These Olive Oil Cookies are so amazing; you'd never know they are butterless cookies! They are thick, rich, fudgy and loaded with chocolate chips! Their texture and flavor reminds me of a brownie! Even though they're olive oil chocolate chip cookies, the oil flavor isn't glaring; it mixes beautifully with the cocoa powder, creating a mild flavor. If that wasn't enough, these no butter cookies are also gluten free, nut free, eggless and can easily be made vegan! Best yet, there is zero chill time for this recipe and zero mixer required! You'll have yummy cookies in about 30 minutes from start to finish!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, the dark brown sugar and vanilla until soft and creamy. Switch to using a spatula to combine when it starts getting thicker.
Slowly whisk the cornstarch water into the sugar mixture until fully combined. It will appear liquidy. That’s normal.
Starting and ending with the gluten free flour mixture, mix in some flour then some milk then some flour. Use a spatula to combine.
Once combined, use clean hands to knead everything into a dough. This should only take a few times before it all comes together. You can of course use a hand held mixer or electric mixer if you prefer.
Gently fold in ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips using a spatula. This may be a bit tricky due to the shiny dough. I like to help mix them in with clean hands.
Separate the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll the dough into 6 balls. They will appear quite oily due to the olive oil. Don't worry, they won't be oily once baked.
Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 4 inches apart. Gently press down on the tops of the dough balls so they form a thick disc.
The dough is very sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking.
Whatever chocolate chips might have fallen out during rolling them into balls, press those extra chips into the tops of the cookies. If no chips fell out, feel free to add additional chips into the tops of the cookies.
Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven by using a spatula to push them into a circle shape and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
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Notes
For smaller cookies: Use a small cookie scoop and bake at same temperature for 11 min. Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, a non dairy milk and vegan chocolate chips. All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease but use ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of packed regular flour (84 grams plus 2 tablespoons) and packed cups of cocoa powder (29 grams).Storing: Keep extra cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warm in microwave a few seconds before serving if you want them warm and gooey.Freezing: Wrap dough in a disc in plastic wrap and then pop it in a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw dough in the fridge the night prior to using. Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.