These 35-minute chewy and fudgy Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are such a winner among chocolate lovers! Made with 8 simple ingredients including semi-sweet dark chocolate chips and almond flour to give it a really chewy texture. These gluten free & vegan chocolate cookies are the perfect dessert to make!
This vegan Chocolate Fudge Cookie recipe reminds me of the chocolate crinkle cookies my family would make for Passover every year, just with a twist! I've added a mix of chocolate chunks & chocolate chips and cocoa powder for the ultimate chocolate cookie.
If you love these gluten free chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, you'll love my Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies & Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super fudgy - The combination of almond flour, brown sugar and butter give these cookies the perfect texture.
- Only 8 ingredients - This recipe uses 8 simple pantry ingredients you likely already have at home. So, you can make these gluten free chocolate cookies anytime!
- Perfect Passover recipe and year round - This recipe uses almond flour as the flour-like ingredient, so it's easily passover friendly! It's also a perfect cookie for year round of the holiday season.
- Quick and easy - You can't beat a cookie that is ready in only 35 minutes!
- Gluten free - Almond flour is the best gluten free flour for this recipe.
- Naturally vegan - These Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are vegan because of the Flax egg and vegan butter.
Jump to:
Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is inspired by the Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, but they're gluten free and made healthier! Similar to the Levain cookies, these have a rich and fudgy chocolatey texture, using two forms of chocolate (cocoa and chocolate chip). What's great, is you can make this recipe at home & they'll be gluten free (since the bakery version is NOT gluten free).
Ingredients
- Ground flaxseed meal - Flaxseed works to bind the cookies, instead of using an egg, making it a vegan recipe!
- Almond flour - I love that this recipe uses only 1 gluten free flour, so it's less ingredients, and cheaper to make!
- Cocoa powder - Hershey's cocoa powder works best in these cookies.
- Sea salt - Fine sea salt is ideal here. You can also use Diamond Crystals kosher salt though,
- Baking soda - Helps these cookies rise just a bit.
- Vegan butter - To keep these cookies vegan, I like to use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. Dairy butter would work well too.
- Light brown sugar - Brown sugar helps give these cookies a chewy delicious texture and sweetness, of course!
- Granulated sugar - Provides good texture and sweetness.
- Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips and/or chunks - A fun combination of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (or even chopped chocolate), works perfectly here.
How to make Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step one: Combine the flaxseed Mal with 2 ½ tablespoons water to create the "flax egg". This is a great vegan substitute for an egg.
Step two: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt ⅔ of the chocolate chips (and/or chunks) with 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, stirring every 30 seconds, until fully melted. If the chocolate is toot thick.
Step three: In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the remaining 5 tablespoons of vegan butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 3-5 minutes.
Step four: Pour the melted chocolate into the butter-sugar mixture, and mix just until combined.
Step five: Mix in the flax egg, just until combined on a medium-low speed.
Step six: Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to the batter. Mix on medium speed until a cookie dough forms, about 15-30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step seven: Add remaining ⅓ cup remaining chocolate chips (and/or chunks).
Step eight: Mix the dough together until the chocolate is evenly dispersed.
Step nine: Scoop about 9 cookie dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each mound of dough (not accurately represented in photo). Refrigerate or freeze the dough for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
Step ten: Bake the chocolate cookies for 18-20 minutes in the middle oven rack of the oven. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt after baking! Then, let cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy.
Expert tips
- When melting the chocolate for the cookie dough, make sure to stir it often between microwave blasts, otherwise it will burn. We add the 1 tablespoon of the butter during this step to prevent the chocolate from burning during the microwaving process.
- Use good quality chocolate chips (and/or chunks), for the most deliciously rich chocolate, chocolate chip cookies!
- Use ¼ cup cookie scoop or measuring cup (for larger cookies), or a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (for smaller cookies) to perfectly shape the cookies so they bake evenly and uniformly.
- Allow the scooped cookie dough to chill in the fridge or freezer before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Be careful not to overbake - Sometimes cookies can look soft when they're ready and will set up once fully cooled. So don't be fooled by their looks and overbake them!
Recipe substitutions
These gluten free dark chocolate cookies are versatile and can be made with a few different ingredient swaps:
- Flaxseed meal - Use an egg instead! The texture might change very slightly, but these cookies will still be equally delicious.
- Vegan buttery sticks - Dairy butter will work well too. Make sure all butter is purchased in stick form.
- Chocolate chips/Chunks - Feel free to swap with a chopped chocolate bar!
- White chocolate chips - Swap the last ⅓ cup of chocolate chips with white chocolate chips instead.
Recipe variations
Here are some fun cookie add-ins to make using this flourless cookie dough into different flavor combinations:
- Peppermint Chocolate Cookies - Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the butter mixture in the cookie dough. Then, once cookies are formed, press chopped candy cane pieces into the top of each ball of dough before baking.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies - Swap half of the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups. Feel free to also add 2 tablespoons of melted creamy peanut butter into the cookie dough during right after the flax egg is added.
- Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mix in ¼ to ⅓ cup of chopped walnuts into the dough (when adding the chocolate chips).
FAQS
Double chocolate chip cookies are cookies that include two forms of chocolate. In this case, these cookies use cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
Dutch process cocoa powder is ideal for this cookie recipe because it provides a fudgier texture. Hershey's "Special Dark" cocoa powder is a great dutch process cocoa powder for this recipe.
Ideally yes! It's best to refrigerate or freeze the scooped cookies for a few minutes before baking to firm up the better and prevent too much spreading.
Yes! Place raw cookie dough scoops on the pan right into the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until fully frozen. Then, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove as many cookie dough portions from the freezer as you like and bake as directed in the instructions, adding an extra 3-5 minutes to allow for defrosting time in the oven.
Storage
- Store freshly baked & cooled cookies on the counter in a container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe ziplock or sealed container for 2-3 months. Allow to defrost on the counter for a few hours when ready to eat. Or microwave a single cookie for 10-30 seconds to defrost quickly!
Recipes you may love
Here are some more delicious gluten free cookie recipes to try!
Have you tried this recipe? Consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? Thanks for visiting!
Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal Bob's Red Mill brand is recommended
- 2 ½ tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks softened at room temperature, divided
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated/cane sugar
- 9 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips and/or chunks, divided
- 1 ⅓ cups finely ground blanched almond flour Bob's Red Mill brand is recommended
- ¼ cup dutch process cocoa powder Hershey's brand is best
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together the ground flaxseed meal with the 2 ½ tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5 minutes, until it becomes a thick gel.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl add ⅔ (about 6 ounces) of the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter. Melt in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted.
- In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer with a bowl), combine the remaining 5 tablespoons vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated/cane sugar. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, until combined and creamy.
- Pour in the in melted chocolate mixture and mix. Then, add the flax mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into the butter-flax mixture and mix on medium speed until a cookie dough texture forms.
- Add ⅓ (roughly 3 ounces) of the remaining chocolate chips/chunks, and fold into the cookie dough.
- Use a ¼ cup scoop or measuring cup to measuring 9 cookie dough balls and place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each ball of dough. If making smaller cookies (totaling 18 cookies), scoop 2-tablespoonfuls per cookie.
- Refrigerate or freeze the dough while you set the oven to preheat to 350°F.
- Bake cookies for about 18-20 minutes in the middle oven rack. Sprinkle cookies with flakey sea salt right after baking.
- Allow cookies to cool on a wire baking rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Swap the last ⅓ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chip if you'd like!
- Use ¼ cup cookie scoop or measuring cup (for larger cookies), or a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (for smaller cookies) to perfectly shape the cookies so they bake evenly and uniformly.
- Freeze raw cookie dough: You can freeze the raw cookie dough on a parchment-lined sheet tray for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock once all the cookie dough is fully frozen.
- Storage: Store cookies in a container on the counter for up to 4 days.
Susan says
I made these cookies yesterday - they are so delicious! Thank you, Dalya, for giving us a fantastic gluten-free treat!
Dalya Rubin says
I'm soooo happy you loved them!! Thank you!