Chewy, Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cookies are a naturally gluten free chocolate cookie that only takes five ingredients to make. If you are looking for an extremely decadent, chocolate fudge cookie that tastes exactly like the Starbucks version, you have come to right place!
Flourless chocolate Cookies Recipe
Chewy, fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cookies recipe is a great introduction to gluten free baking. Just like No Bake Cookies, you won’t have to mess around with (expensive!) gluten free flour blends.
Plus, chances are you have all the five simple ingredients for these chewy, chocolate cookies right in your kitchen.
Even if gluten free baking is of no concern to you, these cookies will not disappoint. They have a crackly, crunchy exterior with a whole lot of gooey, fudgy goodness inside, just like gluten-free brownie cookies.
Flourless chocolate chip cookies’ unique texture and structure comes from the egg whites, which essentially makes this a meringue cookie. Since they taste like light, puffs of rich chocolately heaven, be forewarned they are eaten quickly!
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What’s the secret ingredient?
Using dutch cocoa powder in place or regular / natural baking cocoa helps offset any potential bitter cocoa aftertaste. Dutch cocoa powder is alkalized, so it has a smoother, less acidic taste, and is great in flourless recipes such as these cookies and chocolate almond flour cake.
If you don’t have dutch cocoa on hand, natural baking cocoa may be used or try these Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies recipe.
natural unsweetened cocoa versus Dutch-processed
Look if the recipe calls for baking soda or not. Baking soda will react with natural baking cocoa to take away the acidity, so regular cocoa is fine in this case.
If a recipe calls for only baking powder or no leavening agents, use Dutch cocoa powder interchangeably. Dutch cocoa will elevate the taste of chocolate whipped cream frosting, hot fudge, and your favorite brownie recipe.
Read more about the difference between natural and Dutch-processed cocoa.
Can these Cookies Be Made Keto Without Powdered Sugar?
Some readers have written in about their attempts to make these flourless cookies keto. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like their attempts have been successful and they have wasted (expensive!) sugar free xylitol.
This cookie recipe only uses powdered sugar and egg whites for the structure. Replacing the sugar with such a chemically different, keto-friendly, compound changes the recipe too much. Sadly, it yields some disappointing results.
How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cookies Recipe
- Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl whisk cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. 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. Fold in the chocolate chips or any additional add-ins. (Scroll down for more add-in options)
- Scoop batter onto the prepared baking sheet. TIP: Using a cookie scoop quickly makes evenly sized cookies. If you are a baker, this tiny little cookie scoop will change your life.
- Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 30 minutes before baking. This will result in a better shaped cookie. (See image 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.
What else can I add?
- chopped walnuts, pecans or pistachios
- peanut butter chips
- crushed peppermint candies
- substitute chopped dark chocolate chunks for chocolate chips
- sprinkle with flaky salt before baking
- drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies
- substitute orange extract
- crushed peanuts sprinkled on top
troubleshooting
Avoid a disappointing baking disaster! Here are some common mistakes made when baking this flourless cookie recipe.
- Substituting a sugar alternative for the powdered sugar. Keto friendly Swerve, granulated sugar, Truvia, or Splenda may not be used.
- Not lining the baking sheet with parchment paper. I often see readers post their cookie “failures” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Foil is a no no!
- Forgetting to spray the parchment paper with cooking spray first.
- Whipping the egg whites first. Although this won’t yield a total disaster, it does change the texture and shape of the cookie.
- Letting 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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Chewy, Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, (can substitute regular unsweetened baking cocoa too)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 large egg whites, unbeaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and SPRAY with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together powder sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in egg whites and vanilla extract until the batter is completely moistened. It will be very thick, similar to brownie batter. Stir in the 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.
- DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?? DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AND/OR CLICK A STAR RATING ON THE RECIPE CARD!
Recipe Notes
Best Tips and Troubleshooting
- Substituting a sugar alternative for the powdered sugar. Keto friendly Swerve, granulated sugar, Truvia, or Splenda may not be used.
- Not lining the baking sheet with parchment paper. I often see readers post their cookie “failures” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Foil is a no no!
- Forgetting to spray the parchment paper with cooking spray first.
- Whipping the egg whites first. Although this won’t yield a total disaster, it does change the texture and shape of the cookie.
- Letting 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.
Ruth says
Very Humid day so these were flatter than I’d had them before (I didn’t make them the first time I tried). I’m wondering if beating the whites could have made them less flat. BUT everyone seemed to enjoy them.
Melissa says
Hi Ruth,
Yes the humidity probably did have something to do with it, especially if you did the step where they sit before baking. You can try beating the egg whites, but not exactly to the point of stiff peaks. This would definitely make the cookies rounder and a more airy texture.
Best,
Melissa
Archie says
Way too sweet. The rule is for every tablespoon of cocoa use 1 tablespoon of keto friendly sugar. I added hazelnuts and peanut butter to this and it was still too sweet and chalky… Not a fan
Melissa says
Sorry to hear when you substituted keto sugar the adaptation didn’t work out to your liking. As I said in the post, readers haven’t had much success substituting other sugars and it’s not recommended.
Best,
Melissa
raquel says
the consistency is crumbly on the outside, very gooey on the inside. not sure if i undercooked them. VERY VERY sweet. not a huge fan.
Michele Reagor says
Loved these cookies. I added walnuts and throughly enjoyed them. Took some to my mother and she wanted the recipe. Will make them again for sure!
Melissa says
Yay! Thank you, Michele, for letting me know!
Best,
Melissa
Susan says
Yummy! Deep rich and oh, so good. Followed the directions exactly, very happy with the way they came out.
Cathy says
Very sticky to put on baking sheets but cake out good
T Roberts says
Could Merangue Powder be used in place of liquid egg whites?
Melissa says
Hello,
You probably could, but you would have to add some sort of liquid since the egg whites are the only source. You can try adding about 1/3-1/2 of water or milk with the powder to the batter. The dough needs to be very thick, so start with the lesser amount.
Best,
Melissa
Lori Jagla says
Can you use whole eggs or does that change things too much?
Lois says
These cookies are like a super rich chocolate puffy meringue cookie and hard to beat! I would not use a whole egg because I believe it would make it heavy and you’d loose that light puffy cookie and probably end up with a flat, tougher…something. I save my occasional egg whites left over for these cookies. Make a tiramisu with the egg yolks. 🙂 Or, just buy egg whites in a carton for this. Basically the egg white is the carrier for the sugar and chocolate flavor and adds no flavor of its own. An egg yolk would change that. The powdered sugar can also be reduced but I’ve only played with it and don’t have measurements of what the minimum amount is that can be used.
Melissa says
Hi Lois,
Thank you so much for chiming in! Such helpful tips!
Best,
Melissa
Camila says
Can it be done in a skillet?
Melissa says
Sorry, I haven’t tried ths.
OsboChamp says
This recipe was simple and tasty. My family enjoyed every bite.
Melissa says
Glad you enjoyed them!
LUCI says
Thank you so much for sharing such a yummy treat with only six ingredients needed. It was really tasty and had a delicious sweet and salted taste along with a caramel texture. My family enjoyed every bite.
Ladybug says
I will try making this recipe.
Rachel says
I tried these and the recipe worked well but I was so busy trying to find a well rated gluten free recipe that i didn’t realize how much they would taste like merengue, which I don’t really like. If you like merengues a lot you will love this recipe.
Melissa says
Hey Rachel,
Thanks for taking the time to write. Sorry these cookies weren’t the taste you were looking for. Perhaps try my flourless nutella cookies. I think that sounds more like what you are looking for?
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
So good!
Melissa says
So glad! Thank you!
Ayesha says
Tried it last night and it turned out amazing !!
I used less sugar about 3/4 of the recipe, as I was using regular cocoa powder and added Nescafé coffee granules with handful of salted peanuts !!
Enjoyed it a lot , it was chewy and yummy 😋 Thanks for the great recipe 💕
Melissa says
Hi Ayesha,
Thanks for sharing your tips and I love the additions! It sounds like such a great treat. So glad you enjoyed them!
Best,
Melissa
Tea says
Great recipe- however, I found that the dough is too stiff to easily use my Cooke scoop. Two tablespoons was much easier,
Melissa says
Hello,
Sometimes readers have added a little dash of water to make the dough a little easier to handle. Egg whites come in varying sizes so it may be drier depending on the size of your egg. Glad you found a work around, though. Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Penny Gonzalez says
I used splenda instead of powdered sugar and they were amazing!!! Sprinkled powdered sugar on top while still warm. Very chewy and yummy!
I also added pecans!!🤗
Melissa says
Hi Penny,
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. This will be so helpful for others to know!
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
I tried to turn the recipe into a keto recipe. Mine did not turn out right the batter was all crumbled and the cookies are really hard. What did I do wrong?
Melissa says
I’m really sorry to hear that. I know those ingredients are very expensive. In the post above the recipe card I address making them Keto. Unfortunately others have tried and also didn’t have good results. So, it was nothing you did wrong, the substitute just doesn’t work with this recipe.
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Tried it.
Replaced the Dutch processed cocoa powder with regular powder and added 1/4 tsp baking soda.
Excellent recipe.
Thanks,
Melissa says
Thank you so much for the suggestion. That will be very helpful for home cooks that don’t have dutch processed on hand.
Best,
Melissa
Dernielle says
Can I use the entire egg instead of only whites? I never have use for only the yolks
Dernielle says
Can I use the whole egg? I never have use for only yolks
Melissa says
Hi Dernielle,
I haven’t’ tried this, but I do believe other readers have. It will slightly change the texture of the cookie, but it will still be delicious! I would use 2 whole eggs instead.
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
3 Cups Powdered sugar + chocolate chips is how a momma feeds her family? Yikes!
Melissa says
Hello,
I’m sorry you were so put off by this recipe. Yes, occasionally I do make treats like this for my family because food brings us joy!
Best,
Melissa
Anna says
Hi, how will this turn out if I mix all the ingredients in a mixer like the Vitamix (same steps of adding ingredients)? Will I risk over mixing?
Melissa says
Hi Anna,
The cookies will still turn out, but they will most likely have a different texture, a little more airy. It would be a great experiment to try, though! The batter does get thick to stir, so it would save you some effort. Let me know if you try!
Best,
Melissa
Mia says
Hi! How will the recipe turn out if I do use a sugar alternative like Swerve or Stevia/Splenda? I know you specifically mentioned not to.
Melissa says
Hi Mia,
Some people have had some success with a blend, but straight up Swerve doesn’t seem to have good results. However, I do think I remember one person writing in and saying they blended their sugar substitute so it was more like powdered sugar, and were successful with that. I just hate to make those suggestions because if it doesn’t turn out I know those products are very expensive!
Best,
Melissa
Chelsea says
so delicious if you are looking for a sweet treat. I used 70% chocolate and it had the perfect amount of sweetness for me.
Melissa says
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks for sharing! Was it 70% baking cocoa or chocolate chips?
Best,
Melissa
Annemarie Rosano says
These are so fantastic!! Just ten minutes in the oven was plenty. Definitely recommend!!
Melissa says
Thanks for sharing, Annemarie. Glad you enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa
Celeste Anne Isaac says
So easy, so quick, soooo yummy!
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed, Celeste!
Best,
Melissa
Michelle says
Thanks for sharing this! I’m trying to save flour so this was the perfect thing to satisfy my sweet tooth ♥️
Melissa says
Hi Michelle,
I’m so glad! I have a lot of “flourless” recipes on the site. I hope you find some others helpful as well!
Best,
Melissa
Brittney says
I tried using the Hershey’s Cocoa and they seemed to be very rich in the chocolate part. Might use less cocoa with it being Cacao.
Melissa says
Hi Brittney,
Do you mean you used unsweetened cocoa powder? They are rich cookies, definitely for the chocolate lover!
Best,
Melissa
CJ says
Just made these. New fam favorite!
Melissa says
So glad! Thanks for writing!
Juli says
Omg!! This look so good! Can I use nesquik!?
Melissa says
Hi Juli,
No, it has to be unsweetened baking cocoa powder. Nesquik has milk powder and sweetener in it, and these cookies are hold their own on the sweet factor!
Best,
Melissa
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Can I use cacao?
Melissa says
Hi Vanessa,
I haven’t tried it with cacao, but I don’t think it would affect anything. Let me know how it works!
Best,
Melissa
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a fun one to have ready when you need to whip a treat together quickly!
Mary A Morse says
Has anyone tried substituting Monkfruit powdered sugar with any success?
Melissa says
Hi Mary,
I believe a couple people have written in and said the erythritol didn’t work, but I’m not sure about Monkfruit powdered sugar. If you give it a try, I would just do a half recipe to not waste all the expensive sweetener in case it doesn’t turn out.
Best,
Melissa
Cheryl says
Made these! So good and easy. Better the 2nd day!
Melissa says
Hi Cheryl,
These cookies usually don’t make it to the second day for us, but I’m impressed with your willpower!
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Totally dont know what happened to mine. Had brownie batter thick batter and they just didnt come together. May have to try again. Let them rest and they were just to runny on my cookie sheet.
Melissa says
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear that. Egg whites aren’t an exact size, so perhaps yours were on the smaller side. Some readers have added a couple dashes of water if their batter was dry to make them come together. I apologize for any wasted ingredients. That’s the worst!
Best,
Melissa
Arline says
Made these for my gluten-free neighbor. She said they were amazing! I agree! Followed the recipe using regular cocoa. Baked about 15 minutes because I think my oven bakes a little lower temperature. Followed all the tips. Absolutely delicious!
Melissa says
Hi Arline,
This is the great thing about these cookies – whether you are gluten free or not, everyone loves them! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and let me know how they turned out.
Best,
Melissa
Jenny K says
Followed directions exactly and they turned out perfect! Added mini marshmallows to a few for my daughter and they toasted nicely in the oven as well.
Melissa says
Hi Jenny,
Toasted marshmallows?! What a fantastic idea! You can even add peanuts and make a rocky road version. Yum! Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Lindsey says
I think my batter is really thick. It does not look like yours in the video. I used 3 large eggs and the vanilla and it still seemed really thick. I was able to roll them into round balls. Do you think adding one more egg white would help thin it out?
Melissa says
Hi Lindsey, If you are able to roll them into balls, then yes it sounds thicker than it should be. Some readers have added a little water or you can add another egg white. Sorry for the late reply. I’m giving up my phone and computer in the evenings for Lent and it’s been a struggle!
Best,
Melissa
Anna says
I made these with powdered coconut sugar and they are amazing. I froze them since I am the only one who will eat them and they froze wonderfully as well. Thank you for sharing!
Melissa says
Hi Anna! Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad to know that unrefined powdered coconut sugar works well in the recipe. Even though lots of people in the house will devour these quickly, I always freeze them because I have no will power against them!
Best,
Melissa
Mary says
Can these be frozen? I am making desserts for my daughter wedding and want to make them a week or 2 in advance.
Melissa says
Hi Mary,
Yes they can be frozen. I do it all the time because they are best enjoyed the day they are made. Just cool them completely and wrap stacks of 2 together in plastic wrap. Transfer, in a single layer, to a gallon ziplock bag or container to freeze.
Best,
Melissa
Angelica BAsoalto says
Looks so delicious!!!
Question… If I’m on a Keto Diet… may I use another type of Sugar?
Thanks
Melissa says
Hi Angelica,
Some readers have written in about trying it with sugar free substitutes, and of all the ones I heard about, I don’t think the results were good. 🙁
Best,
Melissa
Martha says
I cut the powdered sugar to 2 1/2 cups and they were still plenty sweet . May even try 2 cups, otherwise , they are a hit 😁
Melissa says
Hi Martha,
I’ve always been scared to cut the sugar because I thought the cookies wouldn’t hold their shape. From reading comments on pinterest, though, it seems like other readers have had success with this. Thank you so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
Suzanne says
These look so good! Does the batter get runny?
Melissa says
Hi Suzanne,
No, the batter stays pretty thick.
Lin says
Can you use regular coco
Melissa says
Yes, regular cocoa is perfectly fine to use!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Melissa says
They are best enjoyed the day they are made. I will freeze any leftovers and take them out as needed.
Best,
Melissa
Suzanne says
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing the comparison photo! Sometimes its easy to think that step should be skipped but clearly not!
Kate says
I make this for my family’s Christmas party because my sister can’t have flour. It ended up being a hit! 4 people asked me for the recipe! I didn’t have any left over.
Melissa says
Wow, 4 people?! That’s amazing! I love what a crowd pleaser these cookies are, even if you can have gluten. Thank you so much for taking the time to write!
Best,
Melissa
Natalie says
I LOVE how shiny they were out of the oven.
Can I add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder To this recipe ? I think this would deepen the chocolate flavor.
Melissa says
Hi Natalie,
For sure! That is a great idea. I’m obsessed with King Arthur’s espresso powder. I add it to all things chocolate!
Best,
Melissa
Diane Eichelman says
I did not follow the recipe exactly, thinking I knew better, and used the wisk beater of my electric mixer. I won’t do that next time, but they were still delicious and everyone loved them!
Melissa says
Hi Diane,
So glad they still turned out for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
Henri says
I made these today and I’m not sure if I did something wrong, they kind of puffed up like macaroons but they were also hallow… I’m not I’ve done😅
Melissa says
Hi Henri,
Just wondering, did you whip the egg whites? Perhaps you did make macaroons! 🤔
Best,
Melissa