Flourless Chocolate Cookies
These glossy, rich Flourless Chocolate Cookies are packed full of chocolate chips and are a dreamy alternative to an ordinary meringue or chocolate chip cookie.
As a bonus, these cookies are made with whisked egg whites, which technically make them Chocolate Meringues! As a bonus, they are naturally gluten-free and are no ordinary treat!
Why You Must Make
- They’re rich, dense, and chewy!
- With both cocoa powder and chocolate chips, they’re ultra chocolaty!
- They’re naturally flourless so perfect for anyone who’s following a gluten-free diet.
Now if you’re like me, when you picture a chocolate meringue cookie, it’s kind of pale, crisp, and without an intense chocolate flavor. Well, when I saw photos of these chocolate meringue cookies AKA flourless chocolate cookies on a friend’s blog, I knew I’d be baking them immediately.
Then these cookies turned up on two other friends’ blogs. Yup, they were definitely worth baking and sharing here, too. Dark, dense, and chewy, these were perfect for both my family and for my book club’s summer dinner. The chocoholics at home gave their unwavering approval, and one of my book club friends made this immediately after receiving the recipe. A sure sign of a magnificent cookie.
What Readers Are Saying:
From Lisa via Pinterest: These are so easy to make and SOOOOO DELICIOUS! I will definitely be baking these cookies again and again!
From Diana via the comments: So good! My gluten-free son raves about them. Asked me to make another batch. Wish I had thought to teach him how to make them. My 60+-year-old arms get tired a lot faster than they used to, lol.
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Real Vanilla Extract (affiliate link), Table Salt (just a touch of salt is key to enhancing the flavor of desserts).
- Cocoa Powder (affiliate link) – Not cocoa mix, but unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Egg Whites – Use cold eggs as the yolk is less likely to break. Crack on a flat surface, as this will minimize yolk breakage, too. But let them come to room temperature before mixing, as they will incorporate more easily when not cold.
- Powdered Sugar (affiliate link) – Sift to remove lumps.
How to Make
- Place all the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.
- Stir together until well combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix.
- Drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake as directed.
Expert Tips
- A few notes about these chocolate meringue cookies. With this recipe, the egg whites are just stirred in with the other ingredients, which include a healthy dose of cocoa powder AND loads of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Unlike a typical meringue, no beating is needed, though it may take a bit of stirring to incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. Once it comes together, then the chocolate chips are added to the mix.
- PRO-Tip: Overworking this batter will result in less glossy cookies. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. I will briefly whisk together the egg whites so they incorporate nicely.
- The batter has a flowing nature, so it’s hard to get beautiful, round cookies without a little tweaking. At my house, I’m definitely the only one who cares about the aesthetic appearance of my desserts. If you don’t give a hoot, either, that’s just fine.
- But if you’re like me, you may want to push the dough mounds into more spherical shapes when they are hot out of the oven. PRO-Tip: I use a spatula for this tidying-up process; hold it perpendicular to the pan and tap each cookie into a rounder shape. You can also use a Round Cookie Cutter (affiliate link to a set of round cookie/biscuit cutters), a couple of sizes larger than your cookies, and carefully rotate it around the warm cookie to make it more spherical. Make sure to use a hot pad to steady the pan as you’re doing this.
- The batter will spread, so don’t crowd these on the cookie sheets.
- PRO-Tip: Make sure you line your baking sheets with parchment paper. If your brand doesn’t have a glossy finish, you may want to spray it with a non-stick cooking spray as well. They must be removed to a cooling rack about a minute or two after taking them out of the oven, or they will start to adhere to the paper. You will love the results even if they don’t look like Betty Crocker baked them!
- PRO-Tip: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Recipes Made with Egg Whites
Meringue cookies are a terrific way to utilize leftover egg whites. Whether you’ve made Creme Brulee, Chocolate Pudding, lemon curd, or rich ice cream, there are times when only yolks are called for in a recipe. This is when plain or chocolate meringue cookies are perfect!
I also have a fabulous Chocolate-Dipped Macaroon Recipe calling for two egg whites, but when your husband declares he’s allergic to coconut, so he doesn’t have to eat it, these don’t fly! My simple meringue cookies, also known as Egg White Cookies, are always a hit, and this Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova is killer!!!
So make sure to pin this post so you can whip up these Chocolate Egg White Cookies next time you have some to spare!
Frequently Asked Questions
Meringue cookies are typically made from whipped egg whites, sugar, and flavorings. The batter is then piped onto a baking sheet, and baked slowly at a low temperature.
These cookies are not traditional meringues but do contain egg whites and sugar. The egg whites are not whipped like in other meringue recipes. So by definition, these are not true meringues, but more like a cousin.
They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. They’ll also freeze well for up to 3 months.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Flourless Chocolate Torte from Well Plated
- Flourless Chocolate Kahlua Cake
- Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
- More of my Best Cookie Recipes.
Flourless Chocolate Cookies Recipe
A delectable flourless chocolate cookie AKA chocolate meringue cookies, adapted from my friend, Chris, from The Sucre Cafe Farine
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 egg whites (no need to beat like with a traditional meringue)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment. Spray the parchment with Pam cooking spray and using a paper towel, spread the Pam so that it covers the whole surface.
- Stir together all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. The mixture will eventually come together.
- Scrape the bowl and mix again. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Reshape if necessary (I used my spatula).
- Bake till the tops are slightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes.
- Cool only briefly before moving to a cooling rack. Cookies are fragile, but they will stick to parchment if not removed shortly after baking.
Notes
Powdered sugar contains cornstarch which is vital for this recipe to work. If you can't eat powdered sugar or cornstarch and omit or substitute, beware that the batter may not solidify.
These cookies don't contain oil or butter so they tend to stick. Make sure to use parchment paper AND Pam cooking spray so they don't adhere to the pan or paper.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 1g
78 Comments on “Flourless Chocolate Cookies”
Possibly the best cookie I’ve ever had.
Subbed out vanilla for orange extract when I made these for Thanksgiving. They were such a hit that there are requests (demands, lol) to bring them for Christmas. Tomorrow night is baking night!
Hooray! Thanks for reporting back, Tricia! Merry Christmas!!
Look great and ready to try this! Have you added walnuts ever? Maybe mix choc chips and walnuts? Any suggestions ?
I haven’t tried adding any nuts or chocolate chips, but that sounds delicious! The batter does best if you use it as soon as it’s mixed well, so I’d add them right away and start scooping! Enjoy!
Made these as the recipe shows. They are amazing! My husband even loved them- after I guaranteed they weren’t a weird cookie ????. I would love to see it tweaked for low carb. Anyone made it with Truvia or Steevia turned into ‘powdered sugar’?
LOL, your husband sounds like mine! I don’t have any experience with trying this with any sugar substitutes, but I’ll let you know if I ever spot a low carb version. Thanks for stopping by!
I just tried these and replaced the powdered sugar with Lakanto monkfruit powdered sugar. I also replaced the chocolate chips with Bhu Fit vegan sugar free chocolate discs. They aren’t pretty, but they are delicious! Oh, and only cooked them 12 minutes on convection bake. Yum!!
Great to know a healthier version worked. Thanks for your review, Denise!
Wow, delicious!!
So simple! These look incredible!
That glossy cracked top – making my mouth water just looking at them! They won’t last long in my house!
These look amazing!
I am a SUCKER for chocolate cookies! LOVE that these are flourless!
Love them!
I wanted to try this last time I visited but didnt have the ingredients I just checked and have it all now. Going to see if my grandson likes them he will help me make them 🙂
This recipe reminds me of the chocolate flourless cookies you can buy at Whole Foods. I bet these are just as tasty and cheaper to have on hand! 🙂 I also could easily make this Keto by subbing the sugar. Can’t wait to try it out!
Cookies turned out perfectly
I used teflon reusable baking mats
I let them set a few minutes then peeled them off paper
Thanks so much for reporting back—especially with what worked for you! Have a great weekend, Deb!
Can these be frozen? Or if not, how long will they stay fresh?
I have not tried freezing these, but with meringues in general, you can freeze them, but if there is any condensation in the container, they will not fare well when they defrost. They’ll stay fresh for at least a few days in an airtight container.
I am making these. Read all the tips in the comment section also. These look delicious.
wow these are just beautiful I love that sheen they have!
I made these for a friend who has to eat gluten-free food. Her and her husband loved them and asked for the recipe. I did not have parchment paper so I used aluminum foil. I removed the cookies immediately and carefully after baking. I had no problem with sticking. I ony baked them for 13 minutes. So, keep in mind ovens vary with cooking time.
Thanks for your feedback, Mary. So glad your friends enjoyed these! Happy holidays!!!
I just made these. I did 3 sheets – the first 2 stuck like crazy. And, they were hot, so it was painful to take them off the parchment. The 3rd sheet I had to leave, since I had to run out of the house. They were cool when I tried to take them off. They came off easily. I highly recommend leaving them until cool on the parchment.
Thanks for your review, Andrea! I will edit the instructions with your tip.
Has anyone tried these using the whole egg?
Hi, Betty,
Since they are also known as chocolate meringue cookies, I’d guess that you’d want to stick to egg whites only. But if you’re the kind of baker who likes to experiment, it might be fun to try—though I think the extra liquid might make the batter a bit too loose. Let me know if you go for it 🙂 Thanks!
These look super duper chocolaty. Now the temps just need to drop a bit so I can turn the oven back on.
I would have never guessed these were a meringue cookie