There are two big issues with most gluten-free cookies: off-flavors and a dry, tough texture. But given the huge amount of flavor and moisture melted chocolate provides, you’d think that making a great gluten-free chocolate cookie would be easy. Not so fast. Even the most promising recipes we tried failed us, with subpar flavor and a pervasive dry texture. So we started by amping up the chocolate flavor; in addition to melted chocolate, we loaded our dough with chips, cocoa powder, and a little espresso powder. To address the texture, we began by tinkering with the sugar. Cookies made with all granulated sugar were too crisp, while those made with all brown sugar were flimsy and unpleasantly moist. A combination worked best: ¼ cup of granulated sugar (along with xanthan gum) provided sufficient structure, and ¾ cup of brown sugar boosted chewiness. Still, the cookies weren’t chewy enough, so we turned our attention to the butter. We switched out 5 tablespoons of butter for vegetable oil to achieve the proper ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat that delivered the chewy cookies we were after. Dutch-processed or natural unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe. Not all brands of chocolate chips are processed in a gluten-free facility, so read labels carefully. Do not shortchange the dough’s 30-minute rest or the cookies will spread too much and taste gritty.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) ATK All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- ¾ ounce (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 5¼ ounces (¾ cup packed) light brown sugar
- 1¾ ounces (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 9 ounces (1½ cups) bittersweet chocolate chips
- Microwave semisweet chocolate in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 4 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk flour blend, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum together in bowl; set aside.
- Whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, melted butter, vanilla, and espresso powder in large bowl until well combined and smooth, then whisk in cooled chocolate. Stir in flour mixture with rubber spatula until soft, homogeneous dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. (Dough will be sticky and soft.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 2 generous tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.