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

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole, Step By Step

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

1. Prepare The Bread. If you have time, let the bread sit out at least a few hours up to a day in advance to get a little hard and stale. This helps the bread hold its shape! Dice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a greased 9×13 pan and set aside. (I prefer a glass or ceramic casserole dish for this recipe.)
2. Make The Custard. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined. The pumpkin spice may clump slightly, but you really want to make sure the eggs are smooth! (You can also use an immersion blender to get the egg mixture totally smooth, if you prefer.)
3. Pour the pumpkin custard mixture over the bread cubes, doing your best to coat the bread evenly. Use a flexible spatula to gently tuck any dry bread cubes into the custard.

4. Make The Streusel. If making the streusel topping, prepare it now. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and cubes of butter. Use clean hands, a pastry blender, or two forks to work the butter into the dry ingredients until clusters form and no dry spots remain.
5. Rest. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let the custard soak into the bread for at least 1 hour, or cover the pan and chill several hours, up to overnight. Store the streusel separately until you’re ready to bake.
6. Assemble & Bake. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the streusel into clusters and sprinkle over the French toast casserole. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the custard is just set. (Around the 30 minute mark, check on the casserole. If your streusel is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with foil to prevent burning!)
7. Serve & Store. Sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar, or drizzle with pure maple syrup and enjoy! Cover leftovers and store in the fridge 2-3 days.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Stale Bread Works Best! For best results, I recommend using slightly stale bread, or bread that you’ve set out to dry for at least a few hours (up to 1 day in advance!) for this recipe. The bread will soak up the custard better and maintain its shape during baking. Fresh bread can sometimes get soggy or mushy. As for the type of bread, gluten-free bread usually doesn’t have as many readily available options as traditional bread, so I use sandwich bread rather than trying to find gluten-free challah bread, brioche bread, or French bread. 

Make-Ahead Tips. We LOVE to mix this easy breakfast casserole up the night before for holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. It works GREAT as an overnight casserole! If you’re mixing this french toast casserole up the night before, I recommend storing the casserole and the streusel topping separately to avoid the topping dissolving or getting soggy. Crumble the topping on top of the casserole the next morning right before baking!  

Don’t Have Pumpkin Spice? Use This Instead! If you don’t have any pumpkin spice handy, you can substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. This mix of fall spices will be remarkably close! 

Not A Fan of Nuts? No problem! You can skip them!  

More Cozy Breakfast Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

SOFT Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

• 1 loaf gluten-free bread cut into 1-inch cubes* (12-15oz.)
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling!
• 1 ½ cups whole milk or dairy-free milk
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 5 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For Optional Brown Sugar Streusel

• ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ⅓ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour 40 grams
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons butter cut into small cubes (57 grams)

To Serve:

• Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
• Powdered Sugar (optional)
• Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions

• Prepare The Bread. If you have time, let the bread sit out at least a few hours up to a day in advance to get a little hard and stale. This helps the bread hold its shape! Dice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a greased 9×13 pan and set aside. (I prefer a glass or ceramic pan for this recipe.)
• Make The Custard. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined. The pumpkin spice may clump slightly, but you really want to make sure the eggs are smooth! (You can also use an immersion blender to get the mixture totally smooth, if you prefer.)
• Pour the pumpkin custard mixture over the bread cubes, doing your best to coat the bread evenly. Use a flexible spatula to gently tuck any dry bread cubes into the custard.
• Make The Streusel. If making the streusel topping, prepare it now. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and cubes of butter. Use clean hands, a pastry blender, or two forks to work the butter into the dry ingredients until clusters form and no dry spots remain.
• Rest. Cover the pan and let the custard soak into the bread for at least 1 hour, or cover the pan and chill several hours, up to overnight. Store the streusel separately until you're ready to bake.
• Assemble & Bake. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the streusel into clusters and sprinkle over the French toast casserole. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the custard is just set. (Around the 30 minute mark, check on the casserole. If your streusel is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with foil to prevent burning!)
• Serve & Store. Sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar, or drizzle with pure maple syrup and enjoy! Cover leftovers and store in the fridge 2-3 days.

Video

Notes

• Stale Bread Works Best! For best results, I recommend using slightly stale bread, or bread that you’ve set out to dry for at least a few hours (up to 1 day in advance!) for this recipe. The bread will soak up the custard better and maintain its shape during baking. Fresh bread can sometimes get soggy or mushy. 
• Make-Ahead Tips. If you’re mixing this casserole up the night before, I recommend storing the casserole and the streusel topping separately to avoid the topping dissolving or getting soggy. Crumble the topping on the next morning right before baking! 

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

If you’ve made our brown sugar cream cheese fruit dip recipe before, you’ll likely notice a familiar cast of characters! This fruit dip with toffee bits is a riff on that recipe, so you’ll need:

• Cream Cheese. We only recommend full-fat cream cheese like Philadelphia for this toffee fruit dip, reduced-fat cream cheese will not have the same texture. Use brick-style cream cheese NOT cream cheese spread for best results.
• Brown Sugar. Some light brown sugar adds sweetness and subtle toffee notes, which we’ll play up even more later in the recipe. (Dark brown sugar also works, but it will add a deeper molasses flavor to this creamy dip.)
• Vanilla & Salt. Some vanilla extract and a pinch of salt fill out the flavor and bring balance to every bite. Yum!
• Chopped Toffee or Toffee Bits. Last, but not least, you’ll need some toffee! Our favorite way to make this toffee dip is with chopped Heath bars or Skor bars, since you get a nice variety of sizes and shapes when you chop the toffee yourself. But, Heath also sells chocolate-covered toffee bits that work beautifully as well. (They’re labeled Heath English Toffee Bits.) Use whichever is easiest for you!

How To Make Toffee Apple Dip, Step By Step

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

1. Combine. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla & salt. Use a hand mixer to whip on medium speed 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to make sure there aren’t any lumps in the dip.  
2. Stir In Toffee. Next, reserve 2 Tablespoons of toffee, then stir the rest into the dip until evenly distributed. 
3. Garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish the top of the dip with the reserved 2 Tablespoons toffee. 
4. Serve & Store. Enjoy with your favorite apples, sliced bananas, pretzels, and more! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. 

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Toffee Apple Dip

Make-Ahead Tips. This toffee apple dip is GREAT for making in advance, since it keeps like a dream. If making it ahead of time, I like to save the 2 Tablespoons of toffee bits for garnish until right before serving. That way I can give the dip a good stir before serving.

How to Store Leftover Apple Dip. Leftover toffee dip will keep in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days for best results.

Try It With Caramel! For an ultra decadent option, you can drizzle the toffee dip with caramel sauce before garnishing with the extra toffee bits for a caramel apple effect. It’s DELICIOUS.

Bonus Tip: Keep Your Apples From Browning! A popular way to keep fresh apple slices from turning brown is with a little bit of lemon juice, but my favorite way is actually with water! It works like a CHARM!

More Recipes For Toffee Lovers

Gluten-Free Cinnamon White Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Toffee Brownies

Gluten-Free Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

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Toffee Apple Dip

Paired with fresh, juicy apples, this easy toffee fruit dip is one of my favorite healthier desserts to serve at parties, potlucks, and picnics. It’s easy to make, can be mixed up in advance & is a hit with both kids & grown-ups!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword toffee apple dip, toffee fruit dip

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1.5 cups dip

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch salt 1/8 teaspoon
• 1/2-3/4 cup chocolate covered toffee bits or chopped Heath bars

Instructions

• Combine. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla & salt. Whip 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to make sure there aren’t any lumps in the dip.  
• Stir In Toffee. Next, reserve 2 Tablespoons of toffee, then stir the rest into the dip until evenly distributed. 
• Garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved 2 Tablespoons toffee. 
• Serve & Store. Enjoy with apple slices, bananas, pretzels, and more! Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. 

Video

Notes

• Toffee. My preference for this dip is chopped Heath Bars or Skor Bars (both of which are gluten-free!), but if you’re using store-bought toffee bits, you have two choices. Heath English Toffee Bits (chocolate covered toffee bits) are my favorite kind of toffee bits for this dip. Otherwise, Heath Bits O’ Brickle do NOT have a chocolate coating and will work (though the look & flavor will be slightly different). 
• Make-Ahead Tips. This toffee apple dip is GREAT for making in advance, since it keeps like a dream. If making it ahead of time, I like to save the 2 Tablespoons of toffee bits for garnish until right before serving. That way I can give the dip a good stir before serving. 
• Try It With Caramel! For an ultra decadent option, you can drizzle the toffee dip with caramel sauce before garnishing with the extra toffee bits for a caramel apple effect. It’s DELICIOUS.

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

Let’s dive in! Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch of these Dirt Cake Cookies…

Dry Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for these cookies. If you use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Weigh or measure the flour carefully using the scoop and level method to avoid packing extra flour into the cookie dough! 
• Dark Cocoa Powder. You’ll actually need TWO kinds of cocoa for these cookies. First, you’ll use Dutch Process cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder) for the cookie base. It lends a rich color and delicious chocolate flavor.
• Regular Cocoa Powder. Next, you’ll need natural cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder) for the chocolate frosting. We experimented using all of one or the other, and really feel that the dark cocoa works best for the cookies and the natural cocoa is best for the frosting.
• Cornstarch. This is a baking trick for tender, softer cookies. Don’t skip it!
• Baking Soda. For the perfect puff and spread.
• Salt. To balance the flavors.

Wet Ingredients

• Butter. You’ll need plenty of butter for the cookies and the chocolate frosting. It’s worth it!
• Brown Sugar & Sugar. This blend adds the perfect texture and sweetness.
• Eggs. Use room temperature eggs for best results!
• Corn Syrup. I know this feels like a weird ingredient to add to cookies and frosting, but it’s a baking trick that MANY Crumbl copycat recipes use for texture. The syrup adds a soft chewiness to the cookies and a glossiness to the frosting that mimics this famous bakery. If you must, you can use honey instead, but it will add a slight honey flavor. 
• Vanilla. Then, you’ll need lots of vanilla extract for the cookies and frosting. It adds such great flavor!

Toppings & Decoration

• Our Easy Chocolate Frosting. It’s made from butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Easy peasy!
• Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies. Regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free, so be sure to buy the gluten-free Oreos (white package) or another brand of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies, like Glutino, Kinnikinnick, or Goodie Girl. 
• Gummy Worms. Make sure to use gluten-free gummy worms, as not all brands are gluten-free. We usually use Albanese brand. 

Start With Simple Ingredients

One great thing about this pumpkin cider is that it channels all the flavors of fall. Between pumpkin, apple, and seasonal spices, it’s tough to beat! Let’s take a look:

• Canned Pumpkin Purée. Regular unsweetened pumpkin puree adds gorgeous color and subtle pumpkin flavor to this pumpkin cider. (Use real pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!)
• Brown Sugar. I normally wouldn’t sweeten juice, but I find the gentle flavor of brown sugar is worth it! That extra hint of sweetness and the caramel-like note from the molasses are lovely here.
• Pumpkin Spice. Some pumpkin pie spice adds a lovely layer of warm flavor.
• Mango Nectar. Apricot nectar, peach nectar, or mango nectar are ingredients you’ll find in a lot of Wizarding World copycat pumpkin juice recipes, since it’s rumored to be included in theirs. I was skeptical till I tried versions with and without the nectar. It’s much better with the mango nectar or apricot nectar added! Where I live mango nectar is easier to find, so I use that. (We like Ceres brand.)
• Apple Cider. Delicious apple cider makes up the bulk of this pumpkin juice since it softens the pumpkin flavor and adds natural sweetness. Be sure to buy unsweetened apple cider instead of sweetened or spiced apple cider, for best results.
• Vanilla Extract. A tiny bit of vanilla adds that magical extra “something” that keeps you coming back for just one more sip.

Can I Make It Without Sugar? I love the subtle note that the brown sugar adds to this pumpkin cider, but if you want to make pumpkin juice without added sugar, you can absolutely omit it. Or, swap it out for a little bit of pure maple syrup instead!

How To Make Pumpkin Juice, 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. Combine. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice.
2. Pour in mango nectar and apple cider. Stir to combine.
3. Steep. Heat over LOW heat for 15-20 minutes to allow the spices to steep into the pumpkin juice. (At first, the spices will look clumpy, but with time and heat, they’ll dissolve and distribute into the juice.) Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm in mugs, or chill and transfer to a large pitcher. Serve over ice for iced pumpkin juice! Store leftover pumpkin juice covered in the refrigerator 4-5 days.

Serve It Warm OR Cold!

In the Harry Potter books, this yummy drink is served warm and cold, depending on the occasion and time of year. In our experience, this tasty pumpkin juice recipe is great both ways!

• WARM. If you’re serving it on a chilly night (or for an outdoor movie night!), a mug of warm pumpkin cider is delightful. If you plan to serve it warm at a party, you can keep it on the stove over low heat, or transfer it to a slow cooker or Instant Pot and keep it on the WARM setting. Works like a charm! 
• COLD. If it’s for a birthday party or it’s just hot out, you may prefer serving this pumpkin juice cold with plenty of ice cubes, instead!

Simple Ingredients To Start With

Our candy cookie bar base is a spin on gluten-free monster cookies! I love the oatmeal and peanut butter cookie base. (If you prefer a chocolate chip cookie base, you can try this chocolate chip cookie bars recipe instead.)

• Softened Butter. Rather than melted butter, we’re using softened butter to cream with the sugar. This will give our bars a soft, chewy cookie base that’s the perfect canvas for candy!
• Brown Sugar & White Sugar. The perfect blend for softness & moisture. I use light brown sugar but dark brown sugar can give you a more intense flavor, if you prefer.
• Creamy Peanut Butter. Smooth peanut butter works better than crunchy peanut butter for these cookie bars. Do NOT use natural peanut butter here, as it will give the bars a dry, crumbly texture. Stick with brands like Skippy, JIF, and Peanut Butter & Co.
• An Egg & An Egg Yolk. Using one whole egg plus an extra egg yolk gives these cookie bars the BEST texture. (Don’t know how to separate an egg? Try one of these tricks!)
• Vanilla Extract. Always a must for me!
• Gluten-Free Flour. Keep it simple with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. We love this one from King Arthur for all our cookies & bars!
• Gluten-Free Quick Oats. Using quick cooking oats rather than rolled oats/old-fashioned oats gives these candy cookie bars the best texture. Make sure your oats are certified gluten-free!
• Baking Soda & Salt. For puff, spread, and balance.
• Semisweet or Dark Chocolate Chips. I like dark chocolate since the candy we’re using makes things pretty sweet, but you can absolutely use semisweet chocolate chips here if you prefer.
• Gluten-Free Candy! Chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel-type candies tend to work best, so choose some of your favorite candy bars to toss in. Need some ideas? Check out the next section!

Gluten-Free Candy To Try For Candy Cookie Bars

So what kind of candy works best in Halloween candy cookie bars? If you’re making this for someone with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it’s critical to use ONLY gluten-free candies! Brands are regularly changing their suppliers, manufacturing processes, and more, so always double-check your candy before baking with it. Exactly what you choose to mix and match is up to personal preference, but here are some options to try:

How To Make Gluten-Free Candy Bar Cookie 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. Prep The Candy. Start by preparing 1-2 cups of candy for the top of the cookie bars and 1 cup of candy for inside the cookie bars. Cut fun-size candy bars into bite-sized pieces or thin slices if desired, and cut any larger candies in half (like Reese’s cups). You can leave smaller candy (like M&Ms or Rolos) whole. Freeze 1-2 cups candy bar pieces for the top of the bars on a baking sheet or plate while you make the cookie bars. (You don’t need to freeze the 1 cup of candy for inside the bars.) 
2. Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper and set aside. 
3. Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Cream on medium speed 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
4. Mix In the peanut butter until fully combined, then add egg and egg yolk 1 at a time, until fully blended. Mix in the vanilla. 
5. Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the edges of the bowl again, then add gluten-free flour, gluten-free quick oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low until almost blended with just a few powdery patches left. 
6. Add 1 cup Candy. Then, add 1 cup of candy–chop up any candy bars into small pieces, then mix into the cookie dough just until evenly blended. 

7. Bake. Pat the cookie dough out into your prepared baking pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. (An offset spatula makes this easy!) Bake cookie bars at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until no longer wiggly in the center. They may seem slightly underdone–don’t over-bake! They’ll continue to set as they cool. 
8. Quickly Top The Bars. Right after removing the cookie bars from the oven, sprinkle the top of the bars with chocolate chips. Let the chocolate melt slightly–I put the pan back in the (now off) oven for 30-60 seconds to help) then spread a bit with your spatula. The melted chocolate will act as “glue” for the rest of the candy. Top with the chilled candy from the freezer and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. 
9. Cool until completely set. Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles. You can chill the bars in the fridge to help speed this process along. For the cleanest cuts, chill the bars before slicing. I like to cut the bars into 9 large squares, then cut each square in half, for 18 rectangles. You can also cut them into 16 squares. 
10. Store leftover halloween candy cookie bars in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The BEst Gluten-Free CAndy Cookie Bars

Which Candy Bars Are Gluten-Free? Hershey has a great filter feature on their website so you can see all their gluten-free candy bar products. They have lots of options, from Reese’s, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, Mounds, Almond Joy, PayDay. Then, there are things like Three Musketeers, Butterfinger, and Snickers! Avoid candy bars that contain gluten, like Twix, KitKat, and 100 Grand.

A Trick For Pretty Cookie Bars. One secret to getting a really pretty look is to add the cookie in groups of 3 or 5 and fill in the gaps with M&Ms. (Rather than just placing it all randomly.) For instance, add Snickers in 3 different places, then add Rolos in 5 different places, Heath in 3 places, etc. It’ll help you balance the candy visually and give the bars a more dynamic, balanced look.

CHILL The Cookie Bars Before Slicing. For best results, cut the bars COLD for the cleanest cuts. Otherwise, it’s easy to end up pushing the candy down into the cookie bars.

More Recipes To Use Leftover Candy

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

Gluten-Free Reese’s Cookies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

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Gluten-Free Candy Cookie Bars

These gluten-free candy cookie bars are a fun spin on classic monster cookie bars. They’re the perfect way to use up leftover holiday candy! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword gluten-free candy cookie bars, gluten-free cookie bars, gluten-free Halloween cookie bars

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 -18 cookie bars

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For The Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick, 113 grams)
• ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
• ⅓ cup sugar (40 grams)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter* (125 grams)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 egg yolk room temperature (save the extra white for another use)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For The Dry Ingredients:

• ¾ cup gluten-free flour (90 grams)
• ¾ cup gluten-free quick oats (68 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (8 grams)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt I like a heaping 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 cup gluten-free candies see below for ideas, cut into small pieces as needed

For The Top Of The Bars:

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-2 cups gluten-free candies to top the bars at the end
• Optional: flaky sea salt like Maldon

Options For Candy To Top The Bars (Mix & Match From The Options Below)

• Gluten-Free Candy Bars: Snickers Reese’s peanut butter cups, Three Musketeers, Butterfinger, Heath Bars, Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, Almond Joy, Mounds, Pay Day, Skor, Baby Ruth, UnREAL, Enjoy Life
• Other gluten-free candy: M&Ms M&M minis, Reese’s Pieces, Rolos, Milk Duds
• Avoid fruity candy like Skittles & Starburst and mint candy (like York Peppermint Patties) as the flavors won’t work here.

Instructions

• Prep The Candy. Start by preparing 1-2 cups of candy for the top of the cookie bars and 1 cup of candy for inside the cookie bars. Cut fun-size candy bars into bite-sized pieces or thin slices if desired, and cut any larger candies in half (like Reese's cups). You can leave smaller candy (like M&Ms or Rolos) whole.

  Freeze 1-2 cups candy pieces for the top of the bars on a baking sheet or plate while you make the cookie bars. (You don't need to freeze the 1 cup of candy for inside the bars.) 
• Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper and set aside. 
• Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Cream on medium speed 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
• Mix In the peanut butter until fully combined, then add egg and egg yolk 1 at a time, until fully blended. Mix in the vanilla. 
• Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the edges of the bowl again, then add gluten-free flour, gluten-free quick oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low until almost blended with just a few powdery patches left. 
• Add 1 cup Candy. Then, add 1 cup of candy–chop up any candy bars into small pieces, then mix into the cookie dough just until evenly blended. 
• Bake. Pat the cookie dough out into your prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. (An offset spatula makes this easy!) Bake cookie bars at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until no longer wiggly in the center. They may seem slightly underdone–don’t over-bake! They’ll continue to set as they cool. 
• Quickly Top The Bars. Right after removing the cookie bars from the oven, sprinkle the top of the bars with chocolate chips. Let the chocolate melt slightly–I put the pan back in the (now off) oven for 30-60 seconds to help) then spread a bit with your spatula. The melted chocolate will act as “glue” for the rest of the candy. Top with the chilled candy from the freezer and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
• Cool until completely set. Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles. You can chill the bars in the fridge to help speed this process along. I like to cut the bars into 9 large squares, then cut each square in half, for 18 rectangles. You can also cut them into 16 squares. 
• Store leftover halloween candy cookie bars in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I like to keep mine in the fridge so they last longer. You can also freeze them up to 2 months. 

Video

Notes

• CHILL The Cookie Bars Before Slicing. For best results, cut the bars COLD for the cleanest cuts. Otherwise, it’s easy to end up pushing the candy down into the cookie bars. I chill mine for about 1 hour in the fridge.  
• Double-Check Your Candy! To keep these cookie bars gluten-free, be sure to double-check your candy. Avoid candy with gluten ingredients, such as Twix, Kit-Kat, Crunch Bars, 100 Grand, etc. which are NOT gluten-free. 

Start With Simple Ingredients

Snacky treats like Caramel Corn, Muddy Buddies, and Chex Mix are SO great this time of year because they’re easy to share and easy to make. Just take a look at these simple ingredients:

• Rice Chex & Corn Chex. Since we’re making a gluten-free Halloween snack mix, I use a mix of gluten-free cereals. I like mixing Rice Chex & Corn Chex for the combination of colors and flavors, though you can absolutely do all of one flavor or the other!
• Cheerios. Next up is plain Cheerios. They add a nice crunch and subtle shape. Sometimes choose the multigrain Cheerios for a bit more color. Use whichever you like!
• Gluten-Free Pretzels. Now for a little SALTY for this sweet & salty snack mix! I like the Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels for this, but Glutino gluten-free pretzels are another good choice. Some Halloween Chex Mix recipes use pretzel sticks, but I like regular pretzel twists so the shapes are a bit more uniform and easier to snack on.
• Salted Peanuts. Make sure you pick up salted peanuts made with just peanuts, oil and salt (or dry roasted peanuts with just peanuts & salt). Some salty peanuts also have other seasonings like garlic or onion that will MAJORLY throw off the flavor here. (Bleh!)
• Halloween M&Ms. Now for some cute holiday color! Halloween M&Ms in green, orange, and purple add a fun, festive touch to this Halloween snack mix and give it it’s signature spooky look! If you can’t find Halloween m&ms in grocery stores, you can just use the orange, green, and brown from a regular bag.
• White Chocolate Melts Or Vanilla Almond Bark. Lastly, to bind all the snack mix ingredients together, you’ll use a bit of vanilla almond bark (easiest to work with!), white chocolate candy melts (that come in wafers) or some white chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli or Guittard).
• Halloween Sprinkles. For a cute look at the end, you can use a few shakes of sprinkles. We love nonpareils or jimmies for this job, but check out our Sprinkles 101 post to find other shapes that can work! (Get 10% off your order at Sweetapolita with my link!) It’s also fun to add a few eyeball sprinkles if you can find them!
• A BIG Bowl! You’ll need your biggest mixing bowl to stir all this goodness together. The bigger the better!

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How To Make Halloween Chex Mix, Step By Step

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

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a sheet of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a cookie sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Halloween Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the Halloween M&Ms candy to decorate with at the end. In a very large bowl (your largest large mixing bowl), combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal mixture onto your prepared sheets of parchment in an even layer, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store Halloween Chex Mix at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Halloween Chex Mix

Our Favorite Way To Package Chex Mix For Gifting. Whenever we’re packaging up Halloween Snack Mix for giving to friends or neighbors, I like to scoop it into these large treat bags and tie it with a cute ribbon, like orange polka dot ribbon for a fun, spooky look.

What Can I Use Instead Of Peanuts? If you’ve got a peanut allergy, feel free to swap them for more cereal, pretzels, or other nuts instead. No problem!

Can I Make This Dairy-Free? If you use dairy-free white chocolate/candy coating & swap out the m&m’s for a dairy-free chocolate candy, like Unreal candies, ChocoNoNo’s or Little Secrets, this Halloween party snack mix recipe CAN be dairy-free!

More Gluten-Free Halloween Treats To Try

Gluten-Free Chex Party Mix

Gluten-Free Candy Cookie Bars

The BEST Caramel Popcorn

Recipe Card

Easy Halloween Chex Mix (Gluten-Free!)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 10 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This easy Halloween Chex Mix recipe is the perfect snack for spooky season. (Don’t miss all the yummy mix-ins for this Halloween snack mix below.) Happy snacking! 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free pretzels (we like Snyder’s)
• 1 1/2 cups Cheerios cereal
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup Halloween M&Ms candies
• 16 oz. Vanilla Almond Bark, White Candy Melts, or White Chocolate Chips
• optional: 1 Tablespoon Halloween sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a sheet of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a large baking sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Halloween Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the Halloween M&Ms candy to decorate with at the end. In a very large bowl (your largest large mixing bowl), combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a large microwavable bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal mixture onto your prepared sheets of parchment in a single layer, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store Halloween Chex Mix at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

Notes

More Mix-Ins To Try:

• Candy Corn – Brach’s & YumEarth are gluten-free!
• Candy Pumpkins – Brach’s Mallocreme pumpkins (candy corn pumpkins) are gluten-free
• Bone Sprinkles or Candy Eyes
• Peanut Butter M&Ms – try these peanut butter candies instead of regular M&Ms!
• Reese’s Pieces. Try swapping m&ms for Reeses Pieces! They’re delicious (and gluten-free!)
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Pretzels (like Quinn Snacks)
• Popped Popcorn – Try swapping 2 cups of the cereal for 2 cups of popped salty popcorn
• Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups – These are TINY. Little unwrapped bite-sized baking bits.

A Trick For Pretty Chex Mix:

• Dip some pretzels first. If you really want to go all out, you can lightly dip 1/2-3/4 cup of the pretzels into the melted almond bark, sprinkle them with sprinkles, and set them aside on a piece of parchment paper to dry before pouring the rest of the melted almond bark over the cereal/pretzel/candy mixture. This will give you a few really pretty pretzels that stand out! (But this is 100% cosmetic!) You could even get purple, green, black, or orange candy melts for the pretzels!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Simple Ingredients For Dirt Pudding

A lot of Oreo dirt pudding recipes use a package of chocolate instant pudding mix and a cream cheese mixture made from cool whip and cream cheese. You can absolutely go that route, but we’re making our gluten-free dirt pudding recipe from scratch without a pudding mix today, using our gluten-free chocolate pudding recipe instead. You’ll need:

• Gluten-Free Oreos or another brand of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies. We’ve got 8 brands to choose from in this post if you need help! Remember that original Oreos are NOT gluten-free, so you must buy gluten-free Oreo cookies (white package) or another gluten-free brand for this to be safe.
• Heavy Cream. A little whipped cream adds lightness and makes these so fun! We’ll sweeten it a bit with a tiny bit of sugar and some vanilla.
• Gluten-Free Gummy Worms. Not all brands are gluten-free, but we really like the Albanese gummy worms, which are gluten-free and allergen free.
• Our Homemade Chocolate Pudding. It’s made from pantry ingredients and tastes incredible! You’ll need sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, whole milk (not low-fat!), some chocolate, a little butter, and some vanilla. Don’t be nervous about making your own pudding! It’s truly as simple as whisking!

How To Make Gluten-Free Dirt Pudding, 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 Pudding

1. Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine well. 
2. Pour In Milk. Add the milk to the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. It will take a second to combine, and it will look pretty foamy at first. 
3. Cook To Thicken. Whisk the milk mixture over medium heat until the pudding begins to thicken. You want to stir pretty constantly, so the pudding doesn’t form lumps. You’ll know it’s thickened when any foamy bubbles go away, and you can see the path of the whisk in the pudding as you stir. Remove from the heat. 
4. Finish. Immediately add chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine until the chocolate is melted. If desired, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve to remove any small lumps, but I don’t usually. 
5. Cover & Chill. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl, airtight container, or individual serving cups. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or food wrap so the pudding doesn’t develop a “skin” (a layer of thickened pudding on top). Chill in the refrigerator 2-3 hours or until completely cool. Leftover chocolate pudding will keep covered in the fridge 3-4 days, so you can mix it up in advance, if needed. (You may need to stir it a bit to loosen it up for scooping)

While The Pudding Cools, Make Your Cookie Crumb “Dirt”

1. Crush. Add gluten-free Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse to break the cookies up into coarse crumbs. It’s ok if there are a few larger crumbles, but you want it to look like dirt or soil. (If you don’t have a food processor, add the cookies to a large ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin or the back of a sturdy measuring cup.)

Assemble The Dirt Pudding Cups

You’ll be working with just about 4 cups of chocolate pudding here, so you can choose to make individual cups or one large pudding. Keep in mind you’ll alternate cookie crumbs and chocolate pudding, with a total of 3 cookie layers and 2 pudding layers.

1. For A Layered Look. o each individual cup, add 1-2 Tablespoons of the oreo cookie crumbs. Add 1/4 cup pudding, then top with 1-2 Tablespoons of cookie crumbs. Add another 1/4 cup pudding and finish with 1-2 Tablespoons of cookie crumbs. Place 2-3 gummy worms into the top layer of cookie crumbs. 
2. For Simple Individual Portions. If you prefer, you can also skip making multiple layers. Add about 1/2 cup of pudding to each cup and top the pudding layer with 2 Tablespoons of Oreo “dirt” (You’ll only need about 1/2 a package of cookies if you do this)
3. For One Large Pudding. Start with 1/3 of the cookie crumbs. Add 2 cups chocolate pudding, 1/3 of the cookie crumbs, the second 2 cups of pudding, and finish with the final 1/3 of the cookie crumbs. Tuck gummy worms into the top layer of cookie crumbs.
4. Chill. Next, chill the pudding uncovered for 2-3 hours to set up more firmly. (These pudding cups can be chilled for up to 2 days in advance).
5. Serve. Enjoy after chilling and store leftover pudding for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Cute Decorations For Halloween Dirt Pudding

Halloween is the perfect time to play up anything spooky, so if you’re making Halloween dirt pudding, here are a few fun ways to decorate:

• Ghosts In The Graveyard. Pipe whipped cream ghosts or tuck banana halves into the creamy pudding. Add mini chocolate chips for eyes! You can also use white chocolate melts to make ghost shapes, then pipe on black eyes with chocolate or black icing.
• Pumpkin Patch. Instead of gummy worms, you can turn these cups into pumpkin patches with Brach’s pumpkin Mellocreme candies or pumpkin-shaped marshmallows. (Check out this list of gluten-free candy to check your brands!) You can even go the extra mile and pipe green frosting to make pumpkin vines!
• Frankenstein. Pick up a package of Gluten-Free Mint Oreos (with green frosting). Twist the Oreos open and add eye sprinkles to the green frosting side. (A little frosting can help them stick!)
• Oreo Ghosts. Or, use the same twist open technique with leftover gluten-free Oreos adding eyeballs to the white frosting for ghosts.
• Reese’s Bats. Twist open Oreo cookies and use the non-frosting side. Break or cut the non-frosting side in half to make wings. Place them close together in a V-shape, then put a dot of frosting or melted chocolate at the bottom of the V shape. Place a Reese’s peanut butter cup on top for the body, then add eye sprinkles with frosting to help them stick.
• Halloween Peeps. Or, pick up a package of Halloween Peeps marshmallows and use them to decorate. They come in cute seasonal shapes like Frankenstein, Ghosts, and Pumpkins! (Most are gluten-free, but double-check your package to be sure!)

How To Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Step By Step

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

Start With The Pumpkin Cookies

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a macaron silicone baking mat (aka macaron silpat). Set out a medium cookie scoop or fit a piping bag with a large open tip for portioning out the pumpkin batter later.
2. Combine Sugar & Oil. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and oil. Whisk until combined. (It will look like wet sand.)
3. Finish The Wet Ingredients. Mix in pumpkin puree, then add eggs one at a time, mixing to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Mix in the vanilla.
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Stir with a spatula until just combined (no floury patches left). Try not to over-mix the batter.
5. Portion Out The Cookies. Using either a medium 2-Tablespoon scoop or a piping bag fitted with a large open round tip, measure out the dough into 1.5 inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheet. If needed, use a just barely moist fingertip to smooth out any rough spots. I usually pipe out 9-12 cookies per batch.
6. Bake & Shape. Bake the whoopie pie cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until set all around and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. (The tops of the cookies should spring back when gently pressed.) If desired, use a round cookie cutter to gently coax the cookies into a more perfect circular shape when they’re hot from the oven.
7. Cool & Repeat. Cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat this baking process, alternating cookie sheets with each batch so you don’t put cool batter on a hot cookie sheet. Allow all cookies to cool completely before frosting.

Then, Mix Up The Frosting

1. Cream Butter & Cream Cheese. Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened to room temperature before combining, or they won’t blend well. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine softened cream cheese and butter. Mix together on medium speed with paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer for 1-2 minutes or until creamy and combined.
2. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on medium-low speed until it’s fully added.
3. Finish Adding Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixer, then add vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream and either 1-2 Tablespoons of caramel sauce or pure maple syrup.
4. Whip The Frosting. Mix on medium-high speed for 1-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thin, you can add powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time until it’s more stiff. If it’s too thick, you can add more heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time to thin it out.
5. Finish The Cookies. Flip over half of the cookies so they are bottom-side up/flat side up. These will be the base of your cookie sandwich. Pipe or spread frosting on the bottom cookies (flat side up), then top with a second cookie (flat side down) on top of the frosting to make a cookie sandwich.
6. Store & Serve. Chill gluten-free whoopie pies in the fridge until ready to serve. If desired, garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar right before serving. Store leftover pumpkin whoopie pies in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Start With Simple Ingredients

• Raw Pecans. You’ll start with raw pecans (usually labeled raw pecan halves at the grocery store). Loaded with healthy fats, a little protein, and fiber, they’re perfect for this project! They easily hold up well with time in the oven and give you a better surface area for all that cinnamon-sugar goodness. If you’re gluten-free, make sure your pecans haven’t been processed on shared equipment with gluten. (Most packages will disclose this near the ingredients list.)
• Sugar. I use white sugar/cane sugar for cinnamon candied pecans. It’s got a light, lovely texture and no extras. (Brown sugar *can* work, but sometimes has a harder time drying out. It’s best to stick with white sugar here.)
• Cinnamon. Next up is plenty of cinnamon. I love the way it infuses the sugar to give every pecan a delicious cinnamon flavor. (Wondering if cinnamon is gluten-free? Get all our favorite gluten-free brands of cinnamon here)
• Salt. Kind of a not-so-secret ingredient! Using a dash of salt balances the flavors and wakes up the vanilla and cinnamon notes.
• An Egg White. The trick to old fashioned cinnamon pecans is an egg white! Egg whites help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the crunchy pecans and gives them their signature light crunchy coating. Don’t skip it! (P.S. Don’t miss our 3 Ways To Separate Eggs tutorial if you need a refresher!)
• Vanilla Extract. Some recipes beat the egg white with water, but I’ve found that using vanilla extract adds another delicious layer of incredible flavor.

How To Make Cinnamon Pecans, 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 Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F. Set out a cookie sheet/sheet pan for later. (Don’t line it with parchment paper or foil–it interferes with the dehydrating process)
2. Combine The Cinnamon Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk or stir until very well blended and set aside.
3. Froth The Egg White And Vanilla. In a large bowl, combine egg white and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg white 1-2 minutes, or until frothy. This works with a whisk, too, it’ll just take longer. You don’t want it super liquid (not enough beating) and you don’t want to whip it to stiff peaks (too much beating!)
4. Coat The Pecans. Add pecans to the frothy egg white mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir again, until all pecans are well coated with cinnamon-sugar and egg white.

5. Bake The Pecans. Spread the cinnamon sugar pecans out into a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Roast pecans in the preheated oven at 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (Bake the full time, or the cinnamon-sugar coating won’t be as dry and crisp as you need.)
6. Cool Completely. Remove the pecans from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before storing.
7. Serve Or Store. Store cooled cinnamon pecans in an airtight container, jar, or bag at room temperature 2 weeks, or freeze for 1 month.

How To Make Zebra Popcorn, 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 Making The Caramel Popcorn

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. If you’re making crispy caramel popcorn (which we recommend!), preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and lightly grease a cookie sheet with spray oil or a little butter.
2. Start By Popping Your Popcorn. If you haven’t already, pop the popcorn before you begin. Measure 12 cups (3 quarts) of popped popcorn and place in your a very large bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (If you have extra popcorn, keep it close by in case you want to add it in later.)
3. Then Start The Caramel Sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly until the caramel comes to a boil. (Try not to rush this by cranking the heat up, as dissolving the sugar completely gives you the best texture.)
4. Boil The Caramel Sauce 5 Minutes. Watch the clock and boil the caramel sauce 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Remove From Heat & Finish. After 5 minutes, quickly remove the caramel sauce from the heat and whisk in vanilla and baking soda. (This will make the caramel sauce bubble and foam.)
6. Quickly Pour Caramel Over The Popcorn. Pour the caramel sauce mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. I recommend pouring about half of the caramel sauce over the popcorn, then stirring and adding the rest of the sauce to any “dry” spots as needed. This makes it a bit easier to coat it evenly. Stir until the popcorn is pretty evenly coated in the caramel mixture. Note: the popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.) Note: the popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.)
7. Spread The Popcorn Out On Your Prepared Pan. Transfer the caramel corn to the prepared baking sheet and spread out fairly evenly. (Don’t worry about a few clumps here and there!) If desired, sprinkle with a few flakes of flaky sea salt for a salted caramel effect.
8. Bake The Popcorn. Place the pan of popcorn in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the popcorn from the oven and stir. (The caramel will be more melty and fluid, so the pieces will get more evenly coated with caramel). Return to the oven and bake 15 minute more. Repeat this process two more times, until you’ve baked the caramel popcorn for 60 minutes total.
9. Spread The Caramel Corn Out Onto Parchment Paper Or Waxed Paper in a single layer to cool completely to room temperature. Wait until the caramel corn is completely cool before drizzling with chocolate.

When The Caramel Corn Is Cool, Top With Chocolate

1. Melt Chocolate. Add white chocolate melts to a microwave-safe bowl and dark chocolate melts to a separate bowl. Working one bowl at a time, melt the chocolate in 15-20 second increments, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is about 80% melted and just a few small pieces of chocolate remain. Stir until the heat from the chocolate melts the remaining smaller pieces of chocolate until the whole mixture is smooth. Repeat with the second bowl of chocolate. 
2. Drizzle The Chocolate. Let the chocolate cool slightly, then transfer the melted white chocolate to a ziploc bag, pressing out any extra air. Add melted chocolate to a second ziploc bag. Test to make sure the chocolate is cool enough to handle. If it’s still too hot for you to comfortably hold the bag, let it cool a bit longer. When it’s cool enough to touch, snip a tiny bit off the corner of each bag to make a small opening. (You want the cut to be VERY small so you can make nice, neat drizzle lines.) Working carefully, drizzle both kinds of chocolate on top of the popcorn. (If the bags feel too warm to hold,
3. Let The Chocolate Set. Allow the chocolate to cool until it’s set, about 45-60 minutes. (You can pop it in the fridge to speed things up if you’re in a hurry!)
4. Serve & Store. Store zebra popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature 3-4 days.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Zebra Popcorn

Pack It Up For The Holidays! To gift this delicious recipe for sharing, pack the cooled, set chocolate drizzled caramel popcorn into cellophane bags and tie with ribbon. It looks beautiful and festive tied up with a bow!

How Long Does Zebra Popcorn Last? I’d say 3-4 days, tops. It’s best eaten the day it’s made, since the caramel corn will start to pull moisture out of the chocolate and will soften over time. Store zebra popcorn in an airtight container for best results!

What Flavor Is Zebra Popcorn? It’s a yummy flavor of caramel corn drizzled with chocolate and white chocolate. The two colors of chocolate “stripes” are what gives this crispy crunchy sweet treat it’s name.

What’s The Best Way To Drizzle Chocolate on Caramel Corn? Honestly? Plastic bags. You’ll make a sort of make-shift piping bag by adding the melted chocolate to a ziploc bag, pressing out any extra air and sealing it securely. Then, snip the tiniest bit off one corner of the bag to use as your “piping tip.” This will give you neat, tidy lines that make this gourmet popcorn look extra impressive.

Can I Use Chocolate Chips Instead of Chocolate Melts? Yes, though almond bark/chocolate melts are much easier to work with. If you’re using white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips instead of candy melts, you’ll want to add 1 teaspoon of oil to the chocolate to help it pour and drizzle better. Melt on LOW heat in short bursts to avoid scorching the chocolate.

More Gluten-Free Caramel Treats To Try

The BEST Caramel Popcorn

Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Pecan Bars

Gluten-Free Caramel Pretzel Brownies

Recipe Card

Homemade Zebra Popcorn (Gluten-Free)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 12 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Become the toast of the party with our zebra popcorn recipe! This chocolate drizzled caramel corn is always a hit!

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Ingredients

For The Caramel Corn:

• 3 quarts (12 cups) popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz.) butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

To Top The Popcorn:

• 3 oz. dark chocolate melts (a heaping 1/2 cup)
• 3 oz. white chocolate/vanilla melts (a heaping 1/2 cup)

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Instructions

First, Make The Caramel Corn:

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. If you’re making crispy caramel popcorn (which we recommend!), preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and lightly grease a cookie sheet with spray oil or a little butter.
2. Start By Popping Your Popcorn. If you haven’t already, pop the popcorn before you begin. Measure 12 cups (3 quarts) of popped popcorn and place in your a very large bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (If you have extra popcorn, keep it close by in case you want to add it in later.)
3. Then Start The Caramel Sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly until the caramel comes to a boil. (Try not to rush this by cranking the heat up, as dissolving the sugar completely gives you the best texture.)
4. Boil The Caramel Sauce 5 Minutes. Watch the clock and boil the caramel sauce 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Remove From Heat & Finish. After 5 minutes, quickly remove the caramel sauce from the heat and whisk in vanilla and baking soda. (This will make the caramel sauce bubble and foam.)
6. Quickly Pour Caramel Over The Popcorn. Pour the caramel sauce mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. I recommend pouring about half of the caramel sauce over the popcorn, then stirring and adding the rest of the sauce to any “dry” spots as needed. This makes it a bit easier to coat it evenly. Stir until the popcorn is pretty evenly coated in the caramel mixture. Note: the popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.) Note: the popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.)
7. Spread The Popcorn Out On Your Prepared Pan. Transfer the caramel corn to the prepared baking sheet and spread out fairly evenly. (Don’t worry about a few clumps here and there!) If desired, sprinkle with a few flakes of flaky sea salt for a salted caramel effect.
8. Bake The Popcorn. Place the pan of popcorn in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the popcorn from the oven and stir. (The caramel will be more melty and fluid, so the pieces will get more evenly coated with caramel). Return to the oven and bake 15 minute more. Repeat this process two more times, until you’ve baked the caramel popcorn for 60 minutes total.
9. Spread The Caramel Corn Out Onto Parchment Paper Or Waxed Paper in a single layer to cool completely to room temperature. Wait until the caramel corn is completely cool before drizzling with chocolate.

Then, Work On The Chocolate Drizzle:

1. Melt Chocolate. Add white chocolate melts to a microwave-safe bowl and dark chocolate melts to a separate bowl. Working one bowl at a time, melt the chocolate in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is about 80% melted and just a few small pieces of chocolate remain. Stir until the heat from the chocolate melts the remaining smaller pieces of chocolate until the whole mixture is smooth. Repeat with the second bowl of chocolate.
2. Drizzle The Chocolate. Let the chocolate cool slightly, then transfer the melted white chocolate to a ziploc bag, pressing out any extra air. Add melted chocolate to a second ziploc bag. Test to make sure the chocolate is cool enough to handle. If it’s still too hot for you to comfortably hold the bag, let it cool a bit longer. When it’s cool enough to touch, snip a tiny bit off the corner of each bag to make a small opening. (You want the cut to be VERY small so you can make nice, neat drizzle lines.) Working carefully, drizzle both kinds of chocolate on top of the popcorn.
3. Let The Chocolate Set. Allow the chocolate to cool until it’s set, about 45-60 minutes. (You can pop it in the fridge to speed things up if you’re in a hurry!)
4. Serve & Store. Store zebra popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature 3-4 days.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Corn Chex Or Rice Chex. Both corn Chex and rice Chex are gluten-free, and PERFECT for making gluten-free muddy buddies! Either flavor will work here, though rice Chex will give you the most neutral flavor and color. (That’s what I used for my photos, but I’ve done it both ways!)
• Gluten-Free Oreos. Regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free, but Oreo makes gluten-free Oreos that work great for this recipe. You can also use one of these brands of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies. (We like Glutino and Goodie Girl!)
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. For the chocolate “cookies” half of the recipe, I prefer semisweet chocolate chips. (You can absolutely use milk chocolate chips for sweeter treat or dark chocolate chips for a more intense chocolate flavor.)
• White Chocolate Chips. Then, for the “cream” half of these cookies and cream muddy buddies, you’ll need white chocolate chips. My absolute favorite are Hershey’s premier white chocolate chips, but you can use your favorite! Guittard and Ghirardelli both melt well and are my back-up choices.
• Powdered Sugar. This will help coat the cereal and give it that signature look.
• A Little Oil. This helps the chocolate spread out better. White chocolate chips, especially, tend to melt less well and end up thicker, which can be difficult to work with. The oil makes this much easier!
• A Pinch of Salt. A little salt is the secret to the BEST muddy buddies! I add some to all my Muddy Buddy recipes and it’s a game changer. It’s that little extra something that balances the flavors and intensifies the chocolate and vanilla notes beautifully.

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How To Make Oreo Muddy Buddies, Step By Step

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

Start With The “Cookies” Half

1. Divide The Cereal. Divide Chex cereal in half. Place half the cereal into a large mixing bowl (or gallon-size zip-top bag) and the other half in a second mixing bowl (or gallon size bag). I find it easier to mix and coat the cereal by stirring it in a bowl, but if you prefer to shake yours in a bag, you absolutely can!
2. Crush Oreos. Next, pulse gluten-free Oreos in a food processor or place them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or measuring cup to a fine powder. These will be used to coat the “cookies” half of the recipe.
3. Make The Crumb Mixture & Powdered Sugar Mixture. Add 2 Tablespoons of the cookie crumbs to the powdered sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of the crumbs mixture to the powdered sugar and set aside. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to both the crumbs mixture and the powdered sugar mixture.
4. Melt The Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the semisweet chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon oil in 15-20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
5. Make The “Cookies” Half. Working quickly, pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal in the first bowl and stir to coat well. (If using a bag, pour the chocolate over the cereal in one bag, seal the bag with as much air in it as possible, and shake to coat the cereal well.) When the cereal is coated in chocolate, quickly add the crushed Oreo crumbs to the bowl (or bag) and stir (or shake) to coat the cereal in cookie crumbs.

Finish with the “Cream” half

1. Make The White Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the white chocolate chips with the remaining 3 teaspoons oil in 15-20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until the white chocolate is smooth and glossy.
2. Make The “Cream” Half. Working quickly, pour the melted white chocolate mixture over the cereal in the second bowl and stir to coat well. (If using a bag, pour the white chocolate over the cereal in the second bag, seal the bag with as much air in it as possible, and shake to coat the cereal well.) When the cereal is coated in white chocolate, quickly add the powdered sugar mixture to the bowl (or bag) and stir (or shake) to coat the cereal in powdered sugar. (There will likely be some leftover powdered sugar. This will help coat the Oreo cereal as you combine them later)
3. Finish The Snack Mix. You should now have half the recipe covered in chocolate and cookie crumbs and half the recipe in white chocolate and powdered sugar. Combine the two halves in a large serving bowl or a sheet pan and mix in the chopped Oreos to finish.
4. Serve & Store. Oreo Muddy Buddies are best enjoyed within 2-3 days. Cover the mix and store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature up to 3 days. (Or freeze for even longer storage!)

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies

Stay Celiac Safe! If you’re gluten-free (or making this for someone who is), be sure to use gluten-free Oreos or one of these brands of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies. Regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free!

Bowl VS Bag. The classic method for mixing up Muddy Buddies is using large gallon-size bags to shake and combine the cereal and coating. I actually find it easier to work with to put it into large mixing bowls to stir. There are trade-offs for each method (bags = more plastic waste & easily portable, with less dish washing. Bowls = easier to mix, less plastic, more dish washing). No judgement either way!

Having Trouble Melting The Chocolate? Different brands of white chocolate chips have different percentages of fat. More fat = easier to melt! If your white chocolate chips aren’t melting easily, you can add 1/2 teaspoon or so of extra canola, coconut, or vegetable oil to help it melt better. (This shouldn’t impact the taste!)

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