Healthy(ish) Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe That Even Your Toughest Critic Will Love

Confession time. I love cookies. Love them. But I also love to eat clean and make sure I’m feuling my body with better choices that keep me healthy. 

But as a self-proclaimed gluten-free baking enthusiast, it was clear I needed to come up with some solutions here. 

LIVING IN THE “ISH”

Now before we go any further, I think it’s important for me to explain to you that I live in the ish. 

I’m a very healthy person, but I like to indulge every once in a while. I’m organized to an extreme, but I can live in the mess if it means having a little more fun.

And I can totally get on board with throwing perfection out the window if it means progress was made and lessons were learned. (Who wants to be perfect anyhow?)

So while I’d love to say this is a very healthy cookie recipe, the truth is, it’s healthy-ish. 

Instead of removing sugar, I go for more natural sources. Instead of getting rid of chocolate altogether, I opt for natural dark chocolate. And instead of butter, I opt for coconut oil. 

Because life is all about choices, but it’s also short. So instead of deprivation, I always opt for making conscious, well-informed choices. Focusing on the best ingredients, and indulging when it feels right!

Cool, now that that’s out of the way…

HOW THIS RECIPE CAME TO BE

Let me tell you a little bit about how this cookie recipe came to be. 

Our family is full of food sensitivities, particularly gluten and dairy. I’ve had problems with both for years now, and my 3 year old does as well. 

So needless to say, we’ve been eating gluten-free and dairy-free for years in our house, which is second nature at this point.

What became a problem is when we’d go to any parties or get togethers.

I could always play the avoid game, but you try to explain to a toddler that they can’t have a cookie because of an ingredient in it that will hurt their tummy, and then tell me how it goes. 

So after the first few times this happened, I began making sure to always bring something that I was sure my daughter could eat.

And because she’s a cookie lover like her mama, it usually ends up being cookies.

After testing lots of recipes and different ingredients, I landed on this amazing recipe that ends up fooling everyone into choosing a healthier-ish option!

HEALTHY(ISH) GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE THAT EVEN YOUR TOUGHEST CRITIC WILL LOVE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup coconut oil organic, refined
• 3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs added one at a time
• 2 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour with xantham gum (my favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine gluten-free flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. 
3. Melt coconut oil in a large bowl.
4. Add in sugars and vanilla, then begin blending on medium speed.
5. Add in your eggs, one at a time, and continue to blend.
6. Slowly add in your flour mixture, making sure it’s fully incorporated into your wet ingredients before you turn off your mixer.
7. Once combined, stir in your chocolate chips.
8. Roll your cookies and space evenly on your cookie sheets, and remember that they will spread! This recipe makes approximately 35 medium-sized cookies.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they begin to look a little golden.
10. Allow them to cool, and enjoy!

 A FEW EXTRA TIPS

• If you like a more coconut-y flavor, try using unrefined coconut oil instead of refined.
• Feel free to replace the coconut sugar with any brown sugar of your choosing.
• Use any dark chocolate chip. My favorite is Enjoy Life’s dark chocolate chips.
• I have tried every gluten-free baking flour out there, and my very favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. Feel free to replace this with your favorite, but make sure your contains xantham gum. Otherwise, you’ll need to add this to your recipe!
• Get your kids involved in the baking process. It takes longer and makes a bigger mess, but they learn a lot and have so much fun!

So there you have it! The best ever, healthy(ish) gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever meet… or eat!

They’re guaranteed to fool even your toughest critic (trust me, I have a few!) and will leave everyone wanting more!

So what do you think? Will you give this a try? Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Share it with me in the comments!