These rich gluten-free chocolate brownie cookies taste exactly like the crackly top of a fresh pan of brownies, just in cookie form! They're fudgy in the middle, studded with chocolate chips and chopped almonds, and they come together in one bowl.
Pastry Chef TESTED
They taste just like a boxed brownie, only homemade!
These started as my copycat of Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free, dairy-free brownie bites I love, and honestly, they came out tasting identical to the real thing.
The secret is melting real chocolate into the batter so every bite is deeply fudgy and rich, with that signature crackly, shiny brownie top.
With a little love, care, and a good bar of chocolate, they bake up glossy and cracked on top every single time. They're perfect for those moments when you're craving a freshly baked brownie made with love.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chocolate: Use 8 ounces of good chopped chocolate. I love Scharffen Berger semisweet, but any chocolate you enjoy will work. Melting a real bar (instead of only using cocoa powder) is what gives these that true brownie flavor.
- Vegan butter: Regular vegan butter keeps these dairy-free. You can use unsalted dairy butter if dairy is not a concern.
- Eggs: Two eggs, and they must be at room temperature (more on why below).
- Gluten-free flour: A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. Not baking gluten-free? You can swap in regular all-purpose flour cup for cup.
- Almond meal: Almond meal (or almond flour) adds a little structure and a tender, brownie-like crumb.
- Chocolate chips & almonds: Folded in at the end for extra chocolate in every bite and a nice crunch from the chopped almonds.
How to Make Chocolate Brownie Cookies
These are surprisingly easy to make, and the whole batch comes together in one bowl with a microwave and a whisk! Decadent & Indulgent
- Perfectly Portioned
- Super Fudgy
- Chunky
- Cracked on top like a typical brownie
Pro tips
Recipe tips & variations
- Bring your eggs to room temperature. This is the most important step. Cold eggs can seize the warm chocolate and turn into scrambled bits. If you forgot to set them out, place whole eggs in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for about 5 minutes, then crack.
- Use an air-bake or doubled pan. The bottoms can darken and firm up on a thin, dark sheet. An air-bake pan keeps the bottoms tender and evenly baked. No air-bake pan? Stack two baking sheets on top of each other for the same effect.
- Stir the chocolate often while melting so it melts evenly and never scorches. Every microwave is different, so watch it closely toward the end.
- Pull them when the tops just crack. They keep setting as they cool, so this is how you keep the centers fudgy.
- Make them your own. Swap the almonds for chopped walnuts or pecans, or use white or dark chocolate chips.
A Personal Note from Dalya
These brownie cookies are one of the recipes I'm most proud of because they're gluten-free, dairy-free, and corn-free without sacrificing flavor or texture. My goal was to create a cookie that didn't taste "gluten-free" at all, and with their fudgy centers, crackly tops, and rich chocolate flavor, I think these deliver.
After going more than two years without chocolate, I developed a whole new appreciation for it when I was finally able enjoy it again. If you're anything like me and love a truly decadent chocolate dessert, these cookies are sure to become a favorite.
These cookies FOR SURE don't taste:
- Dry
- Healthy
- Gritty
- Gross
- Like the stereotypical gluten-free cookie sold in stores
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly for that just-baked, fudgy center.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies with Almond Chunks
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. The outside of the cookie should look cracked like a brownie.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chopped chocolate and vegan butter for 30-second intervals, stirring in between each microwave session until melted. Set aside once melted.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract. Then, add the melted chocolate-butter mixture. Whisk until completely combined.
- Next, sprinkle the gluten-free flour, almond flour, and baking powder over the batter. Fold to combine.
- Add the chocolate chips and almonds.
- Allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoon mounds of batter onto the baking sheet. Spread out a tiny bit. Place each cookie at least 1 ½ inches apart so that they don’t touch in the oven when they spread.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. The outside of the cookie should look cracked like a brownie.
- Cool the cookies on a baking rack for 1 hour before storing away.
esther p says
I want to make these for a relative who doesn't eat gluten-free flours, since he stays away from rice/potato flour and usually these mixes contain them.
What can I use instead for the 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour?
thanks
Melanie says
What do you use for vegan butter? Would grapeseed oil work?
Dalya Rubin says
Hi, sorry for the late response!! I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, but you can also you any non-dairy butter (or use dairy butter if you eat dairy). I wouldn't recommend using oil in this recipe, but if you try it, let me know. Happy Baking!
Malka says
I used oil to melt the chocolate. They came out amazing! We made these and the same as this with flour and my kids prefered these over the ones with gluten! Thanks for this great recipe!
Dalya Rubin says
Hi Malka,
Thanks so much for the feedback & for sharing your ingredient swap. I'm so incredibly happy your family loved it!