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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
A Smith
Wednesday 13th of March 2024
Do you think maple syrup instead of coconut sugar would work? Excited to try these!
Camilla
Wednesday 13th of March 2024
Hi A Smith!
Yes, you can definitely use maple syrup. Use same amount as coconut sugar (or to taste). Just add enough water to make a soft dough similar to photo (not the full 1/4 cup in the recipe). Cheers :)
Jacquelyn
Sunday 10th of March 2024
Love these! I have made them many times. Taste just like brownies. Thank you for this recipe!
Camilla
Monday 11th of March 2024
You are very welcome, Jacquelyn! :)
Kathryn
Wednesday 14th of February 2024
Excited to try these! Can I substitute cacao instead of cocoa? If so, do I need to make any adjustments?
Thanks, Kathryn
Camilla
Wednesday 21st of February 2024
Hi Kathryn, Yes, definitely. You can use cacao powder and cocoa powder interchangeably.
Deb
Tuesday 21st of November 2023
The cookies made from the base recipe, to my tastebuds, are very tasteless. I am willing to give them another shot but they will definitely need to be bumped up from the basic ingredients. The dough does mix up nicely and quickly however.
Camilla
Monday 27th of November 2023
Hi Deb! Feel free to make the recipe your own with additional flavors. For example, vanilla extract, use strong (cold) coffee in place of the water, spices, some chopped chocolate or chocolate Chios, or a bigger pinch of salt to bring out the flavors :)
Catherine
Monday 2nd of October 2023
I just made up this recipe. Because I'm allergic to chocolate, I used carob powder instead and - even though carob is *usually* a poor substitute for chocolate - these cookies tasted amazing! Thank you, Camilla!
Camilla
Thursday 5th of October 2023
Ooh, that's so great to hear that they were so tasty with carob powder, Catherine! Thank you for sharing that (even though I have not used it on the site, I like carob--my mom was a hippie Co-op home cook who bought carob products. I am going to buy some carob powder thank to you!)