Gather Your Ingredients

One thing that makes this gluten-free black velvet cupcake recipe so great is the simple ingredient list. There’s only ONE special ingredient you’ll need to track down. Let’s take a look:

How To Make Gluten-Free Black Velvet Cupcakes, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Start By Baking The Cupcakes

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners and set aside. (You’ll need to bake an additional 2 cupcakes in a second batch later.)
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
3. Mix The Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
4. Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Scoop & Bake Cupcakes. Use a large cookie scoop to measure about 3 Tablespoons of cupcake batter into each muffin cup. (Remember you’ll have enough for 2 extra cupcakes in a second batch, so try not to overfill the muffin cups.) Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes.
6. Cool Completely Before Frosting. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin pan 2-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. Bake your remaining 2 cupcakes and let them cool as well. You want the cupcakes fully cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt.

Next Make The Black Cocoa Frosting & Decorate The Cupcakes

1. Beat The Butter. Add softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). Using the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until very smooth and light in texture. (It should look significantly lighter in color & have increased in volume.)
2. Add Most Of Your Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add black cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream to the mixer.
3. Mix on LOW first. On LOW speed, pulse the mixer a few times so the powdered sugar and cocoa doesn’t poof out the sides of the bowl. (You can also add the dry ingredients in small amounts if you prefer to avoid messes)
4. Increase The Speed. Once it’s just mixed together, add 1-2 tablespoons more of cream, along with the corn syrup. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and mix for another 1-2 minutes, or until the buttercream is light and smooth. Ideally, you want it smooth and light without a lot of extra air bubbles.
5. Finish The Frosting. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and press out any extra air bubbles, if you can. At this point, the frosting should be smooth and easy to spread or pipe. It should hold its shape on a spatula if you rotate it around (which means it will hold its shape when piped.)
6. Frost The Cupcakes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (like Wilton 2D or Ateco 852). Hold the piping bag straight up, with the tip pointed down. Starting at the center of each cupcake pipe frosting into a rosette on top of each cupcake. (Start in the center of the cookie and continue to move around the circle of the cookie until you get close to the edges.) If you don’t have a piping tip, you can use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes.
7. Serve & Store. Store 1-2 days at room temperature in an airtight container or refrigerate up to 3-4 days. Cupcakes can also be frozen up to 2 months.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Black Velvet Cupcakes

Can I Use Regular Cocoa Instead? Not if you want them to be black. If you can’t find or order black cocoa, you can use Dutch processed cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder) for a dark chocolate look. I don’t recommend regular cocoa powder (natural cocoa powder) here, without some tweaks to the recipe. 

Decorating Ideas To Try. I topped my black velvet cupcakes with crumbled gluten-free Oreo crumbs (regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free!), but black sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, Halloween sprinkles, or colorful sprinkles can all looks great.

What Piping Tip Do You Use? For best results, I like using a closed star tip, like the Wilton 2D or Ateco 852. It adds beautiful swirls and feels really easy to work with. It’s the same tip I use for these gluten-free chocolate cake cookies, gluten-free Pumpkin Cupcakes, and these gluten-free Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies.

More Fun Halloween Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Halloween Chex Mix

Gluten-Free Dirt Pudding

Pumpkin Juice (aka Spiced Pumpkin Cider)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe Card

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Gluten-Free Black Velvet Cupcakes

These fluffy gluten-free black velvet cupcakes have all of the drama, and none of the dye. We use black cocoa powder instead of food coloring to achieve a rich black color that's taken to the next level with our velvety smooth black cocoa buttercream!

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword black velvet, cupcakes, gluten-free cupcakes, halloween

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 14 Cupcakes

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• Piping Bag
• Closed Star Piping Tip Like Wilton 2D or Ateco 852
• Large Cookie Scoop
• Light-Colored Metal Muffin Pan

Ingredients

For The Black Velvet Cupcakes:

• ¾ cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (90 grams)
• ⅓ cup Black Cocoa Powder (30 grams)
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar (200 grams)
• ½ cup Sour Cream (120 grams)
• ¼ cup Oil (50 ml)
• 2 Large Eggs Room Temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar

For The Black Velvet Buttercream:

• 1 cup Butter, Softened (226 grams/2 sticks)
• ¾ cup Black Cocoa Powder (72 grams)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360 grams)
• 3-5 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk (45-75 ml)

Instructions

First, Bake The Cupcakes

• Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners and set aside. (You'll need to bake an additional 2 cupcakes in a second batch later.)
• Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
• Mix The Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
• Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Scoop & Bake Cupcakes. Use a large cookie scoop to measure about 3 Tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. (Remember you'll have enough for 2 extra cupcakes in a second batch, so try not to overfill the muffin cups.) Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes.
• Cool Completely Before Frosting. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin pan 2-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. Bake your remaining 2 cupcakes and let them cool as well. You want the cupcakes fully cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt.

Next, Make The Frosting & Decorate The Cupcakes

• Beat The Butter. Add softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). Using the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until very smooth and light in texture. (It should look significantly lighter in color & have increased in volume.)
• Add Most Of Your Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add black cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream to the mixer.
• Mix on LOW first. On LOW speed, pulse the mixer a few times so the powdered sugar and cocoa doesn’t poof out the sides of the bowl. (You can also add the dry ingredients in small amounts if you prefer to avoid messes)
• Increase The Speed. Once it’s just mixed together, add 1-2 tablespoons more of cream, along with the corn syrup (if using). Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and mix for another 1-2 minutes, or until the buttercream is light and smooth. Ideally, you want it smooth and light without a lot of extra air bubbles.
• Finish The Frosting. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and press out any extra air bubbles, if you can. At this point, the frosting should be smooth and easy to spread or pipe. It should hold its shape on a spatula if you rotate it around (which means it will hold its shape when piped.)
• Frost The Cupcakes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (like Wilton 2D or Ateco 852). Hold the piping bag straight up, with the tip pointed down. Starting at the center of each cupcake pipe frosting into a rosette on top of each cupcake. (Start in the center of the cookie and continue to move around the circle of the cookie until you get close to the edges.) If you don’t have a piping tip, you can use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes.
• Serve & Store. Store 1-2 days at room temperature in an airtight container or refrigerate up to 3-4 days. Cupcakes can also be frozen up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for these cookies. If you use another brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum and weigh or measure carefully! 
• Troubleshooting The Frosting. If the frosting is too thick or stiff to pipe or spread easily, add more cream 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired texture. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar or cocoa powder 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reach the correct texture. If the frosting warms up too much and starts to melt, chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until it’s set again.

Fall Cookies You’re Going to Love

Now for the best part: the actual recipes! In no particular order, here are our best gluten-free fall cookie recipes for cozy weekend baking, holiday celebrations, and sharing with friends:

1

Gluten-Free Cinnamon White Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

These chewy gluten-free oatmeal cookies are packed with notes of warm cinnamon, toasty toffee, creamy white chocolate & a kiss of vanilla in every delicious bite.

Get The Recipe

2

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

This soft, chewy gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles recipe is perfect when the weather gets chilly. With plenty of warm spices, they’re the perfect fall cookie!

Get The Recipe

3

Gluten-Free Reese’s Cookies

These cookies are for chocolate peanut butter lovers ONLY. We start with a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie base, then load it up with THREE kinds of Reese's goodies AND chocolate chips!

Get The Recipe

4

Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies

These soft, chewy gluten-free maple pecan cookies have notes of brown sugar, maple, and toasted pecans, plus a sweet maple glaze you’ll LOVE!

Get The Recipe

5

Gluten-Free Maple Snickerdoodle Cookies

Maple adds a delicious fall flavor twist to classic snickerdoodles. Brown butter, brown sugar, and maple with hints of vanilla feel cozy, while the classic cinnamon and tang of snickerdoodle cookies still shines through.

Get The Recipe

Gather Your Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for these gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies. (Spoiler: it’s mostly pantry staples!)

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set them aside.
2. Blot The Pumpkin. Line a plate with paper towels and spread the pumpkin puree out onto the lined plate. Blot with additional paper towels to remove extra moisture from the puree, until you only have 1/3 cup pumpkin puree left. (You may need to use some extra paper towels!)
3. Whisk The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt until well blended, then set aside.
4. Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), until smooth and creamy.
5. Finish The Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until evenly blended. (It may look a tiny bit separated here–don’t panic!)

6. Combine The Dough. Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add the flour mixture. Mix until just blended, then add chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
7. Scoop & Bake. Use a medium cookie scoop to measure 2 Tablespoon size scoops of cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time, for 8-10 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, garnish with additional chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips, if desired. Then, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, alternating cookie sheets with each batch so you don’t put cool dough on a hot cookie sheet.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy the cooled cookies and store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months. 

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

How Do You Get Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Instead of Cakey Pumpkin Cookies? We use 3 tricks to solve this. First, blot the extra liquid out of the pumpkin puree, which reduces the liquid in the dough. Next, we use ONLY an egg yolk, for a richer, denser, fudgier texture. Third, we’ve adjusted the ratio of wet and dry ingredients to keep the cookies from getting too cakelike and tall.

Measure Carefully! These cookies are more dense and fudgy than cakey, and you’ll get the texture just right by measuring the flour properly (scoop and level flour or weigh the flour).

Want Bigger Cookies? No problem! Use a large cookie scoop to measure 3-Tablespoon scoops of cookie dough and bake the cookies 9-11 minutes. You’ll end up with fewer cookies, but they’ll be closer to bakery-size cookies!

More Fall Cookie Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Gluten-Free Cinnamon White Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe Card

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect fall cookie recipe! These gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cookies have a fudgy, chewy texture, with warm spices, a kiss of vanilla, and plenty of chocolate in every bite!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword fall, gluten free pumpkin oatmeal cookies, gluten-free pumpkin cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 20 Cookies

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 1 cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour* (120 grams)
• 1 cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (Old-Fashioned Oats) (90 grams)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Canned Pumpkin Puree – unsweetened (120 ml)
• ½ cup Softened Butter (113 grams)
• ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100 grams)
• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (50 grams)
• 1 large Egg Yolk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cup Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips (85 grams)
• ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips (95 grams)
• Optional: Additional Chocolate Chips & Mini Chocolate Chips (for garnish)

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set them aside.
• Blot The Pumpkin. Line a plate with paper towels and spread the pumpkin puree out onto the lined plate. Blot with additional paper towels to remove extra moisture from the puree, until you only have 1/3 cup pumpkin puree left. (You may need to use some extra paper towels!)
• Whisk The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt until well blended, then set aside.
• Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), until smooth and creamy.
• Finish The Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until evenly blended. (It may look a tiny bit separated here–don't panic!)
• Combine The Dough. Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add the flour mixture. Mix until just blended, then add chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
• Scoop & Bake. Use a medium cookie scoop to measure 2 Tablespoon size scoops of cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time, for 8-10 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, garnish with additional chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips, if desired. Then, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, alternating cookie sheets with each batch so you don't put cool dough on a hot cookie sheet.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy the cooled cookies and store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. We recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. If you use another 1:1 flour blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum, so the texture is right! (Do not substitute almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour into this recipe.)
• How Do You Get Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Instead of Cakey Pumpkin Cookies? We use 3 tricks to solve this. First, blot the extra liquid out of the pumpkin puree, which reduces the liquid in the dough. Next, we use ONLY an egg yolk, for a richer, denser, fudgier texture. Third, we’ve adjusted the ratio of wet and dry ingredients to keep the cookies from getting too cakelike and tall.
• Want Bigger Cookies? No problem! Use a large cookie scoop to measure 3-Tablespoon scoops of cookie dough and bake the cookies 9-11 minutes. You’ll end up with fewer cookies, but they’ll be closer to bakery-size cookies!
• Cookies Not Spreading? This can often occur if you accidentally added too much flour, but can also happen depending on the temperature of your butter or the room. You can pat the dough down slightly before baking to help the cookies spread more. 

Gather Your Ingredients

One thing that makes these such a huge hit at my house is the simple ingredients list. Here’s what you’ll need to get started on this easy recipe…

How To Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Mix Up The Cookie Dough

1. First, Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl to cool to room temperature.
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until evenly blended, then set aside.
3. Combine COOLED Butter & Add Sugars. When the brown butter has cooled, add the sugar and brown sugar. Mix 2-3 minutes with a paddle attachment or until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl!
4. Finish Wet Ingredients. Add eggs + egg yolk one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then, Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
5. Add Dry Ingredients, Then Mix-Ins. Gradually add the flour mixture, along with the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Mix until just combined. The dough will be soft!
6. Scoop & Chill The Dough. Use a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size) to scoop cookie dough balls. Place in an airtight container, cover, and chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours, up to 1 day in advance. (Don’t skip this step, or the cookies will spread too much!)

Bake & Finish The Cookies

7. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator while the oven fully preheats to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (so you can alternate sheets between batches.)
8. Bake & Cool The Cookies.  Roll 6 cookie dough balls in between your palms to smooth them out and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown color and the centers look just underdone. Garnish the top of the cookies right away with a few extra chocolate chips and chocolate chunks, if desired. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the cookies are cooled down, or store baked cookies in an airtight container 2-3 days. (Or, freeze cookies in a single layer in a freezer bag up to 2 months.)
   

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

FOR BEST RESULTS, DON’T SKIP THE CHILL TIME! I know it’s hard to wait, but it’s 100% worth it for soft, chewy cookies. Chilling gives the cookies better texture, since the flour has time to hydrate, making it less gritty. It also helps control the spread of the cookies, so they hold their shape and end up nice and chewy.

TRY SWAPPING THE CHIPS. I made these with chocolate chips and chocolate chunks, but the cinnamon chocolate chip cookie base is also delicious with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or a mix of different kinds of chocolate chips!

METRIC IS BEST. One key for the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies is using precise measurements, and an inexpensive kitchen scale makes that easy! It helps you avoid adding too much flour, which throws off the taste and texture of these cinnamon cookies.

Gather Your Ingredients

This puppy chow bars recipes uses most of the same basic ingredients as in classic muddy buddies, with one little exception. Let’s take a look:

How To Make Puppy Chow Bars, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Measure Your Cereal & Prep The Ingredients. This recipe moves quickly once you get started, so make sure you have everything close by and in reach! Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt Chocolate Peanut Butter Mixture. In a large saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter and salt together over low heat or medium-low heat, stirring the whole time, until smooth and glossy, with just a few tiny lumps or bumps left.
3. Stir In Marshmallows and Vanilla and stir over low heat JUST until the marshmallows are melted.

4. Coat The Cereal. Pour the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture over the Chex cereal and stir to combine, until the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture.
5. Dust, Spread & Dust. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of the powdered sugar into the bottom of your prepared pan (I use a fine mesh sieve). Transfer the cereal mixture to the pan and spread into an even layer, packing it down slightly with the spatula. Dust the top of the bars with the remaining 2 TBSP of powdered sugar.
6. Chill To Set. Transfer the whole pan to the fridge and chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set up completely. 
7. Slice & Serve. Cut into 9-12 slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Muddy Buddy Bars

Can I Make These In the Microwave Instead? Yes, though I like the stove so I have better control over the heat. To make them in the microwave, melt the butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and salt together in a large microwave-safe bowl in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between each interval, until just a few small lumps and bumps remain. Add marshmallows and vanilla and microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth.

Dairy-Free Option. To make these Puppy Chow Bars dairy-free, make sure to use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) and dairy-free chocolate chips (like Guittard or Enjoy Life). All of the other ingredients are naturally dairy-free!

Gluten-Free Tips. Make sure to only use Corn Chex or Rice Chex for this gluten-free muddy buddy bars recipe, since Wheat Chex are NOT gluten-free!

Can I Double The Recipe? Yes! You can double the ingredients and make them in a 9×13 pan for a crowd. They’ll probably just take a bit longer to set up in the fridge.

More Fun Cereal Treats To Try

Cookies & Cream Muddy Buddies

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Chex Scotcheroos

Lucky Charms Treats

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Gluten-Free Muddy Buddy Bars (Puppy Chow Bars)

Whether you call them Muddy Buddy Bars or Puppy Chow Bars, you'll LOVE the nostalgic chocolate peanut butter flavor of this easy no-bake treat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword chex mix, peanut butter

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 9 -16 Servings

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 4 cups Corn Chex Cereal or Rice Chex Cereal (120 grams)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter (57 grams)
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate Chips (170 grams)
• ¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (192 grams)
• 5 oz. FRESH Mini Marshmallows (142 grams)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (30 grams)

Instructions

• Measure Your Cereal & Prep The Ingredients. This recipe moves quickly once you get started, so make sure you have everything close by and in reach! Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Melt Chocolate Peanut Butter Mixture. In a large saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter and salt together over low heat or medium-low heat, stirring the whole time, until smooth and glossy, with just a few tiny lumps or bumps left.
• Stir In Marshmallows and Vanilla and stir over low heat JUST until the marshmallows are melted.
• Coat The Cereal. Pour the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture over the Chex cereal and stir to combine, until the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture.
• Dust, Spread & Dust. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of the powdered sugar into the bottom of your prepared pan (I use a fine mesh sieve). Transfer the cereal mixture to the pan and spread into an even layer, packing it down slightly with the spatula. Dust the top of the bars with the remaining 2 TBSP of powdered sugar.
• Chill To Set. Transfer the whole pan to the fridge and chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set up completely.
• Slice & Serve. Cut into 9-12 slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

Video

Notes

• Peanut Butter. I find I get the best results with regular peanut butter spreads, like JIF or Skippy, but you can use natural peanut butter, if desired. Keep in mind, it’ll be a bit more gritty and the bars may not stay quite as soft. 
• Dairy-Free Option. To make these Puppy Chow Bars dairy-free, make sure to use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) and dairy-free chocolate chips (like Guittard or Enjoy Life). All of the other ingredients are naturally dairy-free!

Gluten-Free Brownie Recipes With A Major Upgrade

Now for the recipes! Here are 15+ of the BEST gluten-free brownie recipes around. They’re all better than basic, since each one includes fun toppings, a different technique, or epic mix-ins. Let’s dive in!

1

Gluten-Free Cosmic Brownies

With their fudgy texture, rich chocolate flavor & signature colorful sprinkles, our homemade gluten-free Cosmic brownies are even better than the original!

Get The Recipe

2

Gluten-Free Nutella Brownies

Homemade brownies with a double-dose of Nutella? COUNT ME IN! These homemade brownies feature a Nutella brownie batter and an extra Nutella swirl you’re going to LOVE.

Get The Recipe

3

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Brownies

If classic red velvet cake and brownies had a baby, it would be these fudgy gluten-free Red Velvet Brownies. They've got glossy tops, fudgy centers, and all the classic flavor you love. (These are extra fun for holidays like Christmas, Valentine's Day, or 4th of July!)

Get The Recipe

4

Gluten-Free Oreo Brownies

Oreo lovers will FLIP for these gluten-free Oreo brownies! They've got TWO layers of Oreo goodness in every bite and the classic chocolate-vanilla flavor combo that makes them so good.

Get The Recipe

5

Gluten-Free Pecan Brownies

These fudgy gluten-free pecan brownies are one of my favorite brownie recipes for the fall! Made with caramel-like brown butter and toasted pecans, they've got rich, delicious flavor with toasty, roasty flavor notes and a satisfying nutty crunch that make them incredible.

Get The Recipe

6

Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies

These fudgy, chewy Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies are perfect for anyone who loves a sweet and salty dessert. In every bite, you'll get fudgy, chewy chocolate brownie, crispy gluten-free pretzels, and a little gooey salted caramel. They're SO GOOD.

Get The Recipe

Gather Your Ingredients

This gluten-free s’mores cookie recipe was built off our Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, so you’ll see lots of familiar ingredients! Let’s take a look:

How To Make Gluten-Free S’mores Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the printable recipe card below.

1. First, Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl to cool to room temperature.
2. Cool, Then Add Sugars. When the butter has cooled, add the sugar and brown sugar. Mix 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), or until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Finish Wet Ingredients. Add eggs + egg yolk one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then, Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Add Dry Ingredients, Then Mix-Ins. Add gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until mostly combined, with just a few floury patches left. Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 3/4 cup graham cracker pieces and stir to combine until evenly blended.

5. Scoop & Chill The Dough. Use a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size) to scoop cookie dough balls. Place in an airtight container, cover, and chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (so you can alternate sheets between batches.)
7. Roll & Bake The Cookies. Working with just 6 cookie dough balls per batch, flatten each dough ball out into a disc. Add a marshmallow half to the center of the disc, and fold the dough around it, leaving a small opening at the top of the cookie for the marshmallow to expand through during baking. Make sure the dough is sealed well around the sides and bottom of the cookie dough ball! Place cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown color and the centers look just underdone.
8. Garnish & Finish Cookies. Garnish cookies right away with a few extra chocolate chips, some extra gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, and a square of Hershey’s chocolate. Let the cookies cool 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough until all cookies are baked and cooled.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the cookies are cooled down, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (Or, freeze in a single layer in freezer bags or a freezer-safe container up to 2 months)

FAQ + Tricks For The Best S’mores Cookies

LEAVE AN OPENING! One of the most important steps for these gluten-free s’mores chocolate chip cookies is to make sure to leave a small opening at the top of each cookie dough ball for the marshmallow to expand through! Otherwise, the marshmallow will melt or go downward to the bottom of the cookie.

CAN I USE MINI MARSHMALLOWS INSTEAD? I don’t like to use them in a stuffed cookie like this, since they tend to dissolve into the cookie rather than adding a distinct gooey marshmallow center. Same goes for marshmallow fluff!

METRIC IS BEST. For best results, I highly recommend weighing the dry ingredients with a digital scale. It’s the most accurate way to measure and will give you consistent, reliable results every time.

CAN I MAKE THESE DAIRY-FREE? You won’t be able to brown the butter, so you’ll miss out on one of the key flavor notes of the recipe, but you can use melted dairy-free butter, dairy-free chocolate chips & dairy-free chocolate bars for a dairy-free option. It just won’t be a 1:1 substitute for my recipe!

Start With Simple Ingredients

Okay, chocolate lovers! Let’s get started with a peek at our ingredients list:

• Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure For Measure Gluten-Free Flour, but if you use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum for best results. (Do not substitute almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour into this recipe.)
• Sugar keeps this cake super moist & gets divided between 24-36 servings!
• Baking Soda & Salt. This helps keep the cake’s texture light & level, and helps balance the flavor.
• Sour Cream (Or Buttermilk). Most traditional texas sheet cake recipes use either buttermilk or sour cream. The acidity reacts with the baking soda to give the cake a light texture, and the tang balances the flavor. I recommend using sour cream first, buttermilk second, and only recommend a homemade buttermilk substitute (with milk + apple cider vinegar) as a last resort, since it doesn’t have the same thickness/richness.
• Eggs. Help bind the cake together. Pretty straightforward!
• Vanilla Extract enhances the deep chocolate flavor of this cake!
• Butter. This is how you get that classic flavor & fudgy texture! (I haven’t experimented with making this recipe dairy-free yet.) I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works, too!
• Cocoa Powder. I like my Texas sheet cake to taste good and chocolatey, so my secret is adding a *tiny* bit more cocoa powder than some other recipes do in both the gluten-free chocolate sheet cake & the fudgy frosting. It makes all the difference! Remember to use REGULAR unsweetened cocoa powder (like Ghiradelli or Hershey’s) here NOT Dutch-processed/dark cocoa powder (which won’t react properly with the baking soda).
• Hot Water. You’ll heat the water to almost boiling, which will dissolve the chocolate and butter, but the hot liquid will also help thin out the cake batter to a nice, pourable texture, which makes it easy to cover a whole sheet pan.
• Our Easy Fudge Frosting. Then, you’ll finish this gluten-free Texas sheet cake recipe with the classic chocolate fudge frosting made from butter, milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Easy!

PRO TIP: If you’re going to make your gluten-free Texas sheet cake with pecans, I recommend toasting the pecans for extra flavor. It only takes a few minutes, but makes a BIG difference in taste!

How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Gluten-Free Texas Sheet Cake

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and greasing a 13″ x 18″ x 1″ sheet pan with butter or spray oil (or line the pan neatly with parchment paper). 
2. Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk gluten-free flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. Mix Eggs, Sour Cream & Vanilla. In a large liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine eggs, sour cream and vanilla. (There will be a second where this looks like a big mess–just keep whisking and it’ll come together smoothly.) 
4. Heat Butter, Cocoa Powder & Water. In a small saucepan, melt butter, cocoa powder, and water until almost simmering. You want it hot and smooth, so it can help thin out the batter. 
5. Assemble The Cake Batter. Add sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix to combine. (It’ll be thick almost like dough and a bit dry at this point.) Pour the cocoa mixture into the batter a bit at a time, mixing to incorporate the chocolate mixture before adding the next bit. Whisk until it’s smooth and even in texture.
6. Pour Into Prepared Pan. Pour the sheet cake batter onto your prepared baking sheet. Gently smooth out the batter into an even layer that goes all the way to the edges of the pan. (An offset spatula makes this easier)
7. Bake The Cake. Pop the cake pan into the oven and bake 18-20 minutes, or JUST until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, with perhaps a few small moist crumbs. The cake is thin, so you don’t want to over-bake.)

Immediately Start The Chocolate Fudge Frosting

8. Right after you remove the cake from the oven, begin the frosting. (Unlike most cakes, you want to pour the frosting on while the cake is still warm.)
9. Melt Butter + Milk + Cocoa. In a large saucepan, melt butter, milk and cocoa powder together over medium heat, whisking regularly until it’s almost simmering/bubbling. (Don’t boil it, just heat it till it’s about to bubble.) 
10. Mix In Powdered Sugar & Vanilla. Remove the frosting from the heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla, whisking until there are not clumps of powdered sugar. There may be a few small air bubbles–this is totally fine, you just don’t want powdered sugar lumps. If you want to mix the pecans INTO the frosting, do that now. 
11. Pour Warm Frosting Over Warm Cake. Pour the fudge frosting over the still-warm sheet cake and quickly use an offset spatula to gently spread the frosting evenly over the surface. Be gentle, since the cake is pretty moist! If you want to sprinkle the cake with pecans, do that now. 
12. Cool At Least 20 Minutes. Let the sheet cake cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. I prefer to cool it about an hour to let the frosting set up, but some folks love when the frosting is still a bit soft and gooey.
13. Slice & Serve! When you’re ready, slice the cake into 24-36 slices. (For 24 slices, cut the whole cake into quarters, then cut each quarter into 6 slices. For 36 slices, cut the whole cake into quarters, then cut each quarter into 9 slices.)
14. Store Leftovers. If you have leftovers, cover the sheet pan with a lid or foil, and store at room temperature for 1-2 days, or the refrigerator for 2-3 days (my preference). 

Gather Your Ingredients

Ready to bake a batch? Let’s take a look at our ingredients list! Here’s what you’ll need for these fudgy, chewy triple chocolate cookies:

How To Make Gluten-Free Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until it’s well blended and set aside.
3. Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Cream with a paddle attachment or hand mixer 2-3 minutes, or until smooth, light, and fluffy.
4. Add Eggs & Vanilla. Scrape down the edges of the bowl, and add eggs one at a time, beating to combine fully before adding the next one. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
5. Slowly Add Dry Ingredients & Milk. Add about half of the dry ingredients a little at a time, and mix until almost fully combined. Add the milk and mix for a few seconds, then add the second half of the dry ingredients and mix until almost fully combined (just a little powder left).

6. Mix In Chocolate Chips. Pour in 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate chips) and mix until just combined. The dough will be a bit sticky, like thick brownie batter.
7. Scoop & Bake. Use a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon) to scoop 6 cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet. (I like to roll them smooth in my palms first for the prettiest presentation.) Bake cookies 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look just underdone. (I bake mine 9.5 minutes)
8. Shape & Cool. When the cookies are done baking, use a large round cookie cutter to gently coax them into perfect circles, if needed (this is just for looks!), fill in any gaps on the surface with some extra chocolate chips, and cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all the cookies are baked, alternating between cookie sheets each batch so you don’t put cool dough on a hot sheet pan.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy cooled cookies right away and store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Triple Chocolate Cookies

Metric Works Best! Using an inexpensive digital kitchen scale is THE most accurate way to measure your ingredients for these gluten-free cookies. If you don’t have one, make sure to use the scoop and level method to spoon flour INTO the measuring cups rather than measuring WITH the measuring cup (which packs too much flour into the cookie dough.)

Make Them Extra Pretty. For bakery-worthy cookies, I usually add a few extra chocolate chips on top of the cookies right after they come out of the oven. As for a perfectly round shape, follow my tips in the recipe card about coaxing the cookies into perfect circles with a cookie cutter when they come out of the oven.

Play Around! You can try even more combinations of chocolate chips here. Use a mix of dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, or use dark chocolate, white chocolate, and mint chips at the holidays! Or, use a mix of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks for a more rustic look!

Gather Your Ingredients

• Butter. Brown butter makes these gluten-free toffee chocolate chip cookies taste UNBELIEVABLE. It’s like infusing every molecule of the cookies with toffee/caramel flavor. It’s like magic!
• White Sugar & Brown Sugar. Add some sweetness with a mix of sugars. I love the caramel-y notes from the brown sugar!
• Eggs & Egg Yolk. One trick to perfectly chewy gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies is using a mix of eggs and an egg yolk. I know it might seem silly to use just the yolk for that last egg, but please do! It’ll add the richness the batter needs. (Plus, you can save the white for another use!)
• Vanilla. Plenty of vanilla really plays up the caramel-y, toffee flavors in these cookies. So good!
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda. Just what you need for the perfect spread, puff, and softness.
• Salt. I love the balance that salt adds to this gluten-free toffee cookie recipe.
• Gluten-Free Flour. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour here. It’ll give your cookies the best texture and has a lovely, neutral taste that won’t take over like some flour blends do.
• Chocolate Chips + Chopped Chocolate. You can use all chocolate chips or all chopped chocolate for this recipe, but I especially love using a mix of both (3/4 cup chocolate chips & 3/4 cup chopped chocolate). Visually, the cookies look more interesting, and texturally, you’ll get some great contrast!
• Toffee Bits. Last, but not least is some toffee bits. I usually just use the Heath “Bits ‘O’ Brickle” bits I find in the chocolate chip aisle, but you can use their milk chocolate covered toffee bits, or chop up Heath Bars, if you prefer. Whatever you can find! You can even go big and make your own if you’re feeling extra.

How To Make Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. First, Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a mixing bowl to cool to room temperature.
2. Cool, Then Add Sugars. When the butter has cooled, add the sugar and brown sugar. Mix 2-3 minutes or until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Finish Wet Ingredients. Add eggs + egg yolk one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then, Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Add Dry Ingredients, Then Mix-Ins. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and half of the flour. Mix for a few seconds (it won’t be fully combined), then add the rest of the flour, along with the chocolate and toffee bits. Mix until just combined.

5. Scoop & Chill The Dough. Use a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size) to scoop cookie dough balls. Place in an airtight container, cover, and chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours, up to 1 day in advance.
6. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator while the oven fully preheats to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment (so you can alternate sheets between batches.)
7. Bake & Cool The Cookies. Roll 6 cookie dough balls in between your palms to smooth them out and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown color and the centers look just underdone. Garnish right away with a few extra chocolate chips, toffee bits, and a little flaky sea salt, if desired. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the cookies are cooled down, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)

FAQ & Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Really. Don’t Skip The Chill Time. I’ll say it one more time so you don’t miss it, but PLEASE don’t skip the chill time! Chilling the dough helps the flour hydrate which will give you better texture and flavor. It also impacts how much the cookies spread. If you don’t chill the dough, the cookies will spread too much and may have a slightly gritty texture. Give it at LEAST 1-2 hours, up to 24 hours. Whatever you have time for!

Can I Just Use Regular Butter Instead? Not for this recipe. Our gluten-free brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies were specifically flavored with the caramel-y notes of brown butter in mind. You technically *could* use melted butter instead, but your cookies won’t have the same rich flavor.

Can I Leave The Toffee Out? Yes! If you’d prefer to make gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies instead of toffee chocolate chip cookies, just leave out the toffee bits. You can choose to add a bit more chocolate to the dough or not–it’s up to you!

The Best Gluten-Free Flour For Cookies. In our experience, the best gluten-free flour for making cookies is King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour. It’s got a great balance of whole grains and starches, and it contains xanthan gum, which will give softness and stretch to your baked goods. I highly recommend it for all gluten-free cookie recipes! Our backup fave is this one from Bob’s Red Mill.

More Chocolate Chip Cookies To Try

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thin & Crispy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Gluten-Free Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

These gluten-free cookies are what dreams are made of. Studded with caramel-y toffee bits and plenty of melty chocolate, they're golden on the outside and gooey on the inside. Yum! 

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free brown butter chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 20 -22 cookies

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks, 226 grams)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
• ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 ½ cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour* (300 grams, weighed or scooped & leveled)
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips/chopped chocolate – feel free to use either or a mix (9 oz/255 grams)
• 1 cup toffee bits or chopped Heath bars
• flaky salt – to finish (optional)

Instructions

• First, Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a mixing bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Cool, Then Add Sugars. When the butter has cooled, add the sugar and brown sugar. Mix 2-3 minutes or until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
• Finish Wet Ingredients. Add eggs + egg yolk one at a time, blending well after each addition. Then, Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
• Add Dry Ingredients, Then Mix-Ins. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and half of the flour. Mix for a few seconds (it won't be fully combined), then add the rest of the flour, along with the chocolate and toffee bits. Mix until just combined.
• Scoop & Chill The Dough. Use a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size) to scoop cookie dough balls. Place in an airtight container, cover, and chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours, up to 1 day in advance.
• Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator while the oven fully preheats to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment (so you can alternate sheets between batches.)
• Bake & Cool The Cookies. Roll 6 cookie dough balls in between your palms to smooth them out and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown color and the centers look just underdone. Garnish right away with a few extra chocolate chips, toffee bits, and a little flaky sea salt, if desired. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the cookies are cooled down, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)

Video

Notes

• Don’t Skip The Chill Time. Really. I’ll say it one more time so you don’t miss it, but PLEASE don’t skip the chill time! Chilling the dough helps the flour hydrate which will give you better texture and flavor. It also impacts how much the cookies spread. If you don’t chill the dough, the cookies will spread too much and may have a slightly gritty texture. Give it at LEAST 1-2 hours, up to 24 hours. Whatever you have time for!
• Gluten-Free Flour. We HIGHLY recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for these cookies. It’s got a great balance of whole grains and starches, and it contains xanthan gum, which will give softness and stretch to your baked goods. I highly recommend it for all gluten-free cookie recipes! Our backup fave is this one from Bob’s Red Mill. Make sure to weigh the flour or use the scoop and level method to avoid packing extra flour into the recipe. 

Gather Your Ingredients

So, how do we make a brownie in cookie form? Let’s take a look:

• Semisweet or Dark Chocolate. Just like with our fudgy gluten-free brownies, these brownie cookies start with chocolate! A higher percentage of chocolate + butter gives you REALLY fudgy texture with an ultra chocolatey taste—just what we want in brownie cookies!
• Butter. You’ll melt butter with the chocolate to help with the fudgy texture. I haven’t tried these dairy-free yet, but if you do I’d love to know how they turn out!
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar, A mix of light brown sugar and white sugar gives these brownie cookies great moist texture and their signature crackly tops.
• Eggs. Humble though they may be, eggs are the secret key ingredient in this gluten-free brownie cookie recipe. They bind the ingredients, yes, but whisking them with the sugar creates the structure that forms the light crackly top and fudgy middles. Yay for eggs!
• Vanilla. Always. I love vanilla extract and chocolate together!
• Gluten-Free Flour. We’re aiming for just enough flour to hold the chocolate cookies together without making them too cakey. To keep things simple, I recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure gluten-free flour blend. Don’t substitute almond flour or coconut flour or they won’t turn out!
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. I’m using alkalized or Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sometimes labeled dark cocoa powder). Its acidity has been neutralized and it gives a richer color to the brownie cookies. Love it!
• Baking Powder. The secret ingredient! This is what gives the cookies their spread.
• Salt. To balance the flavor, we’ll use some kosher salt in the cookies themselves, then for a pretty flourish, I love to add a few flakes of flaky sea salt on top after baking.

Psst! Make Sure You Measure Your Flour Correctly!

This will make a HUGE difference in the quality of your bakes! We recommend the scoop and level method or (better yet!) weighing your flour for the best results.

LEARN HOW TO MEASURE FLOUR CORRECTLY

How To Make Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt Butter & Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and 8 ounces chocolate chips. Melt in 15-20 second intervals on low heat, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whip Eggs, Sugars & Vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the eggs mixture 2-3 minutes on medium speed, or until much lighter in color, doubled in volume, and the sugar is dissolved almost completely. (When you rub this mixture between your fingers, there should be almost NO grit. This is a critical step, so don’t rush it!)
4. Add Chocolate To Egg Mixture. Pour cooled melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and mix to combine.

5. Add Dry Ingredients. Then, add gluten-free flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. (At this point, the cookie dough should look and feel like thick brownie batter.)
6. Fold In Mini Chocolate Chips until evenly distributed in the cookie dough.
7. Scoop & Bake Cookies. Working in batches, use a medium cookie scoop to portion 6-8 cookies per baking sheet. (The dough balls should be 1.5 Tablespoons in size.) Make sure the cookies have plenty of room around them to spread! Bake cookies 9-11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set on the outside and just a little shiny in the middle. (Mine are usually done at 10-10 1/2 minutes!) Repeat until all cookies are baked.
8. Cool Cookies Completely. Let the cookies cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy once cooled & store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Brownie Cookies

MAKE SURE TO WHISK THE EGGS & SUGAR LONG ENOUGH. Don’t skip or rush the whisking step. The eggs and sugar should be almost completely dissolved, at least doubled in volume, and lighter in color. This gives the brownie cookies their glossy tops. If you rush this step, the cookies will be more dense and won’t have the same appearance.

GET THEM IN THE OVEN QUICKLY. To make sure you get that glossy, crackly brownie top to your cookies, get them in the oven as soon as possible once your batter is mixed. The longer you wait, the less glossy and crackly they’ll be. Even 3-5 minutes makes a big difference!

DON’T OVER-BAKE! Just like with brownies, you’re looking for a slightly dense, fudgy texture. Make sure that you pull them out when the centers look just barely set. It’s OK if they seem a touch underdone when you pull them out. They’ll finish setting on the baking sheets after you pull them out of the oven and let them cool. If you over-bake them, they’ll be crunchy around the edges and more cakey and dry in the centers.

CAN I MAKE THIS DOUGH IN ADVANCE? This is one gluten-free cookie recipe where you canNOT make them in advance. Making the dough in advance will mean you lose the glossy, crackly brownie tops and the cookies won’t spread the same way.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER BROWNIE COOKIES. To store leftover gluten-free brownie cookies, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the freezer up to 6 weeks. Follow the instructions in our freezing cookies post for best results!