Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies

These gluten-free chocolate cookies are fudgy, chewy, and loaded with dark chocolate chunks. The batter is rich with cocoa powder, and roughly chopped chocolate gets folded into the dough and pressed on top so it melts into big glossy puddles as the cookies bake. A sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt straight out of the oven takes them over the edge.

The dough doesn’t need to chill, so you can go from an empty bowl to warm cookies in about 30 minutes. You just need two bowls and an electric mixer. The edges come out crisp, the centers stay soft and gooey, and nobody will guess they’re gluten-free.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No chill time. The dough goes straight from the bowl to the oven. No waiting, no planning ahead.
• Chopped chocolate, not chips. Roughly chopped dark chocolate gives you irregular pieces that melt into big, glossy puddles on top of each cookie.
• Ready in under 30 minutes. One bowl for the dry ingredients, one for the wet, and about 12 minutes in the oven.

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Both contain xanthan gum and are designed to swap 1-for-1 with all-purpose flour.
• Cocoa Powder – Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s), not Dutch-process. This recipe uses baking soda as the only leavener, and it needs the natural acidity in regular cocoa powder to activate.
• Unsalted Butter – Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugars.
• Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar – The combination gives you the best flavor and texture. Brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, granulated sugar helps the edges crisp up.
• Chocolate Chunks – I chop a dark chocolate bar by hand instead of using chips. The irregular sizes give you small flecks melted throughout the dough and big chunks that puddle on top. You can also use semi-sweet, milk, or bittersweet chocolate.
• Flaky Sea Salt – I use Maldon salt as a finishing salt right after the cookies come out of the oven. It intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds that sweet-salty contrast in every bite.

Measure your flour by weight, not volume.

A cup of gluten-free flour can vary by 20 grams or more depending on how you scoop it, which is enough to make your cookies dry and dense. I’ve included gram weights in the recipe card for this reason. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. Never scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These gluten-free chocolate chunk cookies are so simple to make – there’s no chill time required! Just make the dough, scoop it into balls, and bake! The step-by-step instructions with matching photos below are meant to help you see the cookie dough at various stages so you can make these chocolate cookies perfectly every time!

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix together until smooth. Gradually add in the cocoa and flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing in between each addition, until combined. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chunks to the dough, reserving the other 1/2 cup for later. Mix until combined. Use a cookie scoop (2.5 tablespoons, #30 scoop) to scoop out the chocolate cookie dough. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, leaving 2-3 inches in between each one. Top the dough with the remaining chocolate chunks. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still gooey. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt immediately.

Recipe FAQs

What gluten-free flour blend works best for these cookies?

I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Both already contain xanthan gum and are designed to replace all-purpose flour 1-for-1. If you use a different blend, I can’t guarantee the same results since gluten-free flour blends vary a lot.

Do I need to add xanthan gum to this recipe?

If you use one of the gluten-free flour blends I recommend, you do not need to add xanthan gum because those flour blends already contain it. If you are using a different blend, including a homemade gluten-free flour blend, you’ll need to add xanthan gum. Xanthan gum gives the cookies elasticity so that they don’t crumble and fall apart.

Can I use Dutch-process cocoa powder?

I don’t recommend it. This recipe relies on baking soda as the only leavener, and baking soda needs the natural acidity in regular cocoa powder to activate. Dutch-process cocoa has had its acid neutralized, so your cookies may not rise or spread properly.

Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?

You can, but the results will be different. Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape, so you won’t get those big melty puddles on top. If you do use chips, still reserve 1/2 cup and press them into the tops of the dough balls before baking.

Expert Tips

• Cream the butter and sugars for a full 2 to 3 minutes. This step incorporates air into the dough, which gives the cookies lift and that crisp-edged, chewy-centered texture. Undermixing here leads to flat, dense cookies.
• Use a cookie scoop for even sizing. A #30 scoop (about 2.5 tablespoons) gives you consistent cookies that bake at the same rate. If some dough balls are bigger than others, you’ll end up pulling some cookies out too early or leaving others in too long.
• Press extra chocolate into the tops before baking. Reserve about 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate and press a few pieces into each dough ball. This is what gives you the glossy melted chocolate on top.

Storage Instructions

• Storage: Store leftover gluten-free chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezer Option: You can freeze cookie dough for long term storage. Place the balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, about an hour. Then, place the dough balls in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. You may need to add an extra minute of baking time for cookies baked from frozen dough.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re putting together a cookie tray, these are the chocolate anchor. I like to bake a few different kinds at once so there’s variety on the plate. My gluten-free snickerdoodles and gluten-free Nutella stuffed peanut butter cookies are two I come back to over and over, and they both hold up well for a few days alongside these. And if you love these but want something you can bake in a pan and slice, try my gluten-free brownies .