chocolate chip cookies as much as I do! Loaded with melty chocolate chunks, packed with vanilla, and crispy on the outside, these gluten-free cookies are a must-try!
Looking for more cookie recipes? Check out these Orange Chocolate Chip Shorbread Cookies, Slice & Bake Chocolate Chunks Cookies, or these Soft Thumbprint Cookies!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond milk
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
- 6 tbsp oat flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream the vegan butter with the brown sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and almond milk and stir to combine.
- Next, add the sweet rice flour, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda, and mix until you get a dough. The dough will be softer and more sticky than a traditional cookie dough, that is normal.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Resting time will give our cookies a better texture.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out balls of cookie dough using a cookie scoop (I used a 1.5 tbsp scoop) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inch apart. Slightly flatten the balls, you want a shape that looks like half spheres.
- Bake for about 10 minutes for soft-baked cookies (crisp edges with a soft center), or 12 minutes for firmer cookies. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack or plate.
- Cookies will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container, at room temperature. After that they tend to get a bit dry.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Oat flour is not necessarily gluten free. Some people can’t eat oats, even when tested and confirmed gluten free as they are frequently grown in proximity to gluten grains, such as wheat or form part of crop rotation process, kept in a gluten contaminated silo or transported in a lorry that has previously carried gluten grains, cleaned and processed in a facility where gluten-containing grains are also produced. The oats that would have otherwise been gluten free are now contaminated with gluten.
There are a handful of gluten intolerant people who can’t eat even the purest of oats marketed as gluten free. It’s not about gluten, but rather about the molecular composition of oats themselves. Oats contain a protein called avenin, to which some people are intolerant or even allergic. There is also the protein gliadin which causes problems.
Oat proteins can cause bloating and other symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity / intolerance so can you suggest and alternative to oat flour please?
Thanks for the info and copy-paste Marijan.
I label some recipes as gluten-free even when oats are used since oats are still considered gluten-free by most nutritionists and studies. I do agree that it could cause problems to people intolerant to oats, however I would guess that the minority of people who are really allergic to gluten are aware that oats may or may not cause them digestion problem.
Regarding the alternative, you could try using buckwheat flour, but you will probably have to adjust the amount. I tested this recipe with brown rice flour and the cookies didn’t spread well and had a cakey texture.
Can I use regular rice flour? Or what is the difference to regale rice flour? I’ve never seen sweet rice flour
Sweet rice flour, also called glutinous rice flour is made from sticky rice.
I tested this recipe with regular rice flour, it worked but the cookies were a bit more crumbly and the texture was not as chewy.
Obrigada tudo muito bom….
These look delicious. Do you use your own cultured vegan butter or do you buy something from the store?
I only tested this recipe with store-bought butter but I would guess it will work with the vegan cultured butter.
Can I substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar? And can coconut oil be substituted for the butter?
Thanks!
Coconut sugar should work. Regarding coconut oil, you might have to adjust a bit the amount, using maybe 10% less.
What can i switch for the sweet rice flour? What can i switch for the oat flour as i cant have gluten. Thanks
That is changing completely the recipe I’m afraid. I’m not sure what would be the results with different flours as each one acts and absorbs liquid differently.
Help! I made these cookies and they cooked into like a crepe. I followed the recipe exactly. I have a hunch that it was a result of the butter? I used miyokos. The moment the cookies warmed, they just melted into a puddle and became a toffee. Thomas, any recommendations on what to do differently next time? I don’t want to give this recipe a low star rating because it tasted good (even though it was all a giant thin crisp) and I’m sure it can be fixed. Looking forward to some help!
Sorry to hear that Stephanie!
I would also guess it was because of the butter. Next time, try a different brand, or reduce the amount. You can also try chilling the cookie dough balls for 2 hours in the refrigerator before baking.
Yesterday, I had a day off and tried making this recipe. It tasted super good. I also gifted some to my neighbors, and we had a good time together. It was hard to find a good brand for the butter to my liking, though. Thanks for the recipe, Thomas! 🙂
You’re welcome Kate! I’m glad you and your neighbors liked the cookies ^^