You can feel good about indulging in these 5-ingredient Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies. With crisp edges, chewy centers, and gooey melted chocolate in every bite, it’s hard to believe they’re a healthy and naturally gluten-free treat!

Going gluten-free no longer means you have to give up your favorite treats. Just look at this Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe! Made with just 5 ingredients, these cookies are a breeze to whip up and defy the gluten-free stereotype. Oh, and did I mention they’re paleo-friendly, too? 

Just like my favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies, these flourless treats are crisp and golden on the outside, delightfully soft and chewy on the inside, and have chocolate throughout. 

Ingredients for Flourless Cookies

Almond butter – If you’re an almond butter connoisseur, then you know the texture can vary from brand to brand. I prefer Whole Foods 365 creamy almond butter and Trader Joe’s creamy almond butter (NOT the raw kind). Both aren’t too thick and, therefore, easy to stir.

Egg – When you make chocolate chip cookies without flour, they’re going to be very delicate. That’s where the egg comes in! It gives the cookies moisture and, most importantly, helps them hold together so you don’t end up with a crumbly mess.

Honey – The honey makes the cookies sweet, soft, and chewy. Feel free to use maple syrup as a substitute. 

Baking soda – As the one and only leavening agent in this recipe, baking soda helps the cookies rise and develop a light and airy texture. 

Chocolate – I like to use chocolate chunks from a chopped chocolate bar because they melt better, ensuring pools of chocolatey goodness in every bite. Chocolate chips work well, too.

The full ingredient list with quantities can be found below in the recipe card.

How to Make Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Stir the almond butter, egg, and honey together in a large bowl. Add the sugar (optional) and baking soda and stir to combine. Last, stir in the chocolate. The batter will be sticky at this point, but that’s okay! 

Step 2: Shape the dough. With wet hands, roll the dough into 12 cookie dough balls and place them on the baking sheet. Use your palm to flatten each ball slightly.

Step 3: Bake. Bake the cookies until the edges have set.

Step 4: Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Erin’s Expert Tips

• Do not overmix the cookie dough. As soon as everything is incorporated, stop mixing! Overworking the dough will lead to dense cookies.
• If the dough is really sticky or too soft to work with, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This will make it easier to form into balls and help prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Flourless cookies can go from soft and chewy to brown and crispy quickly, so don’t walk too far away from the oven. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges are set, but the centers are still soft.
• Always let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cookies made with no flour are delicate and should be handled with care when they’re freshly baked.

Variations

I don’t recommend straying too far from the recipe for these almond butter flourless chocolate cookies. You can, however:

• Add coconut sugar – Miguel and I love these cookies as they are but if you want yours to be a bit sweeter, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. Otherwise, the only sweetener in this recipe is honey. Oh, and the chocolate, of course!
• Customize your cookies with mix-ins like chopped nuts, dried fruits, or even a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Make double chocolate chip cookies by adding ¼ cup of cocoa powder. Keep in mind that this may slightly alter the texture.
• Swap the almond butter for peanut butter for gluten-free peanut butter chocolate cookies. Remember that peanut butter has a different consistency and moisture content than almond butter, which may alter the texture slightly. 

Flourless Cookies FAQs

Storage

Room temperature: Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Adding a slice of bread to the container can help soften them if they become too crisp.

Refrigerator: They’ll stay fresh for about a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freezer:  Wait until the cookies have completely cooled, then place them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

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If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!