Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies (Gluten Free)

Spicy Mexican chocolate cookies start with rich, dense dark chocolate and end with a tiny kick of heat. Made with oat flour and applesauce and honey instead of cane sugar, these delicious fudge-y treats will even leave you feeling guilt free.

mexican chocolate cookies: gluten free and low sugar

Spicy Mexican chocolate cookies have always been one of my favorites. Like I-could-make-them-every-day kind of favorite.

gluten free dark chocolate cookies made with applesauce instead of sugar

The rich, dense chocolate flavor with the tiny bite of heat as an aftertaste… yum.

But as I mentioned when I shared my life saver in the kitchen recently, I’ve stopped eating wheat recently and been trying to cut out cane sugar as much as possible. So today’s recipe was a labor of love to find a way to make my favorite holiday cookies without flour or sugar.

And I’m thrilled to say I think my three-year-old assistant and I managed to knock this one out of the park.

cayenne and cinnamon make these chocolate cookies deliciously memorable #chocolatecookies

Super dark chocolate (I used 70% cacao organic chocolate) gives them an intensely chocolate flavor. If you love dark chocolate as much as I do, you can hide a few extra chips in the center of each cookie…

add chocolate chips to the center of each cookie for a molten center #chocolatecookies

And create a kind of molten center to enjoy.

gluten free spicy mexican chocolate cookies #glutenfreechocolatecookies

The chili powder and cayenne comes alongside the cinnamon and adds such a subtle heat to the flavors, almost like Mexican hot chocolate.

add a pinch of cayenne to chocolate cookies for a distinct kick of flavor #mexicanchocolatecookies

As an added bonus, the rich, dense, caky texture of these cookies make them easy to tie up with baker’s twine and deliver as treats to family and friends for the holidays. I passed out a few earlier this week, and everyone who tried them was as smitten as I am.

bakers twine around a stack of cookies makes lovely holiday gifts #chocolatecookies

So enjoy these delicious gluten-free Spicy Mexican chocolate cookies and feel good about it.

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Spicy Mexican chocolate cookies start with rich, dense dark chocolate and end with a tiny kick of heat.  Made with oat flour and applesauce and honey instead of sugar, these delicious fudge-y treats will even leave you feeling guilt free.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 8 oz chocolate chips 70% cacao
  • 3/4 c oat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp chili powder
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 c unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 c butter room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir, then continue to microwave in 30 sec intervals until all melted and smooth, then set aside to cool.

  3. Combine oat flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne in a large bowl.

  4. Beat butter and applesauce until smooth. Add in melted, cooled chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and honey. Beat until well combined.

  5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until fully combined.

  6. Use a large cookie scoop (1 1/2 to 2 tbsp) and insert 2-3 chocolate chips into the center if desired. Spoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 11-13 minutes or until set.

  7. Allow cookies to cool and enjoy!

Oh and pssst… they are pretty tasty year round, so be sure to pin it for later, too. 😉

mexican chocolate cookies: dark chocolate... gluten free and low sugar #chocolatecookies

Now be sure to visit the other bloggers sharing their holiday cookie recipes today as part of Ella Claire‘s holiday recipe series. So much yumminess!!

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Ella Claire | Pecan Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies by A Burst of Beautiful | Cinnamon Cookies by Zevy Joy | Gingerbread Houses by Miss Mustard Seed

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti by anderson + grant | Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies by Nesting with Grace | Chocolate Crinkles Cookies by So Much Better with Age | Cranberry Rosemary Butter Cookies by Nina Hendrick Design Co.

Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Bites by City Farmhouse | Maple Sugar House Cookies by Finding Home Farms | Honey Nut Rugelach by Love Grows Wild | Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Nest of Posies

Mexican Spicy Chocolate Cookies by Maison de Pax | Coconut Shortbread Cookies by My Sweet Savannah | Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies by House 214 | Cinnamon and Sugar Lattice Pie Crust Cookies by Craftberry Bush

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9 Comments

  1. They looks and sound delicious. I am pinning for sure. I need to make cookies for a swap later next month, and they will be perfect.

    1. Oh my goodness, you’re right! So sorry… I used 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. I’ll go make the change now. Thanks!

  2. My wife has celiac’s but is also allergic to oats. Is there a flour substitute you would recommend?

    1. I have had success with King Arthur’s cup for cup for some baked goods, but I haven’t tried it on these cookies.

  3. Hello, Rachel, I was looking for a gluten-free cookie recipe. Did you know there is gluten in oat flour? Just thought you might want to know. Any comments?

    1. Oats are actually gluten free, but it’s true that many oats come in contact with gluten in processing. Fortunately, there are many oat products that are kept separate in processing and clearly marked as gluten free! 🙂

  4. I talked to a Natropathic Dr. and he said “You cannot take the gluten out of the oats! That is not possible! Wheat, barley, rye, and oats all have gluten in them! I hope that this helps you.
    I sure appreciate your help in this, as I am trying to go gluten free and I appreciate all the help that I can get. I am going to try this recipe with GF Flour as they do look very good!
    Thanks and God Bless,
    Cheryl

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