A simple egg and dairy free recipe for rye chocolate chip cookies – just in time for back to school. This is one of our favourite cookie recipes, with a great depth of flavour (rye, of course, plus almond flour and almond butter).
Adding almond flour and almond butter adds richness and makes the cookies chewier, both of which can be missing in cookies lacking the high amounts of butter, sugar, and eggs traditionally added. These are very much a grown-up cookie, but I’m sure kids would love them too.
Rye and chocolate are best friends and this recipe definitely showcases that. The cookies are chewy in the centre, with a crispy, golden edge. The best kind.
Ingredients
- Rye Flour: whole grain, so expect a slightly more toothsome cookie.
- Almond Flour: blanched or not, it doesn’t matter for this recipe.
- Coconut Sugar: this is the main sweetening agent, and adds a nice caramel flavour.
- Arrowroot Flour: for a chewier cookie and as a binding agent. Cornstarch can be used.
- Sea Salt: reduce or omit if the nut butter is salted (more on this below).
- Baking Soda: not baking powder!
- Almond Butter: the nut butter must be runny for this recipe. No bottom of the jar junk.
- Coconut Oil: softened, but not melted.
- Maple Syrup: or runny honey if the cookies don’t need to be fully vegan.
- Non-dairy Milk: a splash to make up for the lack of water in coconut oil.
- Vanilla: extract. For powder or paste, reduce the quantity by half.
Step by Step
Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. 
In a smaller bowl. add the wet ingredients. Whisk until mixed. Add the almond butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly. 
Bake, cool, and serve.
Notes and Substitutions
If preferred, use hazelnut flour in place of almond. Any runny nut butter can be used – hazelnut butter would also be great. I haven’t tested a nut-free version but hypothetically a seed meal and seed butter should work too.
Spelt or white flour can be subbed for rye if absolutely necessary, but you will get a different cookie. For readers in places with different varieties of rye flour available, use light rye. The lower the number, the better it is for cookies (815 in Germany is best here).
I use chocolate drops rather than chips, because American-style chocolate chips are hugely expensive here. Chopped bar chocolate or a mix of chips and chunks is good too.
Using softened, rather than melted, coconut oil causes the cookie to spread a bit more in the oven and results in a better texture. If your house is warm, this can be straight from the jar. If the oil is very hard, heat it slightly before mixing.
The cookies are flattened for the same reason, for a greater spread. Just use the heel or palm of your hand to gently press.
More Cookie Recipes
Honey and Oat Cookies
Trail Mix Cookies
Ultimate Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Blueberry Nut Butter Cookies
More Rye Flour Recipes
Sourdough Rye and Spelt Crackers
Pain d’epices
Easy Overnight Dark Rye Bread
Apricot Galette
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Almond Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies
These almond and rye chocolate chip cookies are rich, chewy, and flavourful thanks to a base of rye flour, almond flour, and almond butter.
Ingredients
- 120 grams (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) rye flour
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) almond flour
- 50 grams (1/2) cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 120 grams (1/2 cup) runny almond butter**
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) coconut oil, softened
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk or water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, almond flour, sugar, arrowroot, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the almond butter mixture to the larger bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop three tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 6 cm (2 in.) apart for each cookie. Press each cookie down slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
- Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes on the pan before removing and cooling fully on a rack. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or freeze up to a month.
Notes
* Reduce the salt by half or omit if the almond butter is salted.
** You need to use a runny almond butter for this recipe. A harder one will result in a denser, drier cookie, and no one wants that. If the dough is too dry (due to a dry nut butter) add a tablespoon or two of nondairy milk to make up for it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 125mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
This data is provided by a calculator and is a rough estimation of the nutritional information in this recipe.
This post was originally published in August 2018. It has been updated with some clarifications and slight adjustments to the recipe as of August 2021.
Yvonne says
Hi Alexandra, I made these cookies when you first posted the recipe but I remember that at that time I couldn’t write a comment (website problems?) and I forgot about it.
The post about the chocolate recipes reminded me of these cookies because they are excellent and I am going to make them again, very soon! Or maybe I will make the hazelnut chocolate ganache tart first?
Maybe you are already speaking a little bit dutch : ) I know it’s a difficult language to learn: my mother, being Spanish, came to live here with my (Dutch) father and found, and still finds it quite a difficult language to pronounce.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Hi Yvonne, thanks so much for your comment! I’m so happy you liked the cookies. The tart is also excellent ; ) I can’t say that my dutch has progressed much as I haven’t had too much time to practice. I’m a little bit better at reading it now but it’s tricky to understand when people are talking! Have a lovely week ahead : )
Lysh says
Hi, I tried making these and after baking them, they didn’t rise or spread. They looked exactly how they did raw just with a toasty bottom and edges. I double checked the recipe and made it but weighing, any ideas what what I did wrong?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Sorry to hear you had some problems Lysh, if you didn’t change the recipe at all then this sounds like an oven setting or baking problem. These have been successful in lots of different ovens so I’m not sure what else it might be!
Yosefa says
I just made these cookies and usually they came out great. Mine also spread out very thin and then I realized I skipped the almond butter! *Face Palm*
Hopefully someone will eat them lol
Alexandra Daum says
Oh no! Well, it happens, and some people will eat anything : )
Heike says
Hi Alexandra,
Just made these über delicious cookies. The recipe is super simple. I didn’t have any rye flour at home and used whole spelt flour instead. Next time I may use less chocolate since the hand chopped pieces were made them slightly fall apart.
Many thanks for this amazing recipe¨
Best,
Heike
Alexandra Daum says
Thanks Heike, so glad you liked them!
Gracia says
I made the cookies and they were delicious! very surprised with the rye flour I was skeptic due to the fat that is a very dry flour. For a second time I can replace arrowroot for cornstarch?
Alexandra Daum says
I’m so glad you like them! Yes, you can use cornstarch no problem.