Buckwheat flour is the key to these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. You won’t believe how amazingly delicious they are! And not just for being gluten-free — rather, for just being a delicious cookie.
Crispy along the edges, soft on the inside, and full of melting chocolate, these tempting beauties have a subtly earthy-nutty flavor that’s not to be missed! It’s no wonder they’re one of our favorite gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Since my son has Celiac Disease, I’ve made and tasted a lot of gluten free chocolate chip cookies over the past several years.
This particular recipe is our current favorite. Buckwheat cookies seem to be few and far between, and I’m telling you, once you try these, buckwheat flour will soon be in your pantry.
What is buckwheat flour?
- Is buckwheat flour gluten-free? Yes, that’s why it’s in this recipe. Given its name, the most surprising thing about buckwheat flour is that it’s gluten-free. It’s not a wheat at all.
- In fact, buckwheat is not a grain — it’s the seed of a fruit! I suppose that’s also surprising. And how about this . . . it’s related to rhubarb.
- What does buckwheat flour taste like? Buckwheat flour adds a tasty earthy, nut-like flavor to recipes. It also has a slightly bitter flavor, and can be intense. This is why it’s typically mixed with other flours when used in baked goods.
Sometimes it’s fun to add additional chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies before they go in the oven. It makes for an especially delicious presentation.
What’s in this recipe?
It’s the perfect blend of ingredients that makes these buckwheat cookies tasty and create such a lovely texture.
- unsalted butter. The flavor of the butter with the buckwheat flour is amazing!
- granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds softness while the granulated sugar helps with crispness.
- sour cream. This might seem odd since it’s typically seen in cakes, not cookies. However sour cream does the same thing in both — it produces a soft creaminess.
- vanilla. I almost always use 1 tablespoon of vanilla for my cookies recipes. It always enhances the flavor.
- salt. Just as it does in savory recipes, salt brings out the natural flavor of the ingredients. So adding salt to this recipe will actually enhance the flavor of the buckwheat, the vanilla, and so on.
- eggs. Eggs build structure and add moisture. The yolks increase richness, tenderness and flavor.
- gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour. I love the 1 to 1 gluten-free flours because they’re a blend of a few different flours and starches, and they contain xanthan gum. (In this recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, I added a bit more xanthan gum to account for the buckwheat flour.)
- buckwheat flour. This is what adds a tasty earthy, nut-like flavor to the cookies.
- xanthan gum. Without gluten, xanthan gum is what acts as the binding agent for the flour. It creates elasticity and helps give baked goods structure.
- baking soda. This is what helps cookies rise.
- chocolate chips. I use a combination of milk and semisweet in this recipe. I particularly like milk chocolate with the flavor of the buckwheat, since it’s a bit less intense and sweeter. You’ll notice I use a lot of chocolate chips. I think it’s important that every bite include a few of them.
A few more gluten-free chocolate chip cookies:
- Gluten-Free Chestnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whether you’re gluten-free or not, I really hope you’ll give this recipe a go. They’re a favorite in my house for everyone!
Enjoy!
Buckwheat flour is the key to these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. You won't believe how amazingly delicious they are! And not just for being gluten-free -- rather, for just being a delicious cookie.
This recipe makes about 8 dozen small cookies / Serving size: about 3 cookies
- 1¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup golden brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
- 1¼ cups buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
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Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter with the sugars, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Once it's completely smooth, add the egg and stir to combine thoroughly.
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In a larger mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, buckwheat flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda. Mix just until everything is incorporated evenly and there are no dry spots.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Use two teaspoons or a 1-inch cookie scoop to shape the batter into balls. Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets as you go, at least 2 inches apart.
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Bake the cookies in the preheated 350°F oven for about 8 minutes. They should be soft when they are removed from the oven, and will firm a bit as they cool.
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Let them rest on the baking sheets for at least 15 minutes.
I like these cookies to be on the small side, but of course you can make your cookies any size you'd like to.
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Melissa says
Thank you soooo much for posting this recipe! A friend sent it to me before I joined your blog and I am so thankful he did. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had, gluten free or not. They are truly my favorite cookie. WONDERFUL!!!!
valentina says
Hi Melissa —
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts about my recipe. I’m thrilled you loved the cookies! They are definitely one of my favorites, too! 🙂
angiesrecipes says
Crisp edges with softer chewy crumb…these are some amazing GF cookies! Gorgeous shots, as always, Valentina.
valentina says
Thank you so much, Angie! I really appreciate that. I love the buckwheat flour. I’ve seen a lot of really interesting gluten-free flours in many of your recipes, and I have them on a list to try. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I am so intrigued by buckwheat flour. These are the perfect cookie for my sister who is gluten intolerant, but I’m keeping some for my family too! Love all those chocolate chips!
valentina says
Thanks, Cathy. I’m happy you have someone to bake them for. 🙂 And yes, never too many chocolate chips! ~Valentina
Nehal Preet says
Hey Valentina, Amazing blog post. Thank you for sharing. I am so glad that I found your site! I really love cooking and I will try to get my hands on this for sure. Much Love and Regards.
valentina says
Thank you so much, Nehal, for the kind words. I hope you try and love the cookies. 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Such a great recipe — tons of flavor, and we do have friends who can’t tolerate gluten, so this is ideal. Thanks!
David Scott Allen says
Well, aside from sounding absolutely delicious, this recipe is so informative. I did not know that buckwheat was from a seed, or that it was related to rhubarb! I’m glad to know that it is gluten-free, although I have several friends who claim that it is not. Obviously, they are making it up! Nothing like facts and science to win an argument. 😊😊 I love the nuttiness that buckwheat adds to baked goods. I first used it to make blini, and then started adding it to my no-knead bread. Now, on to cookies!
Marissa says
I absolutely prefer whole grain flours in baking and buckwheat flour is way under appreciated. (And I didn’t realize that it was gluten free.) I’m SO excited to try these beautiful cookies, Valentina!
Colette says
My nephew can’t have gluten and I get so frustrated with baking.
I love, love these cookies. Can’t wait to make them.
valentina says
Thanks, Colette. I hope he loves them as much as we do. 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef says
Thank you for this. I have a friend who is sensitive to gluten, and I always have a hard time finding things to make for her.
valentina says
This makes me happy, Jeff. I hope she loves them! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I just picked up a bag of buckwheat flour and now I know what I’m gonna make! You can never go wrong with homemade cookies, especially those that are hearty, chocolatey and look as delicious as these! Happy (almost) Friday, my friend 🙂
valentina says
Thank you, Dawn. Always good to have a bag of buckwheat flour at the ready. 😉 ~Valentina
Kim Lange says
Those cookies are so beautiful and I love the specks in them because of the buckwheat flour. I remember having buckwheat pancakes as a kid, but it’s kind of dropped off the map, so I’ll have to revisit now! Pinning! xo
valentina says
Thank you, Kim. ooooh, I love buckwheat pancakes. That might just have to be next. 🙂 ~Valentina
sippitysup says
Buckwheat, huh? I’ve made rye CC Cookies, but maybe they’re not gluten-free. I don’t know… GREG
valentina says
I remember seeing you rye cookies and being intrigued and thinking they looked delicious. And yes, rye has gluten. 🙂 Thanks for visiting! 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
It’s been so long since I’ve baked with buckwheat flour! (To be honest, I didn’t realize until I read this post that buckwheat isn’t a grain. Cool!) I love the flavor, and we used to make buckwheat pancakes all the time. Using it in a cookie recipe sounds delicious, though!
valentina says
I love the pancakes with buckwheat flour. They’re next up. Thanks so much, David! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jenn says
These sound great. I used to go to a buckwheat festival when I was younger. Mmmm. What would be a good dairy free option for sour cream? Yogurt? Coconut cream? does it need the “sour” part for the cookie to turn out? I could try df milk and vinegar? thanks.
valentina says
Hi Jenn, Thanks for writing in. 🙂 A buckwheat festival sounds awesome! Wish I could go to one.
The sour cream adds moisture to the recipe. They would turn out without it, but likely be a drier texture. While I haven’t tried it, I think the coconut cream will be your best bet. Might add a slight coconut flavor, and that might be delicious. Enjoy and I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it. ~Valentina