These Chewy Gooey Flourless Chocolate Cookies have a little bit of a crispy exterior and a chewy gooey and very chocolatey interior.
These cookies are hard to resist. They’re so ooey, gooey, brownie-like and completely composed of dark chocolate. And they also happen to be flourless chocolate cookies. Several readers have mentioned that they are similar to Whole Food’s Market Chocolate Chewies.
These are adapted from Francois Payard, the chocolate expert. They may be flourless, which also makes them gluten free, but if you’re at all a fan of chewy brownies… you’ll likely enjoy these immensely.
Ingredients needed:
- powdered sugar
- Dutch process cocoa powder (can be ordered online)
- salt
- egg whites
- vanilla extract
- bittersweet chocolate chips
Can you use regular unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutch process?
I haven’t tried regular cocoa powder myself, but there are several people who mentioned in the comments that they used regular cocoa powder, and it worked out just fine. Here are a couple quotes from the comments (but feel free to scroll down and read more):
These turned out amazing! I took note of other’s suggestions. 2 1/2 egg whites worked well for me. I didn’t have Dutch pressed cocoa powder so I added 2.5 1/8 teaspoons of baking soda. I also sprinkled powdered sugar on top before baking and only did 9 cookies on a tray. They turned out beautifully – crispy on top and gooey inside. This recipe is a keeper.
Follow the directions and suggestions and you will have yummy ooey gooey cookies. Regular cocoa powder is all I had and it worked just fine. I ended up using three egg whites. Placed dough in fridge for a few minutes along with the pan seemed to be the trick. Definitely will make again!
How to make Chewy Gooey Flourless Chocolate Cookies:
Powdered sugar (not the usual granulated sugar) is used in this recipe. Powdered sugar is whisked together with cocoa powder and salt. Egg whites and vanilla extract are mixed in. Start with two egg whites, and check the consistency. You’ll likely need 2 1/2 to 3 egg whites to create a brownie-like thick and fudgy batter. Chocolate chips are stirred in last.
It’s best to space these out on a baking sheet. You can do 12 on a baking sheet, but you might be happier baking 8 or 9 at a time. They may spread a bit, and you don’t want them to bake into each other.
These chewy gooey flourless chocolate cookies are not sturdy cookies. Instead, they’re rather light and delicate. But one bite into them and you’ll be delightfully surprised at the rich chocolate flavor and the abundance of fudginess.
Note: they are a little tricky to make because you need to judge the egg white addition, but they’re well worth the effort. Be sure to follow the instructions to a “T,” watch the how-to video, and perhaps read through some of the comments to grab some tips from other bakers.
Here are a few more chocolate cookie recipes you might enjoy:
- Chocolate Toffee Cookies
- Chocolate- Toffee S’More Cookies
- 7-Minute Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Wow’s
- Chocolate Nutella Cookies
Chewy Gooey Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup Dutch Process cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (or silpat mats). If you use parchment paper, give it a light coating of nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the egg whites (start w/ just two) and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened. You're looking for a brownie-like, thick and fudgy batter consistency. If it seems too thick, add another egg white-- then a 4th one if it still seems too thick. Then gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds per cookie sheet. I like to use a spring-release cookie scoop. Bake about 14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- *If you're baking this as a "gluten-free" recipe, just make sure that the brand of chocolate chips you are using is gluten free.
- *Let the cookies cool completely before you attempt to remove them from the mat or the parchment. They're delicate, so gently peeling the paper away from the cookie works best.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried 1/2 of the batter for first batch. I live at high altitude (5400 ft) in a suburb of Denver. They spread out very thinly despite the batter being quite thick (Brownie-like) and only using 2 1/2 egg whites. Cookies were several inched apart so I was surprised when they ran together. For high-altitude adjustments, I reduced the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup (necessary at high altitude) but increased the cocoa powder by 1 TBSP. Not happy with the result at all.
Second half of the recipe I tried only 1 TBSP of batter per cookie and baked for 14 minutes. They still spread out too thinly on Silpat and were too thin to eat. Waste of expensive ingredients. Will not ever make again.
DO NOT EXPECT a good outcome at high altitude. FYI: I bake A LOT here and this recipe is not worth your time. Sorry….
Seems to be kind of hit or miss- it’s a tricky recipe as you have to get the consistency of the cookie batter just right. Sorry you did not have success with it.
I am on low carb so I subbed the sugar for Splenda and used whole eggs (3) and added nuts and they turned out really good-especially with a cup of coffee. But you must like dark chocolate!!
Made these today for my gluten free dad, i’m always trying to find gluten free cookie recipes for him. They taste amazing, but mine too expanded and morphed into each other. I waited for them to partially cool, then cut them into neat little circles (they are more esthetically pleasing this way). Thank you
So my son wanted to make these and I thought I had cocoa powder — turns out I didn’t — so we threw in peanut butter powder. Anyhow they came out super crisp, airy and really tasty even without cocoa powder — so I can’t wait to do them again with the cocoa powder! Thanks so much.
Just wanted to let you know that while I haven’t personally made these (yet!), I did have the chance to try one that a friend brought over. OH. MY. GOD. Could quite possibly be the best cookie I have ever had! She shared your recipe and I plan on making them for Christmas. I had to share, they are THAT good 🙂
Made these today -came out perfect and delicious! Used 3 egg whites and Hersey’s Cocoa. Would make again!
I just made this tonight and I used 3 room temp egg whites and they came out absolutely perfect!! Thank you for the yummy recipe!!
I pinned this recipe so long ago and finally got around to making it. Best decision ever! They were fantastic, and super sweet, so that kept me from indulging in more than one 🙂 I did adjust the recipe and went with a really thick batter and it worked perfectly (less eggs.) I found this did not cause sticking to the parchment paper (I allowed them to cool for 10 minutes I believe and carefully transferred them to a wire rack.)
Thanks so much for this recipe! made them a few times and everyone loves them. Shared it on Facebook with a link to the recipe on your site. 🙂 Your site is one of the few cooking ones that consistently has awesomely delicious recipes. thanks so much! – Amy
Thanks for that compliment!
Just wanted to let you know that I found your recipe here a few years ago, made them for Passover and my family loved them.
Today I made them again and took a pic to put on my fb page. Someone asked for the recipe. Of course I don’t give others’ recipes out as my own so in response left her this link.
Thanks!