Chewy, Crinkled Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies

By Amanda Paa – Updated December 13, 2022
5 from 9 votes
With a crinkly top, crisp edge, and chewy center these gluten-free chocolate cookies do not disappoint! They're rich with cocoa powder and chopped milk chocolate. These cookies have beautiful sparkles and ripples throughout. They're easy to make, no chilling of dough required.
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gluten free chocolate cookie on a pink plate

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
ingredients for gluten-free chocolate cookies
chocolate cookie dough balls on parchment paper
a dough ball of chocolate sugar cookie

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.

gluten-free chocolate cookies on wiring cooling rack

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.

gluten-free chocolate cookies on a table
interior photo of gluten-free chocolate cookie cut in half

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:

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chewy gluten-free chocolate cookies

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
Prep Time :15 minutes
Cook Time :13 minutes
Yield: 16 cookies
Author: Amanda Paa

Ingredients

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.

Did you make this?

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December 13, 2022

COMMENT & RATE

I look forward to your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot; thank you for being a part of the Heartbeet Kitchen community.

Amanda

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Recipe Rating




5 from 9 votes (1 rating without comment)

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15 comments

  1. Jen A

    5 stars
    These cookies are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly except I made 40 gram cookies, baked 10 minutes. I will be making more of your recipes in the future! This was my first time baking from this blog. I’m impressed!

  2. Barbara Pebley

    5 stars
    Question: I’d like to bake some at a time…can this dough be frozen?

    • Amanda Paa

      yes, roll into dough balls and freeze! then when you go to bake, unthaw and roll in sugar.

  3. Barbara Pebley

    5 stars
    These cookies are a winner! The texture is fabulous and there’s no weird mouth feel that I often experience with gluten free baked goods.
    I altered the recipe a bit; omitted the espresso powder and added 8 oz each: toasted pine nuts and Guittards dark chocolate chips. I also topped each cookie with some flake salt.
    Thank you!!!

    • Amanda Paa

      oh my goodness, those additions sound delicious! i’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for making it!

  4. Linda S Flaherty

    just a note – was in process of making and decided to read Ghirardelli Premium baking 100% cocoa Dutch-process – to find note-may contain tree nuts, wheat, soy, milk and egg. So be sure to check yours.

  5. Andrea

    5 stars
    These cookies are absolutely delicious! I made them for my (celiac) son’s class. I did not use espresso powder. All the kids loved them and my family all did too! Of note, I still eat gluten outside of my household. This isn’t “good for gluten free”, It is delicious by all standards. Thank you so much!

  6. JAK

    5 stars
    Best ever!

    • Amanda Paa

      Yay, so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cookies!

  7. Kelly

    5 stars
    Hi Amanda… these are fabulous cookies. I turned them into Dirty Chai Chocolate cookies and wow! And I made them vegan with a flax egg replacer. My question is this… can the dough be made a head of time and frozen into balls? Would you then let them come to roughly room temp befor baking? Thoughts or suggestion? Thanks so much for a great recipe

    • Amanda Paa

      those sound amazing with the chai! Yes, the dough does freeze well in balls. I take them out and let come to room temp before baking.

  8. Cindy mays

    5 stars
    Have you done the pan banging with these chocolate chocolate cookies? I wonder if they would be thinner like the molasses ones? They are simply incredible the way they are! And surpassed my dream of them for the past two nights. I got up today and made them. I was so excited I forgot to set my two eggs out. Cold eggs and all they are simply perfect!

    • Amanda Paa

      Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the gluten-free chocolate cookies! I love these too. And thanks for the note on the cold eggs. These have a little different scientific composition so they wouldn’t deflate as much with the pan-banging. But it wouldn’t hurt anything either!

  9. Gene Sannes

    5 stars
    My wife has tried several Recipes and we’ve both enjoyed them. I’ve even tried with great success, three of your recipes. Great site and easy to follow directions. Thank you.

    • Amanda Paa

      So glad to hear that, Gene!