These soft, chewy brownie cookies have all the richness of brownies, in an easy to make slice-and-bake cookie. With bittersweet or semisweet chocolate melted right into the cookie dough, these cookies taste like they came from your favorite bakery.
They're made without chocolate chips because they don't need them. For chocolate lovers only!
What makes these the very best brownie cookies?
To start, these aren't a chocolate version of chocolate chip cookies. Those are “double chocolate chip cookies,” and they're absolutely delicious—but they're not nearly as rich and brownie-like as these gf cookies.
The best way to make any chocolate recipe as rich as can be is by adding both cocoa powder and melted chocolate to the batter. Together, they add deep chocolate flavor, and with the right balance of other ingredients, the perfect texture.
But a bar isn't a cookie, and a cookie is what you make for a big holiday (Christmas!), or a small holiday (first day of school?).
A rich chocolate cookie is what you pile into a Kraft box with a pretty ribbon and drop on someone's doorstep. It's the perfect mood lifter!
More than just holiday cookies: perfect for ice cream sandwiches
When the weather is warm, we don't tend to think of making cookies as often. But these, or really any soft and chewy cookies, have the perfect texture for making ice cream sandwiches.
These gluten free chocolate cookies are soft, thin & chewy, and taste like the very center of a brownie. Ever try to bite into an ice cream sandwich made with crunchy cookies?
The cookie splinters and, well, you look like a dork. Once you have the proper cookie, just be sure that the cookies and the ice cream are at the same temperature during assembly.
How to work with this brownie cookie dough
The dough for these cookies is very, very soft when you first make it. You can pull off pieces of dough, roll them into rounds and then press into disks. The dough shouldn't be cold before baking, and can even be baked right away.
I prefer to make the dough sliceable by chilling it in a cylinder. That way you get nice, even circular cookies.
You'll want nice, big slices, each about 1/2-inch or less. Just rock the cylinder back and forth a bit on the counter before slicing if you think the dough isn't nicely round.
To make smaller cookies
If you'd like smaller cookies, just make the cylinder longer and thinner. Then, slice the dough the same.
When I intend to share these cookies in a gift box, I tend to make them smaller. That way, I can fit lots of different types of beautiful, delicious cookies in the box.
How to add some sugary crunch to the outside of these brownie cookies
If you're thinking of using them to make Little Debbie-style fudge round sandwiches, or you're just planning to serve them alone, try dipping the raw, shaped cookie dough in a little extra granulated sugar. It will give them a slight sugary crunch on the outside of the cookies.
The extra sugar won't make the cookies sparkle in an obvious way like decorating with nonpareils or coarse sugar would. It just adds some texture and sweetness, and makes them a bit sturdier.
FAQs
Yes! In fact, I recommend that you make a double batch and stock your freezer with these cookies.
They begin somewhat soft, so place them in a single, flat layer on a rimmed baking sheet to freeze. Once they're frozen, pile them into a freezer-safe container for longer storage.
This recipe calls for “bittersweet chocolate,” which refers to chocolate that has more cacao butter and less sugar than semi-sweet chocolate. It's richer and less sweet, and makes a really rich chocolate cookie recipe.
If you only have semi-sweet chocolate, you can use that. Your cookies will be sweeter and a bit less rich, but they'll still taste amazing.
If you don't chill the cookie dough in the cylinder until it's firm, your raw cookies will be too warm. Warm cookies spread much more than chilled cookies.
Did you make any ingredient substitutions, particularly in your flour blend? I find that many of the flour blends that I don't recommend, like Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour, make wetter, stickier cookie dough. That's one of the many reasons I don't recommend them.
Did you measure your ingredients by weight, instead of by volume? You may have measured one component, or more, wrong.
Did you chill the cookie dough before trying to slice it into rounds? It starts out a bit sticky, since we're making soft cookies, but firms up a lot in the refrigerator.
Substitutions for Brownie Cookie Ingredients
How to make dairy free chocolate cookies
The essential dairy in these cookies comes from the butter. To replace that, try vegan butter (Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen brands are best.
If you can't find vegan butter, try Spectrum brand butter-flavored nonhydrogenated shortening.
And make sure the bittersweet chocolate you use is dairy-free, too! The darker the chocolate, the more likely it is to be dairy free, but always check.
How to make gluten free egg free chocolate cookies (vegan option)
If you replace the egg in this this recipe, and the dairy, your cookies will be vegan. To replace the egg, I'd go with my standard “chia egg” substitution (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) here.
Since there's only 1 egg, almost any egg substitution should work. Even something like a flax egg, which tends to have a strong color and flavor, should be fine since the chocolate flavor is quite strong.
Why is there unsulphured molasses in this recipe?
Unsulphured molasses is a sticky, brown liquid that's made from mature sugar cane, without the use of sulphur dioxide. It's a rich, clean-tasting sugar that turns white granulated sugar into brown sugar.
This recipe calls for unsulphured molasses because it deepens and enriches the flavor of the chocolate. The liquid sugar also helps make the cookies tender.
If you'd like to replace the molasses, you can try using honey or Lyle's Golden Syrup in its place. Instead of light brown sugar, though, I'd recommend using dark brown sugar.
Soft Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter chopped
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- ⅔ cup (145 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (175 g) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (I like Batter Batter here; use one of my recommended blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for coating (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, place the chopped chocolate and chopped butter. Melt in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Allow the mixture to cool briefly, and then add the molasses, egg, and sugar. Mix to combine, and set the bowl aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the chocolate mixture. Mix to combine.
- The dough will be very soft. Transfer the dough to a large piece of unbleached parchment paper. Shape into a cylinder about 2-inches in diameter along the length of the parchment paper and roll the paper tightly, cinching the ends to seal. Place the cylinder of dough in the refrigerator until firm enough to slice (at least 1 hour).
- Once the dough has chilled enough to be sliced, preheat your oven to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- Remove the chilled cylinder of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and slice into 1/2-inch thick disks. You should get about 16 cookies, but you can make them smaller and get closer to 24.
- Place the (optional) granulated sugar in a small bowl, and dip each of the raw cookie disks in the sugar, pressing gently to coat on all sides. Place the pieces of dough about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are spread about 3 inches in diameter and are set in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving. If you attempt to move the cookies before they are cool, they will fall apart.
Notes
Soft Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter chopped
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- ⅔ cup (145 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (175 g) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (I like Batter Batter here; use one of my recommended blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for coating (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, place the chopped chocolate and chopped butter. Melt in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Allow the mixture to cool briefly, and then add the molasses, egg, and sugar. Mix to combine, and set the bowl aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the chocolate mixture. Mix to combine.
- The dough will be very soft. Transfer the dough to a large piece of unbleached parchment paper. Shape into a cylinder about 2-inches in diameter along the length of the parchment paper and roll the paper tightly, cinching the ends to seal. Place the cylinder of dough in the refrigerator until firm enough to slice (at least 1 hour).
- Once the dough has chilled enough to be sliced, preheat your oven to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- Remove the chilled cylinder of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and slice into 1/2-inch thick disks. You should get about 16 cookies, but you can make them smaller and get closer to 24.
- Place the (optional) granulated sugar in a small bowl, and dip each of the raw cookie disks in the sugar, pressing gently to coat on all sides. Place the pieces of dough about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are spread about 3 inches in diameter and are set in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving. If you attempt to move the cookies before they are cool, they will fall apart.
Notes
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Shelley says
I’ve made these cookies twice, weighing my ingredients, and both times the batter is so runny there is no way I could roll it into a cylinder. So I refrigerate the batter first, then roll the cylinder, refrigerate a bit longer, and then slice & bake. This works great, and they are delicious cookies. I just wish I knew why my batter is so runny when first mixed.
Wendy Langelier says
Can these be made without xanthan gum? I can’t tolerate it.
Nicole Hunn says
No, they can’t, Wendy.
Carolyn H says
Is it okay to freeze the roll of dough for baking in the future – or do you recommend freezing the baked cookies?
Nicole Hunn says
Great question, Carolyn. You can, indeed, freeze the roll, but you’ll really have to let it come to cool room temperature before baking it. Otherwise, the cookies will be too thick. You can, of course, freeze the cookies, too, as described in the post.
Marsha says
Could you please advise what types of flour are in the one you recommend here in New Zealand we can’t get that so I could either make up a batch with the same ingredients or perhaps find one that does have that thank you
Kindest Marsha
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Marsha, Yes, of course. The “all purpose gluten free flour blend” ingredient in this recipe, and in all recipes that call for it, link to the comprehensive gluten free flour blend resource here on the blog. You’ll find all that information there. Here’s another link, for your convenience—and it’s linked on the homepage under “Gluten Free Baking Basics”: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-recipes/
Rita says
What could I substitute for molasses?
Nicole Hunn says
Please see the section of the blog post on substitutions, where I discuss that, Rita.
Elaine says
Definitely will try these. They look delicious! I use a bunch of your recipes but wanted to send my compliments on the new web site. It has a lightened and brightened feeling and looks great!! Best wishes,
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much, Elaine! That really means a lot to me. It’s been a long, long time coming, and I hope it proves to more accessible and useful to you!
Inna says
We just finished all of our cookies. They were delicious! Just one thing I changed, I didn’t have molasses, so I added the zest of a whole orange for flavor. I know these don’t substitute each other, so I’m pretty sure my texture was off, but it had a lovely flavor though! Reminded me of the chocolate oranges we ate during the Christmas season in my childhood. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Inna says
For those of you who are wondering what the texture was without the molasses…they were not as chewy as I expected and wanted them to. They were a little more crisp and more of a cakey kind of cookie. I don’t know how to describe it, but they had a more crumbly texture. Not that it was bad, the cookie was still delicious, but not what i was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised:)
Nicole Hunn says
They’re definitely quite different without the molasses. It’s actually a very important ingredient to make these.
Heather Allen says
These are my hubs favorites. For our holiday party I make them with peppermint /vanilla extract. Add some chopped white cocolate and finish with crushed candy cane pieces. They are so amazing. And everyone’s favs!
Nicole Hunn says
That sounds amazing, Heather! I have a terrible fondness for crushed candy cane pieces on holiday cookies.
Ruth Wellins says
I can’t get molasses locally, what would be a good substitute?
My daughter is drooling at this video and is very keen to make these cookies with me!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s kind of rough, Ruth, since the molasses really gives these cookies a lot of flavor. If you’re in the UK, Lyle’s will serve the same chemical function, but won’t replicate the flavor.
Rasheeda says
Hi there Nicole
I am from South Africa.
Can you please tell me what quantities of the flours do you use and which ones to make a gluten free flour mix.
Thank You for your help.
Warm Regards
Erica says
Yea I’m with the other person here mine did not spread at all!
Nicole Hunn says
Erica, Sherri’s substitutes are the reason her cookies did not spread. 8 tablespoons of butter and only 1 1/4 cups of flour, and these cookies will spread.
Sherry L says
The dough is chillin’, and after our walk my son and I will be baking these! I can’t wait to try them! I will hide some in the freezer for the next time I make some of your wonderful dairy free ice cream ;) As always, I substituted for the butter, I decided to use a combo of Spectrum(70g), Coconut oil(22g), and earth balance(20g), and i reduced the salt to 1/4 tsp. i will report back with the results :)
Sherry L says
Wow! These cookies are soft, fudgy and definitely satisfy a chocolate craving! My butter subs worked fine, except my cookies did not spread as well as yours, and instead of thin and chewy, mine are plump and soft. Like I said, very tasty, but not ideal for ice cream sandwiches, I will keep experimenting.
Jennifer Sasse says
Looking good for a holiday! Quick question for you, what is a cup of Dutch process cocoa in grams for your recipes?? I’m backfilling in book 1 for me (or is it my?) and my family’s eating pleasures.
Nicole Hunn says
Hey, Jennifer! 1 cup of Dutch-processed cocoa powder (in my recipes, at least) is always 80 grams (5 grams per tablespoon). I love that you’re doing that! I wish I had included corresponding weight measurements in Book 1. I was scared that it would freak people out! If there’s ever another edition….
xoxo Nicole