Flourless Rocky Road Chocolate Cookies: A Soft and Chewy Treat with a Little Crunch (Gluten-Free)

Question: What do you get when you combine the ingredients of rocky road ice cream with a cookie?

Vertical closeup image of a chocolate cookie with puffy marshmallows on top.

Answer: Your newest obsession!

These soft and chewy creations are a guilty pleasure you’ll love to indulge in (maybe a little more than you should). And while we already have a crazy-awesome recipe for rocky road brownies, we wanted to spread our wings into the cookie territory!

Oooey. Gooey. Chocolaty. Nutty. You get all the rocky road flavor in just a few bites, with plenty of chocolate chips and toasted walnut chunks mixed into the batter.

Vertical image of cookies topped with marshmallows next to a pile of chocolate chips.

Fluffy mini marshmallows (learn how to make them homemade!) are the final garnish, caramelizing and melting slightly as they bake to make for a sinfully sweet and sticky treat.

Vertical image of a cookie split in half with marshmallow and melted chocolate.

And with no wheat flour, you can easily serve these to satisfy the sweet tooth of anyone who doesn’t eat gluten.

Missing the ice cream? These campfire cookies are over-the-top awesome served warm with scoopfuls of homemade vanilla ice cream – your own homemade rocky road experience!

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Flourless Rocky Road Chocolate Cookies (Gluten-Free)


  • Author: Nikki Cervone
  • Total Time: 44 minute
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x

Description

Flourless rocky road cookies with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and walnuts are a guilty pleasure you’ll love to indulge in more than you ever should.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened light cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 extra large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the egg whites and vanilla and stir until a loose batter forms. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
  3. Use a portioning scoop or two spoons to scoop out small mounds and place them on the parchment paper, with about 2 inches in between each cookie. Top each with 5-6 marshmallows, gently pressing them down.
  4. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  5. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until the cookies have spread slightly and the marshmallows are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet pan before removing and serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Fifteen Spatulas

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: cookie, chocolate, walnut, marshmallow

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Gather and Prep

Horizontal image of ingredients in white bowls to make cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Measure the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, walnuts, and marshmallows.

Break the eggs, separating the egg whites from the yolks.

Step 2 – Whisk Dry Ingredients

Horizontal image of a blue bowl with a dry mixture.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.

Step 3 – Add Liquid Ingredients

Horizontal image of a dark chocolate batter in a blue bowl.

Using a sturdy spoon or spatula, mix in the egg whites and vanilla. Continue stirring until a thin, wet batter develops.

Step 4 – Add Chocolate Chips and Nuts

Horizontal image of a chunky chocolate batter in a blue bowl.

Mix the chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter, stirring until all of the chips and nuts have been completely incorporated. If you like, you could use chopped almonds instead of the walnuts.

Step 5 – Portion

Horizontal image of chocolate round mounds on a sheet pan lined with paper.

Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop out small mounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, 3 across and 4 down on each, with about 1 inch in between each cookie.

Step 6 – Top with Marshmallows

Horizontal image of placing mini marshmallows on top of cookie mounds.

Top the middle of each portion with 5-6 pieces, gently pushing down so they stick.

Step 7 – Chill

Horizontal image of unbaked chocolate mounds with marshmallows.

Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. No freezer space? You can place the trays in your fridge for about 20 minutes.

This step helps to keep the cookies from spreading too much, and will keep the marshmallows from melting too quickly during baking.

Step 8 – Bake

Horizontal image of baked cookies with mini marshmallows on a sheet pan.

After chilling, bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until the cookies have spread slightly and the marshmallows have puffed and have lightly browned in color on top.

Step 9 – Cool and Serve

Horizontal image of a cookie with browned mini marshmallows on top.

Cool completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a serving platter.

Letting them cool on the sheet pan will help when removing them. If you try to transfer them when they are still warm, they will stick to the pan and rip apart.

All Rocky Roads Lead to Something Delicious

Inspired by the fun flavors of rocky road ice cream, these soft and chewy flourless cookies have chocolate chips, walnuts, and gooey marshmallows in every big bite.

Horizontal image of chocolate cookies with marshmallows on a white plate.

It’s perfect when you have a massive chocolate craving, or when you want a taste of toasty marshmallows without a bonfire.

While they’re already gluten-free, you can also make them completely dairy-free just by substituting dairy-free chocolate chips.

And for those who have nut allergies, you can leave out the walnuts (not all roads need to be rocky, right?) and still enjoy this chocolaty indulgence.

Who else is obsessed with the combo of chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts? What do you think is better: ice cream, or cookies?

We’re cheating and saying both – we can’t make up our minds! No matter what you prefer, be sure to give this recipe a great rating, and check some of these tasty gluten-free chocolate cookie recipes:


Don’t forget to Pin It!

A collage of photos showing different views of a gluten-free flourless rocky road chocolate cookie recipe.

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on July 21, 2015. Last updated: November 23, 2020 at 21:44 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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