Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, these coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies have rich caramel notes and a classic chocolate chip flavor. Made with coconut sugar and a touch of maple syrup, they're deeply satisfying without tasting like a substitute.
They're made with gluten-free flour, without egg, using either dairy-free or regular butter, making them easy to adapt to vegan or dairy-free needs. I tested every variation to make sure each one works.
Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect year-round recipe! With a short baking time, they won't heat up your house in summer and they are oh-so-cozy in winter.
If you love gluten-free cookies, you'll also want to check our my Gluten-Free Monster Cookies, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Soft Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Cozy Spiced Paleo Molasses Cookies.
Or consider turning these amazing coconut sugar cookies into Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches!
And for another super shareable vegan and gluten-free recipe, check out my amazing Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies, Vegan Gluten Free Funfetti Birthday Cake, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, and Vegan Gluten-Free Blondies.
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredients Notes + Substitutions
You need only common pantry staple ingredients to make these amazing refined-sugar free coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies!
Flour
All purpose flour works perfectly in this recipe. If using gluten-free flour, a rice flour blend with xanthan gum (typically labeled as a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour) makes cookies that are most similar to the traditional. We like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for these cookies.
Starch
Potato or corn starch can be used in this recipe. They make the outside of the cookie crisp and act as an egg replacer for the vegan and egg-free version. To make with egg, see the substitution section below.
More Ingredient Notes
- water - Warm water, in addition to starch, is the egg replacement combination in this recipe.
- baking powder - make sure to use a gluten-free baking powder variety if needed. Rumford and Clabber Girl are popular gluten-free brands in the USA.
- chocolate chips - We like Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips because they are gluten-free and free of the top 9 common allergens.
- butter - I used vegan butter for this recipe, but you can substitute an equal amount of dairy butter for a non-vegan version. Coconut oil can also be substituted directly for vegan butter.
You also need coconut sugar, vanilla extract, maple syrup, baking powder, and salt to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for complete ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
We tested these coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies with egg, regular butter, and coconut oil! Here's what you need to know:
With Egg instead of Starch
Eliminate the 6 tablespoons of water and add two eggs to the wet ingredients instead. Make sure the melted butter is not hot when you combine them or they will prematurely cook the egg. Instead of 2 tablespoons of starch, add 2 teaspoons when mixing the dry ingredients.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies in just 5 simple steps and 30 minutes.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, add the warm melted butter and coconut sugar. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for at least two minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules begin to dissolve. Add warm water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and continue to mix/whisk until you have a smooth sugar syrup.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well-mixed.
- Finish the dough and chill: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswrap, or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Prep for baking: When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Roll the dough into large round balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough in each. This will make large, but not jumbo-sized, chocolate chip cookies. Leave about 3 inches between the cookies to allow for spread. I bake 6-8 cookies per large baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently using a spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let cool and enjoy!
Hint: If baking with a silicone baking liner instead of parchment paper, expect the cookies to bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Expert Tips
With these tips, you'll get perfect coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies on the first try!
Don't overbake!
Bake just until the edges have set and the center looks solid. This will take a little bit longer if using a silicone liner like silpat.
Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients.
This will make sure they are well-mixed and there are no clumps of starch or baking powder.
Dissolve the sugar into the wet ingredients.
We recommend warm water to help the coconut sugar dissolve. Dissolved sugar gives cookies and other baked goods a smooth texture and crisp outside. While it may not dissolve fully, we recommend whisking together for a full 2 minutes or more to get a smooth sugar syrup.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
After cooling to room temperature, store leftover coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Coconut sugar can change the taste of cookies by adding notes of roasted caramel to the final cookie flavor. It has a stronger flavor than cane sugar and is best used in cookies with other strong flavors (like chocolate, maple, cinnamon, or espresso) rather than milder flavored cookies like sugar cookies.
Coconut sugar can be used in any baked good in equal amount to regular sugar. Cookies, cakes, muffins, and doughnuts all taste excellent with coconut sugar.
Related coconut sugar recipes to consider...
Looking for more recipes that are excellent with coconut sugar like these coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter or vegan buttery sticks, melted (227 grams, see notes if substituting coconut oil)
- 2 cups coconut sugar (315 grams)
- 6 tablespoons warm water (90 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup (60 ml)
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (405 grams)
- 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch (20 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder , choose a gluten-free variety like Rumford or Clabber Girl if needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, add the warm melted butter and coconut sugar. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for at least two minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules begin to dissolve. Add warm water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and continue to mix/whisk until you have a smooth sugar syrup.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well-mixed.
- Finish the dough and chill: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswrap, or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Prep for baking: When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Roll the dough into large round balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough in each. This will make large, but not jumbo-sized, chocolate chip cookies. Leave about 3 inches between the cookies to allow for spread. I bake 6-8 cookies per large baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently using a spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions:
We made these into a vegan gluten-free cookie as written, but we also tested them with egg, regular butter, and coconut oil! Here's what you need to know:- with egg - Eliminate the 6 tablespoons of water and add two eggs to the wet ingredients instead. Make sure the melted butter is not hot when you combine them or they will prematurely cook the egg. Instead of 2 tablespoons of starch, add 2 teaspoons when mixing the dry ingredients.
- with butter - Regular butter works great substituted 1-for-1 for the vegan butter (1 cup for the 1x recipe).
- with coconut oil - Coconut oil works great substituted 1-for-1 for the vegan butter (1 cup for the 1x recipe).
Gee says
So delicious!!! Made them exactly as you said snd they came perfect. I will definitely be making these again and again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Jamie says
I'm so glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Naomi says
This recipe is the best recipe I've found for gf chocolate chip cookies w/coconut flour thus far. 😍🙌🏼 My family loved this! The cookies were great with form & flavor, however mine were a bit drier than I'd prefer. I did half the recipe and did half chocolate chips and half walnuts. I also used dairy butter. Any insights on what might have went awry, or if the recipe is a naturally less moist? I am wondering if using coconut oil or adding an egg would tield in a gooeier cookie experience.
Jamie says
Hi Naomi - I'm so glad your family enjoyed the recipe and thank you for sharing your experience! Usually these cookies are pretty moist and chewy on the inside when I make them. My first thought would be that there was more gluten-free flour in the ones you made. Even a 1/2 tablespoon can make a difference. Which gluten-free flour did you use? I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1. You'll get the best result if weighing the flour since cups and spoons are not an exact science, and baking nearly is. Using coconut oil will probably not make too much of a difference but adding an egg would definitely make them more moist. I can't say if an egg would be too much moisture, though, since I haven't tried it myself. Please keep us posted on your journey to the perfect cookie!
Leila says
My gluten free friend made these for me and my family, and my husband could not stop talking about them! I even bought GF flour and coconut sugar to make them. We love this recipe and we’re not even gluten free. Try it!
Ainsley says
Just wow!! I made these and they were so good I’m now calling them my “secret recipe”. Everyone thinks that molasses makes them dark but I’m not telling that they are healthy chocolate chip cookies!
Jamie says
That's so fun! I'm so glad you loved them 🙂
Jenna says
New favorite cookie recipe! I love the combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Jamie says
I'm so glad you loved it Jenna!
Tamara says
I subbed regular all purpose flour and these cookies turned out great! My family liked them better than regular chocolate chip cookies so it will be our new go to recipe. Big win that it’s also made with coconut sugar!
Taylor says
These are BETTER than regular chocolate chip cookies and better for you! I’m not sure how you managed, but this is my family’s new favorite recipe. We made it egg-free as listed and were totally blown away by how you couldn’t tell these were ‘anything’ free. My new go-to cookie recipe!