Gluten-Free Chocolate Butter Cookies

These gluten-free chocolate butter cookies are rich, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth treats that taste just like classic European butter cookies, only without the gluten. Piped into pretty swirls and shapes, then dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for holidays, cookie boxes, or everyday coffee breaks. This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, bakes without chilling, and delivers bakery-style results at home.

Why you’ll love these gluten-free chocolate butter cookies

Intensely chocolatey and buttery. Dutch-processed cocoa, combined with plenty of butter, creates a deep chocolate flavor and a tender, crisp crumb.

No gritty gluten-free texture. A good gluten-free flour blend and a touch of xanthan gum keep the cookies delicate, not dry or sandy.

Beautiful piped shapes. The soft dough pipes easily into rosettes, S-shapes, circles, or lines for a classic butter cookie look.

No chilling required. Mix, pipe, and bake, no long wait times or complicated steps.

Perfect for gifting. Dip in dark chocolate, add sprinkles, and you have an impressive cookie box star that just happens to be gluten-free.

Notes on ingredients

Here’s what you need for gluten-free chocolate butter cookies, and how each ingredient affects the texture and flavor.

Unsalted butter: Use 200 g softened butter. Butter should be cool room temperature, soft enough to press with a finger, but not greasy or melting. This gives the cookies their signature richness and helps them hold shape when piped.

Sugar: Caster/superfine sugar blends more easily into the butter and helps create a crisp, delicate cookie. Granulated sugar also works; just make sure it’s mixed until smooth.

Vanilla bean paste: Adds a deeper, more complex vanilla flavor that shines through the chocolate. Vanilla extract works well if that’s what you have.

Plain gluten-free flour blend: Use a well-balanced blend that contains rice flour plus starches (like tapioca and potato). A blend meant as a 1:1 replacement for all-purpose flour works best. Avoid single flours like just rice or almond here.

Dutch-processed cocoa powder: This gives the cookies a smooth, deep chocolate flavor and a darker color. Natural cocoa will change the flavor slightly and can affect the spread, so Dutch-processed is best.

Xanthan gum: Crucial if your flour blend doesn’t already include it. Xanthan gum adds structure and elasticity, helping the piped shapes hold during baking and preventing crumbling.

Salt: Just ½ teaspoon balances the sweetness and sharpens the chocolate flavor.

Whole milk: Loosens the dough to a smooth, pipeable consistency without making it oily. Room-temperature milk blends more easily with the butter mixture.

Dark chocolate for dipping: Choose 60–70% cocoa solids for a balanced, not-too-bitter coating. Good-quality chocolate makes a big difference in the final flavor.

Sprinkles: Use gluten-free sprinkles if needed; many standard sprinkles are, but always check labels. Nonpareils, jimmies, or festive shapes all work.

Top tips for making gluten-free chocolate butter cookies

• Don’t cream the butter and sugar. Mix until smooth and combined, but avoid whipping in a lot of air. Over-aerated dough makes cookies puff, spread unpredictably, and lose their defined piped shape.
• Adjust milk for a pipeable dough. The dough should be soft and smooth, not stiff. If it’s hard to squeeze through the piping bag, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it pipes easily.
• Use the right piping tip. Large open star tips like JEM 2M, Wilton 6B, or Wilton 8B create classic ridged butter cookies that bake and brown evenly.
• Bake based on feel, not just time. Cookies are ready when they are dry and crisp to the touch and the edges look set. Smaller shapes need less time; larger, thicker ones need a bit more.
• Rotate pans if needed. For even baking, especially in older ovens, swap and rotate the trays halfway through the bake time.
• Use tempered chocolate if possible. Tempered chocolate sets shiny and firm at room temperature and won’t smear in cookie boxes. It’s worth the extra step for gifting.

How to make gluten-free chocolate butter cookies

Follow these steps for perfect gluten-free chocolate butter cookies every time.

1. Prep the oven and pans

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.

Preheat the oven to 180∘C 180∘C (350ºF).

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or baking paper.

2. Mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla

In a large bowl, combine 200 g softened unsalted butter, 125 g sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract).

Mix by hand with a wooden spoon or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed.

Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined, but not light and fluffy; avoid creaming to keep the cookies dense and crisp.

3. Combine the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

280 g plain gluten-free flour blend

40 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder

½ teaspoon xanthan gum (if your blend doesn’t already include it)

½ teaspoon salt

Whisk well to break up any cocoa lumps and evenly distribute the xanthan gum.

4. Bring the dough together

Add half of the dry mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined.

Pour in the 70 g whole milk and mix again.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth, very soft dough.

The dough should be thick but easily pipeable. If it feels too stiff, add a few extra teaspoons of milk, mixing well after each addition, until it pipes smoothly.

5. Check the consistency

Test a small amount in your piping bag.

You should be able to pipe without straining your hands, and the ridges from the star tip should hold their shape.

Piping the cookies

Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip (such as JEM 2M, Wilton 6B, or Wilton 8B) and fill it with the cookie dough.

Pipe shapes directly onto the lined baking sheets:

Rosettes: Pipe simple round swirls about 1½–2 inches (4–5 cm) wide.

S-shapes or straight lines: About 2½–3 inches (6.5–7.5 cm) long.

Circles: About 2–2½ inches (5–6.5 cm) wide.

Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between cookies to allow for slight spread.

You should get about 24–26 cookies, depending on how large you pipe them.

There’s no need to chill the dough; it’s designed to go straight into the oven.

Bake the cookies at 180∘C 180 ∘C (350ºF) for 14–16 minutes, or until they are crisp to the touch and the edges look set. Smaller cookies may be done closer to 12–14 minutes; larger, thicker shapes may need an extra minute.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Decorating the cookies

For the most professional finish, temper the chocolate before dipping. Tempered dark chocolate sets glossy and firm, even at room temperature, and doesn’t get streaky or tacky.

Melt and temper 225 g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids).

Once the cookies have cooled completely, dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate.

Gently shake off any excess chocolate so it doesn’t pool.

Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Add sprinkles immediately, before the chocolate starts to set.

Let the chocolate set completely at room temperature, or briefly chill the tray if your kitchen is very warm (just a few minutes, so the chocolate doesn’t dull).

Storage

Store gluten-free chocolate butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5–7 days. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight so the chocolate coating doesn’t soften.

Looking for more delicious gluten-free dessert recipes? Be sure to check these recipes out:

• Gluten-Free Pecan Bars
• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Gluten-Free Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
• Gluten Free Blueberry Streusel Muffins (Bakery-Style)

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