These ultra-chocolately Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies are absolutely irresistible. Loaded with richly flavored cocoa and chocolate chips, these tasty little cookies are naturally gluten-free, and can easily be made dairy-free and paleo.
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I'm not a huge chocolate person. I generally prefer vanilla and caramel flavors, but I cannot deny how delicious these cookies are. My husband, who usually doesn't reach for sweet treats, could not keep his hands off of these cookies. While perfecting this recipe, I had bags and bags of these cookies on my countertop and every night I would catch him heating 2-3 cookies in the microwave to give them a fresh-from-the-oven texture. They are just so good!
Because this recipe only uses almond flour, these cookies are naturally gluten-free but will be enjoyed by absolutely anyone. If you are looking for other great surprisingly gluten-free recipes, try these Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies or these Flourless Almond Butter Cookies.
What I Love about these Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies
These cookies are easy to make and so delicious. Here is why I love them:
- One Bowl - This entire recipe can be whipped up in just one bowl, making cleanup effortless.
- Naturally Gluten-Free - This is an almond flour recipe, making it naturally gluten-free without any adjustments.
- Lower in Carbs - When using almond flour instead of conventional flour, you are increasing fiber while reducing carbohydrates. These sweet cookies only contain 10 grams of sugar while still tasting so indulgent.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Butter
I love using high-quality European-style butter from grass-fed cows. It always seems creamier. For a dairy-free and paleo option, you can use softened Miyokos Plant Butter. I also tested softened coconut oil, but dairy-free butter seemed to be a better option. The cookies made with coconut oil turned out a little harder and didn't flatten as well. Softened palm shortening can also be used.
Brown Sugar
Coconut sugar and brown sugar can be used interchangeably in this recipe. You could also do ⅓ cup of packed brown sugar + ⅓ cup regular granulated sugar.
Egg
I haven't tested any egg substitutes in this recipe. If you try something that works, please let us know what you used in the comments below.
Almond Flour
I purchase blanched ultra-fine almond flour from Costco, and this is what I use in all my baking recipes that call for it. It is of great quality and inexpensive. I don't recommend substituting another flour for almond flour.
Unsweetened Cocoa
I used unsweetened cacao powder (also from Costco!) in this recipe, but you can use traditional unsweetened cocoa powder too. Dark cocoa powder like Hershey's Special Dark 100% Cacao Powder is great if you are a dark chocolate lover and want extra rich chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Chips
Use whatever type of chocolate chips you prefer, including paleo or dairy-free options if needed.
How to Make This Recipe Paleo
These cookies can easily be made paleo by substituting a paleo-friendly dairy-free butter, using coconut sugar in place of brown sugar, and selecting paleo-friendly chocolate chips.
I tested both paleo ingredients and conventional ingredients in this recipe, and both options work great.
I don't recommend using coconut oil in place of butter. Softened palm shortening will work better if you can't find a good dairy-free butter. I like using Miyokos European-Style Plant Butter, which is available at most grocery stores.
How to Make Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies
Cream Butter, Sugar, Eggs & Vanilla
- Place softened butter and brown sugar (or coconut sugar) in a large mixing bowl. Cream sugar with butter using a handheld electric mixer until it appears crumbly.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl with the sugar and butter. Mix together with the mixer until well incorporated.
Add the Almond Flour & Cocoa Powder
- Add the almond flour to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Dump the cocoa powder into the bowl with the other ingredients. To avoid making a mess, mix half of the cocoa powder, then add the remaining cocoa powder and mix until the dough is an even color. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Mix In Leavening & Fold In Chocolate Chips
- Add the baking soda and sea salt to the dough. Mix until evenly distributed, but avoid overmixing.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips to distribute. I save a small handful to press into the tops of the cookies once formed.
Form & Bake Cookies
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to divide the dough into 28 cookies. Once scooped, roll the dough between clean hands until smooth. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Do not flatten.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the cookies have flattened slightly and the edges are firm (remove at about 9-10 minutes for softer cookies and allow them to set on the pan). Remove from the oven, top with some flaky sea salt (if desired), and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before enjoying.
Storage
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to one week. They will be safe to eat for longer but may become a little stale.
Freezing Cookies
For longer storage, you can freeze these cookies by placing cooled cookies in an airtight freezer bag. Simply remove from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 12 hours before enjoying. When stored properly, frozen cookies will last about 1-2 months in the freezer.
I haven't tested freezing raw cookie dough yet for this recipe. Generally, this method works great. To try it, simply prepare the recipe as written, form the cookie dough into balls, and freeze on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Once partially frozen, transfer the cookie dough balls to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To bake, remove cookies from the freezer and bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for about 10-14 minutes at 350 F (just a minute or two longer than you would if the dough was not frozen).
Troubleshooting
On the baking difficultly scale, this recipe is fairly easy and hard to mess up. Just in case, here are a few possible problems and some simple solutions:
Hard cookies are usually a result of overbaking. Because these cookies are such a dark brown color, it can be hard to tell if they are done. Look for firm, formed edges, and a leavened but slightly flattened appearance. If you suspect you overbaked the cookies, try removing them from the oven 2 minutes earlier on the next batch.
Consider your elevation when baking. I also always use an internal oven thermometer to ensure my oven is holding the correct temp.
If you dough is not holding together well, the problem is likely that either your ingredients were not fully mixed (you may have some clumps of dry ingredients like cocoa powder or almond flour in your dough), or you have clustered of chocolate chips in the center. To resolve, simply smash the ball of dough in your hand a few times to resditribute the ingredients and then roll.
If your baked cookies seem to be falling apart, I would just make sure you are allowing them to fully set on the baking sheet after removing them from the oven. Straight from the oven the cookies (like most cookies) will be a little delicate.
When I was recipe testing, I tried to use melted coconut oil, but it did not absorb well into the almond flour and was pretty greasy when forming the dough into balls. Make sure whatever fat you are using, that it is softened not liquid. Liquid fats are not the best choice for this recipe.
Dietitian Notes
- Each cookie contains 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and only 10 grams of sugar for a blood-sugar-friendly sweet treat (thank you almond flour!).
- Unsweetened cocoa (or cacao) powder is loaded with antioxidants, and this recipe calls for just as much cocoa as sugar!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to use softened butter, softened dairy-free butter, or softened palm shortening, not melted!
- Pack almond flour when measuring. This ensures you get the correct ratio when measuring if not using a kitchen scale.
- Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop to measure the dough yields 28 perfect cookies. If you do not have a cookie scoop, you can measure about 2 tablespoon of dough per cookie.
- If you prefer softer cookies, aim to slightly underbake (usually baking for 9-10 minutes). If underbaking, allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet once they have been removed from the oven (about 10 minutes). This will allow them to set.
- Warm leftover cookies for about 20 seconds in the microwave to make them gooey and taste like they are fresh from the oven.
Try These Other Great Treats
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Handheld electric mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- 1-ounce cookie scoop
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter, softened use Miyokos European Style Plant Butter for paleo/dairy-free
- ⅔ cup Brown sugar, packed or coconut sugar (105 g - weight will vary based on type of sugar used)
- 1 Large egg
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup Blanched almond flour, lightly packed (185 g)
- ⅔ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder (60 g)
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ cup Chocolate chips dairy-free or paleo if needed
- Flaky sea salt for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the softened butter and brown sugar (or coconut sugar) in a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter with the sugar using a handheld electric mixer until it appears crumbly.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl with the sugar and butter. Mix together with the mixer until well incorporated.
- Add the almond flour to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Dump the cocoa powder into the bowl with the other ingredients. To avoid making a mess, mix in half of the cocoa powder, then add the remaining cocoa powder and mix until the dough is an even color. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the baking soda and sea salt to the dough. Mix until evenly distributed, but avoid overmixing.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips to distribute. I save a small handful to press into the tops of the cookies once formed.
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to divide the dough into 28 cookies. Once scooped, roll the dough between clean hands until smooth. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Do not flatten.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 9-12 minutes (11 minutes was perfect for my oven), or until the cookies have flattened slightly and the edges are firm. Remove from the oven, top with some flaky sea salt (if desired), and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before enjoying. Note: Aim to underbake slightly if you want the cookies to be softer. Remove them from the oven after 9-10 minutes and allow them to set on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
Notes
-
- Be sure to use softened butter, softened dairy-free butter, or softened palm shortening, not melted!
- Pack almond flour when measuring. This ensures you get the correct ratio when measuring if not using a kitchen scale.
- Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop to measure the dough yields 28 perfect cookies. If you do not have a cookie scoop, you can measure about 2 tablespoon of dough per cookie.
- If you prefer softer cookies, aim to slightly underbake (usually baking for 9-10 minutes). If underbaking, allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet once they have been removed from the oven (about 10 minutes). This will allow them to set.
- Warm leftover cookies for about 20 seconds in the microwave to make them gooey and taste like they are fresh from the oven.
JD says
So good! I took mine out a little early and the cookies were so soft and gooey. The flavor and texture was perfect.