These classic cassava flour chocolate chip cookies are amazing and taste like they’re made with real flour. You won’t know the difference, nor will you miss the gluten! This recipe is based on the famous Nestle Tollhouse recipe. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
As someone who can’t eat gluten (I have celiac disease), I’ve had to learn a new way of baking using many gluten-free flours.
One flour that has risen in popularity is cassava flour. Cassava flour is made from the cassava root, a starchy tuber vegetable. Tapioca starch also comes from the cassava root. However, it’s just the starchy part of the root, whereas cassava flour contains the entire cassava root ground up into fine flour.
I attempted to make the Nestle Tollhouse recipe (slightly adapted) using grain-free cassava flour, and here’s how it turned out!
Please note this recipe was updated in March 2023 to reduce the amount of cassava flour and pare down the recipe to make just one dozen cookies instead of two.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll need to purchase cassava flour for this recipe. You can use either Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour, Otto’s Cassava Flour, or another brand.
You’ll also need granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, butter, vanilla, and an egg. Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate chips!
Make Cookie Dough
To make the cookie dough, combine the cassava flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. Use a kitchen scale to get the most accurate measurements.
Using a handheld or standing mixer, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, then add the vanilla and one egg. Mix together on medium speed until all the ingredients are well combined.
Slowly fold the flour mixture into the butter dough before turning your mixer to medium-high. Cassava flour is very powdery, and you’ll have a dust storm if you don’t gently fold it in first.
Then fully blend all the ingredients with your mixer until you form a cookie dough that is slightly sticky.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula until all the ingredients are well combined.
Roll dough by hand (or scoop using a small cookie dough scooper) into 1.5-inch balls and place each ball on a baking sheet about 1.5″ apart. The dough will spread when baked so use a large baking sheet, if possible, in order to give the cookies plenty of space.
Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes until the bottom slightly browns. You want the cookies to be lightly browned but not overcooked. These cookies taste best slightly undercooked and soft.
Allow the cookies 5-10 minutes to cool time before transferring them to a wire rack to cool fully.
Store the cooled cookies in a zip-top bag. They surprisingly taste great for several days after baking.
The Taste Test
These chocolate chip cookies are the real deal! While there is a distinct flavor of cassava flour, you really won’t notice much difference between these cookies and cookies made with other gluten-free flour blends.
The cookies are sweet and buttery, and they have crispy edges with a soft center. They are delightful to eat and oh-so-addictive too!
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread? Did you make the cookies too big? Did you flatten them too much? Did you melt the butter (vs. using softened butter)? All of these can impact the shape of your cookie. Manage the spread by making them 1.5″ thick and only slightly flattening them on your cookie sheet. NEVER use melted butter to make cookies, or they’ll spread like crazy! If your house is warm, refrigerate the dough for 60 minutes before baking.
Cassava flour? I recommend using Otto’s Cassava flour or Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour for this recipe.
Dairy-free? I have not made dairy-free cookies, but you could try using vegan butter sticks (like these from Earth Balance). Also, be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips. Cassava flour is already dairy-free.
More Cookie Recipes
These tasty Classic Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are delicious and soft. If you don’t want to use cassava flour, these cookies will be your go-to cookies.
This Healthy Edible Cookie Dough recipe is made with chickpeas and is meant to be eaten raw. Grab a spoon!
Try these tasty Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. They’re buttery and sweet – yum!
Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Handheld or standing mixer
- 2 Baking pans
- Parchment paper or Silpat mats
Ingredients
- 120 grams cassava flour approx. 3/4 cup
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) unsalted and softened but not melted
- 80 grams granulated sugar equivalent to 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs
- 80 grams brown sugar equivalent to 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg large
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or standing mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and egg and mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and fold until the flour is semi-incorporated. If you set your mixer too high, the dust from the cassava flour will go everywhere. Once the flour is semi-incorporated, mix on medium speed for 1 minute or until well combined. The dough will have the texture of cookie dough and will be slightly sticky.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips with a spatula by hand until well incorporated.
- Drop evenly rounded tablespoons (about 1.5 inches) of the dough on the baking sheet at least 2" apart. You'll bake six cookies per baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown slightly. The cookies are best when soft and slightly undercooked. Do not overcook. Allow the cookies 5 minutes to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to fully cool.
Notes
- 270 grams Otto’s Cassava Flour (approx 1 2/3 cups)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs, large
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Ooooooooookie dokie. Long time Tollhouse lover here, and newly diagnosed Celiac. I have had a lot of disappointing failures over the past few weeks trying to learn how to get as close as possible to some of my old favorites. But this recipe….THIS IS AMAZING!!!!! My kids didn’t even know they were gluten free, and they said they’re the best cookies I’ve ever made! 😭🙌 They actually ARE better than the original recipe. A bit softer, with a delicate crispness on the outside that just melts in your mouth. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I followed the recipe exactly.
It’s the cassava flour texture. It’s not quite the same.
Made these today. I didn’t have brown sugar so used coconut sugar. Flavor is good but these are super super thin. I can still taste the sugar grit. Any advice. still good though
I added the original recipe into the recipe card at your suggestion. Here it is as well:
270 grams Otto’s Cassava Flour (approx 1 2/3 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, large
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Using your standing mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix on medium speed until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until well combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula until combined.
Roll the dough into 1.5″ balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1″ apart. Press down on each ball to slightly flatten.
Bake in batches for 8-9 minutes until the bottoms brown. The best cookies are soft and slightly underbaked. Do not overbake the cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to fully cool. Enjoy!
I made these last year for an event at church and they turned out great. Just the right amount with the original recipe. Now I need to make them for a funeral and need more than a dozen. I am worried about doubling, not having tried your changes. Is it possible to tell me what the original recipe was?
I was literally updating this recipe today! I haven’t made it without egg but you can try to substitute with an egg replacer, flax egg, or applesauce. Good luck!
These cookies look great. Do you have any suggestions for replacing the eggs?
I was really craving a chocolate chip cookie and found this recipe. Since I was so impatient, I used what I had on hand. (I know, one of those that completely messed up your recipe🤦🏽♀️).
I used:
-Bob’s cassava
-Baking powder in place of soda (bc I had none)
-Ghee and coconut oil
-Swerve granular and brown sugar
-Duck eggs
-cacao chips
To top it off, eyeballed everything and mixed by hand.
I followed baking instructions and THOUGHT I took them out to early.
I was hopeful, but not too expectant. To my surprise…these turned out great! Nice and fluffy!
Next time, I will add a different chocolate chip, to add a bit more sweetness. AND probably use the appropriate measurements😬
Amazing recipe! Definitely one I’m writing down to add to the recipe box. Thank you!
I made these! Delicious! I added chopped pecans, and unsweetened coconut chips. I found if I put the in the refrigerator to cool on the sheets they were very easy to remove from the sheets.
Yay that’s exciting!! Thanks for sharing.
Seriously, the best GF cookies I’ve ever had or made. I’ve already made them 4x this summer. Just dreamy, thank you!
I’m so sorry! It sounds like too much flour. Did you measure by grams or volume? Cassava flour is finicky!
I tried them the other day, spread was ok, flavor was great BUT… they just crumbled off the cookie sheet and broke apart. I even over baked a tray and that didn’t help. Not sure what happened?
Very yummy cookies! Just like the ones I use to make before celiac!
These turned out beautifully for me! I used coconut oil instead of butter, and doubled the recipe.
Fantastic! Thank you for this recipe!
It works as a one to one weight (not volume) swap for wheat flour recipes.
Yes!
Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?
This looks so good! What other baked goods can I use cassava flour for?
These are my go to recipe for cassava flour cookies, whether we want chocolate chip, chocolate chunk, or m&m! We have lots of food allergies and sensitivities, so cassava flour is the way to go for us when I need a classic cookie texture. Mine have spread too much before, but the key to remedy that for me is to use slightly smaller balls and chill for 10-15 mins in the fridge. Thanks!!
Amazing!! First attempt and I was worried they wouldn’t set, but I followed your instructions to a tee and I had zero issues. The taste is amazing. So appreciate this recipe because my son is allergic to so much, and these cookies he can eat. Happy Son and Mom.
This is a well tested recipe. Did you make any swaps?
Didn’t work out. Spread a lot and aren’t cookies they ate a crumbly mess
I didn’t but I may try it. It works fine without xanthan gum.
Do I use any kind of gum with these?
Did you measure by weight?
Just baked these, and mine ended up flakey and broken like your previous problem – not sure what went wrong!
What a compliment. Thank you!!
These were the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made in the 14 years I have been gluten free! Thank you!
I haven’t tested it. I’m sorry.
FYI I just read on another blog that the sugar substitutes like Swerve and Lakanto are a bit drying…would I add more butter? Any thoughts?
I, too used the monk fruit for white sugar and regular brown sugar- they did not spread-just stayed in a mound and are cakey, not delicious! I weighed everything-glad I cut the recipe in half!
I’m sorry to hear that. Was your butter melted? That causes cookies to spread.
These didn’t work for me. They just melted into one big, oily, glob on the baking sheet. The edges burnt, and the middle was gooey.
I’m not sure but could be the sugar swap.
Not sure what I did wrong. I weighed the cassava flour per your recipe and only substituted granulated monk fruit sweetener for the sugar. Everything else was exact. Super dry and cakey. I added in more butter and tried another small batch. They still didn’t come out much better. Do you have any thoughts on what went wrong? Thank you. Terri
Delicious! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!😍
These were great! I subbed coconut sugar for brown sugar and left everything else the same. they turned out perfect
It did not work out that way for me but use grams when possible. How did they turn out?
So I just weighted 1 2/3 cup of all purpose that is need for the recipe and it weight about 254 grams. I weighted out cassava at the same grams and it measured out to the same 1 2/3 cups. Same as the all purpose. Am I missing something?
1 cup of wheat flour is about 120 grams while one cup of cassava flour is about 140 grams. I also found a converter online. http://convert-to.com/646/flour-from-cassava-conversion-and-nutritional-facts.html. It’s really best to measure by weight.
I’m still having trouble trying to understand the conversation. I wanna make these certain cupcakes I use to bake so can anyone have mercy on me and tell me what 1 2/3 cup of regular flour be in cassava measurement?
It’s the same (270 grams). The 1:1 measurement is by weight vs. volume. Hope that helps!
Thanks! So, for the conversion, how many grams of weight are in one cup of regular wheat flour?
Yay so glad it worked!
I just made these with 3/4 monk fruit sugar and 3/4 coconut palm sugar. They came out delicious! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
I don’t know.
does anyone have an idea of how substituting or leaving out some of the cane sugar in cookie recipes like this would look like? I was thinking of substituting 3/4 cup coconut sugar, adding some lo han guo and leaving out the rest of the sugar? or should i try all 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar?