Gluten-Free LUV Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup (125g) Gluten-Free LUV Mix
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp espresso powder (optional — deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee)

Wet Ingredients

• 4½ tbsp (64g) butter, divided:
  • 2½ tbsp browned butter
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
• 6 tbsp (~82g) dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp (~35g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk + 2 tsp beaten egg (see note)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp corn syrup, glucose, or honey
• 1 tbsp heavy cream (preferred) — or 2 tsp milk

Mix-Ins

• 3.5 oz (100g) chocolate chips or chunks — a mix of both gives great texture variation
• Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

1. Brown the butter. In a small light-colored saucepan, melt the 2½ tbsp of butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. It will foam, then the foam will subside, and you'll start to see golden brown bits forming on the bottom — that's the milk solids toasting. The moment it smells nutty and looks amber, pull it off the heat and pour it into your mixing bowl immediately so it doesn't keep cooking. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of plain melted butter to the same bowl and let everything cool for 10 minutes before proceeding.
2. Mix your dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the LUV Mix, tapioca starch, salt, and espresso powder (if using). The tapioca starch is doing important work here — it gives the cookies that slightly chewy, bendy texture rather than crumbly. Set aside.
3. Combine butter and sugars. Once the butter has cooled slightly, add both sugars and stir vigorously until the mixture looks glossy and slightly thickened — about 60 seconds. This step helps dissolve the sugar and builds structure in the dough.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix in the egg yolk and beaten egg, vanilla, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Stir until smooth and fully combined. The corn syrup isn't just for sweetness — it keeps the cookies soft and prevents them from drying out, and helps achieve that slightly crisp edge with a chewy center.
5. Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl and fold with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Then fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be softer and stickier than a conventional cookie dough, which is exactly what you want.
6. Rest the dough — don't skip this. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. This allows the LUV Mix to fully hydrate and the flavors to develop. If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels very soft and sticky after resting, pop it in the fridge for another 20–60 minutes before scooping. Chilled dough also spreads less, giving you a thicker, chewier cookie.
7. Bake. Preheat your oven to 340°F (171°C). Scoop roughly 2 tbsp portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each. Lightly flatten each ball into a round puck with your palm — they won't spread as much as a conventional cookie, so this step helps. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set and just golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and glossy. That's the sweet spot.

   If your dough softens between batches (especially in a warm kitchen), slide the baking sheet into the fridge for 5 minutes before the next round. Cold dough bakes into a better cookie every time.

8. Finish and cool. The moment they come out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using. Let them cool on the pan for 5 full minutes before transferring — they're fragile straight out of the oven and will firm up as they cool. If you can wait 10 minutes, the texture will be even better.