This recipe is one I’m asked for all the time. These Flourless Brownie Cookies are intensely fudgy—soft, molten centers with slightly chewy edges and a glossy, crinkled crust. This is the full-batch version of my popular small-batch recipe, scaled to yield about 16 cookies so you can enjoy more chocolate at once. They’re flourless by design (so naturally gluten-free), ultra-chocolatey, and easy to make—no mixer required.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – A handful of simple ingredients and straightforward steps. No mixer needed.
- Super chocolatey – Melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder in the batter, plus optional chips for even more chocolate flavor.
- Perfect fudgy texture – Soft brownie-like centers and a tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth.
- Flourless – No flour is used, so the cookies are naturally gluten-free when using gluten-free cocoa and chocolate.
- Shiny crinkle crust – The method creates the thin, glossy, crackled top you expect from fudgy brownies.
Ingredients
- Bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa) – Use good-quality dark chocolate; its flavor defines these cookies.
- Corn starch – Gives a silky, fudgy texture and keeps the recipe gluten-free. You can substitute flour, but corn starch is recommended.
- Butter – Unsalted or salted works; butter contributes flavor and mouthfeel.
- Cocoa powder – Natural or Dutch-process. Dutch will deepen the color and richness; natural cocoa adds a brighter, fruitier note.
- Baking powder – Just a small amount to provide structure and help form the crackled top.
- Dark chocolate chips (optional) – For extra pockets of chocolate.
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Melt butter and chocolate. Melt together in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth and glossy. It can remain slightly warm.
- Step 2: Beat eggs and sugar. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale, thick, and glossy—about 1–3 minutes by hand, or longer if you want chewier cookies. The sugar should start to dissolve.
- Step 3: Combine chocolate and eggs. Fold the slightly warm chocolate mixture into the beaten eggs until evenly combined.
- Step 4: Mix dry ingredients. Sift corn starch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together, then fold into the chocolate-egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips if using.
- Step 5: Rest the batter. Cover and let the batter sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature, or chill 5–8 minutes in the fridge if your kitchen is warm. It should thicken to a very thick brownie-batter consistency but not become stiff or crumbly.
- Step 6: Bake. Preheat the oven (see timing below), scoop dough, and bake until the tops are shiny and cracked and the edges are set. Cool completely on the baking tray before moving—these are delicate while warm.
Why this recipe works
- Corn starch replaces flour and sets to a silky texture that keeps the cookies luxuriously fudgy even after baking.
- High-quality bittersweet chocolate with around 70% cocoa delivers the right balance of cocoa solids and cocoa butter for flavor, structure, and mouthfeel.
- Proper mixing method—whisking eggs with sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve and then folding in chocolate—creates the glossy crackled top and the ideal fudgy interior.
Expert baking tips
- Room-temperature eggs help the sugar dissolve and produce the glossy crust; if eggs are cold, warm them briefly in warm water.
- Use 70% bittersweet chocolate to prevent excessive spreading—sweeter chocolates can make the cookies spread too thin.
- Beat eggs and sugar until just pale and thick—enough to dissolve sugar but not so much air that the batter stiffens and becomes more cake-like.
- Only 1/4 teaspoon baking powder is needed; more will make the cookies less fudgy and change the texture.
- Rest the batter briefly so it thickens just enough to scoop without running. Chill only a few minutes if necessary—over-chilling will firm the cocoa butter and make the batter hard to work with.
- Preheat your oven thoroughly so the cookies set quickly and develop the crackled top while retaining a fudgy center.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Packed light brown sugar works and adds a subtle caramel note. It can slightly alter how the shiny crust forms because brown sugar is harder to dissolve, but the cookies will still be delicious.
I don’t recommend it. Semisweet chocolate contains more sugar, which can cause the cookies to spread too much. Stick with bittersweet dark chocolate around 70% cocoa for best results.
Whip the eggs and sugar longer—about 3–5 minutes with an electric mixer—until very pale and voluminous, then scoop and bake immediately. The extra incorporated air yields a chewier result.
The shiny crust comes from dissolving the sugar in room-temperature eggs by whisking until pale and glossy. If sugar remains grainy, the crust will be dull.
Common causes: chocolate that’s too sweet, not enough corn starch or cocoa, too much liquid from oversized eggs, or an oven that’s not hot enough. Use 70% chocolate, weigh ingredients when possible, use standard large eggs, and follow the oven temperature guidance to prevent excess spreading.
If the batter cools too much, the cocoa butter will harden and the batter becomes stiff and crumbly. You can still bake them, but scoop with a wet spoon or form balls with damp hands. Over-whipped egg/sugar can also cause stiffness. Stiffer batter produces a less shiny crust but still tasty cookies.
Troubleshooting: Why did my cookies spread and become flat?
If your cookies spread too thin, check the following:
- Chocolate too sweet – Use dark chocolate with roughly 70% cocoa solids.
- Not enough corn starch or cocoa – Weigh ingredients for accuracy; adding an extra tablespoon of cocoa can help.
- Too much liquid – Use standard large eggs rather than extra-large.
- Oven temperature too low – Start with a hot oven so the cookies set before the butter and chocolate melt and cause spreading.
Note: When the batter is correct it looks like thick hot fudge—soft but able to hold its shape when scooped.
How to get the shiny crust on brownie cookies
- Beat eggs with sugar first so the sugar begins to dissolve and the batter becomes glossy.
- Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing; warm eggs dissolve sugar more readily than cold eggs.
If you enjoy cookies, try other popular chocolate cookie recipes for variety and inspiration.
Fudgy Flourless Brownie Cookies
Christina Marsigliese
Ingredients
- 200g (7 oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 24g (3 tbsp) corn starch
- 21g (¼ cup) cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 85g (½ cup) dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. You will reduce the oven to 350°F just before baking.
- Combine chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Melt in short bursts in the microwave with frequent stirring, or use a double boiler, until smooth and glossy. Let sit until slightly warm.
- Whisk eggs and sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale, thick, and glossy (longer if you want chewier cookies). Fold in the warm chocolate mixture until evenly combined.
- Sift together corn starch, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, then stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. The batter will be loose like thick brownie batter.
- Cover and rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes, or chill 5–8 minutes if your kitchen is warm, until the batter is thick but not firm.
- Reduce oven to 350°F. Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of batter per cookie onto prepared sheets. Bake 8–11 minutes until the tops are shiny and cracked and the edges are set. Cool completely on the tray before transferring to a rack.