This quick and easy chocolate chip cookie recipe creates soft and chewy cookies, free from gluten, dairy, soy, corn, nightshades, and coconut!
Is it too soon for me to declare it hot cookie summer? The Chai Sugar Cookies are definitely what kicked off my cookie-baking ventures this season, but what I was most excited to share was this recipe!
It has been a struggle to make an allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookie that is free from all my allergens and doesn't fall apart at the touch. Originally, we created these Sunbutter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies that held together well but didn't fill the void of just a plain ol' old-fashioned soft chocolate chip cookie. I was able to utilize the techniques I learned from the Sunbutter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies to create this OG chocolate chip cookie recipe that I am extremely proud of!
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The Baking Process
Unlike regular cookies, gluten-free cookies (or maybe it's just my allergy-free cookies) don't tend to spread out and form while baking. Depending on the ingredients you use, the shape you make the cookies on the baking sheet is the shape the cookies will bake.
I have learned that using cane sugar is the best for getting the cookie to spread out on the baking sheet. However, if you have gut issues like me, cane sugar can sometimes upset the gut. That is why I try to use cane sugar sparingly and turn to date sugar more often when baking.
Cookies baked with Date Sugar & Cookies baked with Cane Sugar
What's great about using date sugar is the cookie can be shaped into whatever you desire. This is convenient if you want to make different shapes using a cookie cutter, but if you are trying to make a traditional circular cookie, you will need to do the following steps:
Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into your hands and roll the dollop tightly into a ball.
Once on the baking sheet, lightly press into a disk using a spoon or a measuring spoon. Then, sprinkle with kosher salt, if you would like. Once the baking sheet is filled, place in the freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
BONUS OPTION
We got lazy towards the end of our dough batch and decided to make one giant cookie. Even a cookie of this size held together and was so much fun to eat! I hope you try out the big cookie way too.
Even for the big cookie, I still cooked it at 325° F, but needed to keep it in there for 12 to 14 minutes instead of the 8 to 10 minutes like the smaller-sized cookies.
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Alternative ingredients you can use
Being that all our allergies are different, I wanted to make it easy for you to create the perfect allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookies for yourself! All the ingredients can be easily replaced with ingredients that are safe for you. Here are a few options:
Arrowroot starch is corn-free, nightshade-free, and gluten-free. If you can, you can equally replace arrowroot starch with corn or potato starch.
Sugar can be equally replaced with coconut sugar or the sugar alternative of your choosing.
Chocolate chips: I adore Enjoy Life's chocolate chip variety. However, if you have another trusted brand you are loyal to, feel free to use them instead!
Palm Shortening can be equally replaced with dairy-free or regular butter.
Equipment you will need:
For more of our baking and cooking tools:
Soft & Chewy Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies
Free from: gluten | corn | soy | nightshades | coconut
Ingredients
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ to 1 cup Enjoy Life's chocolate chips (your preference on how much chocolate chips you want in your cookies 😉)
¾ cups date or cane sugar
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
10 tablespoons palm shortening
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
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Directions
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together flour, starch, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a small bowl, stir 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture with the chocolate chips. Set aside.
In another bowl, add the sugar and light brown sugar. Whisk to combine well, working out any lumps in the brown sugar.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the palm shortening, eggs, and vanilla, mixing to combine until the dough is thick and soft.
If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment during this step.
Combine the wet mixture with the flour mixture using a rubber spatula, or on low speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Add the chips tossed in the dry ingredients and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop the dough on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart from one another. Roll each dollop of dough tightly into a ball. Once on the baking sheet, lightly press into a disk.
Optional, but if you want, sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the prepared cookie dough.
Place the baking sheet in the freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
Once the dough is chilled, place it in the center of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown around the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
