Soft and chewy, high altitude chocolate chip cookies that are also gluten free and egg free! If you’ve been looking for a gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s adapted for high altitude and can also be made without eggs, then look no further than this quick and easy, allergy friendly recipe.
For a classic chocolate chip cookie made with eggs and all-purpose flour, please see my original high altitude chocolate chip cookie recipe.
For more gluten free high altitude recipes, you might also love this flourless chocolate cake with bourbon vanilla whipped cream, flourless peanut butter chocolate chip chip cookies, and flourless almond cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Allergy Friendly. Not only are these chocolate chip cookies gluten free, they’re also nut free, egg free and easily vegan, if you use a vegan butter substitute (although please note that I have not tested vegan butter in any of my recipes, so I can’t speak to the results).
Quick and Easy to Make. I based today’s recipe on my original high altitude chocolate chip cookies, which come together in just an hour, and don’t even need a mixer to make the dough.
Soft Cookies for Days. You’ll love that these cookies stay soft and chewy for days after baking
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Chia Seeds + Water. Eggs not only give cookies moisture, but also structure so that they don’t crumble apart. They also contribute to a cookie’s soft, chewy texture. Without eggs, you need something that can do all of these things, like a chia seed “egg”. Chia seeds absorb moisture, so when you combine them with water, they become softer and more gelatinous, providing the same moisture and structure that an egg would do.
- Unsalted Butter. Adds richness, moisture and flavor to the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar + Dark Brown Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture, as well as subtle hints of caramel and molasses from the brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor. Since gluten free flour blends have a stronger, earthier flavor than all-purpose wheat flour, I’ve doubled the vanilla in today’s recipe.
- Gluten Free Flour. Look for a “measure for measure” or “one to one” gluten free flour blend. You cannot simply use just almond flour, rice flour or tapioca starch and expect good results.
- Corn Starch. A small amount of corn starch tenderizes cookie dough for soft, chewy cookies.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. A good amount of salt is essential in chocolate chip cookies to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and balance the sweetness.
- Baking Soda. Leavens the dough.
- Chocolate Chips. Choose your favorite chocolate chips for these cookies, whether they’re milk, semi-sweet or dark.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the chia seeds and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and gelatinous. This mixture is your chia “egg”.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to mix vigorously for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the chia egg and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until no more flour remains. Let the dough sit at room temperature to cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the cooled dough. The dough will be thicker now than it was before cooling.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions. Shape into balls, and flatten the balls into disks about 1/2 inch thick with the palm of your hand. If you don’t flatten your cookies, they will not spread during baking. Refrigerate the dough balls for 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for about 10 minutes. The cookies should still be very pale, with the edges set and the centers still slightly underdone.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use flax seeds instead of chia seeds for the egg?
Chia seeds will bind better, but if you do try this with flax seeds, be sure to let me know how it works.
Which brand of gluten free flour do you use?
I like to keep King Arthur Baking Gluten Free Flour on hand for the occasions when I need to make something gluten free.
You Might Also Like
Flourless Almond Cake 
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars 
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Favorite Products
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
Gluten Free and Eggless High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 4 tbsp water
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups "measure for measure" gluten free flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the chia seeds and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and gelatinous. This mixture is your chia "egg".
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to mix vigorously for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the chia egg and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until no more flour remains. Let the dough sit at room temperature to cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the cooled dough. The dough will be thicker now than it was before cooling.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions. Shape into balls, and flatten the balls into disks about 1/2 inch thick with the palm of your hand. If you don't flatten your cookies, they will not spread during baking. Refrigerate the dough balls for 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for about 10 minutes. The cookies should still be very pale, with the edges set and the centers still slightly underdone.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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