Gluten-Free Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published Aug 21, 2026

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Cookies with a little something extra!

Some cookies are just cookies. Others have a little something extra going on.

These Gluten-Free Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies combine rich dark chocolate with BareOrganics Cacao Powder and Maca Powder for a cookie that’s deeply chocolatey, slightly earthy, wonderfully chewy, and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. In other words, they’re exactly the kind of cookie that makes you say, “I’ll just have one,” before reaching for a second.

Cookies with a little something extra!
What You’ll Need
Why Add Cacao Powder to Chocolate Chip Cookies?
And Then There’s Maca
What Makes These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies So Good?
Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
A Cookie With a Little Extra
Want more gluten-free cookie recipes?
Gluten-Free Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

The best part? You get all that irresistible chocolate chip cookie goodness without making the recipe complicated.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies:

Gluten-free all-purpose flour
BareOrganics Cacao Powder
BareOrganics Maca Powder
Baking soda
Baking powder
Kosher or fine sea salt
Unsalted butter
Light brown sugar
Granulated sugar
One large egg
One large egg yolk
Pure vanilla extract
Gluten-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing

Why Add Cacao Powder to Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Because more chocolate is always a good idea.

BareOrganics Cacao Powder is made from pressed cacao beans and contains no added sugar or fillers. The company describes it as a source of antioxidants and notes that it can be used in chocolate recipes, smoothies and other foods.

Cacao is also naturally rich in plant compounds called polyphenols, including flavanols. These compounds have antioxidant properties and are being studied for their potential role in supporting cardiovascular and overall health.

But let’s keep this in perspective: adding cacao to a cookie doesn’t magically turn the cookie into a health food. What it does do is give you a delicious way to incorporate a nutrient-rich ingredient into something you already love.

And in this recipe, cacao has another very important job: making the cookies taste intensely chocolatey.

BareOrganics Cacao Powder is sugar-free, so it adds rich chocolate flavor without contributing additional sugar.

And Then There’s Maca

Maca may not be the first ingredient you think of when you hear “chocolate chip cookies,” but that’s exactly why we love it here.

Maca is a root native to the Andes and has been used traditionally in Peru for generations. BareOrganics describes its organic maca root powder as an adaptogenic ingredient that supports energy, stamina and stress support.

Research into maca is still developing, and some of the health claims surrounding it aren’t firmly established in human studies. However, maca has a long history of culinary use and is an easy way to add an interesting plant-based ingredient to everyday foods.

Flavor-wise, maca has a mildly earthy, nutty quality. Don’t worry—it won’t make your cookies taste like a health-food experiment. The dark chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla keep the flavor firmly in dessert territory.

Think of maca as the mysterious ingredient that makes everyone wonder, “What makes these cookies taste so good?”

What Makes These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies So Good?

For starters, there’s a generous 1½ cups of gluten-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.

The dough also gets refrigerated for 45 minutes before baking. That extra step helps keep the cookies from spreading too much and contributes to their soft, chewy texture.

And then there’s the salt.

The dough contains salt, but the real magic happens when you sprinkle flaky sea salt over the warm cookies. That little hit of salt balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste even richer.

It’s a small step with a very big payoff.

Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chill the dough

Don’t skip the 45-minute refrigeration. It helps the cookies maintain their shape and gives you a thicker, chewier cookie.

Don’t overbake

This may be the most important cookie rule of all. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you remove the cookies from the oven. They’ll continue cooking and firming up as they cool.

Use plenty of chocolate

You can use dark chocolate chips or chop a favorite gluten-free dark chocolate bar into chunks. Chopped chocolate gives you those wonderful irregular pockets of melted chocolate.

Finish with flaky salt

Regular table salt and flaky sea salt are not interchangeable here. The flakes provide little bursts of saltiness and add a lovely textural contrast.

Let them cool, at least a little

We know. It’s hard.

But giving the cookies five minutes on the baking sheet helps them set before you move them to a rack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these cookies gluten-free?

Yes. The recipe uses gluten-free all-purpose flour and is specifically identified as gluten-free. If you’re baking for someone with celiac disease, always check the labels of your flour, chocolate and other packaged ingredients for current gluten-free labeling and cross-contact information.

Are these cookies nut-free?

Yes. The recipe is identified as nut-free as well as gluten-free and soy-free.

Can I use cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?

You can, although the flavor may be somewhat different. This recipe was developed using BareOrganics Cacao Powder, so that’s the best choice if you want the intended flavor.

Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?

Absolutely. The recipe specifically calls for either gluten-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.

How should I store these cookies?

Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze them in an airtight freezer-safe container.

We love recipes that make it easy to incorporate interesting ingredients into everyday cooking, and these cookies are a perfect example.

Of course, we’re not pretending that a chocolate chip cookie is a salad. It’s still a cookie—and that’s exactly why we love it.

But if you can make a rich, decadent, chocolate-loaded cookie with a couple of interesting plant-based ingredients tucked inside, why not?

So pour yourself a glass of milk, coffee or your favorite dairy-free alternative, grab a warm cookie, and enjoy.

Because “superfood” and “super delicious” don’t have to be mutually exclusive.