Cassava Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Soft, tender cassava flour cookies filled with mini chocolate chips, with lightly crisp edges and a rich, buttery flavor. No mixer or chilling is required, and the cookies are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and straightforward to make nut-free.

Introduction

After several weeks of experimenting with cassava flour, I discovered something important: despite the claims on some packages, cassava flour is not a dependable 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour. Used by itself, it can become stretchy and gummy. Paired with coconut flour, however, it works beautifully!

That combination is the secret to these cassava flour cookies. Cassava flour provides elasticity and a tender bite, while a small amount of coconut flour absorbs excess moisture and gives the cookies structure. The finished cookies are soft and slightly chewy in the center, lightly crisp at the edges and remarkably similar to classic chocolate chip cookies.

The dough for these cassava flour chocolate chip cookies takes only minutes to stir together, with no mixer or chilling required. It does not spread much in the oven, so shape the cookies before baking. Mini chocolate chips distribute plenty of chocolate through every bite—always a good thing.

One important note before you begin: weigh the cassava flour and coconut flour if at all possible. Both are straightforward to overmeasure with cups, and even a little too much can produce dry, crumbly cookies. The gram measurements give the most consistent results.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Soft, tender centers with lightly crisp edges
• Plenty of chocolate in every bite
• Quick preparation with no mixer or chilling
• Vegan, Paleo, egg-free and dairy-free
• Gluten-free and grain-free
• Nut-free when made with nut-free vegan butter and chocolate chips
• Freezer-friendly for longer storage

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Cassava flour:Made from the peeled, dried and ground whole cassava root. It is not the same as tapioca flour or tapioca starch. Weighing it is strongly recommended because volume measurements vary significantly among brands.
• Coconut flour:A small amount balances the elasticity of the cassava flour and absorbs moisture. It is highly absorbent, so measure it precisely and do not omit it.
• Baking soda:Provides lift and helps the cookies brown.
• Fine sea salt:Sharpens the vanilla, caramel and chocolate flavors.
• Vegan butter:Use a firm stick-style vegan butter, not a soft tub spread. Tub-style products contain more water and can significantly change the dough. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before mixing.
• Coconut sugar:Adds sweetness, moisture and a deep caramel flavor. Brown sugar also works; regular granulated sugar produces paler, crisper cookies with less caramel flavor.
• Vanilla extract:Rounds out the buttery, caramel notes.
• Mini semisweet chocolate chips:Mini dark chocolate chips provide the reliable chocolate distribution. Check the label for vegan, gluten-free and nut-free needs.

What Is Cassava Flour?

Cassava, also called yuca, is a starchy root vegetable. Cassava flour is made from the peeled, dried and ground whole root, giving it an off-white color and a fine but slightly granular texture.

Tapioca flour or tapioca starch comes from starch extracted from the cassava root. It is bright white and powdery, much like cornstarch. The two ingredients behave very differently in baking and cannot be substituted for one another in this recipe.

Can Cassava Flour Replace All-Purpose Flour?

Not reliably. Based on my testing, cassava flour does not work as a universal 1:1 replacement for wheat flour. Used alone, it can give baked goods a stretchy or gummy texture.

For these cookies, combining cassava flour with coconut flour creates a far better balance. The cassava flour supplies elasticity and tenderness, while the coconut flour absorbs moisture and provides structure.

How to Make Cassava Flour Cookies

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the oven and pan.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients.In a small bowl, whisk the cassava flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt until evenly blended.
3. Mix the wet ingredients.In a medium bowl, stir the melted vegan butter, coconut sugar and vanilla until combined.
4. Make the dough.Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. The dough will thicken within 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Scoop and shape.Scoop rounded mounds of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Use your fingertips to flatten and shape each mound into a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) across. Press a few extra mini chips on top, if desired.
6. Bake.Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
7. Cool.Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes so they can firm before transferring them to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Taste and Texture

The cookies have a buttery, caramel-rich flavor with abundant little pockets of chocolate. The centers are soft, tender and slightly chewy, while the edges are lightly crisp. Cassava flour has a mild flavor, and the small amount of coconut flour does not make the cookies taste strongly of coconut.

Storage

Cool the cookies completely before storing them in an airtight container. Keep them at cool room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months and thaw at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the cookies as they are, with coffee, tea or a cold glass of nondairy milk. For a plain dessert, sandwich softened vegan ice cream between two completely cooled cookies.

Tips for Success

Cassava flour and coconut flour are light and straightforward to pack into measuring cups. Too much of either flour can make the cookies dry, sandy or crumbly. Use 96 g cassava flour and 28 g coconut flour for the most consistent results.

Lightly spoon each flour into the measuring cup without packing, then level it. Cassava flour varies by brand; the correct 96 g may be slightly less than a full 3/4 cup.

The dough does not spread much in the oven. Flatten each mound to about 1/4 inch thick and shape the edges before baking.

The hot cookies are delicate. Leave them on the baking sheet for the full 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Ingredient Substitutions

Replace the vegan butter with an equal amount of melted, cooled coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor; unrefined coconut oil adds a light coconut flavor. The cookies will not have the same buttery flavor as the vegan-butter version. If you do not follow a vegan diet, you can also use an equal amount of melted dairy butter or ghee.

Use an equal amount of brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar. It preserves the cookies’ caramel flavor and soft texture.

Use an equal amount of granulated sugar. The cookies will be paler, crisper and less caramel-flavored.

Flavor Variations

One reader reported success omitting the chocolate and adding pistachios, dried cranberries and a hint of allspice.

One reader reported good results with walnuts and chopped dried apricots; another variation paired walnuts with cacao nibs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most likely cause is too much cassava flour or coconut flour. Both flours are straightforward to overmeasure by volume. Weigh 96 g cassava flour and 28 g coconut flour for the reliable results, and do not pack either flour into a measuring cup.

No. Cassava flour is made from the whole cassava root, while tapioca flour or tapioca starch is the extracted starch. They behave very differently and cannot be substituted for one another here.

I have not tested this cookie recipe without the coconut flour and do not recommend omitting it. It absorbs moisture and balances the stretchy quality of the cassava flour.

Use a firm stick-style vegan butter, not a soft spread from a tub. I tested the recipe with Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks. Miyoko’s Vegan Butter also works. Tub-style spreads contain more water and can significantly alter the dough.

I have not tested a maple-syrup version. Maple syrup adds substantially more liquid than coconut sugar, so it is not a direct 1:1 substitution and would require additional changes to the formula.

The cassava flour and coconut flour dough naturally spreads very little. Flatten and shape the dough into 2-inch circles before baking rather than waiting for the oven to do the work.

Yes. Cool the baked cookies completely, place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw them at room temperature.