Flourless Fudge Cookies: a special treat for the gluten-free crowd.
Rich, chewy, chocolate-y cookies, full of cocoa and sugar and espresso and vanilla and egg whites. With a touch of salt.
Period.
What, no flour? Translation: gluten-free?
You betcha, by golly. If you’re avoiding gluten, here’s another tool to add to your recipe box:
Flourless Fudge Cookies, a.k.a. Sin-Free Chocolate Chews.
Even if you’re not pursuing a gluten-free diet, you’ll want to keep this recipe handy. With no fat except what’s in the cocoa (or the extra chips or nuts you throw in), they’re a treat for those of you counting fat grams.
And an extra-chewy, darkly chocolate, super-fast and easy treat.
That said, let’s get baking!
Let’s start with my favorite cocoa, Double-Dutch Dark. This mixture of two Dutch-process cocoas—regular, and long-roasted black—adds super-rich, smooth flavor and extra-dark color to whatever you use it in, from brownies to cake to cookies to fudge sauce.
User advisory: If you’re making these cookies for someone who’s extremely sensitive to gluten, be advised that we pack our cocoa in a non-gluten-free facility; so we can’t guarantee that a minute particle of gluten didn’t make its way into the cocoa somewhere along the way…
You wouldn’t think, looking at the color of the cocoa, that it would yield such dark results. Just call it the alchemy of baking.
Put the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and cocoa in a bowl.
Whisk or mix them together. Want to avoid a cocoa-and-flour “dust cloud”? Cover the bowl as you mix.
And there you have it. While this step isn’t strictly necessary—you can just dump everything in the bowl at once and mix—I like to make sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined before adding the liquids.
Add 3 large egg whites, and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract. If you’re baking these for someone avoiding gluten, be sure to use gluten-free vanilla.
Mix till smooth. The batter will be very shiny, almost syrupy.
Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls or tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. A teaspoon cookie scoop or tablespoon cookie scoop works well here, since the scoops mimic the traditional “teaspoonful” or “tablespoonful” of old-time recipes.
Did you know that a “teaspoonful” of dough is actually about 2 level measuring teaspoons, while a “tablespoonful” is about 4 level measuring teaspoons? Bakers used to simply drop cookie dough from a regular spoon (called a teaspoon), or larger soup spoon (called a tablespoon); that’s how all the measuring confusion began.
Leave plenty of space among the cookies; they’ll spread a lot.
See?
Look at that lovely, shiny/crackly crust. Gluten-free, and no added fat to boot.
But let’s not stop there. Let’s add some fat—er, chocolate chips. If you’re not counting fat grams in a serious way, it’s fun to add chips or nuts to these cookies. Just stir them in at the end, and bake.
Notice that add-ins tighten the cookies’ spread; the ones with the diced nuts, on top, spread less than the ones with chocolate chips (bottom); which spread less than the original version, with no add-ins.
Here are all three: original (top), diced walnuts (bottom left), and chips (bottom right).
Read, rate, and review (please!) our recipe for Flourless Fudge Cookies.
Buy vs. Bake
Buy: SnackWells Fat-Free Devil’s Food Cookies, $8.51/lb.
Bake at home: Flourless Fudge Cookies, $2.81/lb.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:43 am
Thanks so much for posting a recipe for those who must live gluten-free. My adult son, one of his children and my adult daughter are all celiacs and must eat gluten-free. The cookies look good and remind me of the flourless chocolate cake recipes. Again, thanks!
You’re welcome, Sandy - Enjoy. PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:03 am
Mmm, I love to make these. They give you that sweet hit without filling you up on the gluten. I have someone that I make gluten-free for and I found that they are surprisingly fine for me too!
I’ve also heard that gluten aggravates rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and that people with RA should avoid as much gluten as possible. Does anyone have anything definitive on that?
Haven’t heard about the gluten/RA connection, Mike. Anyone out there know anything about that? PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:15 am
Okay, so I just had to try them… Yes, already done…
First let me say that I don’t know how common it is, but I suffer from the same affliction that my mom does… For the most part, neither of us are able to… Oh, this is so embarrassing… Neither of us are able to follow a recipe without making some sort of change to it. There, I’ve said it. Time to move on…
Okay, so I made the recipe as directed (including the espresso powder), but I made 6 cookies/brownies in my hamburger pan (greased lightly with shortening). I baked them for 12 min and removed them after they cooled, at intervals. The ones that came out about 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven transported the best.
Mmmmm, thick and chewy, warm and chocolaty… Poured myself a glass of milk and sighed.
The only thing that I can think of to make it better would be vanilla ice cream… *sigh*
Oh, Mike - GREAT idea, the hamburger bun pan. Makes them nice and round, which can be a challenge, since the dough is pretty sticky. Thanks for your fast input, as always - PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
I did a journal search, found two studies relating RA and gluten. The British Journal of Rheumatology published a Swedish study 2001 reporting evidence that gluten-free vegan diet improves signs and symptoms of RA; the effects were correlated to a reduction in antibodies to food antigens. Interestingly, a 2008 article in the journal “Arthritis Research and Therapy” shows that a vegan gluten-free diet may also decrease the risk of heart disease in persons with RA. These were research studies, so no cause-and-effect conclusions were drawn. Both studies available online if anyone wants the full statistical analysis. Couldn’t find any studies on the effect of gluten alone (but I only researched medical journals; I sure there’s probably anecdotal evidence reported). By the way, I make these cookeis frequently, not because of gluten sensitivity, but because of the low fat content, as I have hyperlipidemia. They’re great when you just need that chocolate hit!
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
oh my god, those look amazing. I am not gluten-free, but try to stay away from flour just for health reasons. Can’t wait to try these, thanks for the recipe!
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:23 am
These look so good and I love the fact that they are lowfat. Can I just make them with Dutch Processed cocoa, though? I know they won’t come out as dark, but I’d like to make them tonight and DP is all I have.
Thanks! You’re right, the cookies won’t be as dark but they’ll still taste good. Molly @ KAF
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
I have the great pleasure of working here at King Arthur with PJ. She sits across the room from me, so I get to try all kinds of wonderful creations (like the Mocha Oreo Crunch ice cream this morning!). This has to be my favorite cookie she has introduced me to. There are no gluten restriction in my family but this is the cookie I make A LOT! We love ‘em!
Aw, Tracy, I bet you say that to all the test bakers…
PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:41 am
Can you replace the espresso powder with something? I don’t do coffee
Sure - replace it with nothing, you’ll be all set. It lends flavor to the chocolate, but has nothing to do with structure. PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Thanks for the recipe — they look great!
I feel like I would want to refrigerate the dough so it’s easier to scoop even teaspoon/tablespoon-fuls of these guys. Will that adversely affect the spread/taste/consistency of the cookie? I would be willing to bet they would take a little longer to bake if I throw them in right out of the fridge.
This recipe originally called for the dough to be refrigerated; I didn’t find that it made any difference in any respect (including scoopability), but go ahead and refrigerate if it fits with your schedule… PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
oooh my… i have been looking for an easy chocolate chocolate cookie - THANK YOU!!! yum!!
I think i will be adding ‘espresso powder’ to the grocery list and making these TONIGHT! Will try to report back
(really, i just want to go home and bake - dont you guys have a telecommuting job opening somewhere? haha)
Hey, keep your eye on our Web site for job postings…
PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I have joint pain and gluten seems to bother me. My chiropractor friend swears that gluten is evil for joints. He wouldn’t eat the best pan of dinner rolls for anything…
Gluten-free and chocolate? Mmmmmmmmm…..
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
What happens if I sub the confectioners sugar for agave? My husband has tyoe 2 diabetes which means sugar free or low glycemic substitutes.
Agave works great in the banana nut whoopie pies in both the cookies and the filling, and I substitute spelt flour for the other flours. Here, will it make a difference in the structure?
Sorry, Rebecca, I’ve never tried agave. Give it a try, let us know how it does. My sense is, without the starch in the confectioners’ sugar, the dough will spread too much… PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
These look great, but my problem is not Gluten, but sugar, and somehow I don’t think that just replacing the confectioner’s in this with Splenda is going to work out… Got anything for the sugar free crowd out here?
Sure - many of our yeast bread recipes are naturally sugar-free. And take a look at our Splenda blogs - just search on Splenda. PJH
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Laurel, don’t worry about the espresso powder, I don’t do coffee (the smell of it in the morning will turn my stomach), but in chocolate products you don’t taste it, but it does enhance the chocolate taste.
Rebecca, I would think Agave Nectar would be okay, but as PJ said, you will need to add cornstarch into it so that it thickens.
Ted, can you use Agave Nectar? Personally I stay away from Splenda and Aspartame stuff…. They do some weird stuff in the blood stream…
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
PJ, thanks for a great recipe. I can’t wait to try frozen yogurt ‘ice cream’ sandwiches. Since it is going to be in the 90’s all week, this is a great time for cool treats.
For those who can’t or don’t want to use sugar, stevia-which comes in a dry form-might be a viable substitute. It also has a low GI.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Thank you so much for posting a gluten free recipe.
YUMMMM
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:01 am
wow! Good idea come passover time too - this is not dairy either! Good to remember
thanks!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 am
How much chocolate chips & nuts do you add?
There is information in the sidebar next to the recipe. (Add up to 2 cups of chocolate chips or diced walnuts to the batter. You’ll lose the cookies’ “no added fat” attribute, but make some very tasty cookies. With 2 cups of add-ins, you’ll make about 24 large cookies, or 48 smaller cookies. Note: For larger cookies with add-ins, increase the baking time by 2 minutes, to a total of 10 minutes.) Joan @ bakershotline
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. My sister will be having a luncheon this week with our Mom and our 2 aunts. One aunt has Celiac and has to eat gluten free. My sister was wondering what to make for dessert. Well problem solved. I will be taking a tray of these delicious looking cookies. One question, can I use regular cocoa? I don’t have Dutch processed. Thanks for all the great recipes. Can’t wait to try them. I hope aunty likes them.
Joyce
Sure, use regular cocoa. the cookies won’t be as dark, and won’t taste as smooth, but that’s OK; I’m sure your aunt will love them anyway! PJH
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
Thanks PJ. I’ll let you know how the cookies came out.
June 24th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
These look delicious! I have a friend with Celiac’s…I’ll make these next time she’s in town. Actually, I’ll make these BEFORE she comes to town. They look so good!
June 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I can attest to the FABULOSITY of these cookies…they are AMAZING….and gluten free, to boot, so that makes them even better in our book!
June 25th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
RE: to refrigerate or not….when I made these the first time, i did refrigerate them…but did it for like a day or two and that was WAY too long…I do not remember what happend, but I remember enough to only refrigerate a few hours now…re: gluten free vanilla. Most vanilla’s are GF, the problem used to be the alcohol that was used in vanilla, but now most vanilla’s are fine. In fact, I have not found one yet that is not ok to use.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I have made these many times and LOVE them, they are so easy to make it is almost a sin to take credit for baking them!
June 28th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
YUM! I just wanted to share that even if you mess these up they are salvagable and still insanely yummy!!
i missed the part about beating them in the mixer and just mixed it by hand … and it was WAY too thin to be a cookie. i also cheated and used the carton egg whites you can buy at the store - and they are pasteurized, which i didn’t realize until after i used them, not sure that it mattered, but the carton said they don’t whip up…
i was not giving up though! so i pulled out my mini muffin tin, greased them and filled them almost to the top with the batter and put them in the oven at 300 degrees for um 10-15 minutes (? i dont remember! just check using a toothpick!).
YUM YUM YUM! They puffed up and rose and are like fudgy yummy mini chocolate better than brownie cupcakes or something. DELICIOUS!
ok, going to go try them now by actually following the directions…
Good job, Kate - chocolate is ALWAYS salvageable!
PJH
June 29th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Hey Ted - you might try substituting xylitol for the sugar. I’m going to try this recipe today! Xylitol has been great for everything - and it’s actually good for you! I use it for cooking, making lemonade, and on top of my morning oatmeal. I no longer use sugar for anything.
Q: What would happen if you used a whole egg?
Egg yolks wouldn’t hurt these cookies… they simply add fat, the whites provide the protein/structure. PJH
June 29th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I think I did something wrong (not unusual for me in the kitchen). I used Hershey’s cocoa powder (the only kind I had on hand) and followed the recipe as listed. They came out tasting like dark, dark chocolate, which was OK with me but the kids spit out quickly. Is there a way to make them less dark chocolate/more milk chocolate? The chocolate was so overpowering they were just too much (I know, I know, how can there be “too much” and “chocolate” in the same sentence).
Hi - Did you use natural cocoa? Like, just Hershey’s regular, not European-style? Natural cocoa is harsher/more acidic, which is probably what the kids were tasting. Next time, leave out the espresso powder, use Dutch-process (”European-style”) cocoa, and use a few tablespoons less - that should help. Understand these will never be a mild, milk chocolate cookie… And I’m with you, “less” and “chocolate” don’t belong in the same sentence together! PJH
June 29th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I can just say one word, AMAZING…
There are no gluten restrictions in my family, but these cookies looked delicious, and sounded too easy to make.
We are all in love with chocolate, and I am always looking for low calorie chocolate treats. This one is perfect. I added 2 tsp “black cocoa” to the recipe, and it was the darkest, chocolatiest, chewiest cookie I ever had.
The cookies tasted even better the day after, because they seemed to taste less sweet. Next time I will try it with only 2 cups or even less confectioners’ sugar.
I had no problem scooping the cookie dough; probably because I chilled the dough in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes, and kept it in there while a batch was baking in the oven. The dough was still sticky, but my kids loved licking the spatula, and the cookie scoop.
I took a few pictures of the cookies, because not even they taste great, but they also look devilishly good too.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Rachel, thanks for sharing your experiences - what a nice community this is! PJH
June 30th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Thanks JC for asking about the Hershey’s cocoa! I too used the regular (I assume natural) Hershey’s since that’s what I had on hand. I like dark chocolate but this was a little bit too much. Thanks PJ for the great suggestions. I probably wouldn’t have tried them again but now I’m inspired!! These were really easy to pull together and I can see them being a regular in our house!!
July 4th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Am I doing something wrong? I made these with powdered erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and liquid splenda, cocoa, and three egg whites, but the dough was crumbly, almost like shortbread. I’ve added three additional egg whites, I still haven’t got that runny, cake batter texture from the picture. Should I keep adding whites until the texture is right? Should I have sifted the cocoa before measuring?
Rae, I didn’t test the recipe with powdered erythritol and liquid Splenda, so no telling what happened… Sorry, I’ve never used either of those two ingredients. Perhaps they come with a recipe you could use, one that was developed specifically for their special properties? Not sure if these are salvageable at this point, and Id hate to have you keep adding more stuff. Maybe try simply adding water and pressing it all into a pan, like brownies? PJH
July 4th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
i am in love with these cookies!! i was diagnosed with celiac disease this past march, and always was a big baker, especially cookies. i hadn’t until now, found a decent gluten-free cookie recipe. these were/are DIVINE! they are such a luscious rich treat. i did have to use 4 egg whites, and i added a cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, too. oh, they are sooo good! ps
Were you using large eggs, Pam? Sometimes eggs can vary a lot in size… And I usually do follow the chocolate chip option; it sends them over the top. Glad you found a cookie you can enjoy. PJH
July 5th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I too missed the directions re the mixer. I mixed the batter by hand and it was very stiff. I added the chocolate chips and the cookies really didnt spread at all, stayed in mounds from the scoop. They tasted great, but I am not sure what I did wrong. Would the mixer have made the difference? Thanks
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
Hi Rae, erythritol does not work well in cookies. It tend to crystallize, imparting a “cooling” menthol flavor, and a crumbly texture. It does not have the texture properties of sugar for this application. It works quite well in cakes, things with a lot of moisture. See my blog for cake/cupcake recipes using erythritol and stevia.
PJ, those look great! I’ll fiddle around with sugar substitutes because I have to eat GF/SF, but these look so simply and yummy. I’m guessing a combo of powdered xylitol and Splenda would work well.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Just a note - I used a silpat for one tray and parchment for the other, and I found it infinitely easier to remove the cookies from the parchment.