Gluten-Free Valentines Cookies

These easy gluten-free Valentines cookies are the perfect treat to celebrate with. Make them for a party or surprise your Valentine with a sweet treat!

Love day is just around the corner, and while we usually keep things pretty low-key around here, I love to make a fun gluten-free Valentine’s dessert recipe to share with my family, whether it’s something simple, like Valentine’s Chex Mix, something fancy like Chocolate Lava Cake, or something cute like these Gluten-Free Valentine’s Cookies.

I love how easy these Valentine’s Day cookies are! They’re a fun mash-up of our Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies & Classic M&M Cookies. Their golden brown edges, soft texture, and cute Valentine’s colors make them a perfect Valentine’s day treat! They’re almost as fun to make as they are to eat!

Best of all, the ingredients are simple and straightforward. Here’s all you need to get started…

Simple Ingredients To Get STarted

• Brown Butter. We are BIG fans of brown butter around here! This process caramelizes the milk solids in the butter to completely transform the flavor. It adds a layer of nutty caramel-like flavor that can’t be beat! (Haven’t browned butter before? Our brown butter tutorial will help!)
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar. This combo of brown and white sugar is great for flavor and texture!
• Eggs + An Egg Yolk. Another trick! Adding an extra egg yolk gives these soft cookies a fudgy, delicious texture.
• Vanilla Extract. ALWAYS.
• Gluten-Free Flour. To keep things simple, we’re using a gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. We highly recommend this one from King Arthur, but if you use another gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum so the cookies turn out properly. Do not substitute almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour in this recipe.
• Cornstarch. A tiny bit of cornstarch lightens the texture of the flour and gives the exterior a delicate golden layer that’s lovely next to the fudgier cookie center.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder. For just the right puff and spread.
• Kosher Salt. To balance the flavors. (If you’re using fine table salt, start with about half of the amount & adjust from there.)
• Valentine’s M&Ms & Chocolate Chips. Last, but not least, the MIX-INS! We’re using red, pink and white Valentine’s M&M candies and chocolate chips. I love this combo together! They give these gluten-free Valentine’s Day cookies great flavor and a fun, festive look.

How To Make Gluten-Free Valentines Cookies, Step By Step

1. Brown & Cool The Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet with a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until it’s no longer hot to the touch. (Make sure to get all those lovely brown bits!)
2. Combine Brown Butter & Sugar. When the browned butter has cooled to room temperature, add the sugar and brown sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed 2-3 minutes or until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Add Eggs + Vanilla Add eggs + egg yolk one at a time, blending well after each addition, then add the vanilla. 
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix for a few seconds (it won’t be fully combined)
5. Add Mix-Ins. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then add the Valentine’s M&M candies and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
6. Scoop & Chill The Dough. Use a medium cookie scoop (2 Tablespoon size) to scoop cookie dough into 2-Tablespoon balls. Place in an airtight container, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours, up to 1 day in advance.
7. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator while the oven fully preheats to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (so you can alternate sheets between batches.)
8. Bake The Cookies. Roll 6 cookie dough balls in between your palms to smooth them out and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown color and the centers look just underdone.
9. Finish The Cookies. While the cookies are hot, top them with additional M&Ms and chocolate chips. (For perfectly round cookies, you can also use a large round cookie cutter, to gently shape the cookies into perfect circles.) Cool cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling, then repeat with remaining cookie dough.
10. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the cookies are cooled, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)

FAQ + Tricks For The BEst Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day Cookies

For Best Results, Don’t Skip The Chill Time! If you try to bake these delicious cookies without chilling the dough first, they’ll spread too thin and won’t hold together well. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrated properly, which gives your gluten-free Valentines cookies a better texture. I know it can be hard to wait, but it’s crucial for this recipe–it makes a big difference!

Make-Ahead Tips. If you’d like to make these gluten-free cookies in advance, you can follow our tips for how to freeze cookie dough. The baked cookies freeze really well, too, and I prefer freezing baked cookies to cookie dough most of the time. The baked cookies will keep about 2 months in the freezer, so you can easily make them ahead of time for a Valentine’s Day party or celebration.

3 Variations To Try

1. Try Adding Sprinkles! For an extra fun touch, you can channel the same trick we used in our Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies–add a few tablespoons (just 2-3!) of jimmies sprinkles to the cookie dough for an extra layer of color. (Pink and red sprinkles are adorable!)
2. Try White Chocolate Chips. I prefer dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips most of the time, but for a sweeter cookie, feel free to use white chocolate chips! (Or use a mix!) 
3. Or, Use Chocolate Chunks! For a bigger impact, try using chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips! It’s a great way to add a little drama and elegance to this easy recipe.

🌟 Leave a star review below when you try our Gluten-Free Valentine’s Cookies recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!