Rich and chocolaty with cocoa and chocolate chips, these gluten-free chocolate cookies are gooey and chewy. Add a little ground chili to give them a mysterious something extra, or even some kick if you wish.
Gather your ingredients and turn on the oven to 350°F / 180°F. If making 20 one-tablespoon-sized (36g) cookies, you will need three baking sheets. Line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
In a small bowl, add 2/3 cup of dark chocolate chips and three tablespoons of butter. Heat on high in the microwave in 30-second increments. I typically only need two cycles. If you aren't using a microwave to melt the chocolate, see FeelGoodFoodie for the best stovetop instructions.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, on medium-high speed, beat the sugar and eggs until the mixture lightens in color and is creamy and foamy. About 3 minutes. A hand-held mixer will work too, but it will take a minute or two longer.
Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and pour the melted chocolate and vanilla into the egg and sugar batter. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except the chips, nuts, and coarse salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg, butter, and chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.
Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be soft and a bit sticky. Heap a one-tablespoon scoop or a spoon (36g) to measure out balls of dough. If the dough begins to stick to the scoop, spray it with baking spray or dip it into cold water.
Place the cookies on the baking sheets spacing them at least 2" apart. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if using. You may want to press in some extra chocolate chips and walnuts into the top as well. Press each ball of dough about halfway so they are about 1/2-inches thick.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. You want the cookie centers to be still a bit puffy and soft. They will continue to bake briefly as they rest on the baking sheet. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Store the chocolate cookies in an airtight container for up to three days or pop them in the freezer (if they last that long). If you don't want to bake all the cookies at once, shape the extra cookies into balls and freeze them on a tray. When frozen, store them in an air-tight container for up to three months.
Notes
Cocoa: You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder. However, these spicy chocolate cookies won’t be quite as rich and chocolaty. But they will still be good!
Chili powder: At this chili level, you are getting fruity umami with no discernable heat. But if you want heat, add more to your taste. If you want more in-your-face heat, try ancho chili powder, or even 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.
Chip ideas: Use your favorite chips: dark, milk, or white chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon, or even mint.
Note: The timings include the baking of one sheet of cookies.