Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more.
Let’s make gluten-free dirt cake cookies! This gluten-free Crumbl copycat recipe combines soft chocolate cookies, luscious chocolate frosting, gluten-free Oreo crumbs & gummy worms into a fun, delicious treat!
I love a good gluten-free bakery copycat recipe, don’t you? Whether it’s the famous Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies or a good Crumbl Cookies dupe, it’s just so fun to re-create a bakery favorite at home. These Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies are a gluten free take on Crumbl Dirt Cake Cookies, and they couldn’t be better.
Now, I realize that calling something “dirt cookies” might not inspire you to make them, but these are significantly more delicious than the title might suggest! Stick with me! 😂
It’s kind of a combination of our Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies and classic Gluten-Free Dirt Pudding. You get the soft, delicious chocolate cake cookie base topped with an easy chocolate frosting, plenty of chocolate cookie crumbs “dirt” and a few colorful gummy worms on top. They’re so much fun to make and eat! (Especially for Halloween parties, birthday parties, and kids’ parties!)
Even better, the ingredients are pretty darn simple. Let’s take a look!
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.
How To Make Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies, 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 Cookie Base
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 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 batter will look more like very thick brownie batter than traditional cookie dough–this is normal!
- Scoop & Sprinkle. 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.) Sprinkle each cookie dough ball with a few gluten-free Oreo cookie crumbs.
- 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.
A Trick For Pretty Cookies!
When the cookies are hot from the oven, swirl a large round cookie cutter in a circular motion around the cookies to gently shape them into perfect circles. It’s a bakery & blogger trick that makes perfect cookies every time!
Make 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 frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy. (The should be NO lumps!)
- Frost. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open tip to pipe frosting onto the cookies or use a spatula or cookie scoop to scoop frosting onto the cookies. (Work with just 2-3 cookies at a time, so you can decorate them!)
- Decorate. Pipe the frosting into a spiral shape or spread the frosting with an offset spatula into an even layer. Sprinkle the frosted cookies with more cookie crumbs, then top cookies with 1-2 gummy worms. Repeat until all cookies are decorated.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy dirt cake cookies right away or store in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature 2-3 days.
Baking Tips
Now that you know how to make these gluten-free Crumbl copycat dirt cake cookies, let’s level up your technique with a few little baking tricks!
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies
An Easy Way To Crush The Oreos. Unlike when I’m making Oreo pie crust or Oreo truffles, I actually prefer a more coarse texture for the crushed oreos in these dirt pudding cookies. Instead of pulsing them in a food processor, I recommend putting the Oreos in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a sturdy cup.
Can I Just Use All One Kind of Cocoa? If it works for your budget, I HIGHLY recommend using both kinds of cocoa. The dark cocoa lends a rich color and taste to the cookies, while the natural cocoa is the perfect flavor and color for the frosting. We tested it using all dark and all natural, and really feel you get the best cookie from using dark cocoa in the cookie and natural cocoa in the frosting.
Can I Freeze These Cookies? These dirt cake cookies don’t freeze well decorated, but can be frozen BEFORE decorating up to 2 months. Thaw frozen cookies and decorate before serving.
🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies
Classic dirt pudding meets chocolate cake cookies! These Crumbl copycat Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Cookies start with soft chocolate cake cookies, topped with chocolate frosting, Oreo “dirt” & colorful gummy worms!
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 20 -22 cookies
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 eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ Tablespoons corn syrup*
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies crushed*
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 more, as needed
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar (420 grams)
- 4 Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies crushed*
- Gluten-free gummy worms*
Instructions
Start With The Chocolate Cookies:
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium 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 mixing bowl) combine 1 cup softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed with the paddle attachment or an electric 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 batter will look more like very thick brownie batter than traditional cookie dough–this is normal!
- Scoop & Sprinkle. 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 them into tight balls, just scoop them straight onto the baking sheet.) Sprinkle each cookie dough ball with a few gluten-free Oreo cookie crumbs.
- 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.) If desired, gently coax the cookies into perfect circles with a large cookie cutter. 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.
Make Frosting & Decorate 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 frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy. (The should be NO lumps!) If the frosting is too stiff to pipe or spread easily, add 1 Tablespoon more cream and beat to combine. If it’s too soft, feel free to add more powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time, as needed to thicken it up.
- Frost. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open tip to pipe frosting onto the cookies or use a spatula or cookie scoop to scoop frosting onto the cookies. (Work with just 2-3 cookies at a time, so you can decorate them!)
- Decorate. Pipe the frosting into a spiral shape or spread the frosting with an offset spatula into an even layer. Sprinkle the frosted cookies with more cookie crumbs and top each cookie with 1-2 gummy worms. Repeat until all cookies are decorated.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature 2-3 days. These cookies don’t freeze well decorated, but can be frozen BEFORE decorating up to 2 months. Thaw frozen cookies and decorate before serving.
Notes
- 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!
- Cocoa Powder. We experimented using all of one or the other, and really feel that the dark cocoa (Dutch-Processed Cocoa) works best for the cookies and the natural cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder, like Hershey’s) is best for the frosting. The natural cocoa was a bit too weak in flavor for the cookie, while the dark cocoa powder was a bit too intense for the frosting. If you have to choose one, you can, but we really recommend using the suggested cocoa for each part of this recipe.
- Corn Syrup. I know this feels like a weird ingredient, but it’s a baking trick that MANY Crumbl cookie copycat recipes use for texture. The syrup adds a soft chewiness that mimics this famous bakery. If you must, you can use honey instead, but it may add a slight honey flavor.
- Gluten-Free Oreos. 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.
- An Easy Way To Crush The Oreos. Unlike when I’m making Oreo pie crust or Oreo truffles, I actually prefer a more coarse texture for the crushed oreos in these cookies. Instead of pulsing them in a food processor, I recommend putting the Oreos in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a sturdy cup.
- Gummy Worms. Make sure to use gluten-free gummy worms, as not all brands are gluten-free. We usually use Albanese brand.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-dirt-cake-cookies/
These are DELICIOUS!!! The frosting is fluffy and chocolate-y, the cookie is chocolate-y, and the worms add a nice touch. 100% do recommend
Thank you for sharing this delicious Chocolate Cookie recipe. All our little (and big!) “boos” and “ghouls” LOVED them.
YAAAAY!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review!
These cookies fan my whimsy. I’ve had the pudding version of these, but a cookie version is such a fun twist.