Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Lee Farrington

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Updated Sept. 12, 2025

Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
2 hours, 10 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes plus 1 ½ hours freezing time
Rating
4(109)
Comments
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These vegan, gluten-free stunners, which you can mix in one bowl without an electric mixer, have a candy-like crunch at the edges from caramelized brown sugar; a chewy, dense center from a mix of almond and oat flours (look for a gluten-free version); and a bittersweet speckling of mini chocolate chips strewn throughout. Adapted from Lee Farrington, LB. Kitchen in Portland, Maine, they bake up sturdy enough for picnics, lunchboxes and mailing to far-flung, cookie-loving family and friends, but note that the sticky batter does need to be frozen before baking so plan ahead. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: These Cookies Are So Easy a Toddler Made Them

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Ingredients

Yield:36 cookies
  • 2cups plus 2 tablespoons/435 grams packed light brown sugar
  • 2⅓cups/240 grams almond flour
  • 2¼ cups/200 grams oat flour
  • 2½teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½cup/115 milliliters almond or other nondairy milk
  • ¼cup/56 grams vegan butter, preferably soy free, melted
  • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1(9-ounce/255-gram) bag vegan mini chocolate chips
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (36 servings)

199 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 114 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt.

  2. Step 2

    Add the almond milk, vegan butter and vanilla, and use your hands or a spatula to combine, kneading until it comes together into a sticky, wet, batter-like dough. (You can also make this in an electric mixer if that’s more convenient.) Mix in the chocolate chips.

  3. Step 3

    Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup to form cookies, placing them close together on the pans. Freeze for at least 1½ hours. (If freezing for longer, transfer the frozen cookie balls to a container or resealable plastic bag before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.)

  4. Step 4

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the frozen cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate trays, and bake until the cookies are golden at the edges and firm in the center, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, bang tray once on the counter to let cookies crackle a bit, and transfer the pans to racks to cool.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
109 user ratings
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Comments

Melissa Clark

Hi All - Thanks to everyone's notes, the recipe has been corrected. Use 1/4 cup butter (56 grams) and add the vanilla with the vegan butter. And yes, the cookies will work using dairy milk and butter.

SallyT

I wonder if you could use dairy milk and butter if you don't need them to be vegan? Thanks Melissa for a great recipe!

mary

Has anyone tried these with regular butter? Planning to make these but will only use real butter. Is it a 1:1 swap?

Amaris

Used earth balance butter and oat milk.

Heather

For those looking for brown sugar substitutions: When replacing a cup of brown sugar with a combination of tahini and maple syrup, first, use about 2/3 cup of the combined liquid sweeteners (around 1/3 cup tahini and 1/3 cup maple syrup, adjust to your preference) for every cup of brown sugar called for in the recipe, and then reduce other liquids in the recipe by approximately 1/4 cup to accommodate the added moisture from the liquid sweeteners. You may also need to reduce the oven temperature.

Dawne

Just realised I bought salted vegan butter. Is unsalted assumed if not specified? What have folks been using?

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Credits

Adapted from Lee Farrington, LB. Kitchen in Portland, Maine

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