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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.
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!

Here are the four humble ingredients:
(1) Blanched almond flour
(2) Unsweetened cocoa powder
(3) Coconut sugar (or the granulated sweetener of your choice)
(4) A bit of baking powder

Add some water and salt (the salt boosts the flavor significantly). Confessions, I actually add 1/8 teaspoon and an extra pinch of salt, because I like salt + sweet. However, feel free to reduce the salt if needed for dietary/health reasons).
Stir. The mixture will seem dry for the first 5 seconds of stirring, but keep stirring (do not add more water). The dough will come together in another few seconds of stirring.

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 a 350F 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 (84 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
- 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
12Serving 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

Yukti
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
Heyy I made these little babies. I found the cocoa overpowering and sweetness negligible . By what qty would l u recommend increasing the amount of sugar? Thanks :)
Camilla
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
Hi Yukti, I'm sorry these did not live up to expectations. You can try reducing the cocoa powder to 3 tablespoons and adding an extra tablespoon of coconut sugar (or more, to taste).
Donna
Friday 28th of January 2022
Just tried these. OMG wonderful. I took original recipe and added 1/3 teaspoon vanilla flavoring and coffee in place of the water. I also used a tad of table salt .. about 1/8 teaspoon. I also rolled them in a sugar cocoa mix
Cooked for 12 min.
Camilla
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
Oooh, that sounds absolutely wonderful, Donna!!!
Mary
Saturday 8th of January 2022
Thank you. These were Great!! Did the Raspberry Thumbprint version and added a Dark chocolate chip on top of the rasberrry filling. These are so wonderful frozen which creates a really chewy brownie like texture. I’m seriously addicted.
Camilla
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
Raspberry + chocolate = one of my all time favorite combos, Mary :) I am so happy you love these as much as I do! Love the idea of freezing...I am going to have to try it, immediately!
Bob
Friday 24th of December 2021
Awesome recipe! Added orange peel zest - simple, delicious and healthy! Thank you!
Bob
Camilla
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
YUM! Such a classic combination, Bob, I'm so happy you like these :)
Joyce
Monday 15th of November 2021
Can I replace the sugar with either honey or maple syrup? And if yes - how much? Thx
Camilla
Tuesday 29th of March 2022
Hi Joyce, Yes, that should work. For honey, I suggest 3 tablespoons and reduce the water to 3 tablespoons total. For maple syrup, I would do 3 and 1/2 tablespoons and reduce water to 2 and 1/2 tablespoons.