These flourless chocolate cookies take your taste buds to a whole new level. Only five ingredients stand in your way of making the gooiest, chewy no flour chocolate cookies as a naturally gluten free cookie option everyone finds hard to ignore. If you want to witness how fast a batch of cookies can disappear, than this is the recipe for you!
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Winning Chocolate Flourless Cookies – Ooey Gooey Yumminess!
Chewy, fudgy flourless chocolate cookies recipe is a great introduction to GF baking and an essential recipe in my gluten-free cookie collection. Just like homemade chocolate no bake cookies, it’s great to not have to mess around with (expensive!) GF flour blends, and use what is right in your kitchen.
These no flour cookies only require five simple ingredients – egg whites, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt, and chocolate chips, but, dang, do they create some goodness. They have a crackly, crunchy exterior with a whole lot of gooey, fudgy chocolate goodness inside, just like highly-reviewed viral gluten-free brownie cookies.
Even if gluten free baking is of no concern to you, these homemade cookies do not disappoint. Many readers turn to the this recipe when they are looking for flourless cookies for holidays or to make for a friend that is gluten-free. Then they end up being surprised by how no one can resist them.
Their unique texture and structure comes from the egg whites, which essentially makes this a chocolate meringue cookie. Since they taste like light, puffs of rich chocolately heaven, be forewarned they are eaten quickly! Let’s make them and see what all the fuss is about!
Then, do me a solid? After you relish this GF win, head over to this homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies recipe to learn the easy tricks for baking with flour as well. You won’t be disappointed. 🙌
Everyone needs to have this flourless cookie recipe. Super easy to make and they taste very high end. YUM!!
—Karen
Great easy recipe! Everyone I make these for rave about these cookies!
—Olga
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Whisky whisk time
In a large bowl whisk cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. You’ll want to make sure your bowl is large enough to work in the egg whites without the powdered sugar spilling out.
Egg whites and oomph
Stir in the egg whites and vanilla extract. The batter will get very thick and require some oomph to stir. TIP: Using a silicone spoon helps immensely with being able to stir, scrape, and fold until all the ingredients are moistened.
If it seems impossible to stir, add a couple dashes of water. The size of your egg whites plays a factor in the consistency of the batter.
Once all the dry ingredients are mixed, stir in the chocolate chips or any additional add-ins. (See below for some yummy ideas.)
Scoop, wait, and bake
Scoop batter onto the prepared baking sheet. TIP: Using a small cookie scoop quickly makes evenly sized cookies. If you are a baker, this tiny little cookie scoop will change your life.
Now is when we do something a little different in this flourless cookies recipe. Allow them to rest for 30 minutes at room temp. This will result in a better shaped cookie. (See the mage below) But, truth be told, these things will be eaten either way.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are glossy and slightly cracked. Cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring. Try not to eat every single one of them…You’ve been warned.
Why The Rest Before Baking?
Although it’s not necessary to rest the cookies before baking, I find that it does improve the cookies structure and shape. If baking right away the cookies will spread more and be thinner. Resting at room temperature for 30 minutes yields a rounder shape, with set glossy tops.
Super Yummy Mix-Ins
- Nuts – chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or peanuts. You can sprinkle a few on top before baking too.
- Peanut butter baking chips (read label for gluten-free)
- Crushed peppermint candies
- Substitute chopped dark chocolate chunks or white chocolate chips
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before baking
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies
- Substitute orange extract and add in orange zest
- Stir in 1 teaspoon espresso powder
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Chewy, Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup (68 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, (or substitute natural unsweetened baking cocoa)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 large egg whites, unbeaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and SPRAY with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together powder sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla extract until the batter is completely moistened. It will be very, very thick. Stir in the chocolate chips.3 cups powdered sugar, ⅔ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ tsp. salt, 3 large egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Spoon the batter on the sprayed parchment lined sheets, about 1 tablespoon per scoop (Using a small cookie scoop makes this very easy!) You will end up with about 12 mounds per sheet. Let the cookie sheets rest for 30 minutes before baking*, meanwhile preheating oven to 350ºF.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are glossy and lightly cracked. The edges will be set and the middle slightly undercooked.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before gently transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Best Tips and Troubleshooting
- Substituting a sugar alternative for the powdered sugar is not recommended.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and don’t forget to spray with cooking spray. I often see readers post their cookie “failures” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Foil is a no no!
- The egg whites should be unbeatened when adding them in.
- Don’t let the batter sit too long before scooping onto the baking sheet. Once the egg whites, powdered sugar, and baking cocoa are mixed, scoop the batter onto the baking sheet.
- Many readers have asked about adding the whole egg. While some have had success with this, I have not. It added too much liquid and the cookies were extremely flat and chewy.
- If the batter is too thick to incorporate the dry ingredients, you can add a couple drops of water just till it comes together. Avoid adding too much extra liquid, though, or the cookies will spread and become thin.
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Do you leave the eggs out to come to room temperature, or is straight from the refrigerator okay?
This was the first recipe I baked in my first apartment back in 2017 when I was teaching myself to cook/bake. I was giddy when I came across the recipe again this week. So simple and delicious! Perfect cookies from my childhood. Thank you!! 💜
Love this Elle! I just add the eggs straight from the fridge. Enjoy!
These cookies are terrific…I am gluten intolerant and my husband is not and he loves them. They are especially delish with ice cream in between 2 cookies…yum!
Sondra
Well, that sounds so amazing! Thanks for taking the time to share, Sondra!
Best,
Melissa
My niece made these for Christmas and I also made a gluten brownie cookie, my son loved mine until he tried these! When I made these I had to I add an extra egg white as the batter just wasn’t coming together. You are right, hard to stir, but worth it!
Thanks for sharing, Heidi! I’m so happy you found TWO new recipes to love. 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Followed the recipe as written. Cookies are sickeningly sweet and don’t set up well in the oven. If you must make these, use 1.5 cups sugar and 1.5 cups corn starch. Add 1 tablespoon espresso powder. Some reviewers also suggested adding salt. Refrigerate after cooking to make the cookies less sticky/gooey.
Hi Benjamin,
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the cookies. I’m not sure how half sugar and cornstarch would work, that would be a big variation from the recipe. I don’t find them to be gooey or sticky, so I’m wondering if they were baked long enough? Adding espresso would be a great idea too.
Best,
Melissa
So when you say to rest the cookies on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, did you mean for them to go in the fridge for that amount of time, or just at room temperature?
Hi April,
Room temperature is fine! That is what I always do.
Best,
Melissa
Well, they taste good. Batter was runny runny runny. I had to keep baking them because they would not set up. Multiple people read to make sure I didn’t miss something. We put a thermometer in the oven to see if it was cooking low. No idea. Headed to the grocery store now to buy dessert for everyone.
This is a bummer, Brenda. Usually the batter is extremely thick, kind of hard to stir. You used egg whites and not the whole eggs? I’m so sorry for the trip out to the store. That is no fun 🙁
Best,
Melissa
I used the egg whites in a carton. A couple of weeks later and… I bet I converted wrong. I don’t cook and I ruined the eggs seperating them… so I thought this would be the easy way. Next time, I’m just going to have someone separate the eggs for me! LOL!
Lol, yes, this will only work with separated eggs. Sorry you had to learn the hard way 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Absolutely delicious. This is my go-to cookie for gluten free friends. Thank you!!
I make these all the time! Glad you enjoy them too, Bethany!
Best,
Melissa
I made these cookies they are yummy, I added 1 tsp of espresso powder and pecans I also beat my egg whites before I put in batter. This recipe is a keeper.
So happy to hear. Thanks for taking the time to share!
Best,
Melissa
Made these today and they were delicious..especially warm but i wanted that chewy texture and these were yummy!
Thanks Amy! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Hi Melissa! Thank you for sharing this recipe! The cookies were delicious – just like brownie cookies. I pretty much followed the recipe, but my batter seemed thin so I added an additional half cup of powdered sugar. Also, because several commenters said the cookies were very sweet I reduced the chips to a half cup of peanut butter chips (that’s what I had on hand) and a mounded half cup of walnut pieces. After letting the dropped cookie batter rest on the sheets for 30 minutes I bake them as stated in the directions, rotating the sheets half way through the baking time. The cookies from the bottom sheet were quite flat and chewy-gooey. They tasted great, but were kind of a mess to look at or pick up. The cookies from the top sheet looked just like yours! Next time I will try baking only one cookie sheet at time as another commenter suggested. Thank you again!
Absolutely delicious. Made one batch regular and made another with pecans and sea salt! Second batch is more my speed but my husband will love the original recipe!
Thank you, Larisa! So glad you both enjoyed them!
Best,
Melissa
Hello! I made these cookies exactly as it was written. They turned out delicious!!! I was a little worried, but they were great. I’ll make again soon!
Thank you, Maggie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Best,
Melissa
Loved these. I needed to use some egg whites so I made two batches. The first I followed the recipe and while they are quite sweet some Maldonado sea salt countered it. In the second batch I took out 1 Tbs of cocoa and put in 1 Tbs of Espresso powder and used the sea salt. I actually liked this batch better.
Maldon sea salt – ugh auto correct!
Thank you, Sheryl. This is a great tip! I will try it next time because I always have espresso powder on hand!
Best,
Melissa
Do I actually have to bake them? 🤭
The dough looks amazing!
Lol, I never tried that, but I wouldn’t recommend it!
Best,
Melissa
Stuck to the recipe and they turned out great! I just added nuts and sea salt to half of the batch on top of the unbaked cookies for those who don’t like super sweet. Delicious!
Thank you so much, Renee! I really appreciate you!
Best,
Melissa
I added 1 tsp of instant coffee to the dry ingredients to give the chocolate a little oomph.
I used 1 C chopped pecans and 1C chocolate chunks instead of 1 1/2 C chocolate chips
My small scooper was just the right size to make 24 cookies.
These turned out great! Waiting for the 1/2 hour is key- I guess like with macarons.
Thank you so much for sharing! And I love the additions!
Best,
Melissa
Success! I just finished baking these and they came out perfectly. They look exactly like your photo. I will say that it took a bit of elbow grease to incorporate all the ingredients at the end but it was worth the effort. I was worried that the mixture was too dry but they turned out great following your recipe exactly. I have convection ovens so I reduced the temperature by 25 degrees and baked them for 10 minutes.
Being diabetic unfortunately I can’t eat them myself, but my two “tasters”, my husband and my son, gave them their seal of approval. Hopefully my guests will feel the same. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Ruth! Yes, the thickness of the batter can throw some people off. I’m glad you stuck with it and your tasters were able to enjoy the results!
Best,
Melissa
I am planning on making these tomorrow. They are perfect for Passover because they are flourless. I have a question though. You say that these are best eaten the same day (hence why I will make the tomorrow) but if there are leftovers can the leftovers be heated in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them up? I’ve made flourless chocolate cake in the past and have done this with the leftover slices after they had been in the refrigerator and it comes out fudgy and delicious instead of cold and hard. What do you think?
Hi Ruth,
Yes, that would work! If you have a lot leftover, though, I would freeze some. I think the microwave trick will work for a day, but after that they lose moisture quickly.
Best,
Melissa
2
We love these cookies! Have made them a few times – with and without nuts, they’re delicious!
2 questions:
1) Wondering if the texture changes if you bake the cookies in advance and freeze? i.e. Once defrosted, are they no longer crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside?
2) Can you freeze the raw dough in balls to bake in the oven at a later time? If so, how do you cook the frozen dought? i.e. do you have to leave it in the refrigerator to defrost overnight or can you bake straight from the freezer? And does freezing the raw dough change the texture of the baked cookie?
Hi Mel,
I find these cookies best once they are baked and eaten that day. Luckily they don’t stay around very long. They are very addicting! They still are crunchy and chewy after thawed, but slightly softer right after being baked. I haven’t tried freezing the dough first, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. You would bake them straight from frozen adding about 1 minute to the baking time.
Best,
Melissa
This is soo yummy! Our second time making them! We did dairy free chocolate chips and they are still amazing!
Thank you, Andrea! So glad they were a hit!
Best,
Melissa
tasty
sooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
You suggest whipping the egg whites but in the video egg whites are nit whipped 🤔🤔. So…whipped whites or not?
Hi Cid,
No you don’t whip the egg whites first. It doesn’t say to do that in the recipe card. Under “troubleshooting” I address people’s questions about whipping the egg whites and says it changes the texture of the cookies. So no need to whip first! Thanks for writing and enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes! I freeze them if not enjoying them the same day because they are best the day they are made.
Best,
Melissa
I always wish recipes had a picture of when to take out of the oven. I would not want to photograph my oven, so I do understand but it would be so helpful!
I will try to add this next time I bake them! Thanks for the suggestion, Chelsea!
Best,
Melissa
I will try someday ok thank a lot
I made these with cacao powder so perhaps that affected the outcome. I put the ingredients together, scooped them on sprayed parchment, let them sit for half-an-hour, then baked at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 10 minutes. They seemed a little un-done, so I put them back in for two minutes. They are delicious ( I used dark chocolate chips and peanut butter chips), but they are piles of delicious goo. What the heck did I do wrong?
Hi Karla,
Although delicious goo doesn’t sound bad, it seems like they were just underbaked. Maybe your cocoa powder needed a little longer to absorb the moisture. I would suggest just baking them a couple minutes longer next time. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
I have made these a few times now. They are very similar to the chocolate meringue tubes that go on a Concord Cake. Once I used extra large eggs so the proportion was a little off. Those ones were thinner and softer/chewier. I prefer the slightly dry crunchy outside with the soft fudge inside. Definitely better with mini chips. This is a very intense cookie. We usually make them slightly smaller with more per batch. One with espresso is a perfect dessert. Can’t wait to try the almond butter version! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you for the tips and writing Raquel! I really appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa