Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies
These Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies are naturally gluten-free and full of gooey chocolate! These fudgy cookies are completely flourless and dairy-free. These will be a new favorite whether you’re gluten-free or not.
Recently, I wrote about how I’ve been eating healthier…and then I show up with these decadent cookies. 😜 While these are likely one of the least healthy things I’ve eaten as of late…but they are amazingly delicious!!
However, even as luscious and decadent as they are, these Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies are completely gluten-free and flourless. That gives them a few bonus points in the “health” department, especially in this gluten-free family! They also get a million more bonus points for being so delicious.
These Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies will make your mouth water. They are deep, rich, fudgy, and so ridiculously chocolatey. I was content with half a cookie – seriously. Right out of the oven, there is nothing better. They were gooey and the melted chocolate was dripping all over. It was chocolate heaven!
You won’t need too many ingredients to make these, either!
These are the ingredients you’ll need for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:
- Chocolate Chips: make sure you use chocolate chips that you love! I like Enjoy Life Brand and Santa Barbara Chocolate!
- Egg Whites
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Cornstarch
- Sea Salt
My dad is a complete chocoholic and he declared these close to the best, if not the best cookies he’s ever had. Whip these up for your gluten-free (and non-gluten-free) chocoholic friends and they’ll be praising the ground you walk on for weeks! I hope you try these out, and enjoy!
Like these cookies? You’ll love these too:
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread
Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies are naturally gluten-free and full of gooey chocolate! These fudgy cookies are completely flourless and dairy-free. These will be a new favorite whether you’re gluten-free or not.
Ingredients
- Non-stick oil spray
- 1½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips, about 9 ounces, divided
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, see Notes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.
- Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, stir. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely smooth. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in ½ cup powdered sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.
- Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in separate bowl. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the egg white meringue. Once it is fully incorporated, add the lukewarm chocolate and ½ cup chocolate chips. Dough will become very stiff. If your dough seems loose at all, I recommend refrigerating the dough for at least a half hour to help it firm up before rolling into balls.
- Place ½ cup powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart.
- Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cornstarch can be replaced with tapioca or arrowroot starch to keep it grain-free.
Keywords: cookies, crinkle cookies, chocolate, powdered sugar, gluten-free cookies
Oh my…these cookies looks so good! I don’t care if they are a little or a lot on the unhealthy side, a girl gotta indulge in some chocolate every once in a while! :) I’ll do the workout later on! hahaha….
your photography is beautiful! i really love that middle photo.
Yum! Can’t wait to try these for one of my good friends who is gluten-free. :)
I must say, I’m pretty tempted by the fudginess of these cookies, as well as the fact that they’re free of flour. I’m still trying to find the perfect chocolaty double chocolate cookie – these might be it!
Just made these cookies and they are delicous! I had to subsitute flour for corn starch but they still came out great! Definitely recommend them to everyone who loves choclate! :)
Glad you enjoyed them! I’m tempted to make them again from hearing you remind me of how good they are :)
These cookies are so pretty and they sound so delicious. Pinning this one for sure! :)
You literally just saved Christmas! These are even better than their gluten counterparts. Many, many, MANY thanks!!!
I cooked these last night and they ended up flopping. I was just wondering what I did wrong? The look so good I want to make them again but turn out perfectly!? BTW – I am beating the eggs with an egg beater not an electrical one.
Hi Danielle, sorry you’re having issues! I think the problem may be that since you’re beating the eggs with an eggbeater which takes longer, they may not be getting to the consistency that they need to be to maintain their shape. The egg whites and sugar should be very thick and pure white before you add the other ingredients, and it should stay very thick after adding them. Hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. This is my second gluten-free Christmas, and I was looking for a Chocolate Crinkle recipe. This isn’t exactly like my traditional recipe, but it looked intriguing so I decided to give it a try. They were a complete mess to make, but they are so delicious. I should have made a double-batch, because they’re going to be gone so quickly. The one thing I appreciate is that they are completely flourless and don’t call for xanthum gum which so many gluten free recipes need. I have family that are not gluten free but they don’t tolerate xanthum gum, so it’s nice to offer these as an option for them.
Merry Christmas!!
I tried this recipe and failed to come up with a solid cookie. All I got was chocolate goop (which was delicious) all over my baking sheet. I did everything as instructed. What could have I done wrong?
Hi Mayan, thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry it didn’t work out for you! A few things could have happened, as this recipe is a bit finicky due to the lack of flour. First, it’s important that the chocolate isn’t too warm, or your dough will be too soft and melt too easily in the oven. If this is the case, pop the dough (pre-scooping) into the fridge to set up and chill for 15-30 minutes before forming the dough. The same thing could also occur if your kitchen is too warm. Make sure the dough is chilled, again, and work quickly! Finally, make sure your oven is on the right temperature and fully preheated before you put them in the oven. I hope these tips helped – let me know how it goes if you try them again! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know the issue. :) Have a good day!
I will give this a try again. I do have another question, though. Does powdered sugar mean confectioner’s sugar (with cornstarch) or simply pure sugar in powder form? Thanks, Ms. Rachel.
Powdered sugar refers to confectioner’s sugar, or also sometimes called icing sugar.
IS there any way for you to somehow add that note to the main recipe? The exact same thing happened to me. I’d almost include refrigerating the dough as part of the method. Double batch of chocolate pancakes, anyone?
Hi Amanda, so sorry for your trouble! I’ll add a note to the main recipe right now to chill the dough. Hope they still tasted good, and again, so sorry they didn’t work out as you expected – I know how frustrating that can be!
Hi, I just attempted to make these cookies but failed miserably. i replaced cornstarch with flour as mentioned in the comments. after beating the eggs the mixture looked perfect however when combining the rest of the ingredients the mixture was not dough-like at all. so they look now like standard (huge) chocolate chip cookies. what could have went wrong? thanks!
Hi Gaia, unfortunately I’m not sure what would have caused this because I wasn’t in the kitchen with you and a number of things could have happened! Since it seems like the mixture wasn’t thick enough (correct me if I’m wrong) it could be that the chocolate was too warm when you added it, sort of “melting” the rest of the ingredients. A runny dough can be salvaged with some time in the refrigerator to help firm it back up. Hope this helps, let me know if you have another other comments, questions, or concerns.
Hi, Rachel! It’s me who sent you an email last year regarding crinkles spreading out on the baking tray. It is only now that I realized that what made my supposed-to-be dough a batter was that I melted all the chocolate morsels, so there was an increase in liquid. I don’t remember having solid chocolate prior to baking. On a lighter note, I was able to make chocolate cupcakes out of the remaining batter. I only added about 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of milk. Voila! Fluffy Chocolate Cupcakes!
I’m sorry I didn’t read well your recipe. My bad. This is a lesson learned for me. :)
Hi Iane! That would definitely make the batter a lot runnier – so glad that you made the best of it though! :) Chocolate cupcakes are never a bad thing. Thanks for letting me know, and I hope you’ll try the cookies again sometime.
How are these cookies the next day after baking?
Hi Mindy! They’ll stay good for about 5 days when sealed in an airtight container. Hope you like them!
I tried baking these and they turned into a gloppy chocolately mess! (Don’t worry still ate the glops) I am at a high altitude and that always requires me to add more flour in order for anything to rise. That being said, I wasn’t surprised a flourless recipe turned into a flat melted chocolate mess! They were still tasty though!
Hi Kerri – I don’t have much experience with high altitude baking, but I’m glad you figured out that was the issue. Despite being a chocolate mess, I’m glad it was still a delicious chocolate mess!
These cookies are AMAZING. I made them for my gluten intolerant friend and they were eaten up by everyone in ten minutes. I wrote about them at scantronsandscones.wordpress.com
Thanks for sharing this! They are delicious topped with sea salt! YUM.
Hi Annie, I’m so glad you and your friend liked them!! The sprinkle of sea salt is genius – totally trying that next time I make these. Thanks for writing about them on your blog, I’ll check it out. Happy New Year! :)
hi, just wanted to let you know that this recipe was very tasty! but, it did take about three tries to get it right. maybe it was the climate and temperature at the various times i made them but it took several tries for the consistency to be right. the first time, the cookies ended up very dense and fudgy. the second time they were a bit better. the third time they were pure heaven!
thanks for sharing the recipe
Hi Andrea – thanks for letting me know! I appreciate your feedback and I’ll work on the recipe to try to figure out some of the inconsistencies and how to make it so they turn out great every time :)
I just made these cookies and oh my! Delightful! My first batch ran pretty flat so I stuck the second pan in the fridge first and they did a little better. Later, I was writing down the recipe (because I will definitely be making them again!) and I realized the ingredient list calls for two cups of powdered sugar divided, however the steps only call for rolling the dough balls in 1/2 cup of the sugar. I wondered if there is suppose to be powdered sugar in the mixture as well as outside?
Hi Georgia, glad you enjoyed the cookies! The recipe calls for powdered sugar three times: 1/2 cup added to the egg whites, 1 cup whisked together with the cocoa powder, etc., and 1/2 cup to roll the cookies in. Hope this clears it up for you!
Just made these and they came out beautifully and are delicious! Not perfectly circular like in the picture because I accidentally rolled the balls a little too big haha! Great recipe super easy – thank you so much :)
So glad they turned out well, Nicki. Nothing wrong with extra large cookies :) enjoy!
Just made these and not sure what to think. They look like the ones pictured but bite into one and you get a mouthful of chocolate goo.
Hi Leslie, sorry they weren’t what you were expecting! Is it possible you didn’t bake them long enough?
Just made these tonight and love them. Anyone know if can freeze the balls and bake later? Would love to just bake a few at a time.
Haven’t tried that with these cookies in particular but it works for pretty much all my other recipes, so that should be just fine! You might need to add an extra minute or two to the final baking time. So glad you’re loving them, Melissa!
I’ve made these twice now. The first time, they came out perfectly and my only disappointment was that it was a small batch for so much effort. I used my kitchenaid stand mixer whisk to whip the egg whites and then switched to the paddle attachment to mix the rest of the dough together. I chilled them for maybe half an hour before forming into soft balls. The second time (today), I made the mistake of leaving the dough in the fridge overnight and it turned into an absolute rock at the bottom of the bowl, which my boyfriend had to help chip out. They still came out great but I ended up lowering the oven temp to 325 to give them a bit longer to firm up–the first batch I did at 350 was VERY gooey (and delicious!) and had a bit of a strange effect of the crinkle being flakey. I think ideally the dough should be the texture of a thick mousse–not like chocolate chip cookie dough and not totally mushy. I really appreciate this recipe, it’s a great use for eggwhites left over from other recipes!
Hi Nicole, so glad you’re enjoying the cookie recipe!! Glad you could salvage even after they got a little too firm, as well. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Made these for the first time today, and they worked perfectly! I am surprised to read so many comment where folks had trouble. I didn’t find them messy to make, and was surprised/delighted at how little the cookies spread on the sheet. I got 24 out of the recipe, and the icing sugar on the outside didn’t melt at all or absorb into the cookie.
Instead of baking on an oiled baking sheet, I used parchment. Everything else was the same.
Love that this recipe is GF without requiring any special ingredients. Had everything on hand.
So thrilled you enjoyed them, Elyse, and that they worked well for you! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback :)
I’ve made these twice now. Both times, some have come out great, but a few others are runny in the middle. Not sure why. Even baking them a few extra minutes didn’t seem to help (and I didn’t want them to burn!). Maybe a lower temperature for longer time??
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Hi Charyssa, since some of them are fine and some are runny, I’m guessing your oven has hot spots that cook certain areas more quickly whereas other areas aren’t as hot, so they cook more slowly. I’d try rotating the pan once or twice during cooking to see if that helps.
Hi
I made these last Christmas- delicious. Just trying to get ahead this year and wondering if you can freeze the cookies ?
Many thanks
Hi
Can I freeze the cookies or is it best to freeze the dough?
Trying to get ahead for Christmas
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Hi Julia, I haven’t tried freezing these cookies, but you could probably freeze either the cookies themselves, or freeze the dough in balls. Hope this helps! Enjoy :)
Yummy cookies! But are they supposed to be gooey on the inside? Kinda like raw dough? I just want to be sure I made them right/cooked them long enough. I’m making these for my GF mother-in-law for Christmas! I have time to remake them if I need to, please let me know what you think! Thank you so much! ~ Lidija
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Hi Lidija, they are supposed to be on the gooey, fudgy side but not taste like raw dough.
I just made these as directed, except I forgot to put the extra chocolate chips in, and they are delicious. This recipe made about 19 cookies for me. I used the small scoop from Pampered Chef to scoop it out. The dough/batter was soft, but I just scooped it right from the bowl to the powdered sugar, after it had been refrigerated for 30 -45 minutes. I look forward to seeing how these store for a day or two, but I will make these again!
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Glad you’re enjoying them, Colleen! Thanks so much for the feedback.
Is it possible to use semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate in the Chocolate Krinkle Cookie recipe?
That should be fine! Just know it will make them sweeter.
Did I miss something as I don’t see when you say to incorporate the melted chocolate?
Hi Emily, it’s incorporated after you beat the dry ingredients into the meringue in step 3. “Once it is fully incorporated, add the lukewarm chocolate and ½ cup chocolate chips.” Hope this helps!
I was searching for cookies that contained No Dairy! No nuts! No Gluten! All three of these stipulations were met by your wonderful recipe! Took them to our evening group and one of the guys said the next day ” I just couldn’t stop eating them!” First gluten free recipe I have made that has been such a hit.
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That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback with me – I’m so glad they were a hit.
These are beautifully rich and perfect in every way. I’ll definitely make these many times in the future! The dough was super messy to ball up, but that’s what water and soap are for. Thanks for a winner of a recipe!
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So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Elaine. Thanks so much for the feedback!
These were incredibly delicious and so rich! I took some to share at work and everyone raved about how good they were. They were surprised that they were gluten and dairy free because normally both terms means subpar flavor or texture, but these cookies were better than “normal” cookies on both counts. Saving this recipe as a favorite for future use.
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So glad they were a hit with you and your coworkers, Katie! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback with me.
These are incredible!! I’ve made them so many times for my celiac friends and they love them! It’s a versatile cookie— I’ve put dried tart cherries in the dough (delicious!) and I’ve added instant coffee and a bit of cinnamon for a mocha flavour and they were fantastic! Thank you so much!!
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Wow, such fabulous suggestions!!! Thanks Tilly!
Love these little chocolate gooey yummy cookies! Delish..what a hit! I doubled the recipe. I always chill my cookie dough to firm them up. It did firm these up, they are messy to roll, have to work fast or they will melt in your hands. You could divide the dough and keep half in the fridge while rolling the rest into balls.
Hi Kimberly – great tips!!! Thanks so much for sharing your experience – so glad you’re enjoying the cookies.
Hi! I made these cookies a little over a week ago for a gluten free friend. She told me they were beyond delicious! I ran into some similar problems with the dough. I actually was baking while dinner was cooking, so the oven was busy and I had to put the dough on the porch (freezer was full) for ~an hour (it’s snowy and cold where I live, so more like freezer temp rather than fridge!). The dough firmed up nicely. But I had quite a time rolling them out, and I found the dough to be extremely sticky. I felt like a good amount of the dough was lost on my hands while shaping the cookies. However, they got the highest reviews out of all the cookies I made, so I will be rolling up my shirt sleeves to make these again soon!
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Hi Vanessa, so glad they ended up being a hit! These can end up being a little sticky – sometimes a little water on your hands can help you shape, for next time!
Hi Rachel,
have been following you for years and just love all your recipes. Do you happen to have a step by step video on this particular recipe? Would love to see the consistency of egg whites since it can be a little tricky until success. Just a thought and know you are soooo busy!
Thanks!
Jeanni
Hi Jeanni, I don’t have one at the moment but I can add this one to the list to make a video for. The egg whites should be similar to meringue in texture after the sugar is added – soft, shiny, and glossy!
Looking forward to the video! made them and everyone love loved them Two people said their top fave cookie!
Woohoo! So glad to hear that, Jeanni.
Easy to make and very tasty. I chilled the dough, this made it much easier to work with and not as sticky. However, it did still stick all over the bowl and was hard to scrape off. I realize this is just the nature of these ingredients. I also used parchment paper to bake them on and this worked fine. Thank you!
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Thanks for sharing, Krysta! So glad you enjoyed them.
I have no qualms with gluten but these are my go-to chocolate cookies because they are way better than any of their gluten-containing counterparts! These cookies are always a huge hit! And the best part is since they are so light and relatively low in calories…I can eat a few more!
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So thrilled you love them, Nataleigh!! Thanks so much for the fabulous feedback :D
This is incredible!!! My new favorite cookie! My daughter has Celiac Disease, so I am always looking for GF recipes, but this recipe goes way beyond just being gluten free. We are chocolate lovers: specifically dark chocolate. The recipe was quite easy, and you can choose your chocolate. I do believe quality chocolate is key. I used a combo of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao and semi-sweet chips. I also used quality cocoa powder. I was worried when the dough was sloppy, but once you put it in the confectioner’s sugar the coat, it forms up. I love that it doesn’t have all of the extra butter and shortening calories. It allows you to just enjoy that pure, yummy chocolate. After removing them from the oven, I mixed it up. Some I left plain, some I put Hershey’s hugs on top, some dark Hershey kisses, some mini peanut butter cups, (some dark, some milk,) but my favorite was cutting in half Lindt Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles and topping them. The mousse like center of the truffle melts over the cookie and looks messy when warm, but when it cools and hardens…YUM!!! Just a suggestion! :)
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Wow sounds like you made them SO deliciously, I love those toppings!! Thanks so much for the feedback, Terrie :D
How would these last making them the night before you need them??
Hi Jaye, they should be good for a few days if stored in an airtight container, or you could make the dough and bake fresh.
My cookies turned out perfectly, exactly like your picture. My dough was a bit soft immediately after mixing but after 5 min in the fridge I could shape them into a ball – I think combo of starches absorbing liquid and slight cooling worked fine. I used tapioca flour instead of cornstarch and I left the balls a bit loose but a rough ball. I baked them on parchment.
I added a pinch of chili powder to one batch and a few drops of peppermint oil to another batch. All 3 batches were fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Sounds amazing! So glad you’re loving them, Mary. Thanks for the feedback!
Best recipe out there for these cookies
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Woohoo! So glad you love them, Pat.