Perfectly Crispy Yet Chewy Cookies You’ll Bake on Repeat

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Gluten-Free Crispy–Chewy Cookies

Yield: 10

These gluten-free crispy–chewy cookies are rich, nutty and perfectly balanced. Made with rice flour, chestnut flour and dark chocolate for irresistible texture and flavour.

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Ingredients

• 50 g hot water
• 15 g ground chia seeds
• 50 g coconut oil
• 50 g groundnut oil
• 250 g wholemeal rice flour (or normal wholemeal flour)
• 70 g chestnut flour
• 200 g light brown cane sugar (caster-style)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
• 40 g ground almonds
• 100 g vanilla soya milk
• 5 g baking powder
• 0.5 g xanthan gum
• 2 g fine sea salt
• 40 g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
• 50 g dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the hot water with the ground chia seeds to form a thick gel. Leave to cool and set aside.
2. Gently melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the peanut oil and mix well. Allow to cool slightly if needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C / gas mark 6–7).
4. In a large bowl, rub the oils into the rice flour and chestnut flour using your fingertips or a paddle attachment.
5. Add the sugar and vanilla powder, followed by the ground almonds.
6. Stir in the soya milk and the chia gel, then combine with the flour mixture.
7. Add the baking powder, xanthan gum and sea salt, mixing thoroughly.
8. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and dark chocolate chips.
9. Shape the dough into cookies around 1.3 cm thick and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden on top. The cookies should be crisp on the outside and soft in the centre.
11. Leave to cool slightly before transferring to a rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 5g

Perfectly Crispy Yet Chewy Cookies You’ll Bake on Repeat

Cookies may feel like a modern comfort food, but their story stretches back much further than most people realise. The word cookie comes from the Dutch koekje, meaning “little cake”, a name that hints at their humble beginnings. Early cookies were often small test bakes, used by bakers to check oven temperatures before committing to full cakes. Over time, these bite-sized trials became a treat in their own right.

By the 17th century, cookies had spread across Europe, evolving into regional favourites. In France, they were known as biscuits — literally “twice baked” — while in Britain, they leaned more towards crisp textures designed to last longer. Today’s soft-centred, chewy cookies are a much more recent invention, made possible by refined sugars, fats and precise oven control.

That’s what makes these gluten-free crispy–chewy cookies so special: they combine old-world ingredients with modern plant-based baking techniques to achieve the best of both worlds — crunch on the outside, softness in the middle.

A clever blend of flours

Instead of wheat flour, this recipe uses a blend of wholemeal rice flour and chestnut flour. Chestnut flour has been used in European baking for centuries, particularly in Italy and parts of France, where chestnut trees were once a staple food source. Naturally sweet and gently nutty, it adds depth of flavour without the need for excessive sugar.

Rice flour, on the other hand, provides structure and lightness. When paired together, these flours create a dough that bakes evenly and avoids the dryness often associated with gluten-free cookies.

Egg-free binding with chia seeds

A fun fact: chia seeds were prized by the Aztecs and Mayans for energy and endurance — the word chia actually means “strength”. In baking, they shine as a natural egg replacement. When mixed with hot water, ground chia seeds form a gel that binds ingredients and keeps baked goods moist.

Nutritionally, chia seeds are rich in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and plant protein, making them one of the most nutrient-dense seeds available. You can read more about their benefits on Healthline.

Oils that work with the oven

Fat plays a crucial role in cookie texture. Coconut oil contributes richness and subtle sweetness, while peanut oil improves spread and heat stability. This combination helps achieve that golden exterior without drying out the centre.

Hazelnuts, chocolate and flavour chemistry

Roasted hazelnuts bring a deep, toasted aroma that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate. Chocolate itself is another ingredient with a fascinating history — once consumed only as a bitter ceremonial drink by Mesoamerican cultures. Today, dark chocolate is celebrated for its antioxidants and polyphenols, particularly when cocoa content exceeds 70%.

Are these cookies healthy?

Let’s be honest — cookies are still cookies. However, these are nutrient-aware indulgences rather than empty calories. They’re:

• Naturally gluten-free
• Completely plant-based
• Made with whole-food ingredients
• Free from refined white flour
• Rich in fibre from chia seeds and chestnut flour

They’re best enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, paired with fruit, or as a satisfying post-meal treat rather than a daily snack.

If you’re interested in more baking, you may enjoy my recipes.

Storage and baking tips

These cookies keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature and freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. For the best texture, stick to the recommended thickness — around 1.3 cm — as this is key to achieving that signature crispy–chewy contrast.

A final fun fact

Did you know the world’s largest cookie weighed over 40,000 kg and was baked in the USA? Thankfully, these are much easier to store — and far more enjoyable to eat.