Fudgiest Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies (Extra Easy)

Gluten-free brownie cookies have the taste and texture of the world’s best chocolate brownies, complete with crinkly shiny tops and ultra fudgy centers. This extra easy recipe uses simple ingredients for flawless results and includes dairy-free modifications!

Easy recipe for gluten-free Brownie Cookies

Looking for the best, quick chocolate fix? Gluten-free fudge brownie cookies marries two highly-reviewed recipes, flourless chocolate cookies and gluten-free chocolate cookies, morphing them into a next-level dessert!

When creating this recipe I wanted to stay away from fussy ingredients, such as bittersweet chocolate, but found using straight cocoa powder yielded dry, lackluster results. Therefore, I turned to a technique used in these incredible almond flour brownies.

Melting semi-sweet chocolate chips with butter gave a rich, chocolatey flavor and also added fudgy moisture. Adding a bit of unsweetened cocoa gave these gluten-free chocolate brownie cookies a rich, deeper flavor.

I also wanted the cookies to spread, developing signature crinkly tops. Typically, resting gluten-free cookie dough helps with texture, but in this case made ultra thick brownie batter that was hard to work with.

Baking immediately at a lower oven temperature helped achieve soft, fudgy centers without any grittiness, and the dough was easy to scoop onto baking trays!

Ingredient Notes

Just like all the recipes shared on the site and in my gluten-free cookbook, I always strive for affordable and easily accessible ingredients. These gluten-free fudgy brownie cookies are no exception, using kitchen staple ingredients!

• Chocolate – A mixture of melted chocolate chips adds moisture and fudginess, while unsweetened cocoa powder intensifies the flavor.
• Butter – This is melted with the chocolate chips over low heat to simplify the process. You may also microwave in 20-second intervals until just melted or use a double boiler.
• Sugars – I use a mixture of brown sugar for chewiness and white sugar for structure.
• Gluten-free flour blend – I use and highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour for this recipe. For more information on why, and suggested alternatives, see the gluten-free flour section.
• Baking powder – Typically cookie recipes use baking soda for chewiness, but brownie cookies require more lift.

how to make Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Begin by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 325°F (See “Why Bake GF Cookies at Lower Temperature“)

Next, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with 1 cup chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Once the chocolate chips and butter are about 90% melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, and then add chocolate butter mixer. Beat again until smooth.

To the mixture add the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat until no flour pockets remain and then stir in remaining chocolate chips.

Use a medium cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tablespoons) to scoop dough balls quickly and evenly, placing about 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 14-15 minutes. The cookies will be cracked and edges set. Be careful not to over bake as they will dry out.

Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling racks. If desired, use a dull knife to push the edges into perfectly round shapes for bakery-style cookies!

why bake GF cookies at lower temperature

When testing gluten-free cookie recipes, I experiment with different oven temperatures to see how it affects lift, texture, and chew. Through these trials I have found baking cookies in a 325°F oven rather than 350°F yields better results.

The texture is softer and fudgier, without being dense or sticky. A lower oven allows more time for fats to coat and absorb into the gluten-free starches, but doesn’t affect how the cookies spread or lift.

best gluten-free flour for cookies

All gluten-free flour blends contain xanthan gum, so it will not be necessary to add with the dry ingredients. If your preferred mix does not contain it, add 1/4 teaspoon.

Through thorough testing of gluten-free baking recipes, I experimented with many gluten-free flour blends. A quality GF flour replicates taste and texture of the original recipe and is easy to work with. You can see the results and conclusions from those experiments in my best gluten-free flour guide.

As far as cookie recipes, I prefer how Cup4Cup performs because the added cornstarch gives a nice boost of chewiness and the grittiness is less detectable. My runner up is King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, which works as a dairy-free alternative, but has a slight “floury” texture.

Flavor modifications

Now that you have the best recipe for fudgy brownie gluten-free cookies, how can you make them even better? Below are some of my favorite chocolate cookie dough mix-in ideas!

• Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or macadamia
• Instead of chocolate chips, mix in white chocolate chips or do a mixture of both
• Sprinkle on flaky sea salt before baking for a sweet and spicy finish
• Mexican chocolate cookies – Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper with the dry ingredients
• Peppermint Candy Cane – Add 1 tsp peppermint extract. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes before baking.
• Chocolate Orange – Add 1 tsp orange zest and for an extra boost of flavor, swap the chocolate chips for 8 ounces chopped Lindt Intense Orange dark chocolate
• Espresso – Add 1 tsp espresso powder with the dry ingredients

Why didn’t my cookies spread?

As the batter sits and absorbs moisture, it will become thicker. While this doesn’t affect the flavor or texture, they will not spread as much. Luckily, this can easily be fixed!

After the brownie batter has been distributed on the prepared cookie sheets, gently press down to flatten the cookies. If your fingers stick to the dough, slightly dampen them with water before pressing. Bake as directed.

Storing and freezing tips

Gluten-free cookies have a shorter shelf than traditional cookies because they dry out and lose the soft texture after a couple days.

Therefore, if you don’t plan on enjoying within a day or two, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months.

For storing at room temperature, make sure the cookies have cooled completely first before stacking and storing in an airtight container.

Dairy-free modification

If you are looking for a dairy-free gluten-free brownie cookie recipe, use Enjoy Life chocolate chips or your preferred dairy-free chocolate chip brand. Substitute vegan butter sticks or melted coconut oil for the butter, but reduce the salt by half.

The recommended gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder in the blend. Use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour as an allergen-free alternative.

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