Gluten-free Flourless Fudge Cookies taste rich and fudgy – like the edge of a brownie! And the cookies have less than 70 calories each! 
These flourless chocolate cookies are light and crisp at the edges, like meringue cookies. The centers are rich and fudgy like a brownie. And at 68 calories each, these cookies are lighter than most cookies.
Also, they don’t take much time to make. Since they’re made in one bowl and there’s so butter to soften, I can get these cookies made in about 5 minutes. So, from start to finish, these cookies take less than 15 minutes to make!
How To Make Flourless Fudge Cookies
Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk in until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips just until incorporated. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the batter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so your baking time may vary.
Tips
Tips - Mixing: These cookies will have meringue-like edges but soft, fudgy centers. Mixing by hand helps to get the proper consistency. Whipping the eggs will give you a meringue-like cookie without the fudgy centers.
- Egg whites: I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, and I always use 4 egg whites. However, some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better as written. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
- Extracts: You can swap out the vanilla extract with another flavor, like peppermint, to change up the flavor of the cookies.
- Consistency: The cookies will be thin. The edges are crisp, the middles are soft. The batter is thin and isn’t like a traditional thick cookie dough.
- If you want a thicker chocolate cookie, try my Brownie Cookie recipe instead. If you’re looking for a softer, chewier gluten-free cookie with add-ins, this is the recipe you want.
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Flourless Fudge Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 large egg whites1
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract2
- ½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Spray mats with nonstick cooking spray. You can also line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.3 cups powdered sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Stir in the vanilla and egg whites.3-4 large egg whites1, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract2
- Whisk just until the batter is moistened.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
- Scoop the batter by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheets. The batter will be thin. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread (about 2 ½” of space between each cookie).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better with 4. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
- You can swap out part or all of the vanilla for other extracts and flavorings, like peppermint, to change up the flavor.
- Nutrition facts have been estimated.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 6/3/12. Updated with new photos and tips 1/7/19.
Adapted from chocolateandcarrots.com
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Cheryl says
@ Lior— there is 110 grams to 1 cup…so that means there would be 330 grams for the 3 cups…
Haylz says
Hi everyone!!
Just thought I had to add that, I attempted these cookies today and, (like a few others) they turned out a tad too gooey and were difficult to remove from the baking tray. HOWEVER, I do believe that the issue may be caused by the adding stage of the egg whites. When mixing in the egg whites add a little bit gradually, mix it in fully and repeat until the consistency is like a typical cookie dough texture. When it reaches this stage the mixture shouldn’t be too runny or too tough.
I made this mistake against my better judgement and, with much appreciation to this site and the recipe, I aim for this post to help others to bake sweet perfection :)
Kate says
I’m not sure why some people are having issues with gooey/sticky cookies and others aren’t. If your tip helps people avoid that, then that’s great! =)
lior says
Hey, maybe we need to whisk the egg white to a stable cream before we mix it with the powdered sugar with cocoa powder….?
Kate says
You could certainly try that, but I’m not sure what the effect would be. You may end up with something that’s a lot more crispy and meringue-like. If you try it, please let me know how it works out.
Amy says
I had my cookies way too sticky too! I followed the recipe exactly. I was disappointed. I like the person’s ideas of adding egg whites in slowly. Maybe my eggs were bigger than the person who make the original recipe?
Kate says
I’ve used large eggs with the recipe, and I’ve never had sticky cookies. If you used extra-large eggs that might affect the stickiness, though. You could certainly try adding in the egg whites slowly. Like I said, I’ve made this recipe quite a few times, and I’ve never had sticky cookies, so I’m not sure what the difference is.
Kim Bean says
Looking through these comments, one thing comes to mind.
It sounds like maybe the ovens are the difference.
You might want to try turning the cookie sheet half way through cooking time
for even cooking and less/no sticking :)
Kate says
I think you’re right that the differences in oven temperatures could be part of the problem. That’s a great tip! I hope it helps the people who are having issues with sticking! =)
Jane says
Yum!!! I am still baking these, but had to try one from the first tray!! Love the chewiness and fudge middle!! Delicious and so easy to make, thank you for posting the recipe!!
Kate says
I’m so glad that you like them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know that!! Enjoy!! =)
Naureen says
Hi Katie! Just wanted to let you know that I just made these cookies and had no problems with sticking! Loved them! Right up my chocolate alley :). -Naureen
Naureen says
Kate*
Kate says
My family still calls me Katie, so I didn’t even notice that. =)
Kate says
I’m so glad that the cookies worked out for you and that you loved them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know that!! =)
Rebecca says
Hey, could you tell me roughly how many cookies this makes you for when you bake them? I’m an avid calorie counter so I wanted to know what size the 68 calories was for, more or less.
Thank you, amazing recipe! xxx
Kate says
Sure! If you use 1 tablespoon of batter for each cookie, then the recipe makes 32 cookies. Hope you enjoy then!! =)
lior says
Hey! do you use “C” for- CUP? how much gram is it 3 c. powdered sugar ?
Thank you! :)
Kate says
Yes, I use c for cup. Sorry, but I’m not sure how many grams there would be in 3 cups of powdered sugar. I don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh the powered sugar on, so I’m not comfortable giving you an amount.
lior says
Thank you for the quick response!
Can you tell me the size of the cup? it’s for a pregnant friend of mine, she can’t wait! :)
Quinn says
Hey Lior – a cup is a unit of measure – just like a gram or pound. (its also used to describe the thing we put tea in which is why you might be confused!).
My suggestion would be to just google the conversion of cups to grams.
I have Gordon Ramsay’s last cookbook and that’s what I have to do for every recipe since he uses grams and I have no measuring utensils that have grams!
Good Luck!
Kate says
Thanks! =)
Kate says
I used a 1 cup measuring cup. The reason I was hesitant to tell you grams is that I’ve never made the recipe by weight. I hope that it will work, and if you have any questions as you’re making the recipe, please feel free to ask!
Leslie says
Tried these tonight and from what I was able to scrape off the parchment they tasted good. I used nonstick parchment and I’ve never had anything stick to it before, but these were impossible to get off. I now have a delicious mound of brownie like mush.
Kate says
I’ve never had them stick to the parchment either. I have had them stick with silicone baking mats, which is why I suggest spraying those with nonstick cooking spray, but I’ve never had that issue with parchment paper. I guess you could try nonstick spray with the parchment paper. Were they still wet at all? I’m wondering whether they needed to bake for another minute or two. They should be crisp like a meringue at the edges and then chewy in the center like a brownie.
Janis says
Mine were very runny too and didn’t make cookies. Is it a tsp of vanilla or tablespoon because I see two different things T and tsp. Pregnant celiac momma is so disappointed right now! :(!
Kate says
I’m sorry that yours were runny, too. I haven’t heard about any issues with the batter being too runny until yesterday, so I’m not sure why people are having trouble with that now. I use T. for tablespoon and tsp. for teaspoon in my recipes.
Since the batter doesn’t have any flour in it, it isn’t like a traditional cookie dough. When you say that it didn’t make cookies, do you mean that they didn’t bake? If that is the case, oven temperatures can very quite a bit, so you may just need to bake them a little longer. I’ve looked in on mine while they’re baking, and they do look sort of like chocolate pools while they’re baking, but they always bake into cookies.
Heather says
I followed everything exactly, but the dough was runny and the cookies were paper thin and looked nothing like the picture :( from what I was able to scrap off the pan, the flavor was great!! But I don’t know where I went wrong???? Any suggestions? Thanks!!
Kate says
These cookies don’t have a thick dough like a traditional cookie, but it shouldn’t be really runny either. I’m not really sure why they didn’t turn out. Maybe you could try adding a little bit more powdered sugar to help thicken it up, but I’ve never had the cookies do that, so I’m sorry that I can’t give you more specific advice.
Did you line the pans with parchment or silicone baking mats with nonstick spray? I’ve never had trouble getting the cookies off of either of those. Otherwise, they have so little fat that they will stick to the pan.
Dacia says
Mine also did this. If I baked long I was able to get them off the pan but paper thin. Tasty but I’m wondering what went wrong. Maybe it’s in the whisking as adding the egg whites??
Kate says
I’m not really sure. As long as I use parchment paper and make them the way the recipe directs, I haven’t had any issues with the cookies being too thin or sticking. The cookies are thin, though, maybe about 1/4-inch thick. So, they are thinner than normal cookies.
Barbara Henry says
I ended up making my cookies into a brownie cake after baking them at 350* for 30 minutes ,because they were too runny for a cookie sheet.
Kate says
Glad you found a way to make it work!
Kristen Jeffrey says
This recipe sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try them :)
Do you think they’d be good with regular vs mini chocolate chips?
Kate says
Thanks!! I think it would work just fine with regular chips. I would probably sprinkle them over the top, though. The cookie batter is pretty lights, so the regular chips might try to sink to the bottom. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy the cookies! =)
Lauren @ Focused To Be Fit says
Holy yum! Just found these on Pinterest and am going to make them this weekend. They look so good. :)
Kate says
Thanks!! I hope you enjoy them! =)
Sumone says
Just made these today. I couldn’t keep my daughter out of them and they smelled so much like brownies that my husband went right for them. He loved them and he won’t try anything that is gluten free. Guess who won’t be telling? ;) Thanks for the great recipe!
Kate says
I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed the cookies! I don’t tell my husband things like that for the same reason. =)
Luisa Fonseca says
Hi! I tried these cookies yesterday but substituted the powdered sugar for stevia + cornstarch blended up and unfortunately I did not get them fudgy inside and crackly outside… Do you think it can have been from the substitution?
Thanks and love your page :)
Kate says
Thanks!! =) I do think it was from the substitution. I’ve never baked with stevia, so I’m not sure how it usually acts. I’m sorry the stevia and cornstarch didn’t work out for you, but I’m glad you commented because people always have questions about what works (and what doesn’t work) as a substitution.
Heather @ French Press says
flourless fudge anything is a winner – and goes perfectly with those berries
Sherri | Thread Riding Hood says
These look amazing! i’m going to try to convince my 6 year old to make them tomorrow instead of banana bread… yum!
Kate says
Thanks!! I hope you both enjoy them! =)
Martha @ A Family Feast says
These look fantastic Kate! We have an 11-year-old family member on a gluten-free and dairy-free diet so I’m always looking for really good recipes we can make for him! These are next on my list!
Kate says
Thanks so much, Martha!! I’m trying to branch out a little and include more recipes for people with special dietary needs, so I have another gluten-free, dairy-free cookie recipe coming up soon, too. I hope he enjoys the cookies!! =)
Carrie This Home says
These cookies look great–I’m glad to see I have all the ingredients on hand so I’ll have to try it soon! Glad I stopped by from Link Party Palooza!
Kate says
I love it when that happens! I hope you enjoy the cookies!! =)
Jelli says
Kate, these look amazing! I would love to make them soon, as I feel like I’ve made every chocolate chip cookie on the planet…but not this one! Do you remember about how many cookies the recipe makes? Pinning right now.
Kate says
Thanks!! =) I do! Thanks for asking; I meant to include the yield. This recipe will make 32 1-tablespoon sized cookies.
Karen Goodman says
I just found this recipe from the Will Cook for Smiles link party and it looks so good. And it’s perfect for the recipe link party that just went live on my website Future Expat. Today’s theme is SUGAR…so feel free to link this up and any other of your sweet sugary recipes.
Every link gets posted to Pinterest and the featured recipes each week also get highlighted on social media sites too. Would love to have you join us!
Kate says
Thanks so much!! =)
kewkew says
I just saw this on Pinterest and have got to try them. I was just saying I need some more wheat free cookie recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Kate says
Thanks for checking the cookies out!! =)
Janine says
I have a similar recipe where you whip the egg whites and cookies come out meringue like. This looks much easier – can’t wait to try. FYI in that recipe it says you must use real egg whites and not liquid egg whites bc the liquid egg whites are processed somehow and affect the outcome of the cookie. This may be the problem with some of your readers who used the liquid egg whites and the problems they had.
Kate says
Thank you!!! Liquid egg whites always seem more watery to me, but it’s good to hear that there really is a difference between the two.