It seemed only natural that after eating half a cup of white chocolate chips earlier this week, I needed to balance it out with dark chocolate chips. While I was at it, I could make things even better by using dark chocolate chunks. I don’t think there is anything better to highlight chocolate chunks than in cookies!
We’re not new to chocolate chip goodies around these parts. We love big thick traditional cookies to totally healthy vegan cookies. You can’t go wrong with chocolate chip anything in our book. Now was the time to try our hand at gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!
In recreating a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie, I had two requirements.
1: They absolutely had to have a great shape – not be flat or lifeless.
2: They must be irresistibly chewy – soft but with a traditional chewy bite.
I found that cashew butter and cornstarch in the batter helped these cookies meet those requirements with flying colors! They made such a great texture, without changing the flavor at all. And these two ingredients made it easy to turn this recipe into a dairy-free treat! Chocolate chunks and sea salt added to this gluten and dairy-free recipe turned these cookies into a truly decadent treat.
Why use chocolate chunks? Why use coarse sea salt? Won’t regular chips and salt do fine? Of course they will! But let’s explain it this way:
Luscious pockets of melted dark chocolate and rich salted morsels will be in every bite. The outcome makes the special ingredients worth it! Chocolate chunks are just dreamy. Sprinkled coarse sea salt is just magical. Intensify your cookie experience and make each bite count. If you are sensitive to the flavor of gluten-free recipes and believe they aren’t as superior to their white flour counterparts, these cookies could be a game changer for you. You won’t be able to taste anything amiss here. Big chocolate and big salt are the answer. Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are a win!
Healthy, Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1/2 cup Soy-Free Earth Balance Butter* (please see note below)
2 Tablespoons Creamy Cashew Butter
3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
1/3 cup Maple Sugar or Powdered Honey
2 Organic Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Coarse Sea or Kosher Salt, divided
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 cups NOW Gluten-Free Flour Mix
2 1/2 Tablespoons Non-GMO Cornstarch
1 1/4 cup Chocolate Chunks or Chips
In an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cashew butter. Mix until creamy and combined. Cream in the coconut sugar and maple sugar/honey until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, baking soda and cornstarch. Add 2 cups flour. Add the last 1 cup of flour with the chocolate chunks. Mix until just incorporated. Dough should be soft and shiny but not overly sticky. Place dough in the freezer for 20-30 minutes or until chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a mini ice cream scooper, scoop out cookie dough and place on prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining salt. Bake for 5-6 minutes, depending on how large the cookies are. For a mini ice cream scoop, I found 6 minutes was perfect but be careful not to over bake!
Dough can stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost until still cold and bake as directed. Baked cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 4-5 weeks when well wrapped.
NOTE ** You can substitute 1/4 cup of butter for coconut oil, if desired. It is not recommended substituting out all coconut oil due to the buttery flavor the Earth Balance Butter provides for a true buttery chocolate chip flavor! Regular butter can also be used.
Based on 1 Review(s)
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Jennifer says
Hello! I love your recipes! All so yummy!!!
Amy Morris says
Thank you for this recipe! I subbed the eggs with a flax egg and vegan chocolate chips then used the namaste brand GF flour I had. (I’ll have to try the NOW) also I was visiting my parents and they didn’t have cashew butter so I subbed peanut butter. It worked out great! Everyone loved them. I forgot to chill them also but it still worked! You girls are amazing! Thank you for helping us be healthier and keep New Years resolutions!
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Thanks for sharing, Amy! Glad you enjoyed these!
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness says
Oh boy, these look amazing!! Sea salt + chocolate is always a winner in my book. And those chocolate chunks are making me want to whip up some cookies at this very moment (and it’s about 10 pm so that’s probably not a good idea ha!).