Chewy, Crinkled Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies

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Gluten-free cookie recipes are a category that I love to develop because there’s a lot of joy in making cookies (it’s therapeutic for me) and eating them, and I don’t think anyone should have to miss out on that.

There are many flourless brownie cookies out there, but what I really crave are these crinkly top, crisp edge, chewy center chocolate cookies that are rich with cocoa powder and a handful of chopped milk chocolate.

Their bakery-style texture is the result of using an egg and egg yolk for protein structure, and the use of baking powder for both leavening and to create the cracks. Rolling them in granulated sugar also plays a role in their beautiful crinkled look, as it draws moisture out from the surface of the cookies while they bake. I roll my Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies in sugar for the same reason!

Main Ingredients for Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies:

• Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (this comes in a blue bag, do not mistake it for the red and yellow bag of Bob’s Red GF Flour, which has bean flour and tastes terrible)
• Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder
• Egg
• Sugars
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Vanilla Extract
• Espresso Powder (optional, but deepens the chocolate flavor)
• Chopped Milk Chocolate

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies

1. Cream the butter for one minute. It will be lighter in color and fluffier. Add sugars and cream for 2 more minutes, scraping down sides at least once. The sugar will start to dissolve into the butter, and the texture will be lighter and fluffier.
2. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, mix on low speed to combine.
3. Add dry ingredients while mixer is low speed, for 30 seconds. Then turn speed up to medium for 30 seconds to full combine.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and add chopped chocolate. Use spatula to fully combine and disperse chocolate.
5. Roll dough balls in sugar and bake at 375 degrees F for 12-13 minutes, until tops are just set. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, where they will continue to finish baking.

Measuring Ingredients in Grams is Key to Successful Gluten-Free Baking

Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than measuring cups for the best and most accurate gluten-free cookies. Measuring by volume can produce varying, disappointing results; a cup of flour can vary by 10-20 grams depending on how you measure in those classic cups, which can lead to dry cookies or ones that can’t hold their shape.

What is dutch-processed cocoa powder?

When you see dutch-processed on the label of cocoa powder, that means the cocoa solids have been treated with an alkalizing agent to reduce the natural acidity of cocoa, giving it a less bitter taste (and darker colour) compared to “natural cocoa”, which would be something like Hershey’s Cocoa. Since Dutch process cocoa isn’t acidic, it doesn’t react with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide, so you’ll need to use baking powder as well in your recipe for leavening.

I prefer to use dutch-processed cocoa powder in baking because it has a smooth, mellow flavor rather than bitter, and it has a noticeably darker brown-ish black hue that looks beautiful.

How to Store Gluten-Free Cookies:

These gluten-free chocolate cookies will hold their chewy texture for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. Keep them at room temperature.

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:

• Soft, Chewy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
• Big, Chewy Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Gluten Free Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Favorite Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies

With beautiful crackled tops, crisp edges, and chewy centers, these gluten-free chocolate cookies do not disappoint! Rich with cocoa powder and a handful of chopped milk chocolate. Easy to make, no chilling of dough required.

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time :15 minutes minutes

Cook Time :13 minutes minutes

Yield: 16 cookies

Author: Amanda Paa

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) softened unsalted butter
• 245 grams cane sugar
• 40 grams brown sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 220 grams Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, in the blue bag
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 45 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

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Equipment

• Half Sheet Pan

Instructions 

• Cream the butter for one minute. It will be lighter in color and fluffier. Add sugars and cream for 2 more minutes, scraping down sides at least once. The sugar will start to dissolve into the butter, and the texture will be lighter and fluffier.
• Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, mix on low speed to combine.
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Add dry ingredients while mixer is low speed, for 30 seconds. Then turn speed up to medium for 30 seconds to full combine.
• Remove bowl from mixer and add chopped chocolate. Use spatula to fully combine and disperse chocolate.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let your dough rest on the counter, covered, while the oven preheats. When ready, make 55 gram dough balls with your hands, and roll in extra cane sugar. Place 6 on a baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes, rotating the baking sheet when they're halfway done, and baking until tops are just set. (They won't have all the crinkles yet, those will come as the cookies cool.)
• Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, where they will continue to finish baking. If you'd like perfectly round cookies, use a large biscuit cutter to create the roundness right when they are out of the oven, as shown in this quick video.