Soft, Fudgy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

Fudgy gluten-free chocolate cookies recipe have double dose of chocolate loaded with heaps of gooey chocolate chips. This easy recipe for gluten-free cookies are made with cocoa powder, resulting in a chewy exterior and soft, fudgy center. Double chocolate chip cookies will remind you of biting into a homemade brownie!

Best Gluten-free Chocolate cookies recipe

These gluten-free chocolate cookies have joined the ranks of the most requested dessert in our house, along with flourless chocolate cookies and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. (Notice a theme? We love chocolate in pretty much anything.)

Baking gluten-free cookie recipes requires a little extra finesse, but they are still easy to throw together with a quality GF flour (more on that below!) and some reliable gluten-free baking tricks.

First, using a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil aids in coating the starches with fat, so the cookies aren’t greasy and hold their shape. Adding cocoa powder adds structure to the cookies without having to add extra flour, meaning the cookies stay soft and moist.

Chilling the cookie dough performs a double duty by giving the gluten-free flour a chance to hydrate and lose its grittiness, while also achieving a chewier texture. This means an authentic, homemade cookie taste no one will suspect is gluten-free!

Learn below how to make gluten-free chocolate cookies, along with many expert ingredient and baking tips, and optional mix-ins to make these cookies a success every time!

Ingredient notes

• Melted butter – For a dairy-free gluten-free recipe, substitute vegan butter sticks
• Sugars – A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar builds structure and gives it a chewy chocolate cookie texture.
• Unsweetened baking cocoa – I prefer to use baking cocoa over melted chocolate because it saves a step, making the recipe more streamlined. It als reduces the amount of gluten-free flour needed, guaranteeing a soft texture.
• Vegetable oil – A combination of melted butter and a little bit of oil helps saturate the gluten-free flour starches so it does not have a gritty texture.
• Gluten-free flour – I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. I found this flour to work the best when writing my gluten-free cookbook and researching the best gluten-free flour taste tests.
• Chocolate chips – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, milk chocolate, or a combination of chocolate with white chocolate

How to make gluten-free Chocolate cookies

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

1. First, beat together the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking cocoa, and oil. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
2. Then, beat in the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips. For best results, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or freeze for 20-30 minutes, until well chilled. Chilling the cookie dough helps eliminate any off-putting GF grittiness, which is a baking hack used in many of my cookie recipes, including these highly-reviewed gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
4. Drop the chilled dough onto ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. To work quickly and evenly, I used a medium-sized cookie scoop.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are set and the middle is slightly underbaked. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Does the cookie dough have to be refrigerated?

Yes and no. I’ve tried making chocolate chocolate chip cookies with refrigerating the dough until well chilled (30-60 minutes) and baking straight away. While the taste wasn’t affected, the cookies are chewier, with less grittiness, and had a slightly better structure with chilling.

To speed up the process, cover the bowl and freeze for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.

If you are in a hurry and can’t refrigerate, give these gluten-free brownie cookies recipe a try!

Freezing tips

This recipe for gluten-free chocolate cookies may be frozen baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked, portion out the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the unbaked cookies to an airtight freezer container and freeze up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, place the dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 1-2 minutes longer.

To freeze baked cookies, make sure they have cooled completely and the chocolate chips have hardened. Wrap the cookies in stacks of 2-3 and then transfer to an airtight freezer container up to 3 months.

Best cocoa powder to use

In this recipe, use either natural unsweetened baking cocoa or dutch-processed cocoa. Since chocolate cookies requires baking soda, it will react with the natural baking cocoa to take away the acidity.

If a recipe calls for only baking powder or no leavening agents, use Dutch cocoa powder . Dutch cocoa also elevates the taste of other chocolate desserts, such as gluten-free chocolate cake.

For more information, read more about the difference between natural and Dutch-processed cocoa.

For the chocolate chips, use semi sweet chocolate chips, chunks, or chop bittersweet chocolate for larger chunks and a richer, darker chocolate taste.

dairy-free modifications

I have not tried making chocolate cookies using dairy-free, plant based butter, but a lot of readers have had success with substituting vegan butter sticks, such as Earth Balance, in other gluten-free cookie recipes.

For the chocolate chips, they may be omitted or substitute dairy free chips, such as Enjoy Life.

Please note, the recommended flour, Cup4Cup does contain milk powder. If making a dairy-free recipe you will need to substitute an allergen-free brand, such as King Arthur Measure-for-Measure.

Add-ins and modifications

Now that you have a reliable recipe for chocolate gluten-free cookies, how can you make them even better? Below are some of my favorite 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
• Turn them into gluten free Mexican chocolate cookies by adding 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper with the dry ingredients
• Make peppermint mocha cookies! Add 1 tsp peppermint extract. After the cookies have cooled, dip them in white chocolate and immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

more gluten-free cookies

• Gluten-Free Crumbl Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Gluten-Free Cookies
• Italian Almond Paste Cookies

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