Cayenne Chocolate Cookies
A gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cookie with a slow-building kick of cayenne and cinnamon — the ultimate icebreaker dessert for surprising first-time tasters.
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 12 min
- Total Time
- 27 min
- Servings
- about 30 cookies
There's something so entertaining about watching someone bite into these for the first time without any warning. Their face lights up because, hey, chocolate cookie — then their brow furrows as they realize something's off. They look up at you, confused, right as the cayenne and cinnamon hit all at once. "Wow!" is the usual response, and then they immediately go find someone else to hand a cookie to just so they can watch it happen all over again.
I love that these have become a bit of a running joke in my house, purely for the entertainment value of watching people's reactions unfold in real time.
They're also a really fun addition to any Mexican-inspired spread, especially with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons plant butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water, set aside to thicken
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy, then mix in the flaxseed mixture and vanilla.
- 2Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, and mix until the dough is well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- 3Drop scoops of dough onto a silicone-lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
- 4Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
