These Paleo Chocolate Cookies are the most fudgy, chocolatey cookies you will ever eat, and you’ll never believe they’re paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free!
Does anyone else feel like a total cookie monster this month?! 🙋🏻 Why stop now?! I have one more cookielicious recipe for you that is absolutely a must-make! #sorrynotsorry
But seriously people. I took my favorite cookie recipe of all time and paleoized it and I’m so so SO over the moon about the results. With a name like Paleo Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies how in the world could they be anything other than the best?!
Answer: not possible because they are the best of the best. If you are the type of person who doesn’t understand it when someone says a dessert is “too chocolatey” {like seriously, what does that even mean?!} then these paleo chocolate cookies are for you.
Paleo Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies (A name that says it all)!
Let’s start by breaking down the name of these cookies
- Paleo: Yes it’s true. These cookies are grain-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and completely paleo…but they do not taste like it. At all. Like…not one bit.
- Triple Chocolate: Three. Forms. Of. Chocolate. We have melted unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, AND chocolate chips. Because more chocolate is always {always} better than less chocolate.
- Brownie: If you’ve been around my site for a while you know that I have a very strict definition of what a brownie is: fudgy, chocolatey, & insanely gooey. As well as what a brownie isn’t: cakey, fluffy {ugh} or overly sweet. These cookies are brownies in every sense of the word, except for their round, cookie-like appearance. Strange.
- Cookies: Again, cakey fluffy round circles of fluff do not qualify for the title of COOKIE. A cookie must be doughy and chewy…which these delicious little bites of heaven absolutely are.
Quality ingredients matter.
Something super important to note about this recipe…these cookies will be as good as the ingredients you use. Choosing the highest quality chocolate and cocoa powder will ensure the absolute best results!
I know it might seem like a splurge to buy higher quality ingredients, but I have found, especially in baking, that it’s always worth it.
Looking for more delicious gluten-free cookie recipes? Check out these Paleo Almond Butter Blossoms (a favorite)! These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are perfect for Christmas, and so are these gluten-free peppermint snickerdoodles!
Paleo Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies: Method
Now that we’ve broken down these Paleo Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies, let’s chat about how to make them. Most of the instructions are pretty straightforward. However, there is one step in the process that is absolutely paramount….
You must chill the dough
The dough must be chilled for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before baking! It will be hardened to the point where you need to use a metal spoon or scoop to form it into nice little balls. I highly recommend coating your hands in coconut oil before rolling, because it gets pretty messy folks.
Do not let the dough get warm.
If your oven isn’t preheated before you’re finished rolling {or the first tray is still in the oven}, place your tray of cookie dough balls in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. This will prevent the dough from becoming too sticky to handle, and the paleo chocolate brownie cookies from spreading during baking.
Rolling these cookies is messy
If you don’t have a cookie scoop, prepared to have messy hands while you are making these paleo chocolate cookies! That is totally normal and nothing to be alarmed about!
Paleo Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies: Substitutions
I implore you to pretty please make these Paleo Chocolate Brownie Cookies exactly as written! The mixture of cocoa butter and coconut oil is key! The high melting point of cocoa butter and the low melting point of coconut oil join forces to make the perfect substitute for butter in these beauties! This recipe is easily doubled to make a larger batch to feed a crowd! However, if you need to make some substitutions here are a few possibilities:
- Unsweetened chocolate. Any form of chocolate can be used here, just be sure it meets your dietary needs! I love using bittersweet chocolate chips too!
- Coconut Oil/Cocoa butter. 3 TBS butter or grass-fed ghee can be used in place of the 2 TBS coconut oil and 1 TBS cocoa butter!
- Coconut sugar. Any granulated sugar works well! I have used organic cane sugar {not paleo} with great results!
- Maple Syrup. Honey can be used in place of maple syrup!
- Almond flour. I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of flour. But all-purpose flour or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend does work in this recipe!
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Paleo Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened chocolate * chopped
- 2 TBS coconut oil
- 1 TBS cocoa butter grated
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Extra sea salt for sprinkling optional
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, or in a microwave safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate, coconut oil and cocoa butter together until smooth.
- Once smooth, set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Once the chocolate mixture is cooled (to just over room temperature), add coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add egg and mix until just incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture and stir until combined {and there are no lumps}.
- Fold in cup chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Place dough in an airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and immediately roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls.**
- Place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 2” apart.***
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until the cookies look just set.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Eat them warm or store them in an airtight container until you’re ready!
Notes
**Rolling the dough is a very messy process! I coat my hands in coconut oil before I begin rolling. I use an ice cream scooper or metal spoon to scoop th dough into 1" portions.
***It is imperative that you do not let the dough get warm! If the oven isn’t preheated by the time you have filled a cookie sheet, place it in the refrigerator until the oven is ready.
Nutrition
Well, that’s all she wrote folks! I really {like really really} hope you try these cookies! They might just be my most favorite creation of 2016!!
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Eric Oesch
January 28, 2019 at 12:01 pmHi, you said this was a version of your favorite chocolate cookie recipe, I was hoping you could share that recipe? I absolutely loved your chocolate chip recipe, and I am looking for a chocolate cookie recipe on par with that one, but I am not really interested in making this alternate version. (I don’t need a paleo cookie) if you have time please share the original!
Jo
June 8, 2018 at 8:19 pmI made these and put the dough in the fridge for 6 hours. Dough was very hard so used defrost in microwave to soften a bit. Balls remained in ball shape after cooking and they still tasted like the dough and crumbled. Not brownie like at all. The only thing I did different was use a TBS of grass fed butter instead of coca butter. Any ideas why they came out like this?
Harleen Quinzel
April 20, 2017 at 10:41 pmI love triple chocolate cookies recipe.Looks like it is delicious.I’m sure adding cocoa butter will enhance the taste of it.Will try this for sure.
Laurel
January 7, 2017 at 8:35 pmThese have always been some of my favorite cookies, thanks so much for sharing. Now to mix up a batch, scoop onto cookie sheets, refrigerate and bake. Lazy, ain’t I?
Laura
January 12, 2017 at 3:30 pmYou will LOVE these! Seriously I was floored with these cookies and had a very hard time sharing! 😉
Laurel
January 14, 2017 at 12:28 pmThese are really lovely. I can’t eat eggs which makes paleo an interesting enterprise to say the least so I replaced it with a gelatin egg. Whilst rooting around in the pantry for all the chocolate supplies I found a forlorn and mostly empty jar of espresso powder. Oh yeah, I added the almost 1/2 tsp that was in the jar and meant to add some almond extract but got distracted.
These are so incredibly flavorful and would make the perfect base to add some mint or cherry extract, maybe some cranberries, almonds, macadamia nuts or coconut? OK first chopped macadamia nuts and cacao butter? My brain hurts.
You absolutely hit this one out of the park.
LAUREL
January 14, 2017 at 12:34 pmGreat cookies! I used an egg replacer and added some espresso powder (because it was there and I could – I’m kinda like that).
I’m thinking this recipe could be the start of all things wonderful; think macadamia nuts and chopped cacao butter, mint, cherry, almond or orange extract, coconut, cranberries, cherries – the mind boggles.
You absolutely hit a home run with these they could not be better in any way, shape or form.
Thank you.
masala girl
December 26, 2016 at 9:06 pmi’m not much of a chocolate person but i diee for brownies!! these look SO impressive!!
Emily
December 24, 2016 at 8:39 amWow yes you totally mastered this recipe. It looks amazing! Where would I get cocoa butter?
Laura
December 24, 2016 at 9:06 amI order it on Amazon (if you click on the blue link it’ll take you to a good option)! You can usually find it at a store like Whole Foods too! 🙂
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
December 23, 2016 at 8:28 amHaha, we’ve been total cookie monsters this month! Between my recent birthday and holiday parties, I’ve definitely been enjoying my share of sweet treats. When available, I always choose chocolate so these beauties are right up my alley!
lindsay Cotter
December 23, 2016 at 7:36 amI love how we all can be a resource for each other, versus cookbooks. I trust my food blog friends more! Haha. And yes, cookie monster is my house. GASP! make him leave. After I eat these of course
Maria
December 23, 2016 at 6:15 amThese look amazing! And your photos are beautiful 🙂
Lauren Grant | Zestful Kitchen
December 22, 2016 at 9:09 pmOk, these look like heaven!! Love anything chocolate, but make it triple and I’m so in! Love that you used almond flour!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
December 22, 2016 at 8:06 pmTriple chocolate cookies! Oh my, these are definitely a delicious sweet treat that I need to make soon!
Christina Bauer
December 22, 2016 at 6:13 pmThese look insane!! Totally making some in the super near future.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table
December 22, 2016 at 11:41 amI can not get enough chocolate in my life. I have a batch of my chocolate sea salt cookies in the fridge right now ready to cook. These are going to have to be next. Brownies are one of life’s greatest pleasures… in cookie form, I’m sure it’s even more amazing.
Laura
December 22, 2016 at 3:58 pmBrownies are the best! And I couldn’t agree more, never ever too much chocolate !
Kat
December 22, 2016 at 8:14 amSeriously – a brownie in cookie form? Gimme! I haven’t been making many cookies this season but these babies are totally on the list!
Laura
December 22, 2016 at 3:57 pmOh no! you need some cookies in your life!
amanda -runtothefinish
December 22, 2016 at 7:10 amMmmm chocolate. I’m not sure I could refuse chocolate ever, but I’m a bazillion times happier when I find seriously good tasting recipes that are dairy free!!! wohoooo!!!Definitely on the must make list
Laura
December 22, 2016 at 3:57 pmRaw cocoa butter is my new dairy-free baking obsession! It’s the perfect fat to use!!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
December 22, 2016 at 5:11 amSo right! Nothing can ever be too chocolaty for me! The more the merrier!!
Laura
December 22, 2016 at 3:57 pmAMEN Rebecca!