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Tender and slightly chewy vegan cassava flour chocolate chip cookies that taste 100% traditional, yet are grain-free, gluten-free & nut-free! Easy-to-make, they are made with cassava flour & coconut flour.
It’s officially cookie baking season, huzzah! To begin the cookie festivities, I’ve got an exciting addition to your repertoire: Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Cassava Flour.
Recipe Benefits
These remarkable cookies are:
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Seed-free
- Easy to make
Ingredients for the Cookies
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cassava flour
- Coconut flour
- Coconut sugar
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
What is Cassava Flour?
Have you tried cassava flour? I’ve used it some, but decided it was time for some serious experimenting, which is what I have been doing these past few weeks.
Cassava–also known as yuca– is a tuber in the same family as taro, yams, and potatoes. Tapioca is made from yuca as well, but cassava four and tapioca starch are not one in the same.
Cassava flour is made from the entire yuca root (peeled, dried and ground), whereas tapioca starch is the product of washing, pulping, and extracting the starch alone. The latter is bright white and chalky to the touch (similar to cornstarch), while the former is off-white and more granular (yet still fine, similar to rice flour) in texture.
Can Cassava Flour Replace All Purpose Flour?
A caution, based on my testing: do not be fooled by websites and packages that claim cassava flour can be substituted 1:1 for wheat flour. It cannot. It has a stretchy, gooey quality when used solo.
However, I am discovering that it can work beautifully when combined with other flours, yielding results that are very similar to all-purpose flour. Exciting!
Combine Cassava Flour & Coconut Flour for Great Baking Results
Coconut flour + cassava flour is a particularly harmonious blend. It is the combination that makes these chocolate chip cookies remarkably similar to a soft-bake cookie made with all-purpose flour and eggs.
How to Make Vegan Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
In addition to being perfectly delicious, these cookies are a breeze to make.
Step One: Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Two: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk the cassava flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt until blended.
Step Three: Whisk the Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil or vegan margarine, coconut sugar (or the granular sugar of you choice) and a teaspoon of vanilla.
Step Four: Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the flour mixture,to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined, and then add miniature semisweet chocolate chip (mini chips= maximum chocolate chip distribution). The dough will look very similar to a traditional chocolate chip cookie dough.
Step Five: Scoop & Flatten Dough
Despite looking and tasting like ordinary cookie dough, the cassava-coconut flour combination does not spread much.
Hence, after scooping the dough (I use a small cookie scoop), you will need to use your fingers to flatten the dough into a round cookie shape (about 2 inches across, 1/4-inch thick).
Step Six: Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in a preheated 350F oven for 9 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.
That’s it!
The cookies keep well at cool room temperature, or can be stored longer term in the refrigerator or freezer (although, they do not last long at our house! :)).
FAQ
Storage Recommendations for the Cookies
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
What is the Best Way to Measure Cassava Flour?
I strongly recommend (URGE!) that you weigh the flours (cassava and coconut) rather than use dry measures.
Both flours are very light and powdery, so it is very easy to overload the measuring cups, which can lead to dry, crumbly cookies.
If using measuring cups, very lightly spoon in the flours to measure. Cassava flour is especially tricky; for example, the weight for 1/4 cup of cassava flour (as given on many bags) is actually slightly less than 1/4 cup, even when you measure lightly. For this recipe, fill the cup measurements so that you have slightly less than 3/4 cup.
What Vegan Butter Did You Use?
I used Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks in my recipe testing. If using the vegan margarine option, be sure to use sticks, not margarine spread (in tubs). The latter has a higher water content than the former and will significantly alter the recipe.
Any Substitutions for the Coconut Sugar?
An equal amount of brown sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar. Regular granulated sugar can also be used, but it will result in pale-colored, crisper, and less caramel-y cookies.
Can I Substitute Tapioca Flour for the Cassava Flour?
Be sure to use cassava flour, not tapioca flour. Both products are made from the root of the cassava plant, but they are different products. Using one in place of the other will lead to very different results.
Happy baking!
More Gluten-Free & Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies to Love:
- Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Quinoa Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies {oil-free}
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies {keto option}
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (made with oats}
- Soft Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto & Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies {gluten-free}
Tender and slightly chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies that taste 100% traditional, yet are grain-free, gluten-free & nut-free! Easy-to-make, they are made with cassava flour & coconut flour.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (96 g) cassava flour (see note about measuring)
- 1/4 cup (28 g) coconut flour (see note about measuring)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/125mL) vegan margarine OR coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (or more, as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the melted margarine or oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour mixture, stirring until combined; stir in chocolate chips (mixture will thicken in 30 to 60 seconds).
- Using a small cookie scoop, or tablespoon, scoop the dough into rounded mounds onto the prepared baking sheet (space about 2 inches/5 cm apart). Using fingertips, flatten and shape dough into a small circle (about 2 inches/5 cm in diameter). If desired, press a few additional mini chips on top.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool cookies on sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tip:I strongly recommend (URGE!) that you weigh the flours (cassava and coconut) rather than use dry measures. Both are very light and powdery, so it is very easy to overload the measuring cups, which can lead to dry, crumbly cookies. If using measuring cups, very lightly spoon in the flours to measure. Cassava flour is especially tricky; for example, the weight for 1/4 cup of cassava flour (as given on many bags) is actually slightly less than 1/4 cup, even when you measure lightly. For this recipe, fill the cup measurements so that you have slightly less than 3/4 cup.
Tip: I used Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks in my recipe testing. If using the vegan margarine option, be sure to use sticks, not margarine spread (in tubs). The latter has a higher water content than the former and will significantly alter the recipe.
Sugar Options: An equal amount of brown sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar. Regular granulated sugar can also be used, but it will result in pale-colored, crisper, and less caramel-y cookies.
Flour Tip: Be sure to use cassava flour, not tapioca starch, in the recipe, as they are different products. Using one in place of the other will lead to very different results.
Nutrition Information
Yield 22 Serving Size 1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 93Total Fat 5.2gSaturated Fat 1.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 88.9mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0.7gSugar 6.3gProtein 0.4g
Deirdre
Thursday 21st of December 2023
It is extremely annoying that these are SO GOOD! Ha ha. I was expecting them to taste like "healthy cookies" but they are decadent and hard to stop eating. Thanks.
Sherron
Saturday 16th of December 2023
Can you use Ghee in place of oil?
Camilla
Wednesday 20th of December 2023
@Sherron Yes!
Michelle
Sunday 26th of March 2023
Delish! I had been struggling to find bvegan cassava flour recipes...chocolate chip cookies was a great option and worth making. Thank you!
Mayra
Thursday 16th of June 2022
I tief tue recipe but adjusted it cause I wanted orange Cookies. Results were meost delicious cookies ever. I have to say I added liquid to the though and did not put so much oil. It was my first recipe with cassava flour.
Camilla
Thursday 23rd of June 2022
FANTASTIC, Mayra! Way to make the cookies your own :) So happy you gave cassava flour a try.
Raechel
Monday 29th of March 2021
excellent cookies, Camilla! I weighed everything and they turned out great. Thanks!