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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This was everyone’s favorite at Thanksgiving dinner. I personally don’t eat sugar and was going to attempt a sugar free on for myself but as far as the family….It was a HIT!
I’m not sure how this recipe would work sugar free, but would love to hear if you do decide to try it. Thanks for letting me know how much your family enjoyed these!
Can you share your recipe adjustments please? 🙂
Trying these for a brunch at the neighbor’s. They are both gluten free. Excited to try these. I’ll let you know the consensus when we get back home.
Everyone loved these. My neighbor is a chef and immediately asked me for the recipe. Making them again for sure!
Yay! Thanks for making my day. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them and thanking for dropping me a note.
I made these today for the first time! They are fabulous! I have family that is gluten sensitive and doing Keto and they were very appreciated! I will be looking at more of your recipes in the future! Thank you for sharing! Do you have a flourless chocolate cake recipe ?? 😄😄
I’m all about recipes that don’t “taste” gluten free and I definitely think these cookies hit that mark. I am working on a flourless chocolate cake recipe. That has ALWAYS been my favorite, even before I had to stop eating gluten. Thanks for letting me know, Karen.
These are a new family favorite!! Couple of things that helped me– I cooked them at 350 for 13-15 minutes because my dollops were a little bigger than what the should have been. I sprayed my Silpat but forgot to spray one… the one I didn’t spray, they stuck… I noticed that when they were truly done and ready to take out of the oven, the middles were NOT underdone looking, they rose up in the middle and crackled. This is a super simple delicious recipe with tons of possibilities for variations! I’m so excited to play with it!
I’m so happy you wrote in with all those tips! Thank you!! That is good to know about spraying the slipmat as well. Have a wonderful holiday!
They have delicious flavor but they stuck terribly to the Silpat. What a mess! Suggestions so they don’t stick?
Hello, I haven’t tried using a silicone mat, just the parchment (although they should be interchangeable). In the directions I do say to spray the parchment. Possibly that’s why yours stuck? Normally mats don’t have to be sprayed, so perhaps that was overlooked? I’m glad you enjoyed the mess, though. 😉
Spray your silpat! I sprayed mine but forgot to spray one. The one I forgot to spray stuck, the other one was perfect.
My son wanted to make cookies late night, realized i didn’t have any flour and too late to go to the store. Was a little scared at first but my cookies turned out amazing. Definitely going to be making these again.
Thank you Maci! I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed them. They are hands down my oldest son’s favorite cookies. He asks for them all the time!
So utterly rich and absolutely delicious. I made these for a friend of mine who’s gluten free and now make them all the time for everyone. They are so delicious. Serve them with a scoop of ice cream on top too – ridiculous. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You are very welcome Bethany! I’ve never served them with ice cream – genius!!!
Hi! I don’t normally comment on recipes, but I just had to circle back on this one and say thank you! I live at high altitude and totally expected these cookies to spread and flatten in the oven, but they didn’t! I, of course, allowed a full 30 minutes for them to set before putting them in, but they came out beautifully! Thanks for such an accessible, successful gluten-free desert recipe for those of us who love our flour and are used to baking with it!
Hi Bekah, I’m so appreciative of you taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed the recipe. That is my favorite thing EVER! I used to live in Colorado, so I know how tricky high altitude baking can be. It’s kind of like learning baking all over again, like I had to do for gluten free baking. 😊 Every time I make this recipe, everyone devours them – gluten free peeps or not!
I love these cookies. I have made them 3 times since I printed the recipe 4 days ago. They are easy to make, no mixer needed. I have a problem with them spreading out too much. They spread so large that I could only fit 9 on my cookie sheet. I used the small cookie ball maker. I used 3 large egg whites. I let them rest on the cookie sheet with parchment paper for 30 minutes. They are a big hit with everyone who tries them. Thank you so much!
That’s insane! You do love them. Quite possibly as much as my son who asks me to make them pretty much weekly. 😏Thank you so much for writing and letting others know what worked for you. It’s very much appreciated!
Wow, these are absolutley amazing! almost dangerousely amazing haha.
I just made a batch today and, to say the least, I/we really enjoyed them.
Thank you for sharing this with us!
I can’t say I disagree. I made them again this weekend and immediately had to pass them all out at my kid’s soccer game because I couldn’t stop eating them! Thanks for writing!
These were easy and delicious, I took them out a little too soon and let them cool but they were still amazing and delicious and go in the center which I’m OK with. I will be making these more
I made these tonight. They smell delicious! When I took them out at 12 minutes, they looked amazing – like chocolate macaroons! I let them cool 10 minutes, they sunk a little bit, and I then tried to move them to a rack. They fell apart and were completely uncooked on the inside. I just put them in for 10 more minutes and they puffed up again but look a little dry. They smell yummy but don’t know why they had to bake for so long.
Hi Erica,
Sorry you had trouble with these! Have you tried putting a cheap oven thermometer on your rack to gauge how accurate your temp is? You can get them for a few dollars at Target or Walmart. Perhaps your oven temp is too low?
These cookies are pretty fragile and if they weren’t cooked all the way they will definitely fall apart. (Or if you try to transfer them before they are cooled). I know they can be deceiving because the exterior looks done and set before the middle is cooked.
I’m glad you wrote and I hope you at least got to gobble up some broken cookies because those calories never count! 🙂
I have made these so many times and I absolutely love them. I add in a few white chocolate chips just for a little color contrast. They are a favorite by all at work and no one could believe that they are gluten free!!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoy them, Danielle! 😘
Hi Trish!
I followed the recipe as described, using the chocolate chips and no additional nuts or anything. I let them rest for 30 minutes on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. I baked them as described, but they never spread out! They remained a taller cookie and then needed a little more time baking. Still good, but wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Any advice?
PS thanks for posting this great gluten free recipe! I just learned about my gluten intolerance, and as an avid baker I’m trying not to despair, and focusing on finding alternatives!
HI Kate,
I’ve noticed from some of the pics people have posted to Pinterest for this recipe sometimes they turn out like this. I’m guessing it’s from the different size of the egg whites. If your egg whites were smaller, the cookie wouldn’t spread as much because of the lesser amount of liquid. You said you didn’t add anything, but I do know when I add things, such as nuts, they don’t spread as much either.
I completely feel you about the gluten intolerance and being an avid baker. That’s exactly where I was 7 years ago. It was very frustrating at first re-learning everything and with disappointing results. I found recipes that were naturally gluten free (like flourless cakes, cookies, almond flour desserts, meringues) helped me at first. Then I came across Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour and discovered I could bake pretty much anything I made before just substituting this. All the recipes on my site are either naturally gluten free or I’ve substituted Cup 4 Cup with great results. Hope this helps and good luck! -Melissa
These were Delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except I added a cup of chopped pecans and they turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe
That’s great, Fran. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Can these be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen? I need to make on Tuesday to serve on Friday night.
For sure! In fact I have some in the freezer right now 🤗 Go ahead and bake them and cool completely on baking sheets. Stick the baking sheets in the freezer to freeze cookies. Then transfer cookies to ziplock bags, laying flat. Set out cookies the day you are serving them to come to room temperature. Enjoy!
Do you make a meringue fro the egg whites? Or just add them in wothotwhisking them first? I ask because you mentioned they’re essentially meringue cookies but I don’t see anything about making a meringue. Thank you.
No, you don’t make a meringue first. You just mix the eggs in. Hope this helps!
Could you be use a sugar substitute such as swerve? To make it keto friendly?
I haven’t tried a sugar substitute. I’d love to hear from anyone else who has tried it, though!
Did you happen to try with Swerve?
I am in the middle of making these cookies and I do not see what temperature to cook them at. What should the oven temp be set to?
Hi Trish! It’s 350. It’s in the middle of the recipe because I have you preheat while the batter rests. Enjoy!
Could powdered erythritol be used instead of the powdered sugar?
I’m sorry I’m not familiar with using this. Have you baked successfully with it in other recipes?
Anyone tried it with coconut sugar?
Some powdered sugars are not gluten free!!!!
Just making these now, can’t wait to try them. My mixture was actually on the runny side, not as firm as I expected, next time will add more sugar. Need a recipe for my yolks now. Gluten free recipes are awesome (as recently diagnosed coeliac, it’s sucks)
Perhaps there’s too much powdered sugar being used. Try sifting the sugar before measuring. You can always add a bit more if the batter is too wet.
Thanks Sue. That’s a great suggestion. The batter is extremely thick when stirring, but, for me, it always seems to turn out fine when baking.
I’m going to try to make these today. It’s my first baking adventure now that I’m gluten free.
I’m worried however as I don’t have Dutch processed cocoa. I don’t want bitter cookies, this doesn’t call for baking soda or powder so I’m not sure what to do.
You can definitely use regular baking cocoa. I’ve done it many times and they still turn out fine (and delicious). Enjoy and let me know how your first gluten free baking experience turned out!
Best,
Melissa
So, I made these last week. They turned out very good crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Could not stop at just eating one cookie alone.
When I was stirring the batter, I found that it was too thick so I ended adding some olive oil to it. =D
Love the twist! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll give it a try.
Do these freeze well?
Absolutely. I have some in the freezer right now. 🤗
Why would you put cookies in the freezer?
Very tasty cookies. I made a Martha Stewart vanilla cake that uses 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks so I was looking for a use for those 3 leftover egg whites. For filling I used 1 cup of large, dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup semisweet chips, and 1/2 cup toffee chips. I’ll definitely keep this recipe, I hate wasting the egg whites when I make the vanilla cake.
Hi Wendy, I completely agree with you about wasting food. My mom always freezes the whites or yolks if she doesn’t need them right away. What a great twist using the toffee chips!
You can also use the whites for a meringue on a homemade pie or banana pudding. I am with you…I hate wasting the other parts of the eggs too.
I made these & they looked nothing like yours in the picture! I had to add more egg whites to even get it to hold together. It was a very stiff dough. My cookies never flattened out. They stayed in the mound form of my scoop. After baking they cooled & were delicious. Crispy on the outside, chewy & decadent on the inside. FYI, I also added some espresso powder to enhance the flavor of the chocolate!
Hi Karla, I’m wondering if you added nuts or anything? I know when I add extra add-ins, they seem to have a rounder shape. Glad you liked them, though!
How can I make this recipe eggless as well?
Hello! Sorry, I’ve never made these eggless before. I don’t think they would turn out because the recipe is basically a meringue cookie, which relies heavily on the egg whites.
They are not really meringue cookies as the egg whites are not whipped!
Try aquafaba!
Fantastic idea. I do wonder how this would do…
Look up “aquafaba”