Our best recommendation for  good GF cookies is to make them from scratch. Please try our special recipe which we happily shared for the first time last month: https://glutenfreegus.com/2013/03/19/guss-chocolate-chip-cookies-dog-food-sandwich-solution/; satisfaction guaranteed!

If you don’t have the time or inclination to bake there are options.  Below is a list of our recommendations.

1.  Tate’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – http://www.tatesbakeshop.com/c/product-gluten-free.html , $ 7.99/7 oz. package,12 cookies

Far and away the best off-the-shelf gluten free chocolate chip cookie!  The only problem is finding them on a conveniently located shelf. An independent bookstore in Falmouth, Maine has them at the point-of-sale; The Fruit Basket in Hingham, Massachusetts, a small independent grocery, stocks them, Whole Foods often stocks them in their bakery section…. Tate’s also bakes a conventional version, so make certain you’ve selected the proper ones because it will be difficult to tell the difference!

The light-toasty brown cookies are nicely packaged – one doesn’t get a second chance to make a first impression.  They have a balanced homemade flavor, perhaps leaning in the molasses/dark brown sugar direction. The chips are perfect for the size and crispy consistency of the cookie. They’re expensive, but delicious and satisfying (unless you’re yearning for a chewy cookie – then see the Gus’s link above.)

2.  Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies – $ 3.99/7 oz. package, 14 cookies

Trust Trader Joes’s to get it right.  These are a virtual knock-off of Tate’s excellent product for half the price. If you like a crispy chocolate chip cookies, these are hard to beat!

3.  Lucy’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – $4.99/5.5 oz. package – 15 cookies

Crispy, crunchy, and intentionally small, Lucy’s cookies have nice flavor and clean finish. Their lightly browned golden color makes them a cut above others on the list. The chips are nice quality and the slight variation at the edges gives them the appearance of being an artisan “Chips Ahoy” cookie.

4.  Akia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies – $7.99/12 oz. – about 15 cookies.

These small crispy cookies have a nice distribution of small, but good quality chocolate chips.  While the flavor is good, their slightly chalky color, and more pronounced chalky finish on the tongue.  The variation of the edges and height of the cookies add to the sense that they’re baked in small batches. The packaging is a little prescriptive, but the fold-over closure of the bag is effective for storage.

5.  Pamela’s Simple Bites: Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies – $ 2.99/7 oz. bag of cookies.

The packaging, size, and body of these cookies screams “Chips Ahoy”, but the flavor, appearance, and quality of the chocolate say “baked in small batches from nice ingredients.” Try to eat just one. (Don’t confuse these with Pamela’s “Chunky Chocolate Chip Gourmet Cookies”. The larger cookies are much better than they were in 1998 when the grey color and flavor suggested the cardboard packaging might be just as tasty, however still not worth the price or calories.)