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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How long do these keep and do they freez well?
HI Pam, If I’m not going to eat them that day or next, I freeze them. They start to get too crumbly after that. They do freeze great though. I do it all the time and after they thaw, they taste just like the day you made them.
So these are gluten free? What about vegetarian? I always bake Christmas gifts for Co-workers and this year one of them eats gluten free. Not sure if it’s for medical reasons or just her choice. She is also vegetarian. So I’m trying to at least find good gluten free baked treats that I can make the whole team. So they need to be good enough that no one knows they are eating gluten free. You know?
Sorry for the long explanation…
Also is there a grocery store brand of Dutch processed cocoa I can buy? I don’t have time to order via internet.
Thank you!
They look yummy by the way!
Hi Gina, That is awfully sweet of you. I know how confusing all this stuff can be with the special diets. These are gluten free and vegetarian. However, if your coworker is VEGAN, they have eggs in them, so it wouldn’t work for that.
Just substitute regular Baking Cocoa for the Dutch processed cocoa. They will still be great and she won’t be able to tell the difference!
These cookies always go lightning fast, no matter if people are gluten free or not. They’re amazing and I’m sure everyone will love them! Keep me posted. I’d love to hear how they turn out for you.
Best,
Melissa
I love these cookies and whenever I make them, they are a hit. Thanks!
You’re so welcome Hannah. I have to say I completely agree with you 🤗
Made the
Flourless Chocolate cookies. Very good. Used Hershey’s SpecialDark Cocoa. Blend of natural and Dutched Cocoa.
Next time will add nuts and am going to try sugar free chips.
Thanks for posting your recipes.
You are very welcome, Fran. I think nuts make these cookies so much better because it cuts the sweetness.
I would love to try your stuff but I cannot read the arical or recipe because of all the ads on your page!
Hi Teresa,
I sincerely apologize you were frustrated with the ads. I know it can be annoying when you are just trying to get the recipe.
I just wanted to give you a little background on why they are a necessary beast for me. This website is how I earn a living. Although the content and recipes are a free service to my readers, I do spend about 40-50 hours a week recipe testing, photographing, writing, and promoting everything I work on. Ads are how I’m compensated for my work.
I love what I do and my biggest reward is connecting with my readers and hearing feedback on how the fruits of my labor has worked in their lives. I sorry this wasn’t a positive experience for you.
Best,
Melissa
I agree it can be bothersome to sift through the ads, however, I love that there is a jump to recipe button right at the beginning. Thank you for that. And thank you for your time in testing and posting your recipes.
Hi Stephanie, I appreciate you writing, and I’m glad the jump to recipe button helps! The ad companies hate it, but it’s kind of how I reconcile both worlds 🙂
Whoa! These are seriously some rich and delicious cookies!! My last pan I baked for closer to 15 minutes and actually liked them better. Thanks for the recipe!!!
You’re very welcome Marylou. I am so glad you enjoyed them and thanks for writing.
Great recipe. Here are some changes I did and I think made a different cookie all together..lol
Sift the dry ingredients first. I used regular cocoa powder so I added 3/8 tsp of baking soda to bring the acidity down a bit. Upped the salt to 1 1/8 tsp. Used 1 cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Mixed the egg whites with a fork until a bit frothy..it helps break them up and adds a bit of air.
Replaced the vanilla with 1 drop of peppermint Essential oil..(1 tsp of peppermint extract would be fine. Only use quality oils approved for consumption)
Folded all the ingredients together with a spatula..
Letting these sit for the 30 mins was a must!
They came out almost like my macaroons..had little feet and all..lol
Crunchy on the outside and ooey gooey yummy on the inside.
Next time, I may forgo the chocolate chips and pipe them smaller to make mock macaroon! Wish I could post pics.
Hi Stephanie! That’s a wonderful idea about the piping. They would be beautiful for Christmas cookies. You can drizzle some chocolate on top and dust with sprinkles. Thanks for all the feedback and ideas!
Is one serving one cookie? And how many servings does the recipe make? Thank you!
Hi Jessica, It makes approximately 24 cookies and serving size is 1 cookie.
Could I use a egg substitute to make it vegan ?, I already know to use vegan chips ,?
I have everything but the parchment paper or silpat! Do you think greasing foil or the cookie sheet itself would work? I guess I will stock up on parchment paper next time I shop. Thanks for the recipe.
If you have cooking spray, just spray the baking sheets. They won’t be as easy to get off, but if you let them cool completely on the baking sheet, then use a spatula to get off, they should be okay. 🤗
These turned out great. Thank you so much for the recipe! Can these be frozen?
Yes, and I highly recommend it. These cookies are best the day they are made so I usually freeze the rest immediately. You can make them now and bring them out for Christmas!
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!