Chocolate Almond Cookies (Gluten-Free)

These Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies are quickly and easily made and are bound to satisfy your sweet tooth.  This will be one of the easiest cookie recipes that you have ever made, and you will love their texture – slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy in the centre. Delicious!

Jump to:

• Why we love this recipe:
• Ingredients in this recipe:
• Step by step instructions:
• Cookies or biscuits?
• Tips for Success and FAQs:
• More delicious recipes for you to try:
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies

Why we love this recipe:

These easy flourless chocolate cookies are certain to become a favourite in your repertoire, and for good reason:

• The Chocolate Almond Cookies contain just 6 readily available ingredients. 
• They are quickly and easily made.
• Enjoy them with a tea or coffee, include in a lunchbox, or package some as a gift. 
• If you have leftover egg whites, this is a great way to use them.
• As they are gluten and dairy-free, they will suit people with specific dietary requirements. 
• The Chocolate Almond Cookies have a great combination of textures; the exterior is slightly crispy and the interior is slightly chewy.

Ingredients in this recipe:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Almond meal/flour – The terms almond flour and almond meal are sometimes used interchangeably. However, in general, almond flour is made from blanched almonds and almond meal from the whole almond. You can use either, they are both finely ground, but my preference in this recipe is for the blanched almond meal/flour as it has a finer texture.

Caster/superfine sugar – this sugar dissolves easily, making it ideal for baking recipes. 

Dutch processed cocoa – I use unsweetened cocoa powder. It gives a lovely rich, chocolatey colour and deep flavour.

Egg whites – Just the white of the egg is required in this recipe. I have included some ideas for how you can use the yolk further down in the post.

Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, use vanilla naturally extracted from vanilla beans, not one synthetically flavoured.  

Blanched almonds – I like to top the Chocolate Almond Cookies with a halved blanched almond. You can buy blanched almonds in the supermarket, or, make your own! Simply place whole almonds in a small bowl. Then, pour over boiling water to barely cover them. Let the almonds sit for 1 minute, no longer or they will lose their crispness. Drain the almonds in a colander then pat them dry with some paper towel. To slip the skins off, take one almond and pinch the rounded end. The nut will pop out. Have your spare hand ready to catch it or you will have them flying across the room! Then, take a small, sharp knife and slice them in half lengthways through the middle. On some almonds, there is almost a visible natural line.

Step by step instructions:

To begin, preheat your oven and prepare two baking trays by lining them with non-stick baking paper.

1. Add almond flour, sugar and cocoa to a medium-size bowl.
2. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
3. Add the egg whites to a separate medium size bowl.
4. Using a fork or small whisk, whisk the egg whites for about a minute or until they are frothy and foamy. Do not whisk too long, you are not looking for soft peaks. Add the vanilla to the whites and whisk to combine.
5. Add the almond flour, sugar and cocoa mix to the egg whites.
6. Stir until it is well combined.
7. Use a small ice cream scoop (if you have one) to evenly distribute the mixture on the trays. Alternatively, use a teaspoon and roll the mixture into small balls. Allow a little room between each cookie so the heat can properly circulate, and cook them evenly. 
8. Top with a blanched almond half and gently flatten a little with your fingertips. Bake the cookies for about 13 minutes, turning the trays around halfway to bake evenly. Remove from the oven and leave on the trays for a few minutes and then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. 

Store in an airtight container.

Cookies or biscuits?

In Australia, we more commonly use the British term “biscuit” for the sweet treat we enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. However, in the USA a biscuit is closer to what we call a scone and their sweet treat which may accompany tea, coffee or a glass of milk is a “cookie”.

So, whilst in Australia, we may say that a biscuit is a cookie, in the USA a cookie is not a biscuit. We aim to avoid confusion. 

Tips for Success and FAQs:

My Chocolate Almond Cookies are so easy to make that there are very few tips.

I recommend that you weigh the ingredients if possible as it is more accurate and will give a more consistent result.

It is important to sift your cocoa powder before adding it to the almond flour and sugar as it sometimes forms clumps. 

Whisk the dry ingredients together to thoroughly combine them before adding to the egg whites and vanilla.

More delicious recipes for you to try:

Here are some more of our favourite gluten-free cookie recipes for you to try:

• Almond Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Caramel Cookies
• Chewy Amaretti
• Pecan Puffs
• Cashew Cookies

Leftover egg yolks from making this recipe? Here are some ways to use them up:

• Classic Key Lime Pie
• Lemon Curd
• Blood Orange Curd
• Creamy Lemon Pie
• No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
• Or, make a custard or use as an egg wash on pastry!

Slightly crispy, slightly chewy and deliciously chocolatey; my Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies will be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire. Keep some on hand to have with tea or coffee, enjoy as a snack or pack some in a lunch box. 

My favourite way to use them? Parcel some in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty ribbon. They are a welcome gift at any time and ideal for the festive season.

Alex xx

This post was originally published in August 2020. It has been updated with new photos and more information. Some minor amendments have been made to the recipe – please contact us if you would prefer the original!