Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies are rich, deeply chocolatey cookies made without any regular flour. Almond flour and cacao powder carry the whole structure, coconut sugar and maple syrup do the sweetening, and dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts go in at the end. They bake up crisp at the edges with a soft, fudgy center, and they're naturally gluten-free and free of refined sugar.
I make these whenever I want something properly chocolatey yet still gluten-free and made with healthier ingredients. They're a hit among friends and guests, and they never last long in the cookie jar. If you like a fudgier, brownie-style bake, my Paleo Brownies come from the same idea. Let's make them!
Browse all my almond flour recipes, from cookies to dinner, for more naturally sweetened bakes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two textures in one cookie: Crisp, set edges and a soft, almost fudgy middle. The contrast is what makes people reach for a second one.
- No regular flour, no refined sugar: Almond flour and cacao powder do all the structural work, and the sweetening comes from coconut sugar and maple syrup. They fit right in with my other gluten-free recipes.
- One bowl of dry, one bowl of wet: No mixer, no chilling, no rolling. You fold the two together and scoop.
- Deeply chocolatey, twice over: Cacao powder in the batter and dark chocolate chips folded through, so there's chocolate in every bite rather than just in the pockets.
- They keep well: The texture holds for days, which makes them a good make-ahead bake for company.
Ingredients & Notes
Ten simple ingredients, most of which you likely already have. Here's what each one does:
- Almond flour: Blanched almond flour, not almond meal. It adds moisture and richness and makes these cookies naturally gluten-free. Use any leftovers to make my Peanut Butter Date Cookies.
- Cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder): This is where the deep chocolate flavor comes from, and it acts as a flour here as well. Raw cacao tastes slightly more bitter and intense, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder works just as well.
- Coconut sugar: A less refined alternative to white or brown sugar, with a subtle caramel note that suits the cacao.
- Butter: Regular dairy or dairy-free butter works, but make sure it's melted. Check out my Lemon Ginger Olive Oil Cookies With Blueberries made with olive oil instead of butter.
- Dark chocolate chips: These melt into gooey pockets through the cookie. Semi-sweet works if you prefer things a little sweeter.
- Maple syrup: Adds moisture and natural sweetness without any refined sugar, and keeps the centers soft.
- Walnuts: Optional, but I highly recommend them. Chop them roughly for crunch against the soft cocoa crumb.
- Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature. They bind everything, which matters more than usual in a batter with no gluten in it.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out and deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda: The leavening, so the cookies rise a little rather than sitting flat.
- Sea salt: A small amount sharpens the chocolate and balances the sweetness.
How To Make Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies
Step One — Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the almond flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine, breaking up any lumps of cacao. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, then set aside.
Step Two — In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
Step Three — Add the dry ingredients to the wet in increments, folding or stirring after each addition until you have a thick, dark brown cookie batter.
Step Four — Scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, leaving space between each one. This makes about 14 cookies. Flatten each scoop slightly with a wet finger. I like to dip my finger in a drop of maple syrup first so the batter doesn't stick to it. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops look set and the edges are firm. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Top Tips
- Quickly melt the butter: Place the butter stick on a small plate and microwave for 20 seconds. Check, and go another 10 to 20 seconds if needed.
- Whisk the cacao properly: Cacao powder clumps. Break up every lump in the dry bowl before the wet ingredients go in, or you'll get bitter pockets.
- Room temperature eggs: Cold eggs seize the melted butter and give you a grainy batter.
- Avoid overmixing: Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to gently combine the ingredients. Overmixing makes the texture of these cookies too dense.
- Don't overbake: The centers should still look slightly soft when you pull them out. They firm up considerably as they cool.
- Let them cool on the sheet: Almond flour has no gluten, so these cookies set as they cool rather than in the oven. Give them a full 10 minutes before moving them, or they'll fall apart.
Variations & Substitutions
- Oil substitute: Replace the butter with coconut oil for dairy-free cookies, similar to my Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder as a substitute if cacao powder isn't available.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips both work if dark chocolate is too intense for you.
- Nuts: Pecans or hazelnuts stand in for walnuts just as well, or leave the nuts out entirely for a smoother cookie.
- Sweetener: Honey works in place of maple syrup, though it will change the flavor slightly.
- Extra salt: A few flakes of sea salt pressed onto the tops before baking make the chocolate taste deeper.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months; layer them with parchment paper so they don't stick together, and let them come back to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Unsweetened cocoa powder works in the same amount and gives you the same texture. Cacao is less processed and tastes a little more bitter and intense, while cocoa is milder and sometimes easier to find. Either one works here.
I've only tested these with blanched almond flour, so that's what I'd recommend. Almond meal is ground with the skins on, which makes it coarser and heavier, and it would change both the texture and the look of the cookie.
There's no gluten holding them together, so they set as they cool rather than in the oven. Leave them on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before you move them. Underbaking and skipping the eggs are the other two usual causes.
Yes. There's no regular flour in them at all. Almond flour and cacao powder do all the structural work, so they're naturally gluten-free as written.
More Almond Flour Recipes To Try Next
Made this? Tell me how it went in the comments and leave a star rating below. I love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter! — Mariska
📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Cocoa Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- Bowls To combine the ingredients
- 1 whisk To fluff up the flour and combine dry ingredients
- 1 spatula To fold dry with the wet ingredients
- 1 Cookie Scoop A 3-tablespoon scoop
- 1 Wire Rack To cool the cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour 155 grams
- ¾ cup cacao powder 75 grams
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar 60 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips 170 grams
- ½ cup chopped walnuts 60 grams
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup butter, melted 113.5 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup 80 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C. Set aside a large baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt. Fluff up the flour to break up any flour clumps.1 ½ cups almond flour, ¾ cup cacao powder, ⅓ cup coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts until well combined.1 cup dark chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped walnuts
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.2 large eggs at room temperature, ½ cup butter, melted, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients in increments and fold or stir until well combined, and you'll get a beautiful dark brown chocolate cookie batter.
- Scoop the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, leaving enough space between the scoops. This should yield about 14 cookies.
- Slightly flatten the scoops with a wet finger. I like to dip or slightly cover my finger with a drop of maple syrup so it won't stick to the cookie batter.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until firm on top. Allow to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use parchment paper: It ensures the cookies don't stick to the baking sheet and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Let them cool on the sheet: Almond flour has no gluten, so these cookies set as they cool rather than in the oven. Give them a full 10 minutes before moving them, or they'll fall apart.
- Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Add your own private notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Mariska Ramondino says
I hope you love these chocolate almond flour cookies as much as we do. I bake them regularly, and they are always a hit among friends and guests. Enjoy!