Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

Seriously Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (that are gluten free!). When I worked for a bakery I set out to make the most delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookie with the perfect chewy texture and this is the recipe! This one has everything you want in a classic chocolate chip cookie: lots of brown sugar, caramel and vanilla flavors. I include gluten-free flour recommendations, enjoy!
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I worked long and hard for this Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free) recipe. For you. All for you. Frankly, I’m exhausted. But it was worth it. Because this isn’t a ‘good for a gluten-free cookie’ kinda cookie.

This cookie tastes JUST LIKE a regular chocolate chip cookie, minus the gluten. It’s soft, chewy and loaded with the caramel, toffee and vanilla flavors that are a signature of a really good chocolate chip cookie.

To say I love chocolate chip cookies is the great understatement of the century. I LOVE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. I devoted an entire chapter of The Cookie Book to chocolate chip cookies and have over a dozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes on the site.

I was recently updating these Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies (this gluten free cookie inspired this pro-gluten version!) and I also these Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies that you will love (if you love gluten 😉)!

There is also a How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial in case you’re new to brown butter or would like a refresher!

Why You Should Bake These
Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • They’re a one-bowl baking recipe dream! 🥳
  • These gluten free cookies taste JUST LIKE a regular cookie
  • Chewy centers with slightly crispy edges — the PERFECT cookie texture
  • Loaded with caramel flavors (that I so love!)
  • So easy to make and need no fancy ingredients (beyond your gluten free flour)
  • No electric mixer need (score)
  • We use cold milk + eggs to quickly bring our brown butter to room temperature (no waiting around!)
  • You’ll never love a gluten free chocolate chip cookie this much (I’m that confident!)

Let’s make some gluten free chocolate chip cookies!

A bunch of chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper.

I used to always rest cookie dough and then I realized, we just don’t always have the time or desire for such shenanigans.

However, I’m making the case for resting ALL OF YOUR GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS pre-bake. I’m talking cookies, cakes, pie doughs, you name it.

Here’s why (in the simplest terms): gluten-free flours having a harder time absorbing moisture. That’s why gluten cookies often spread or cakes have a hard time rising in the oven.

A chilled rest will give your dough (or batter) time to firm up, as well as develop some really delicious flavors.

The minimum rest time for this dough is 60 minutes; ideally overnight. It’s an ideal dough to have in your fridge and bake off fresh cookies nightly. And that, my friends, is what I call living your best life.

A close up photo of a gluten free brown butte chocolate chip cookie.

Shop this Gluten Free
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These are pretty fuss-free cookies to bake, these are my favorite tools:

I love this small, light-colored Williams-Sonoma sauce pan for browning butter.

These spoonulas from GIR are my absolute favorites right now (I love the soft blue). 

My favorite nested, heat-safe bowls for any baking occasion! I love them so.

That beautiful Williams-Sonoma whisk with the wooden handle that’s in my videos. It’s so pretty. But when I’m being practical (and not making videos), this Material whisk is THE BOMB. I love their stuff!

Don’t forget my favorite scale. I wrote both of my books with this one, it will serve you well on your baking journey!

This 3-TBSP Cookie Scoop for easy portioning! 

Choosing Chocolate For Your Cookies

For really delicious chocolate chips that you can get at the grocery store, you can’t go wrong with Ghirardelli. This particular Ghirardelli chocolate melts surprisingly well and tastes just delicious.

If I want to spend a little more on my chocolate I’ll opt for these Callebaut callets or this huge Callebaut block for chunks. These both melt beautifully and are so delicious in cookies!

The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour

One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!

A hand holding a Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free).

More Cookies & Gluten Free Desserts

I have some other fun vegan and/or gluten-free recipes for you to check out: Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (based on Erewhon’s amazing cookies!), GF Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Soft & Chewy Vegan Brownie Cookies (YUM).

And if you’re looking for more chocolate chip cookies (with gluten), you can find all of my chocolate chip cookie recipes here. These are some favorites: Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies (this recipe was inspired by these cookies!) and Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Enjoy your easy gluten free chocolate chip cookies!

Rebecca Firth

Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

Seriously Damn Delicious Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (that are gluten free!). When I worked for a bakery I set out to make the most delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookie with the perfect chewy texture and this is the recipe! This one has everything you want in a classic chocolate chip cookie: lots of brown sugar, caramel and vanilla flavors. I include gluten-free flour recommendations, enjoy!
5 from 5 reviews
Print Save Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter, Gluten Free, Dessert, Baking, Recipe
Servings: 30 Cookies

Ingredients

  • 94 grams unsalted brown butter ((about 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter before browning))
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) sunflower or grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) milk (cold; I use 2%)
  • 1 tablespoon (13 g) real vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (cold)
  • 1 ¼ cup (275 g) light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 cups (405 g) gluten-free flour (highly recommend Cup4Cup)
  • 2 cups (340 g) dark chocolate (coarsely chopped or chips)
  • Sea salt flakes for dusting on top (optional)

Instructions

  • Place 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden brown bits (milk solids) will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a large bowl (that is heat safe).
    (For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)
  • Add the sunflower seed oil, cold milk and vanilla to the browned butter. Add in the eggs, one at a time, make sure the first is well blended before adding the second. Whisk for about two minutes until slightly frothy. Add in the brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisking until well combined. Finally, whisk in the flour until completely blended. If the dough is still warm, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then fold in the chocolate chips or chunks (otherwise they'll melt). The texture of the dough is a bit weird and the chocolate chips will sometimes resist combining with the dough. This is normal. Don’t sweat it.
  • Lay out some plastic wrap on the counter. Dump the cookie dough on top of the plastic and wrap tightly. Now shove the plastic-wrapped dough into the fridge and forget about it. I mean it. Go do something else. Let it hang out in there for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
  • When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190℃). Make sure you have a rack in the top third of the oven. Cover your baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silpat.
  • Roll 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a perfect like sphere. Place the dough balls on the covered baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Take them directly from the freezer and onto that top rack in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Once done baking, sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional) and let cool completely on the baking sheet (no need to transfer to a wire rack).
  • Once they are cool, store them in an air-tight container. Also, gf cookies don’t last long. They get weird and dry. Fast. So unless you plan on eating all of them right away, I would consider freezing the dough balls completely and then placing them in a resealable freezer-safe plastic bag…that way you can bake them off fresh as you want to eat them.

Notes

Melted Butter

Yes, you can sub in melted butter for the brown butter, just start with 7 tablespoons (98 g) butter and then melt…you’ll have the perfect amount!

Texture

We’re going to take these out of the oven when they are *just* done. You have to leave them on the baking sheet for 20 minutes for them to set to the perfect texture. Trust me!

Gluten Free Baking Flour

My favorite is Thomas Keller’s Cup4Cup Baking Flour — it’s so good. I’ve also had success with both King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flours.
Whatever flour you use, make sure it is a 1:1 gluten free baking flour.

A Note About Chocolate

A quick reminder that ‘dark chocolate’ covers everything from semi-sweet to bittersweet. Unless I specifically list bittersweet or semi-sweet, it’s up to you! I link to my favorite chocolates in Tools for Making These Cookies Fabulous section.
 
Also, candy/candy bar friends…my favorite way to elevate cookies is by adding chopped up cookie bars instead of chips or chocolate chunks. Seattle Chocolate Company has some great flavors!

Why Cold Ingredients?

Since the butter will be warm (and we don’t want to sit around and wait for it to cool), I have you adding in oil, milk and *COLD* eggs. These things will quickly bring your butter to room temperature. Don’t change up this order.

Freezing Ya Balls

For long-term storage wrap the entire lump of cookie dough tightly (in plastic wrap, ideally) and then stash in an airtight container.
 
For short-term storage (I’m talking about wanting to have a fresh cookie (or two) every night after dinner), freeze the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, after several hours, stash in an air-tight container. When baking, they can go straight from the freezer to the oven, just tack on a few extra minutes to the bake time. This will result in a puffier cookie.
 
If you want the cookies to look similar to the photos here, then let the dough come closer to room temperature (just sitting out while you pre-heat the oven is fine). Add 1 to 2 minutes bake time if the dough still has a slight chill.

Storing Cookie Dough

Wrapped tightly and stored in an air-tight container,  cookie dough can hang in the fridge for up to three days.

Sea Salt Flakes

You’re doing a disservice to chocolate chip cookies by not sprinkling them with sea salt flakes. 
 
This isn’t mandatory, but it’s fabulous. Just do it and thank me later! xo
 

Want More Cookie Tips?

Head over to My 10 Favorite Tips for Better Cookies!

Need a Brown Butter refresher? 

Check out my How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial!
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo

Comments

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

I love your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot, I look forward to chatting with you!

Rebecca xox

Recipe Rating




29 Comments

  • Matt February 6, 2024 at 8:51 PM

    5 stars
    Popped in to say two things. 1, Pamela’s GF pancake & baking mix works pretty well here too in case you need another option and 2, holy **** these are good.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth February 7, 2024 at 11:39 AM

      I’m so glad you liked them!! I’m going to try that mix, thanks for the rec! xo

      Reply
  • Stacy Emanuel December 24, 2023 at 7:35 AM

    5 stars
    I just made these from The Cookie Book and they are AH-MAZING! So glad I tried them!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth December 27, 2023 at 8:05 AM

      I’m so happy you liked them, thank you!! xo

      Reply
  • Rebecca Firth March 24, 2022 at 9:28 AM

    Hi Madeleine! I believe you also DM’d me on IG? I’m on vacation (with limited service), so I apologize for the delay!! You mentioned you are making the gf cookies from The Cookie Book and I wanted to know if you’re weighing your ingredients or using cups/spoons? Also, what gf flour are you using? Let me know! Thank you! xo

    Reply
  • Sandra January 10, 2022 at 9:52 AM

    Question about the chocolate. Do you use bittersweet or semi-sweet? Any brands you prefer?

    Reply
  • Mariangela December 30, 2020 at 12:27 PM

    Hi! I gifted myself your cookie book for Christmas (so excited!!) and was comparing that recipe to this one here because I was going to give these a try, but I noticed some differences between the two. Is the cookie book recipe a more updated/improved version? Which recipe do you recommend I follow?

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth December 30, 2020 at 1:02 PM

      Hi!! Thank you for buying it—I hope you love it!!! There are some cookie ideas/concepts I took from the blog and updated/refreshed/changed for the book. So use the book ones, you will love the gf cookie!! Have fun!! xox

      Reply
  • Coco in the Kitchen August 30, 2019 at 11:48 PM

    Those are the best damn GF cookies I have ever seen!
    My nephew can’t have flour and I get so frustrated trying to get baked goods to taste and have a nice mouth-feel with flour substitutes. I think Cup 4 Cup was the best of the lot I ever tested.
    Gotta make your cookies for him. He’d really appreciate it!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth September 19, 2019 at 9:22 PM

      Hey Coco! I hope you do make them for him — they are soooo delicious! I also have a GF cookie in The Cookie Book. Have fun baking!!
      R xoxo

      Reply
  • Monica August 14, 2019 at 7:49 PM

    Too sweet 1/2sugar would have been enough.

    Reply
  • Amy Engel March 17, 2019 at 2:06 AM

    Sooo… I couldn’t wrap my mind around 1/4 cup butter to 3 cups flour… then remembered that 4oz is a 1/2 cup. Sigh. Anyway, I used a combination of almond meal and my go-to gluten free flour – Canadian brand called Cloud 9 – and these turned out BEAUTIFULLY. (I typically do 1 part almond flour to 2 parts gf blend, as I find straight gf flour – at least this blend – to be very dry.) I’ve got a third of my dough baked and the other frozen in balls! THANK YOUUUUU!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth March 18, 2019 at 7:12 PM

      Hi! I will add in 1/2 cup butter for clarity to the instructions to help others — thanks for the notes. I am so so soo happy you liked them!!! They are one of my favorite cookies!! xoxo

      Reply
    • Marisabel January 11, 2024 at 5:26 AM

      5 stars
      I tried out the same ratio- 270g of gluten free flour (Aldi Australia plain flour) and 135g of almond meal. These are beautiful! Im also dairy free so used nuttlex and no issues + stevia instead of heaps of brown sugar and they were delicious!!!

      Reply
  • Amy Lim January 26, 2019 at 4:53 AM

    I just made a half batch of these and they didn’t flatten out much in the oven. In fact they look more like “puffs”. Still taste great. Overnight, they developed more of a cakey feel.

    Reply
    • Amy Lim January 26, 2019 at 4:54 AM

      Oops Forgot to ask my question. Could u think it’s too little butter? I didn’t change the recipe proportions though.

      Reply
      • Rebecca Firth January 28, 2019 at 10:45 PM

        Hi Amy! That’s curious…they should not be cake-y or puffy. What GF Flour did you use?

        Reply
  • Courtney August 29, 2018 at 2:09 PM

    Would olive or avocado oil be an acceptable substitute for sunflower oil in these cookies?

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth August 30, 2018 at 3:14 AM

      Hey Courtney!
      Since you’re browning butter, it might compete a bit with the flavors of the olive oil (avocado oil, idk, I don’t use it much)…I would use a mild olive oil and it should work fine! That said, I LOVE olive oil chocolate chip cookies!! If you make them this way, let me know how it goes!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Emily Taylor January 13, 2017 at 6:04 PM

    Hi! Just wondering, can I sub almond milk for the regular milk and get the same results? Trying to make these dairy free!

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife January 14, 2017 at 1:23 AM

      Hi Emily! The milk is added for protein…it helps give the cookies structure. I have never tested this recipe with almond milk, but I’m thinking with almond milk’s bit of protein it can only help the cookies. I hope you’ll come back and let us know how it worked out! I do have a gluten-free + dairy-free cookie in the works! Happy baking!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Shreya February 22, 2016 at 12:41 AM

    looks amazing + been looking for a brown butter recipe! do I need to adjust anything if I want to sub either almond flour or regular bread flour?

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife February 22, 2016 at 12:57 AM

      Thank you Shreya!! I haven’t tested this with almond flour nor regular bread flour. If you want a regular chocolate chip cookie with bread flour I recommend my chocolate chip cookie: http://www.displacedhousewife.com/?p=1860 …I love this recipe and have had lots of great feedback on it.

      If you want a brown butter chocolate chip cookie (with gluten)…look up my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie…it’s one of my favorites!!

      If you try these with almond flour I hope you post the results — I would love to know! Good luck + happy baking!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Lilian February 21, 2016 at 3:12 AM

    Y-U-M! I’m so glad these are gluten free! I’ve been on a bit of a binge lately *clenching teeth emoji*

    Reply
  • Josh February 20, 2016 at 8:20 PM

    Wow these look delicious!

    Reply