Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies - A rich and decadent gluten-free chocolate cookie, with a crackly shiny top and soft fudgy center. Made in less than 30 minutes!
There are brownies, and there are cookies, but nothing trumps these irresistible, super fudgy, crinkly, chocolate brownie cookies aka (brookies)! They are the best of both worlds, truly the perfect chocolate indulgence for any occasion.
If you're a chocolate lover check out my other famous gluten-free cookies, chocolate mint cookies, and double chocolate chip cookies.
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Ingredients for Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Gluten-Free Flour: I use Bob Mills 1 to 1 gluten-free flour. It's a high-quality blend that can be used in almost any recipe. Not all gluten-free flour weighs the same so make sure the measure carefully. 1 cup of this flour equals 136 grams.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa: For best results, I recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder such as Ghiradelli's Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. It gives both rich color and flavor.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: In addition to the cocoa, you'll also need a high-quality bittersweet or dark chocolate. The higher percentage of chocolate combined with butter gives a rich fudgy brownie-like flavor. I recommend finding chocolate at least 60% or higher. Semi-sweet or milk chocolate is not recommended, as it will make the cookies too sweet. You can use baking bars or chocolate chips.
- Butter: You will need melted butter to give these cookies that fudgy texture. For a dairy-free option, try Earth Balance Baking Sticks.
- Brown Sugar & White Sugar: The extra brown sugar provides moisture and flavor to the cookies, while the addition of white sugar helps provide chewiness.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs are the binding agent in this recipe, and when whisked and combined with the sugars for at least 7 minutes, help create those crackly shiny tops.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract pairs lovely with chocolate.
- Salt: Salt is a key ingredient in baked goods. It balances the flavors and enhances the sweetness.
- Baking Powder: Just a small amount of baking powder gives these cookies a tiny bit of height while keeping a chewy fudgy texture.
- Flaky Sea Salt: For a gourmet-looking cookie, add a touch of flaky sea salt, right out of the oven.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs and both sugars.
Beat on high speed for 7 minutes.
The mixture will be thick and have a pale light brown color.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and finely chopped chocolate. Microwave for 30-second increments, stirring well between each interval, until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted.
Pour the melted chocolate and vanilla extract into the egg/sugar mixture.
Mix on high speed until combined, about 30-45 seconds. Scrape down the sides.
Add gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder to the bowl. Mix until just combined, then turn off the mixture.
Using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to fold in any remaining flour bits.
The dough will be glossy and soft, similar to brownie batter.
To get the distinct glossy crackly tops, do not let the dough sit!
As soon as the dough is mixed, use a large #20 cookie scoop (around 3 tablespoons) to scoop the cookies onto the prepared sheets, placing them about two inches apart.
Bake one tray at a time for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the center is still gooey.
Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. The cookies should have a beautiful crinkle top fudge brownie texture, and be slightly domed.
To achieve perfect round cookies, place a large cookie-cutter or glass cup slightly bigger than the cookies over the top of the cookies, and carefully swirl in a circular motion until they form a perfect circle.
Let the cookies sit on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to create a fudgy brownie cookie with a shiny crackly top?
To get that perfect fudgy brownie-like texture, you'll want to beat the eggs and sugars for at least 7 minutes. Once the dough is made, work quickly to get them in the oven. The longer you wait, the less glossy the cookies will be.
Can I make this brownie cookie dough in advance?
This is one of those cookie recipes that is NOT recommended to make in advance. The cookies will not spread and will lose their crackly glossy tops.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
Unfortunately, a big part of the success of this recipe is whipping the eggs, therefore egg-free substitutions will not work.
How to store gluten-free chocolate brownie cookies?
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days before they lose their luster, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies
- Work Quickly: A key step in achieving those shiny crackly tops is to get them in the oven as soon as possible once the batter is made. The dough is not recommended to make in advance. That's right, no chill time. Hurray!
- Beat the sugar and eggs for 7 minutes: On high speed, beating the sugars and eggs together will create that perfect fudgy chewy texture. Set a timer!
- Use high-quality chocolate: You will need a combination of real chocolate and cocoa, and higher-quality chocolate will help produce the best flavor.
- Do NOT overbake the cookies: Chocolate cookies tend to dry out much quicker. In order to get the brownie-like texture, you'll want to take them out of the oven once the edges are set and while the centers are still gooey, between 8-10 minutes. I pull them out right at the 9-minute mark. The cookies will continue to slightly cook as they cool on the baking sheet.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (85 grams) gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup (25 grams) unsweetened, dutch processed cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs and both sugars. Beat on high speed for 7 minutes (set a timer) until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be thick and fluffy and pale light brown in color.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and finely chopped chocolate. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment, until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Do not overheat the chocolate as this can burn it. Set aside.
- Once the eggs and sugars have been fully mixed for 7 minutes, add the vanilla extract to the bowl, then slowly pour in the melted butter-chocolate mixture. Mix on high speed until combined, about 30-45 seconds. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Mix until just combined, then turn off the mixture. Using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to fold in any remaining flour bits. The dough will be glossy and soft, similar to brownie batter
- To get the distinct glossy crackly tops, do not let the dough sit! As soon as the dough is mixed, use a large #20 cookie scoop (around 3 tablespoons) to scoop the cookies onto the prepared sheets, placing them about two inches apart.
- Bake one tray at a time for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the center is still gooey. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. The cookies should have a beautiful crinkle top and be slightly domed. To achieve perfect round cookies, place a large cookie-cutter or glass cup slightly bigger than the cookies over the top of the cookies, and carefully swirl in a circular motion until they form a perfect circle. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
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