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These small batch flourless chocolate cookies bake up with a glossy, crackly top and a rich, fudgy center. Made with simple pantry ingredients and naturally gluten free, they deliver bold chocolate flavor in just a few cookies, perfect for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“Oh my goodness! These were pure heaven! It was like eating fudge with a crunch outside.”
– Mary
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: These flourless chocolate cookies are made with seven pantry staples and come together quickly with no special equipment.
- Easy to Customize: Adjust the mix ins or flavors to suit your preferences. This recipe works well with nuts or seasonal additions.
- Small Batch: This recipe makes five to six cookies, a great size for one or two people. If you need more, the recipe doubles easily.
These flourless chocolate cookies have become one of my favorite small batch desserts.
They bake up with a glossy, crackly top and a rich, fudgy center that reminds me of a brownie mixed with a light meringue. The deep chocolate flavor shines through with just a handful of ingredients, and the recipe comes together so quickly.
If you’re looking for an easy gluten free cookie with big chocolate flavor, this one is such a dependable treat to keep in your rotation.
If you enjoy small batch cookies like this one, explore our collection of small batch cookie recipes. You’ll find chewy small batch chocolate chip cookies, soft small batch oatmeal cookies, classic small batch sugar cookies, rich small batch butter cookies, and our popular small batch Doubletree cookies, all baked in perfectly sized batches.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch flourless chocolate cookie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Powdered Sugar: This recipe uses 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, which replaces both flour and granulated sugar. It sweetens the cookies and gives them their classic fudgy, flourless texture.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Use three tablespoons of regular or Dutch processed cocoa. Cocoa acts as the dry base of these flourless chocolate cookies and brings deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Egg White: One large egg white helps the cookies lift as they bake and creates a light, crisp edge similar to a meringue. Save the yolk to use in single serve chocolate chip banana bread, mini German chocolate cake, a single brookie, or an Oreo brownie.
- Vanilla Extract: One teaspoon adds warmth and complements the chocolate.
- Chocolate: Use one ounce of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Dark chocolate brings a bold flavor, while semi sweet or milk chocolate offers a softer sweetness. For a dairy free cookie, choose a chocolate that fits your needs. Leftover chocolate is great in chocolate lava cake for one or small batch peanut butter bars.
- Pecans: Use 1/2 cup of chopped pecans for crunch and rich nutty flavor. You can swap in walnuts or almonds, or leave them out for a nut free cookie. Extra pecans can be used in mini pecan pie or small batch butter pecan granola.
Recipe Variations
These flourless chocolate cookies are naturally gluten free and made with simple pantry ingredients, and there are plenty of easy ways to adjust the flavors to suit your taste.
- Nut Swaps: Use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans for a different flavor and crunch.
- Double Chocolate: Add a few extra chocolate chips or mix dark and white chocolate for a richer chocolate cookie.
- Sweet and Salty: Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the tops before baking for a balanced sweet and salty finish.
- Fruity Addition: Stir in dried cranberries or dried cherries for a chewy, tangy contrast to the rich chocolate.
- Chocolate Mint: Add a tiny drop of peppermint extract for a refreshing chocolate mint cookie.
- Espresso Chocolate: Mix in a small pinch of instant espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor and create a bakery style cookie.
How To Make Flourless Chocolate Cookies
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl until no lumps remain.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until frothy.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
- Fold in the chocolate and pecans.
- Scoop the batter onto a baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Whisk the Egg White Well: Use a clean, dry bowl when whisking the egg white. Any grease or moisture can keep it from becoming frothy.
- Leave Space on the Baking Sheet: This batter spreads more than traditional cookie dough. Place each scoop at least two inches apart.
- Line the Pan: Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking. If the cookies cling to the liner, they may need another minute in the oven. A thin spatula helps lift them cleanly.
- Cool Before Moving: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet so they can firm up. They will be much easier to transfer once set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flourless batter is thinner and spreads more as it bakes. Leaving space on the baking sheet helps the cookies keep their shape.
Flat cookies usually mean the egg white was not whisked enough or the batter was overmixed. A well-whisked egg white gives lift.
Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and ensure clean removal.
Bake until the tops are glossy and crackly, usually around 8 to 10 minutes. They will firm up as they cool.
Yes. This small batch recipe doubles easily. Keep the baking time the same.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: Cooking For One Tips To Eat Healthy And Save Money
If you’ve tried these small batch flourless chocolate pecan cookies or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg white
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (1-ounce)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk or sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl to remove any lumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla with a hand mixer until frothy.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Fold in the chocolate and pecans.
- Scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are shiny and cracked.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Whisk the Egg White Well: Use a clean, dry bowl when whisking the egg white. Any grease or moisture can keep it from becoming frothy.
- Leave Space on the Baking Sheet: This batter spreads more than traditional cookie dough. Place each scoop at least two inches apart.
- Line the Pan: Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking. If the cookies cling to the liner, they may need another minute in the oven. A thin spatula helps lift them cleanly.
- Cool Before Moving: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet so they can firm up. They will be much easier to transfer once set.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can I use brown sugar instead of white?
In a flourless cookie, the type of sugar matters more than usual since there’s no flour to provide structure. Powdered sugar dissolves smoothly and helps the cookies set up with that slightly crisp exterior and chewy center.
Brown sugar has more moisture (from the molasses), so the cookies would likely spread more, stay softer, and may not hold their shape as well. The flavor would also shift toward a subtle caramel note — not bad with chocolate, just different!
We haven’t tested this swap ourselves, so we can’t guarantee the results.
Excellent cookies meringue like
Look and taste good !
These were really, really good. Needed a recipe for the egg white from the banana bread. Always looking for recipes to use for Passover(no flour) and these fit the bill. However I will make them whenever I need a chocolate fix. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and very chocolatey.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Oh my goodness! These were pure heaven! It was like eating fudge with a crunch outside. So rich and dark. I probably added more pecans than the recipe called for but I love nuts in my food. ☺️ I will positively make these again when I have a leftover egg white.
This is by far the strangest recipe I’ve ever made. The cookies are beyond delicious but the way the ingredients come together is so interesting. I followed the instructions exactly and used the hand mixer on low. I couldn’t see how that tiny bit of wet ingredients could make a “wet” dough but it did. I will make these cookies on a regular basis.
Just made these using walnuts and baked them in my toaster oven. Delish!! So easy, and cleanup was a snap. The cookies definitely spread, but they’re a great chocolate treat! Thanks
Not being fond of meringue, I didn’t think I would like these. I was pleasantly surprised however. They were delicious. I got 8 cookies, baked in a toaster oven. I did add more pecans to the loose batter.They were very good.
I follow the recipe and they come out perfect every time
Such a great recipe! Thank you 🙂
Thank you. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Just made these exactly as written but was a little confused as the batter was more like a
Paste. The recipe said it would be very thin. Baked them anyway and came out great. Didn’t see how it could be thin with only the egg white as the liquid
I made these with sugar-free everything. I ended up with a very thick paste which I thinned with water. The cookies took twice as long for the tops to firm up. They never did crackle. When cooled, they were very brittle. Would it have been better to add another egg?
Hi Claudia, the recipe works as written and not with any substitutions. As I mentioned in the article, the powdered sugar acts as the “flour” and is a necessary ingredient. By using other ingredients, the cookies will not bake or look the same.
Can spenda be used instead of powdered suger?
Claudia, I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than powdered sugar so I can’t tell you for sure how splenda will work. However, a few readers have told me they used sugar substitutes with success. If you try it with splenda, please let me know how they turn out for you.
you can make your own powdered sugar. check it out on the internet.
These came out perfect, just a little hard to loosen on the cookie sheet, I was out of parchment. Love the small batch of it, clean up was a snap.
Thank you for your feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Will it make a huge difference o use regular? I don’t use powdered sugar enough to justify buying it.
I’m actually not sure, I haven’t tried them with granulated sugar. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
These were so good! I love the small batch, so I don’t have too many around! I will make these again!
I love flourless chocolate cake but it takes so long to bake… this looks like a way easier option! 🙂
These tasted amazing – I made them when we had friends around that couldn’t eat wheat and they said that they hadn’t tasted anything as good in a long while. Thanks for the recipe.
These cookies are amazing! I’ve always been a sucker for a flourless chocolate cake, and I love that you made it in cookie form. Even better that it makes a small amount so I don’t go hog-wild and eat the whole batch!
I absolutely loved these! I love that they are gluten and dairy free and they were super easy to make and of course delicious! YUM!
I’d been craving chocolate all week until I stumbled upon this yummy recipe for delicious chocolate pecan cookies! Mmmm… They were fantastic! My kitchen smelled amazing while they were baking.
These cookies look amazing! Going to try making some this weekend!
Just pinned these so I can make them asap!!! They look so yummy!!!
xo
Taylor
Thank you so much, Taylor!
It’s hard to believe that these don’t have flour. They look so good. I’ve had cookies without flour before and found that they were amazing!
OOoh yum! It looks so yummy. Love chewy cookies most. It’s awesome there’s no flour in it!
xoxo
Annie