Description
These Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies offer a perfect balance of rich chocolate flavor and tender texture with crispy edges and chewy centers. Made with almond flour and dark chocolate, these cookies are a delicious gluten-free treat that combines the deep taste of cocoa with the nutty essence of almonds, enhanced by espresso powder for a subtle boost of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) fine blanched almond flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup (40g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, enhances chocolate flavor)
Wet Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces (60g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted and slightly cooled
Chocolate Chips
- 3/4 cup (130g) high-quality chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the oven rack in the middle for even baking. Preheating for at least 20 minutes ensures proper temperature.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and optional espresso powder until fully combined and lump-free. Sifting helps create a smoother cookie texture.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, melted coconut oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step is key for crispy edges and chewy centers.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat until well combined and slightly lighter in color, about 1 minute.
- Incorporate Melted Chocolate: Carefully fold the melted dark chocolate into the wet mixture until just combined. Make sure the chocolate is warm, not hot, to prevent cooking the eggs.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender; stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in half of the chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup) to distribute chocolate chunks throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For better flavor and texture, chill for 2 hours or more to allow the almond flour to hydrate and flavors to develop.
- Portion Dough: Using a medium cookie scoop (approx. 2 tablespoons), portion the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Press the remaining chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookie dough balls for added chocolate burst.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers look slightly underdone. For bakery-style texture, at the 8-minute mark, lift the baking sheet 2 inches and drop it onto the oven rack once to help cookies flatten.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. This resting prevents them from breaking apart.
Notes
- Ensure almond flour and cocoa powder are sifted for a smoother dough.
- Do not overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough enhances flavor and texture.
- The espresso powder is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor.
- The drop technique at 8 minutes encourages a flatter, bakery-style cookie.
- Cookies will be soft just after baking and firm up while cooling.
