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4-ingredient chocolate almond flour cookies that are rich, decadent, and good for you! They are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, Paleo, & only 61 calories per cookie

Oh. My. Chocolate.
I can hardly contain my excitement for these cookies, they are so luscious, fudgy, and decadent!
And easy. EASY. As in mix-the-dough-in-under-1-minute easy.
They require no more than 4 ingredients (plus water & salt), too
Did I mention that they are also healthy? Looks like I just did. I’ll get to the specifics in a moment.
Oh, and then there’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious fact that with one recipe you can make umpteen variations. Here’s a brief tableau of blissful possibilities:

It’s easy to understand my excitement, yes? I hope that it is rubbing off.
These wonderful cookies are great year-round (chocolate is always in season), but are guaranteed to deliver heaps of joy, both to makers and eaters, during the holidays ahead.
Recipe Benefits
Here’s a quick summary of their healthful attributes:
- Grain-free
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- Paleo friendly
- Rich in healthy fats (from the almond flour)
- Rich in antioxidants (from the cocoa powder)
The cookies have a deep, dark chocolate flavor and have a tender yet fudgy texture. Yum!

Ingredients for 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Here are the four humble ingredients:
- Blanched almond flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Coconut sugar (or the granulated sweetener of your choice)
- baking powder
You will also need some water (regular tap water). I like to add salt to the cookies (the salt boosts the flavor significantly)., but it is completely optional/adjustable according to your needs.

How to Make 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt (breaking up all lumps in the flour and cocoa powder).

- Add the water and stir until blended. It will look dry, at first, but keep stirring (do not add more water).
- Scoop the dough by tablespoons onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I use a small size cookie scoop to do the job. You can also roll the dough into balls if you do not have a scoop and want perfectly sized cookies.

- Licking the bowl is strongly encouraged.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the surface of the cookies appears dry and small cracks begin to appear. The centers should feel just set when lightly touched with your fingertip.
Hello, gorgeous.

Customize Your Cookies {with Ease}
I have included the six variations pictured above in the recipe, but go ahead and experiment to the moon and back. Here are some other ideas to consider:
Mocha Almond Fudge Cookies: Replace the water with 4 tablespoons of cold espresso or strong cold coffee.
Tipsy Chocolate Cookies: Replace half of the water with the spirt of your choosing (e.g., bourbon, liqueur, rum, oh my!)
Zests, Spices, and Extracts: Add a teaspoon of finely grated citrus zest (e.g., lime, orange, lemon), or a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, or anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 of a teaspoon of ground spice (chocolate + cardamom is the bomb!).
Can I get a Joy to the World?!

More Grain-Free & Vegan Almond Flour Cookies to Try:
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies
- Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
- Sweet Potato Almond Flour Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Fresh Apple Almond Flour Cookies
- 4-Ingredient Almond Flour Blondies

4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
4-ingredient chocolate almond flour cookies that are rich, decadent, and good for you! They are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, Paleo, & only 61 calories per cookie
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (72 g) blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup (37 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 and 1/2 tablespoons (32 g) coconut palm sugar (see notes for options)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Optional/adjustable: 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt (breaking up all lumps in the flour and cocoa powder). Add the water and stir until blended.
- Drop by tablespoons (I used a small cookie scoop) on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops appear dry (& are beginning to crack a bit) and are set at the centers.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Sweetener: An equal amount of the granulated sweetener of your choice can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
Variation Ideas:[br]
Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints: Using your finger or the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure, make a small indentation in each scooped dough mound before baking; filling with 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam.
Chocolate Almond: Add 1/8 teaspoon almond extract to the dough. Gently press a whole almond into the center of each scooped dough mound before baking.
Double Chocolate Chip: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the dough before baking.
Double Chocolate Mint: Add 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract to the dough before baking. Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips and drizzle over cooled cookies
Toasted Coconut: Finely chop 2 tablespoons of unsweetened flake coconut. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in coconut before baking.
Turbinado Sugar Coating: Shape tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in turbinado (raw) sugar before baking.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 61Total Fat 4.2gSaturated Fat 0.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 54.7mgCarbohydrates 6.1gFiber 1.6gSugar 3.9gProtein 1.9g

Jess
Thursday 25th of May 2023
I replace the water with coffee, added vanilla and used allulose to sweeten! They came out delicious. A fudgey mocha treat!
Camilla
Tuesday 30th of May 2023
Ooh, that sounds fabulous, Jess!
Monica
Friday 28th of April 2023
I am so glad I found your recipe! Just made these and they are fantastic! I had to sub maple sugar but worked out fine. So nice to have a luscious grain-free treat!! Thank you:)
Camilla
Saturday 29th of April 2023
You are so welcome, Monica, glad you like the recipe!
WR
Monday 24th of April 2023
Can you substitute the sugar for apple sauce?
Camilla
Thursday 27th of April 2023
Hi WR, I am thinking that might work, but the results will not be very sweet. Cocoa powder is naturally bitter, so I am not sure whether they would be like cookies in flavor. Since the recipe contains no eggs nor wheat flour, you could try mixing a very small amount of the dough (an 1/8 of all of the ingredients) using applesauce in place of sugar, and taste the dough (and or bake some of the dough) . That way you would not be wasting an entire quantity on a test batch.
Lindsay
Saturday 25th of March 2023
Very good and so easy! Thanks for the recipe:)
Camilla
Wednesday 29th of March 2023
You are very welcome, Lindsay!
Iggy
Friday 17th of March 2023
Omg so freaking good! I swapped the sugar with 1 ripe mashed banana (generous 1/3 cup - dropped the water), added 20g of vanilla protein powder for sweetness, cardamom and a little orange zest. They came out not too sweet as I intended and I can barely taste the banana: it's all about that chocolate and cardamom combo! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Camilla
Saturday 18th of March 2023
Umm, you added some of my favorite flavors on the planet (vanilla--in the form of protein powder, cardamom, orange)--sounds so good! How to smart to add a bit of protein powder, too!