Cookies are one of my favorite things to bake. Unless your oven bakes 100 degrees too hot (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…) they are pretty easy and generally turn out well. They are great for snacks, lunches, dessert, breakfast, lunch, dinner… maybe I like cookies too much…

But be that as it may be, I would be very sad if I couldn’t have cookies anymore. So when my friend found out she has a wheat allergy, I decided to try out some recipes for gluten-free cookies. I perused several recipes but when I came across the gorgeous pictures at Kumquat, I knew it was the recipe for me.

Despite having a mere half dozen ingredients, these cookies are actually quite delicious. Not a substitute for my favorite chocolate cookie recipe, but a new one to enjoy. They are extremely chocolatey with a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. Although their texture is a little different, their taste more than makes up for it.

When I made these, I was hesitant to add more sugar (3 cups already seemed like a lot) but don’t be afraid. If the batter spreads too much go ahead and dump some more in there. Trust me, it’s necessary.

This is too runny.

It will look more like brownie batter than cookie dough in the bowl, but that’s okay. Just make sure it’s nice and thick.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I like dark chocolate)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla; stir until well-combined. (Batter should be about the consistency of school glue… not too runny. if it’s runny, add more powdered sugar to achieve correct consistency.)
3. Spoon batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets in mounds of 1-2 tablespoons. (Mine spread a lot so I was never able to fit more than 6 per sheet.)
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tops are cracked and glossy, and edges look done. Cool slightly on pan, then peel carefully off parchment and cool completely on wire rack.

Note: I was baking at a friend’s place (my oven was broken) so I ended up using aluminum foil. This worked well enough, but I’m sure parchment paper would be a lot better. If you do use foil, I recommend spraying it very lightly with cooking spray.