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!
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Easy Recipe for Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies
Looking for the best, quick chocolate fix? Gluten-free fudge brownie cookies marries two highly-reviewed recipes, fudgy flourless chocolate cookies and gluten-free double 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 easy homemade 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!
These were really yummy! Took little to no time to make and turned out perfect. I wouldn’t even know they were gluten free. Will be sharing and making again!
—Sophie
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Ingredient Tid Bits
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. This double approach works particular well in GF recipes, like gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, because it hydrates the GF flour and builds structure.
- 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.
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.)
Start with go-to cookie tip and chocolate magic
Preheat the oven to 325°F (See Why Bake GF Cookies at Lower Temperature – riveting stuff!) 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 to cool slightly.
Combine it all together
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.
Always a good call – more chocolate
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.
Shape and bake
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! Or screw it…just eat them.
Why Bake GF Cookies at Lower Temperature
When testing my favorite 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 GF 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.
Bonus Flavor Adds
Now that you have the best recipe for fudgy brownie cookies, how can you make them even better? Of course chopped nuts are always a good idea. Mix in a 1/2 cup of walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or whatever you like.
For some flavor additions, stir in espresso powder, orange zest, peppermint extract with crushed candy canes, or instead of chocolate chips, try white or a mixture of both. If you love Mexican chocolate, throw in 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.
Personally, I can never get enough of a sweet and salty finish, so sprinkling on a little flaky sea salt is my go to!
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.
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Fudgiest Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies (Extra Easy)
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, (see recipe notes for dairy-free)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, sliced in 5 pieces (see recipe notes for dairy-free)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour, (Cup4Cup gluten-free flour recommended)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or miniature chips
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- 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.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 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.¾ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat until no flour pockets remain and then stir in remaining chocolate chips.¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or miniature 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.
Notes
Dairy-Free Modification
Substitute 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.Storing and Freezing
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. Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking AddictionThis post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
These cookies are fantastic! Very fudgy. I wouldn’t have known they were gluten-free from the taste. My search for a good brownie cookie recipe is over.
I wanted smaller cookies so I used a small cookie scoop and baked them for 10 minutes.
Yay! So glad you have found your forever GF brownie cookie! Thanks for the note, Bruce.
Best,
Melissa
How should I adjust the baking time if I want to use a small cookie scoop to make smaller cookies?
Hi Bruce,
I would start checking around 9 minutes baking. You don’t want to overbake these. The cookies will be cracked and edges set.
Enjoy,
Melissa
In the video it’s 1/3 c brown sugar but in the recipe it’s 3/4 c. Mine were super thin so when I watched the video I was thinking I put too much sugar in.
Ugh, I’m so sorry. It’s hard to catch those things while I’m filming. It is 3/4 cup brown sugar. My apologies!
Best,
Melissa
I had to make homemade snacks for my daughter’s turn to share with her class. One of her classmates has gluten intolerance, but my daughter has always disliked anything gf I have tried to bake, so we usually buy something for him separately. I decided to try baking one more time when I found this recipe and it was such a hit! My daughter and her classmates loved them and the teacher asked for the recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing, these are SO good!
This is such a WIN! Thanks for sharing it with me, Maritza! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
Thank you for the recipe! I am new to gluten free baking; my family & I don’t have to eat GF, but wanted to take these to a church activity where some do eat GF.
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. I read through comments & decided to reduce the sugar a bit and the 1:1 flour and add a bit of cornstarch. They are yummy. They are also very very soft – like an undercooked brownie. My 15 year old said they’re awesome.
For a double recipe I used 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup sugar, full amount chocolate chips. They are plenty sweet. Next time I will use the full amount of flour recommended and skip the cornstarch (I used 1/4 cup less flour than recommended and 2 Tbsp cornstarch for the double batch) = very very soft. Oh, and I used a regular cookie scoop and got about 60 with a double batch. I know some people said they got less…I guess it all depends on the size we choose. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your baking talents!
I really appreciate you leaving such a detailed note. So glad you love them! Thanks, Trish!
Best,
Melissa