Gather Your Ingredients

So what do we need to make gluten-free mini cheesecakes? Let’s take a look at our simple ingredients list:

How To Make Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes, Step By Step

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

BEFORE YOU START: Make sure you’re using ROOM TEMPERATURE ingredients (cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs). It makes a significant difference in how smooth your filling will get and how easily it will blend. Cold cream cheese will clump & be hard to blend. 

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a light colored metal muffin pan with 12 parchment paper muffin liners.
2. Mix Up Graham Cracker Crust. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar. Stir until evenly blended.
3. Divide & Pat Out Crust. Add a heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture to each parchment paper cup and use the back of the tablespoon (or clean fingers) to gently pat down the crust into an even layer. It doesn’t need to be super compacted, but should look even and sealed around the edges.
4. Pre-Bake Crust & Cool. Bake crust for 8 minutes and set the pan aside on a cooling rack to cool slightly while you mix up the filling.

5. Mix Cream Cheese & Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), beat softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer) 2-3 minutes, or until evenly blended and creamy.
6. Finish The Filling. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Mix on LOW speed just until blended, then add eggs 1 at a time on LOW speed until just mixed. (Try not to over-mix here, since incorporating extra air can cause the cheesecakes to sink later.)
7. Add Filling To Crust. Spoon cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crusts (I like using a large cookie scoop for this!). Gently shake the pan or gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles. 

8. Make Hot Water Bath & Bake. Pour boiling water into a 9×13 metal or ceramic pan (I like to place mine on a cookie sheet for stability) and place on the rack underneath the center. Add muffin pan with the cheesecakes to the center rack above the water bath and bake 25-28 minutes or until just set. (A small wobble in the center is fine!) The cheesecakes will look slightly puffed at this point.
9. Cool, Then Chill. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature 45 minutes. Transfer pan to the fridge and chill uncovered at least 4 hours or until completely cold. Cheesecakes will settle as they chill, and will have a slight indent in the center, but shouldn’t look sunken!
10. Serve & Store. Remove cheesecakes from the pan (I leave them wrapped in parchment paper wrapper for easy serving) and enjoy with your favorite toppings. Store leftover cheesecakes covered in the fridge 3-4 days or freeze in a single layer up to 2 months.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Mini Cheesecakes

Your Pan Material Matters. I recommend a light-colored metal muffin tin with parchment paper liners for this. You MUST use liners, or the cheesecake won’t come out of the pan well. Other pan materials (like silicone or ceramic) conduct heat differently and can cause the cream cheese to “climb” the sides, which creates sinking.

Use The Right Cream Cheese. I ONLY recommend full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, like Philadelphia brand for this mini cheesecake recipe. Low-fat cream cheese or spreadable cream cheese in a tub will not work well. (It can separate, seep, or get lumpy.)

Use The Water Bath. If possible, I highly recommend the modified hot water bath here, since it creates steam that cooks them gently and gives the cheesecakes a uniform look. If you skip it, your cheesecakes may crack, sink, or brown around the edges.

Cool Then Chill. Another trick for preventing cracks or sinking is to cool the cheesecakes at room temperature about 45 min before transferring to the fridge to cool completely. This gentle transition of temperature helps protect the structure of the cheesecake. (We use this same trick for traditional cheesecake!)

More Gluten-Free Cheesecake Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Lemon Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Cheesecake

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Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes

Your favorite dessert, made mini! Our individual gluten-free cheesecakes have all the classic flavor you love, just made in a muffin pan! They're easy, delicious & SO fun to decorate! (Don't miss some of our favorite toppings, below!)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword cheesecake

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 4 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 268kcal

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• 1 Light-Colored Metal Muffin Pan
• 12 Parchment Paper Muffin Liners

Ingredients

For The Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 cup Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs,* like Pamela's or Schar (120 grams)
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter (28 grams)
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (25 grams)

For The Cheesecake Filling

• 16 ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese, like Philadelphia – ROOM TEMPERATURE!
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 grams)
• ⅓ cup Sour Cream – ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 2 Large Eggs – ROOM TEMPERATURE

Optional Toppings

• Strawberries or Strawberry Topping
• Fresh Raspberries + Raspberry Sauce
• Cherry Pie Filling
• Chocolate Syrup + Crushed Gluten-Free Oreos
• Lemon Curd + Lemon Slices or Whipped Cream
• Blueberry Topping + Fresh Blueberries + Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Caramel Sauce + Flaky Sea Salt
• Cinnamon Apples
• Toasted Pecans + Caramel Sauce
• Mixed Berries + Whipped Cream

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a light colored metal muffin pan with 12 parchment paper liners. Start boiling a pan of water to use for the modified hot water bath later.
• Mix Crust. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar. Stir until evenly blended.
• Divide & Pat Out Crust. Add a heaping tablespoon of the crust mixture to each parchment paper cup and use the back of the tablespoon (or clean fingers) to gently pat down the crust. It doesn't need to be super compacted, but should look even and sealed around the edges.
• Pre-Bake Crust & Cool. Bake crust for 8 minutes and set the pan aside to cool slightly while you mix up the filling.
• Mix Cream Cheese & Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer) 2-3 minutes, or until evenly blended and creamy.
• Finish The Filling. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Mix on LOW speed just until blended, then add eggs 1 at a time on LOW speed until just mixed. (Try not to over-mix here, since incorporating extra air can cause the cheesecakes to sink later.)
• Add Filling To Crust. Spoon or pour cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crusts (it's ok if the crust is still slightly warm!). Gently shake the pan or gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Make Hot Water Bath & Bake. Pour boiling water into a 9×13 metal or ceramic pan (I like to place mine on a cookie sheet for stability) and place on the rack underneath the center. Add muffin pan with the cheesecakes to the center rack above the water bath and bake 25-28 minutes or until just set. (A small wobble in the center is fine!) The cheesecakes will look slightly puffed at this point.
• Cool, Then Chill. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature 45 minutes. Transfer pan to the fridge and chill uncovered at least 4 hours or until completely cold. Cheesecakes will settle as they chill, and will have a slight indent in the center, but shouldn't look sunken!
• Serve & Store. Remove cheesecakes from the pan (I leave them wrapped in parchment paper wrapper for easy serving) and enjoy with your favorite toppings. Store leftover cheesecakes covered in the fridge 3-4 days or freeze without toppings in a single layer up to 2 months. For best results, store the cheesecakes without toppings.

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Graham Crackers. Regular graham crackers are NOT gluten-free, so make sure to only use certified gluten-free graham crackers for this recipe. I like Pamela’s and Schar brands best! 
• Room Temperature Ingredients. Make sure you’re using ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs! It makes a significant difference in how smooth your filling will get and how easily it will blend.
• Use The Right Cream Cheese. I ONLY recommend full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, like Philadelphia brand for this mini cheesecake recipe. Low-fat cream cheese or spreadable cream cheese in a tub will not work well. (It can separate, seep, or get lumpy.)
• Your Pan Material Matters. I recommend a light-colored metal muffin tin with parchment paper liners for this. You MUST use liners, or the cheesecake won’t come out of the pan well. Other pan materials (like silicone or ceramic) conduct heat differently and can cause the cream cheese to “climb” the sides, which creates sinking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Mini Cheesecake (Toppings Not Included) | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.8g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 19.4g | Saturated Fat: 10.9g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 168.1mg | Potassium: 71.2mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 14.2g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 58.4mg

Start With Simple Ingredients

One thing you’ll love about this gluten-free fruit pizza cookies recipe is how straightforward the ingredients are. Let’s take a look:

• Butter. You’ll need butter for the gluten-free lemon sugar cookies and the easy cream cheese frosting.
• Sugar. Next up is some granulated sugar. A must for making sugar cookies!
• Lemon Zest. I find that fresh lemon zest adds BRIGHT lemon flavor to the cookies. It’s kind of the secret ingredient here that takes the cookies to the next level.
• Eggs. Some room temperature eggs blend in beautifully.
• Vanilla & Lemon Extract. I love a mix of vanilla extract AND lemon extract in the cookies, but you can skip the lemon extract if you don’t have it.
• Baking Powder & Salt. For the perfect puff and a delicious balance of flavors.
• Gluten-Free Flour. We recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure gluten-free flour blend, but if you use another brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Make sure to measure the flour carefully to avoid packing extra flour into the measuring cup!
• Cream Cheese Frosting. We’re making a quick cream cheese frosting with butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. It’s easy and works like a charm every time.
• Fresh Berries or Fruit. My favorite combination of fruit for these fruit pizza cookies is fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but you can also add kiwi, pineapple, mandarin oranges or halved grapes, if you like!
• Fresh Mint. For an extra pretty touch, I love to tuck a mint leaf into each mini fruit pizza. The pop of green is a gorgeous look for this beautiful dessert!

FAQ + Tips & Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza Cookies

CAN FRUIT PIZZA COOKIES BE MADE IN ADVANCE? Yes! The cookies can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze the cookies (without frosting + berries) up to 1 month before decorating them. Let them thaw a touch before frosting and decorating for best results. Once decorated, the cookies will look their best when eaten within a few hours.

HOW TO STORE FRUIT PIZZA COOKIES. Before frosting, you can store the gluten-free lemon sugar cookies on a covered sheet pan or in an airtight container or bag with parchment paper between layers of cookies. Once frosted, store the cookies in a single layer in the refrigerator. (Covered, for best results!)

A TRICK FOR PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES. If you’re making these fruit pizza cookies for an event or get-together or simply love the look of perfectly round cookies, you can make your cookies perfectly round by coaxing them into circles with a large circular cookie cutter. When the cookies are hot out of the oven, gently move the cookie cutter around the cookie in a circular motion to coax it into a circle.

More Fruity Dessert Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Lemon Tart

Knickerbocker Glory

Recipe Card

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Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza Cookies

These mini gluten-free fruit pizzas are made from gluten-Free lemon sugar cookies, a light cream cheese frosting, and fresh berries. They're beautiful and easy!

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword fruit pizza cookies, gluten free fruit pizza cookies, gluten free mini fruit pizzas, gluten free sugar cookie pizzas

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 28 -30 cookies

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For The Gluten-Free Lemon Sugar Cookies:

• ¾ cup butter, softened to room temperature (1 1/2 sticks, 170 grams)
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• 2 eggs (ideally room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon lemon extract optional
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour* (300 grams)

For The Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened slightly (340 grams)
• ½ cup butter, softened slightly (113 grams/1 stick)
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (150 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch salt (about 1/8 tsp.)

To Decorate: 

• Fresh strawberries blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries (OR kiwi, pineapple, mandarin oranges, halved grapes, etc.)
• Fresh mint leaves
• Powdered sugar 1/2 Tbsp. or so will do!

Instructions

Start With The Gluten-Free Lemon Sugar Cookies:

• Combine Sugar, Lemon Zest, and Butter. In a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it’s well combined and fragrant. Add the softened butter and cream on medium speed 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 
• Add Eggs & Vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg before adding the next. Then, add the vanilla (and lemon extract, if using!), and mix to combine. 
• Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the edges of the mixing bowl and add baking powder, salt, and half of the flour. Stir until the flour is partially incorporated (this prevents the flour from POOFING out at you!). Pause and add the remaining flour and mix until just combined.
• Chill 20-30 Minutes. Cover the cookie dough and chill 20-30 minutes, while you preheat your oven.
• Preheat & Prep. Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.) to scoop 6 cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are just set and the bottoms are golden. Note: the tops and edges of these cookies will NOT brown. If they have browned, your cookie will be crisp rather than soft. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. (Note: the longer the cookies chill, the less they spread, so remove the dough from the fridge a minute or two before you plan to scoop to keep all the cookies the same size.)
• Cool completely before frosting. Cookies can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw before decorating. 

Next, Make The Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream Butter & Cream Cheese. When the cookies are cool, make your frosting. In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 
• Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat to combine. If the frosting seems too loose, add more powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time. If it seems too thick, you can thin it out with 1-2 tsp. milk at a time. 
• Spread or Pipe The Frosting. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies (a small offset spatula makes this easier!) or transfer the frosting to a piping bag** and pipe the frosting onto the cookies, leaving a small border around the edge where the cookie is still visible (like the crust of a pizza). 
• Decorate the frosted cookies with fresh fruit and mint leaves as desired. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar for a pretty look. (use a sieve or sifter to dust the powdered sugar over the cookies). 
• Store decorated cookies covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. 

Video

Notes

• *GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR. I highly recommend King Arthur Baking Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe. My second favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. 
• **PIPING TIP. I used a Wilton 1M open star piping tip for the cookies in the photos. 

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!

15+ Gluten-Free Valentines Recipes To Try This Year

But now, for the good stuff! Let’s get to the recipes!

1

Valentines Chex Mix (Gluten-Free!)

Even if you're not much of a baker, our crispy, crunchy gluten-free Valentine's Chex Mix is an easy gluten-free valentines treat anyone can make! (Just make sure to buy gluten-free pretzels!)

Get The Recipe

2

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

With its striking color and fudgy chocolate flavor, red velvet is perfect for valentine's day! These gluten-free red velvet crinkle cookies are a delightful option. The dough is rolled in powdered sugar to make a beautiful crinkle effect when baked. They look adorable and taste even better!

Get The Recipe

3

Gluten-Free Valentines Cookies

This is the perfect time to go all out on a fun color scheme, and these gluten-free m&m cookies nail it every time. Their golden brown edges, subtle hint of caramel-like brown butter, and a mix of chocolate chips and colorful M&Ms make these gluten-free cookies a perfect treat for this special day!

Get The Recipe

4

Gluten-Free Chocolate Tart

The perfect dessert for a chocolate lover! Our decadent gluten-free chocolate tart is one of those gluten-free Valentines Day desserts that LOOKS super fancy, but is secretly really easy to make. Simple cookie crust, gorgeous ganache filling, and fresh raspberries make it a stunner every time!

Get The Recipe

5

Gluten-Free Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies

These Gluten-Free Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies combine the rich flavors of fudgy gluten-free brownies with fresh, ripe strawberries and a glorious chocolate ganache that’ll make your heart sing!

Get The Recipe

Gather Your Ingredients

The beauty of homemade whipped cream is the ingredients are as simple as can be. Let’s take a look:

How To Make Chocolate Whipped Cream, 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 the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large glass or metal bowl), combine cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
2. Mix, Then Whip. With the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), beat on high speed for 30-60 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again on high speed for 3-5 minutes until you reach stiff peaks. Watch carefully when you can see the trail of the beaters in the whipped cream. Check it and mix just until the whipped cream holds its shape on the end of the beater.
3. Serve. Keep the whipped cream cold and covered until you’re ready to use it. Serve as a fruit dip, pipe onto brownies, cakes, pies, cheesecake, etc.
4. Store. Keep whipped cream in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Since this is a stabilized whipped cream, it should hold its shape well, but since it’s whipped cream, it’ll also need to stay cold (it’ll melt in warm temperatures)! Keep refrigerated when not in use, and don’t keep out at room temperature longer than 1-2 hours.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Chocolate Whipped Cream

Keep It Cold! Unlike chocolate buttercream frosting or chocolate ganache, chocolate whipped cream needs to stay cold or it’ll melt. Keep it stored in the fridge until you need it, then only leave it out at room temperature for about 1 hour or less (less if it’s warm!)

Know The Difference Between Soft & Stiff Peaks. Soft peaks can be lovely for dolloping (great for topping pudding or pie), but it won’t hold its shape well longer term, especially if you want to use it for piping. Stiff peaks will hold their shape on the beater or a spoon, even if you rotate it around. Watch carefully when you reach the soft peaks stage, since it’s only a few seconds longer till you get to stiff peaks!

Adjust To Taste. You can add 1 Tablespoon MORE cocoa powder if you want a stronger flavor, or 1 Tablespoon more powdered sugar if you want a slightly sweeter flavor.

For A Darker Color, Bloom The Cocoa First. A few hours in advance, heat 1/2 cup of the cream till steaming, then stir in the cocoa powder until smooth or use an immersion blender to mix until evenly blended. Pour in the rest of the cream and chill until super cold again. (Warm or room temperature cream won’t whip well!) When you’re ready to whip the cream, add powdered sugar and vanilla and proceed as directed. 

More Fun Toppings To Try

Raspberry Coulis (Fresh Raspberry Sauce)

Easy Chocolate Syrup (Like Hershey’s!)

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd

Strawberry Topping

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Chocolate Whipped Cream

Our easy chocolate whipped cream recipe adds a fun, elegant touch to all kinds of delicious drinks & desserts. It tastes great on everything!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword cocoa powder, cocoa whipped cream, whipped cream

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups Whipped Cream

Calories 61kcal

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 1 cup COLD Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¼ cup Powdered Sugar (30 grams)
• 3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder*
• 1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large glass or metal bowl), combine cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
• Mix, Then Whip. With the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), beat on high speed for 30-60 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again on high speed for 3-5 minutes until you reach stiff peaks. Watch carefully when you can see the trail of the beaters in the whipped cream. Check it and mix just until the whipped cream holds its shape on the end of the beater.
• Serve. Keep the whipped cream cold and covered until you're ready to use it (it'll set up even more when chilled!). Serve as a fruit dip, pipe onto brownies, cakes, pies, cheesecake, etc.
• Store. Keep whipped cream in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Since this is a stabilized whipped cream, it should hold its shape well, but since it's whipped cream, it'll also need to stay cold (it'll melt in warm temperatures)! Keep refrigerated when not in use, and don't keep out at room temperature longer than 1 hour (less, if it's warm!).

Video

Notes

• Cocoa Powder. For the best flavor, I recommend natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli) rather than Dutch-processed cocoa. I tried both, and natural cocoa tastes best!
• For Darker Color, you can bloom the cocoa first. A few hours in advance, heat 1/2 cup of the cream till steaming, then stir in the cocoa powder until smooth or use an immersion blender to mix until evenly blended. Pour in the rest of the cream and chill until super cold again. (Warm or room temperature cream won’t whip well!) When you’re ready to whip the cream, add powdered sugar and vanilla and proceed as directed. 
• Know The Difference Between Soft & Stiff Peaks. Soft peaks can be lovely for dolloping (great for topping pudding or pie), but it won’t hold its shape well longer term, especially if you want to use it for piping. Stiff peaks will hold their shape on the beater or a spoon, even if you rotate it around. Watch carefully when you reach the soft peaks stage, since it’s only a few seconds longer till you get to stiff peaks!

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.9g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 16.8mg | Sodium: 4.3mg | Potassium: 39.8mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2.3g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg

Gather Your Ingredients

So what do you need to make these fudgy small batch gluten-free brownies? Let’s take a peek at the ingredient list…

How To Make Small Batch Gluten-Free Brownies, 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 a METAL 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt Butter & Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Melt on low heat in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Beat Egg, Sugar, and Vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer a FULL 2-3 minutes or until the sugar is almost completely dissolved. The mixture will get significantly lighter in color, and when you rub the mixture between your fingers you should barely feel any grains of sugar left. DO NOT rush this step, or your brownies will be gritty and won’t have glossy tops.
4. Add Melted Chocolate Mixture To Egg Mixture and gently stir to combine.

5. Add Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine, then add to the wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
6. Bake Brownies. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until the top looks shiny and set and the brownies don’t jiggle when you gently wiggle the pan. (A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just some moist crumbs, but not wet brownie batter)
7. Finish & Cool. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using). Let the brownies cool 5 or so minutes in the pan, then lift up with the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting. (This will help the brownies set up properly–you can speed this process up by chilling the brownies in the fridge) 
8. Serve & Store. Cut brownies into 8 small squares, 6 medium rectangles, or 4 big rectangles. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze up to 2 months!

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Small Batch Brownies

Use The Right Pan! For best results here, use a metal pan! Glass pans bake differently than metal pans, and that’s especially obvious when it comes to brownies. (See an example here!) Metal pans work best for small batch brownies, but if all you have is a glass loaf pan or ceramic loaf pan, keep in mind that a glass pan will conduct heat more slowly, so the brownies will take longer to bake. The brownies will also likely try to “climb” the sides of the pan, which can cause them to sink a bit later and have an uneven surface.

Make Them Dairy-Free! For a gluten-free dairy-free option, you can use dairy-free chocolate chips and vegan butter (like Earth Balance). All the other ingredients are naturally dairy-free!

Err On The Side Of Underbaking. No one wants a dry brownie, so if you have to err on the side of slightly underbaking or slightly overbaking, I always recommend underbaking! Keep in mind they’ll continue to set as they cool, and the heat from the pan will keep cooking them until it cools down. My brownies have always been done at the 15-16 minute mark.

More Gluten-Free Brownie Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Nutella Brownies

Gluten-Free Cosmic Brownies

Gluten-Free S’mores Brownies

Gluten-Free Marshmallow Brownies

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Small Batch Gluten-Free Brownies

These easy homemade gluten-free brownies have a satisfying crinkle top, fudgy texture & all the fudgy flavor of your favorite brownies, just made in a smaller batch!

Course Brownies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword gluten-free brownies, small batch

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 Brownies

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons butter (57 grams)
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips (57 grams)
• 6 Tablespoons sugar (75 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend* (30 grams)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder* (natural cocoa NOT Dutch processed cocoa) (20 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped nuts!)
• Optional: flaky sea salt for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a METAL 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Melt Butter & Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Melt on low heat in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat Egg, Sugar, and Vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer a FULL 2-3 minutes or until the sugar is almost completely dissolved. The mixture will get significantly lighter in color, and when you rub the mixture between your fingers you should barely feel any grains of sugar left. DO NOT rush this step, or your brownies will be gritty and won't have glossy tops.
• Add Chocolate Mixture To Egg Mixture and gently stir to combine.
• Add Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine, then add to the wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
• Bake Brownies. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until the top looks shiny and set and the brownies don't jiggle when you gently wiggle the pan. (A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just some moist crumbs, but not wet brownie batter)
• Finish & Cool. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using). Let the brownies cool 5 or so minutes in the pan, then lift up with the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting. (This will help the brownies set up properly–you can speed this process up by chilling the brownies in the fridge) 
• Serve & Store. Cut brownies into 8 small squares, 6 medium rectangles, or 4 big rectangles. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze up to 2 months!

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend for these brownies, but if you use another 1:1 blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Do not use almond flour or coconut flour into this recipe. 
• Cocoa Powder. I recommend natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli) rather than Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe, but if you prefer a darker flavor, you can use Dutch cocoa instead! 
• Pan Material & Pan Size Matters! I use a true 9×5 loaf pan (measure the largest rectangle at the top of the pan!). If yours is a smaller pan, like an 8×4, your brownies will take a few more minutes to bake. Similarly, I only recommend a metal loaf pan here. The brownies will “climb” the sides of a glass or ceramic pan and take longer to cook. 

Gather Your Ingredients

Besides the flavor & texture, the best part about this delicious chocolate cookie recipe is that it starts with simple ingredients! Let’s take a look:

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients & Decoration

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Crumbl-Style Chocolate Cake Cookies

Let The Cookies Cool ALL The Way Before Frosting. If you try to frost chocolate cake cookies when they’re even the tiniest bit warm, they’ll melt the frosting. I promise–PROMISE!–it’s worth waiting until your cookies are completely cool before you start decorating.

How To Store Frosted Chocolate Cake Cookies: Since they’re frosted, I recommend storing these gluten-free chocolate cake cookies in a single layer in the refrigerator. They’ll keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet to set the frosting, then transfer to an airtight bag. They’ll keep 3-4 weeks in the freezer frosted. (You can freeze them unfrosted up to 6 weeks before adding the frosting.)

Can You Make Chocolate Cake Cookies In Advance? Sort of! The cookies can be baked ahead of time! Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day in advance or and freeze unfrosted in a freezer bag up to 6 weeks in advance. Once you’ve added the frosting, they’re best eaten within 3-4 days. The frosting can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator 3-4 days in advance. You’ll want to let it soften at room temperature until it’s soft enough to stir. Then, add to your piping bag and frost the cookies.

Dress Them Up! You can easily match these rich chocolate cookies to any holiday or special occasion by swapping out the sprinkles! Think red, white, and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, red, green & white for Christmas, etc.

More Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookie Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies & Cream Cookies

Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)

Gluten-Free Hot Chocolate Cookies

Gluten-Free Cosmic Brownie Cookies (Crumbl)

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)

Our Crumbl copycat chocolate cake cookies with chocolate frosting are your new favorite way to satisfy a chocolate craving. They taste even better than they look!

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free chocolate cake cookies, gluten-free crumbl cookies, gluten-free crumble chocolate cake cookies

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes minutes

Total Time 56 minutes minutes

Servings 20 -22 cookies

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• Piping Bag
• Closed Star Piping Tip Like Wilton 2D or Ateco 852

Ingredients

FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIES:

• 2 ⅓ cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (280 grams)
• 1 cup Dutch Processed cocoa powder* (92 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (8 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter softened (226 grams/2 sticks)
• 1 cup light brown sugar (200 grams)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 2 large egg – at room temperature
• 1 ½ Tablespoons corn syrup*
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING & DECORATION:

• 1 cup butter softened (226 grams/2 sticks)
• ¾ cup natural cocoa powder * like Hershey’s (65 grams)
• 5 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk or more, as needed
• 1 Tablespoon corn syrup*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar (420 grams)
• Chocolate sprinkles or your favorite sprinkles if desired

Instructions

FiRST, MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIES

• Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, Dutch processed cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine until well blended and set aside.
• Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) combine 1 cup softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy.
• Finish The Wet Ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg fully before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add corn syrup and 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Mix to combine.
• Add Dry Ingredients Gradually. Working a bit at a time, mix the dry ingredients 1/3 or 1/2 at a time on low speed, until all of the dry ingredients are just incorporated. (Doing this gradually helps prevent them from poofing out the sides of the mixer!) The sticky batter will look more like very thick brownie batter than traditional cookie dough–this is normal!
• Scoop. Working with just 6 cookies at a time, use a large cookie scoop to measure 3-Tablespoon scoops of cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet. (Don't roll the cookie dough balls smooth, just scoop them straight onto the baking sheet.)
• Bake & Cool. Place the pan in the oven and bake cookies 9-10 minutes, or until set on top and slightly underdone in the center. (They'll continue to set as they cool.) Allow the cookies to cool 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process until all cookies are baked, alternating baking sheets with each batch so you don't put cool dough on a hot cookie sheet.

THEN, MAKE MAKE THE FROSTING & DECORATE THE COOKIES

• Beat Butter. When the cookies are all cool, make the frosting. To start, beat 1 cup softened butter 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer). The butter should be creamy and lighter in color.
• Combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons cream, 1 Tablespoons corn syrup, the vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix on LOW speed until just blended. Add the powdered sugar gradually, along with 2 Tablespoons more cream.
• Whip. As soon as the powdered sugar is all added, increase the speed to HIGH and mix 1-2 minutes more, until the creamy frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy. (The should be NO lumps!)
• Frost. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (like Wilton #2D or Ateco #852). Starting at the center of each cookie, pipe frosting into a rosette on top of each cookie. (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 cookies.
• Add Sprinkles, if desired. (I recommend only frosting 2-3 cookies at a time if you plan to add sprinkles on top of each cookie, so you can add them before the frosting sets!)
• Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days. (I like to pop mine in the fridge!)

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! 
• Use BOTH Kinds of Cocoa Powder! We experimented using all of one or the other, and really feel that the Dutch-processed cocoa powder works best for the cookies and natural cocoa tastes best for the frosting. (If you *must* use just one kind, I recommend all Dutch processed cocoa.)
• Troubleshoot The Frosting: As with all baking, there are a LOT of conditions that can affect your bakes–ambient temperature in the room, the temperature of your butter and melted chocolate, the humidity, etc. If your frosting is too soft to hold its shape, add more powdered sugar 2 Tbsp. at a time until it’s stiff enough to hold its shape. If it’s too stiff, add more liquid 1 tsp. at a time until it loosens up. 
• Let The Cookies Cool COMPLETELY Before Frosting. This is CRUCIAL. If your cookies are even a little bit warm, it’ll melt the frosting and just make a mess. Make sure the cookies are cooled to room temperature before frosting.

Gather Your Ingredients

One of the best things about these gluten-free sprinkle sugar cookies? They start with SIMPLE ingredients! Let’s take a look:

• Softened Butter. The base of these cookies is a basic sugar cookie dough. For this, we’ll start with butter which lends beautiful soft texture and flavor, along with some…
• Sugar. The granulated sugar and butter will get creamed to be light and fluffy. It makes a perfect blank canvas for color (sprinkles) and flavor (coming right up!).
• Eggs. To bind the ingredients together and give you those nice slightly chewy edges with soft middles.
• Vanilla. Enter: flavor! Use the best-tasting vanilla extract you can, as most birthday cake cookies, funfetti cookies, and sprinkle cookies get their flavor from plenty of vanilla.
• Almond Extract. Technically optional if you’re not a fan, but pretty classic in a good sugar cookie or birthday-cake flavored recipe. I love what it adds!
• Baking Powder. Gotta get that puff!
• Salt. To balance the flavor. Don’t skip it!
• Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure For Measure Gluten-Free Flour, but if you use another gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum, or this sprinkle sugar cookies recipe won’t turn out properly. Do not substitute almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour here.
• Sprinkles. You can’t make sprinkle sugar cookies without sprinkles! You’ll want to use jimmies (the oblong/rectangle/cylinder shaped sprinkles) or quins (flat round circles or shaped sprinkles). These sprinkles won’t bleed their color into the dough and hold up well when baked. They’re the classic shapes for funfetti cake and work well in gluten-free funfetti cookies, too!

How To Make Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles, Step By Step

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

1. Cream Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat together with a paddle attachment or hand mixer 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and cohesive.
2. Mix In Wet Ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg before adding the next. Then, Add vanilla and almond extract and beat to blend in.
3. Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix until the flour is mostly mixed in.

4. Mix In Sprinkles. Add sprinkles and stir or beat on low to incorporate the sprinkles into the dough. (The dough will be thick and sticky at this point. You may prefer to finish with a spatula.)
5. Chill Dough. Cover the dough and refrigerate to chill dough 30 minutes, while you preheat the oven.
6. Preheat & Prep. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Scoop & Roll Dough. When the oven is preheated, remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Scoop or roll dough into 1.5” balls (i use a medium cookie scoop). If desired, roll the tops of the cookie dough balls in more sprinkles before placing on a baking sheet.
8. Bake Cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set around the edges and just underdone in the center. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy once the cookies are cooled completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months. 

Mix It Up! Make Your Sprinkle Sugar Cookies Work For Holidays & Celebrations all year long

• For Birthdays. I love using multi-color jimmies (pictured in these photos) that remind people of birthday cakes. Or, you can pick sprinkles in the birthday person’s favorite colors.
• For Valentine’s Day. Try heart-shaped quins sprinkles or red, pink, and white jimmies.
• For St. Patrick’s Day. Go for green! Pick shamrock quins or green and white jimmies.
• For Mardi Gras. You can totally make sprinkle cookies for mardi gras! Use yellow, purple, and green sprinkles to mimic king cake.
• For Easter. Think pastels. Use natural-colored jimmies in softer colors, or pick up some pastel jimmies.
• For 4th Of July. Red, white, and blue! Use jimmies or find some star-shaped quins for an extra festive look. You can even mix + match the jimmies + stars!
• For Halloween. Get spooky with oranges, blacks, greens, whites, and purples. Or pick up some jack-o-lantern, ghost, or bat quins.
• For Hanukkah. Celebrate with blue and white!
• For Christmas. Use classic red & green or red & white for a festive look!

Gluten-Free? Make sure to use gluten-free sprinkles! We Like Chef’s Select, Judee’s, and Sweetapolita brands.

Gather Your Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Crisp Rice Cereal. In the United States, Rice Krispies Brand cereal is NOT gluten-free, so it’s important to use gluten-free crispy rice cereal brands instead. Today we’re using Aldi’s brand.
• Freeze Dried Strawberries. The star ingredient in this strawberry rice krispies treats recipe! Using crisp freeze-dried strawberries keeps the color vibrant and prevents the cereal bars from getting soggy. I usually find these near raisins, dried fruits, or snacks at the grocery store.
• FRESH Mini Marshmallows. I recommend mini marshmallows here! The fresher your marshmallows are, the better they’ll melt, so now’s not the time to use that old bag of stale marshmallows in your pantry.
• Butter. A must-have for soft strawberry rice krispie treats! (Vegan butter also works, if you want to keep them dairy-free!)
• Vanilla Extract. This little trick adds that extra little something that keeps people coming back for more. It’s a way to add that delicious strawberries and cream rice krispies treats flavor we’re going for.
• A Pinch of Salt. To help balance the flavor. It’ll elevate the notes of marshmallow, strawberry, and vanilla without making these crispy treats taste salty.

How To Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats, 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. Before starting, make sure you have everything ready to go, since things will move quickly. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 metal pan with parchment paper or lightly grease. Add crisp rice cereal to a large bowl with plenty of room to mix.
2. Grind Strawberries. Add 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor or blender and pulse or puree until you have a fine powder.
3. Set Aside Some Marshmallows. Place 1 cup of marshmallows off to the side (we’ll add these later!).
4. Melt Butter & Remaining Marshmallows. In a large saucepan, melt butter then add the remaining mini marshmallows and stir over medium-low heat until the marshmallows are smooth and melted. The mixture will be gooey!

5. Add Strawberry Powder, Vanilla & Salt to the marshmallow mixture and stir to combine.
6. Combine Marshmallow Mixture With Cereal. Working quickly, pour the strawberry marshmallow mixture over the cereal and stir in the reserved 1 cup of marshmallows and 1 cup chopped freeze-dried strawberries. Stir to evenly combine.
7. Pat the mixture out into your prepared pan using gentle pressure so you don’t overly compact the rice krispie treats. Top with a few more pieces of freeze-dried strawberry and marshmallow for garnish.
8. Cool, Slice & Store. Let the cereal bars cool at least 30-60 minutes to set. Use a sharp knife to cut them into bars and store leftovers in an airtight container or bag at room temperature 2-3 days.

Gather Your Ingredients

My favorite thing about this raspberry lemonade recipe (other than the flavor!) is that it’s made with simple ingredients. Let’s take a look!

• Fresh Lemon Juice. You MUST use freshly squeezed lemon juice for homemade lemonade! Bottled lemon juice tends to run bitter and acidic tasting, so for the best tasting lemonade stick with fresh lemon juice.
• Raspberries. You can use frozen raspberries OR fresh raspberries to make raspberry lemonade from scratch. They’ll both work beautifully! If I’m using frozen berries, I like to thaw them for a bit in advance, if I can, since they’ll be easier to work with.
• Sugar. Next up is granulated sugar (white sugar or cane sugar). It dissolves easily and helps make the raspberry syrup for this fresh lemonade recipe.
• Water. Then comes some water. You’ll use some to make the raspberry syrup, then pour the rest into the pitcher to make the lemonade.
• Ice. This is important! I make my raspberry lemonade a bit on the stronger side so that I can add plenty of ice. As it melts, it won’t water down the lemonade!
• Pretty Garnishes. I love adding garnishes to lemonade to play up the natural flavors and elements in the drink! For raspberry lemonade I usually reach for extra raspberries, fresh mint leaves, and lemon slices, or lemon wedges. Feel free to add edible flowers, pretty ice cubes, or other fresh berries!

PRO TIPS FOR SQUEEZING LEMONS: It’s easier to squeeze lemons when they’re room temperature rather than chilled. Roll room temperature lemons on the counter firmly with the palm of your hand, slice them in half, then use your hands or one of these citrus squeezers to get all the juice out that you can! (This $8 gadget gets ALL kinds of use at our house for mocktails, beverages, and cooking. 100% worth it!)

How To Make Raspberry Lemonade From Scratch, 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 Raspberry Syrup

1. Combine The Ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 cups of raspberries. Stir and simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, breaking up the raspberries and stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.
2. Strain Out The Seeds. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds and press down with a spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much pulp as you can through the strainer. (Discard any seeds or remaining pulp).
3. Cool Or Chill. Cool the raspberry syrup to room temperature (or chill up to 2 days, until you’re ready to make the lemonade).
4. (Or, Make It In A Blender Instead!) Alternatively, you can place these ingredients in a blender and blend them before straining rather than simmering them on the stove.

Then, Make The Lemonade

1. Combine Syrup & Lemon Juice. In a large pitcher, combined the cooled & strained raspberry syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. (Refrigerate the lemonade at this point if you’re making it in advance. Finish the rest of the steps right before serving.)
2. Add Ice. Then, add 3-4 cups of ice to the pitcher.
3. Stir In The Water. Pour 3 cups of water or sparkling water into the pitcher and gently stir to combine.
4. Garnish with additional raspberries, fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and more.
5. Serve & Store. Enjoy immediately. Leftover raspberry lemonade will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Homemade Raspberry Lemonade

Can I Use Something Besides Sugar For Lemonade? The flavor will be slightly different, but yes, you can use a sugar substitute or alternative. There are a lot of simple syrup recipes out there you can experiment with. My favorite simple syrup substitute is agave syrup, which has a fairly neutral flavor. If you prefer to use an alternative sweetener, you can try this stevia simple syrup or this keto simple syrup that uses monkfruit. You’ll need about 1 cup or so of simple syrup to pair with the raspberries.

How Long Does Homemade Lemonade Last? Since we’re working with fresh ingredients and aren’t adding any preservatives, homemade lemonade can go bad within 3-4 days. I recommend drinking your homemade lemonade within 3-4 days. (Freeze it if you want it to last longer!)

Can You Freeze Homemade Lemonade? You can! Because of the higher sugar content in fruit juice, it won’t freeze as completely solid as regular ice cubes, but you CAN freeze homemade lemonade. Pour it into freezer safe jars (leaving at least 1-inch of room at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer), or pour it into ice cube trays and freeze until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store up to 1 month.

Is Lemonade Gluten-Free? You bet it is! Part of the beauty of making lemonade at home is that the ingredients list is so simple, it’s easy to tell. It’s just lemon juice (gluten-free), raspberries (gluten-free), water (gluten-free), sugar (gluten-free), and then maybe a little fresh mint (also gluten-free)!

More Homemade Lemonade Recipes To Try

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Classic Homemade Lemonade

Fresh Peach Lemonade

Blueberry Lemonade

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Easy Raspberry Lemonade

This easy 4-ingredient raspberry lemonade recipe is a perfect pink drink for any celebration! Don’t miss our favorite variations in the notes below. 

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword easy raspberry lemonade, homemade raspberry lemonade, raspberry lemonade from scratch, raspberry lemonade recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups lemonade

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For The Raspberry Syrup:

• 2 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
• 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves optional

To Make The Raspberry Lemonade:

• 1 batch about 1 3/4 cup raspberry simple syrup (above)
• 3-4 cups Ice
• 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice about 7–9 lemons
• 3 cups cold water or sparkling water*

Optional Garnishes:

• Slices lemons or lemon wedges
• Fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries
• Fresh mint leaves or basil leaves
• Other ideas: Pretty ice cubes edible flowers, or other kinds of fresh berries

Instructions

Start By Making The Raspberry Syrup:

• Combine The Ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 cups of raspberries. Stir and simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, breaking up the raspberries and stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.
• Strain Out The Seeds. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds and press down with a spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much pulp as you can through the strainer. (Discard any seeds or remaining pulp).
• Cool Or Chill. Cool the raspberry syrup to room temperature (or chill up to 2 days, until you’re ready to make the lemonade).
• (Or, Make It In A Blender Instead!) Alternatively, you can place these ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree them before straining rather than simmering them on the stove. Then, strain the fresh raspberry puree and proceed as directed. 

Then, Make The Lemonade:

• Combine Syrup & Lemon Juice. In a large pitcher, combined the cooled & strained raspberry syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. This is your own homemade lemonade concentrate! (Refrigerate the lemonade concentrate mixture at this point if you’re making it in advance. Finish the rest of the steps right before serving.)
• Add Ice. Then, add 3-4 cups of ice to the pitcher.
• Stir In The Water. Pour 3 cups of water or sparkling water into the pitcher and gently stir to combine. (Taste and add more sugar/sweetener as needed, depending on the tartness of your berries and lemons.)
• Garnish with additional raspberries, fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and more.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy immediately. Leftover raspberry lemonade will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.  

Video

Notes

Variations To Try:

• GET HERBY! Try adding fresh mint or fresh basil (yes, really!) to your raspberry syrup. We use this trick in our Strawberry Lemonade recipe, and it’s delicious!
• MAKE PRETTY ICE CUBES. Freeze whole raspberries, mint leaves, or mixed berries in your ice cubes for a pretty look.
• GO LIME INSTEAD. Or, swap the lemon juice for lime juice and turn this into raspberry limeade.
• MAKE IT FRECKLED. Make “freckled” raspberry lemonade by leaving in 1/3-1/2 of the raspberry pulp. It’s got a more rustic, homemade appearance and tastes delicious. (You can also just muddle in a handful or two of fresh raspberries after straining the syrup.)
• ADD PEACH. In the summer when peaches are at their peak, try dicing a peeled, pitted peach and adding it along with the raspberries for a raspberry-peach lemonade. SO GOOD.
• TRY GINGER! Or, add another layer of flavor nuance by adding fresh ginger to the simple syrup. It adds a little warmth and depth that’s lovely with the cool, refreshing flavors in this drink! 

Recipe originally published January 2023. Updated with new photos & tips and republished March 2025.

What Goes Into a Knickerbocker Glory?

In some ways, a Knickerbocker glory sundae is kind of the ice cream version of Eton Mess! While there is definitely some variety, most knickerbocker glories have:

• A Fruit Sauce, Curd, or Jelly. This often includes something like strawberry sauce or raspberry sauce, but can also include something like lemon curd, fruit jellies or jam, etc.
• Fresh Fruit. Think fresh berries, mango, pineapple, etc.
• Ice Cream. Scoops of vanilla ice cream are common, but you’ll also see versions with strawberry ice cream or other fruity ice cream flavors! 
• Whipped Cream. Fluffy, delicious, elegant!
• Crunchy Bits. A little crunch for good measure can include crushed meringue, chopped or toasted nuts, etc.
• Fun Garnishes. A traditional fan wafer biscuit is a common topping, but other versions use a coconut roll (or pirouette cookie), chopped nuts, and even sprinkles!

Want to make a Knickerbocker Glory of your own? Here’s what you’ll need to make ours…

Gather Your Ingredients

So what goes into OUR knickerbocker glory recipe? Just a handful of simple ingredients! Let’s take a look:

• Raspberries, Lemon Juice & Sugar. We’re making our quick raspberry coulis for the fruit sauce. This fresh raspberry sauce has vibrant color and fresh berry flavor that’s perfect with the ice cream!
• Fresh Berries. I like a combination of fresh raspberries, fresh strawberries, and fresh blueberries, but you can also toss some blackberries in there if you like, or use just one kind of berry.
• Vanilla Ice Cream. My favorite flavor ice cream for a knickerbocker glory sundae is vanilla since it lets the fruit flavors shine. (Feel free to use lactose-free, dairy-free or vegan ice cream as needed!)
• Whipped Cream. Feel free to make your own whipped cream from scratch, or use spray whipped cream for ease!
• Meringue Cookies. For ease, I like to use store-bought mini meringues. They’re shelf-stable, so they’ll last for months, which makes it easy to make a sundae when the craving strikes!
• Coconut Rolls or a Fan Cookie. In the U.K., many versions of the Knickerbocker glory are served with a fan shaped biscuit. I haven’t ever seen these in grocery stores in the U.S. and haven’t been able to find a gluten-free version, so we use gluten-free coconut rolls instead. Other options could include a crispy mini chocolate chip cookie, gingersnaps, shortbread biscuits, or vanilla wafers, etc.

How To Make a Knickerbocker Glory, 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 Raspberry Sauce

1. Combine. Add raspberries, lemon juice & sugar to a blender. (If using frozen raspberries, remember to at least partially thaw them first, so they’re easier to blend!)
2. Puree until the sauce is as smooth as possible. Pause to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
3. Strain out the seeds by pouring the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl, then pour the raspberry sauce into the sieve and pressing down using the back of a spoon or a flexible spatula to remove any seeds or large pulp from the sauce. Discard the seeds and pulp, and pour the smooth sauce into a bowl, container or small pitcher.
4. Serve or Store. Store raspberry coulis in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month. 

Build a Knickerbocker Glory

1. Check Your Sauce. The raspberry sauce should be easily scoopable straight from the fridge, but if yours is feeling too thick, you can thin it out with a teaspoon of water or two, until you reach your desired consistency. Set out a tall glass for each sundae you plan to make.
2. Layer raspberry sauce, fresh berries, and a scoop of ice cream in the bottom of each glass. 
3. Repeat layers of raspberry sauce, berries, and ice cream to fill your glass. Top the final ice cream scoop with a little more raspberry sauce. 
4. Garnish with whipped cream, and add meringue, coconut rolls, nuts, or a fan cookie, to taste. I like to add a small whole strawberry or a larger strawberry half for garnish, too! Serve with a long spoon and dive in!
   

Gather Your Ingredients

So, what do you need to get this fondue night started? Just 5 simple ingredients! Let’s take a look:

• Good-Quality Chocolate. For the best chocolate fondue, I recommend using high-quality bars of chocolate rather than chocolate chips. Semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and dark chocolate are my go-to’s, but you can also use half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet chocolate if you want sweeter fondue.
• Heavy Cream. Yep, we’re doing it! While you *can* use half-and-half for a slightly lighter and thinner fondue, we really love the rich texture you get from heavy whipping cream.
• Butter. Adding a little bit of butter at the end gives this chocolate fondue the smoothest, most luxurious texture.
• Vanilla. IMO, vanilla extract + chocolate are BFFs.
• Salt. Lastly, a tiny pinch of salt helps elevate the notes of chocolate & vanilla and really balances the flavor. Don’t skip it!

How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Fondue, Step By Step

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

1. Chop Chocolate. To start, make sure all your utensils, bowls, etc. are clean and DRY. Small amounts of water can make chocolate seize and go grainy, which is the opposite of what we’re going for here. Then, chop the chocolate into very small shards. The more evenly it’s chopped, the more evenly it’ll melt.
2. Melt. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Melt over a double boiler (set the bowl over a saucepan with 1-inch of water simmering over medium heat) or melt in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy.
3. Finish. Stir in butter, vanilla extract and salt into the melted chocolate mixture until evenly blended. At this point, the chocolate mixture should be very smooth and glossy, with perhaps a few small air bubbles from stirring. If your chocolate fondue is somehow separated or slightly grainy, you can use an immersion blender to pull it back together.
4. Serve warm with your favorite gluten-free dippers. Speaking of which, we recommend…