The Best Gluten-Free Flour Blend To Use For Rich, Chewy Cookies

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Want to make a batch of rich and chewy gluten-free cookies this week, but unsure of what flour to use to succeed? Fret not, for we have the answer for you — from an expert. Pastry chef Alysha Dinatale of The Goddess and Grocer (an American cafe in Chicago) gave us a crucial tip on baking delicious and chewy gluten-free cookies. She said, "... go with a blend that includes almond flour or oat flour. Almond flour gives that rich, chewy bite, while oat flour keeps things soft and tender." 

Why does this work out so well? It comes down to the ingredients. Almond flours are typically made with blanched or unblanched almonds, which contain fats and fiber that lend richness, chew, and moisture to the cookies, while the oat flours are usually produced from fibrous whole grain oats, which makes cookies tender and richer in flavor. Now, while there are plenty of store-bought almond flours (such as this one by Barney Butter) and oat flours (like this organic one by Yupick) available, they don't often come pre-blended with other ingredients. 

Additionally, other popular products available in the supermarkets, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour and King Arthur Baking's Gluten-Free Flour, feature blends of tapioca starch, potato starch, and rice flour. It will be in your best interest to make your own DIY gluten-free blend that includes either almond or oat flour. So, if you're looking for more chewiness in your cookies, add more almond flour in your DIY blend. For softer and more flavorful cookies, add more oat flour instead.

Now, let's say you want your chewy gluten-free cookies to have desirable crispy edges as well. In that case, pastry chef Dinatale had an additional tip. She shared, "And if you're going for a crispy edge, a bit of tapioca starch will do the trick. It's the secret weapon for that perfect texture." It's no wonder that tapioca starch is so commonly present in many store-bought gluten-free flour blends. Not only does it contribute to crispy textures, but a higher amount of tapioca starch also makes baked goodies chewier and allows them to retain moisture better.

So, if you're making our vegan gluten-free almond crinkle cookies recipe, mix about a teaspoon of tapioca starch into the dry ingredients before incorporating it with the wet ingredients of the cookie dough. The cookies will have a lovely chew, thanks to the almond flour, and the edges will have a bit of a crisp, thanks to the tapioca starch. You can also try this trick with the traditional Sicilian almond cookies recipe by Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone. When mixing in the almond flour, be sure to add the tapioca starch as well. You can order a 12-ounce bag from Kate Naturals on Amazon to keep on hand.