These Paleo Chocolate Cookies are fudgy, chocolatey cookies that are paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free!
I adapted my favorite chocolate cookie recipe to create these paleo chocolate cookies.
If you are the type of person who doesn't understand it when someone says a dessert is "too chocolatey" (seriously, what does that even mean?) then these paleo chocolate cookies are for you.
These cookies are paleo (grain-free, gluten-free, with no dairy or refined sugar). They are made with 3 forms of chocolate and they taste like a fudgy brownie. The perfect dessert for health-conscious chocolate lovers.
Paleo Chocolate Cookies: Substitutions
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.
- Unsweetened chocolate. Use any form of chocolate you'd like, semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chips can be used.
- Coconut Oil/Cocoa butter. 3 TBS butter or grass-fed ghee or butter 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.
- 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.
Paleo chocolate chips/bars
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate cookies.
- Lily's Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
How to make paleo chocolate cookies
Most of the instructions are pretty straightforward - here are some tips.
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 balls. I highly recommend coating your hands in coconut oil before rolling, because it gets pretty messy.
Do not let the dough get warm.
If the oven isn't preheated before you're finished rolling (or the first tray is still in the oven), place the 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 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 normal and nothing to be alarmed about.
Recipe FAQs
You can store baked cookies in the freezer, but I prefer to freeze the dough. To do this:
Form dough into balls.
Place cookie dough balls on a non-stick cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
Transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
Freeze for up to 1 month.
To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to slightly cooler than room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Store baked cookies in an airtight contianer at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months.
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Paleo Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened chocolate *chopped
- 2 TBS coconut oil (or grass-fed butter)
- 1 TBS cocoa butter grated (or grass-fed butter)
- 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
***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.
Ingredient Substitutions
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.- Unsweetened chocolate. Use any form of chocolate you'd like, semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chips can be used.
- Coconut Oil/Cocoa butter. 3 TBS butter or grass-fed ghee or butter 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.
- 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.
Paleo chocolate chips/bars
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate cookies.
- Lily's Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
Store/freeze
Store baked cookies in an airtight contianer at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months. Freeze the dough- Form dough into balls.
- Place cookie dough balls on a non-stick cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
- Freeze for up to 1 month.
- To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to slightly cooler than temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
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Eric Oesch
Hi, 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
I 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
I 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
These 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
You will LOVE these! Seriously I was floored with these cookies and had a very hard time sharing! 😉
Laurel
These 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
Great 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
i'm not much of a chocolate person but i diee for brownies!! these look SO impressive!!
Emily
Wow yes you totally mastered this recipe. It looks amazing! Where would I get cocoa butter?
Laura
I 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
Haha, 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
I 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