Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Cookies

A plate of brownie-top flourless cookies.

4.80 from 5 reviews

Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Cookies

These small batch flourless chocolate cookies are the best parts of a brownie top, in cookie form. With crackly tops, fudgy centers, and crisp edges, the cookies are naturally gluten-free and made with just powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and an egg white.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: GF

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Erin Cernich

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons egg white, room temperature about 1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup powdered sugar made with cornstarch; spooned and leveled
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process spooned and leveled
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips regular or mini

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat.

If you do not have a Silpat mat, use parchment paper that has been coated (most are today). The coated side will look shiny. If not, very lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray. If there is too much spray, the cookies will spread, a lot.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. If your cocoa is extra lumpy, pass it through a fine mesh strainer set over the bowl.
3/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process, 1/4 teaspoon salt
In another small mixing bowl, add the room temperature egg white and vanilla. Use a hand mixer with whisk attachments and whip the white on medium speed until soft peaks form (this takes me 75 seconds on my mixer).
2 tablespoons egg white, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft peaks are the stage just past foamy. The white will be opaque, and when you lift the beaters, the peaks will flop over. If they are overmixed, the cookies will come out much thicker.

Sprinkle half the sugar and cocoa mixture over the whipped egg white. Using a spatula, gently fold until the dry ingredients begin to moisten. This will take a few folds, so be patient and turn the bowl as you go. Add the remaining sugar mixture and fold until no dry streaks remain. A few small lumps are fine; they'll bake out. The batter is much thinner than traditional cookie dough. It will be shiny, sticky, and almost gluey.
Fold in the chocolate chips until just combined.
3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
Use a small cookie scoop to portion 6 equal cookies and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. The batter will be thin, spreading as it hits the baking sheet and even more as it bakes. This is normal.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. As they bake, a shiny top will form with a few cracks, and some batter may sneak out from under the cracks and look fudgy. The cookies are done once the edges appear set, and you'll also smell the chocolate. Careful not to overbake, or the bottoms will burn.

To smooth out wonky edges and make the cookies perfectly round, use a round cookie cutter or the back of a spoon and go around the cookie, pressing the edges back in.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then, slide the Silpat off the baking sheet, with the cookies still on it, to finish cooling on a wire rack. Leaving them on the hot pan traps steam as they cool, which can soften the crackly top.

If you try to remove the cookies from the Silpat while they are still warm, they will most certainly stick and break apart.

Once the cookies are cool, lift the edges of the Silpat to peel the cookies off, similar to how you peel paper off a sticker. If the cookies still want to stick, use a spatula to help peel the cookies off.
Store the cookies in a covered container at room temperature for 3 days. Humidity can soften the cookies and make them sticky.

Notes

Serving Size - The recipe can be doubled, using 1/4 cup of egg whites (about 2 eggs).
Egg White - It needs to be at room temperature to whip properly. It's much easier to separate the egg while it's cold, then let the white sit in a small bowl while the oven preheats.
Measuring the Egg White - I have tested this recipe specifically using 2 tablespoons of egg white. The amount of white in most large eggs is 2 tablespoons, but it can vary, which is why I have you measure it.
Measuring the Dry Ingredients - Use a spoon to scoop into the measuring cups, then level off the top with the back of a knife. Do not dunk and press the cups into the dry ingredients. Too much or too little can throw off the ratios.
Cookie Spread - Because of the thin nature of this batter, I do not recommend making the cookies any larger. They will spread too much and bake too thin.
Parchment or Silpat - I've tried both, and strongly recommend Silpat. It gives you the most control over spread and the cleanest release.
Cookie Texture - The cookies are like the best part of a brownie top: a crispy, crackly top with a chewy and fudgy center.
Substitutions - The ingredients listed serve specific functions, and I do not recommend substitutions. Grain-free powdered sugar, sugar-free powdered sugar, aquafaba, and carton egg whites will not yield the same result.
Freezing - Gently place the cooled cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

This recipe is adapted from François Payard's original recipe in Food 52's Genius Desserts.

Nutrition