Gluten Free Butter Crunch Cookies

If you love cookies with a little something extra, Gluten Free Butter Crunch Cookies are about to become your new favorite. Imagine soft, chewy centers, crisp edges, and bits of buttery toffee in every bite. These cookies are sweet, a little salty, and impossible to stop at just one. Best of all, they’re easy to make and stay just as delicious days later (if they last that long).

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested these gluten free butter crunch cookies using both Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag) and King Arthur Measure for Measure. While both versions are tasty, I prefer the cookies made with Bob’s Red Mill - they spread more evenly and have a chewier texture. If you’re using King Arthur, try reducing the amount of flour by about 10 grams to help encourage better spreading.

Brown Butter: Brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth to these cookies, enhancing their flavor with notes of caramel and toasted hazelnut. It gives the cookies a more complex taste that pairs very well with the toffee bits. If you’re going the dairy-free route,  melt 115 grams of dairy-free butter instead of browning it. The cookies will still be soft, chewy, and full of flavor - just slightly less complex.

Milk Powder: Adding milk powder - either whole or non-fat - intensifies the nutty, caramelized flavor of the brown butter, making these cookies even more flavorful. While optional, it’s a great addition for brown butter lovers. Just be sure to use dairy-based milk powder, as non-dairy alternatives like coconut milk powder won’t produce the same effect.

English Toffee Bits: I use Heath Bits O’ Brickle in these Gluten Free Butter Crunch Cookies. These small, buttery toffee pieces have a rich caramel flavor and melt slightly during baking, leaving the cookies with a sweet crunch once cooled. Heath Bits O’ Brickle Toffee Bits can be found in the baking aisle where the chocolate chips are. And yes, they are gluten free. (You can also use homemade toffee bits but let's be honest, store bought works just fine here)

How to Make Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette)

Brown butter - also called beurre noisette - is butter that’s cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown. This gives it a rich, nutty flavor and a deep amber color. It’s an easy way to make cookies, cakes, and even savory dishes taste extra special.

If it’s your first time making brown butter, go slow and keep the heat low. Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, ideally a light-colored one (such as white enamel), so you can easily monitor the color change of the milk solids. Stir frequently with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon to prevent burning. Brown butter can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Just make sure to carefully melt it before using it to make these gluten free butter crunch cookies.

1. Step 1: Place unsalted butter (cold from the fridge or freezer), cut in smaller pieces, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you have a white or light-colored pan, use it - it helps you clearly see when the milk solids start to brown.

2. Step 2: Melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted allow the melted butter to simmer for about 30-45 seconds before adding the additional milk powder (this intensifies the nutty flavor). The butter will foam and bubble - keep stirring and make sure you’re scraping the bottom of the pan.

3. Step 3: Continue cooking and stirring. The butter will begin to smell nutty and take on a medium amber color. You’ll see golden brown specks (those are the caramelized milk solids). Watch carefully - brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.

4. Step 4: Remove the pan from heat and immediately pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl (don’t forget to scrape in all the flavorful brown bits). Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before using. For this gluten free butter crunch cookie recipe, the brown butter should still liquid and can be warm to touch.

Gluten Free Butter Crunch Cookie Dough

Be sure the brown butter has cooled slightly - it should still be liquid but no longer hot. I prefer mixing everything with a spatula rather than a whisk, since whisks can whip too much air into the eggs and lead to a cakier texture. And for these cookies, we're going for chewy, not cakey.

1. Step 1: Start with brown butter that has been cooled for about 20 minutes. For this gluten free butter crunch cookie recipe, the brown butter should still liquid and can be warm to touch.

2. Step 2: Once the brown butter has cooled but is still liquid, stir in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar using a flexible spatula. Mix until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Step 3: Add the room temperatue egg, milk (heavy cream or water works too), and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

4. Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula. At first, the dough will look dry and crumbly, but keep mixing - it will come together as the ingredients hydrate.

5. Step 5: Lastly, fold the toffee bits into the gluten free brown butter cookie dough, mixing just until everything is evenly incorporated.

6. Step 6: Chill the dough for butter crunch cookies for at least two hours to let the butter firm up and make it easier to scoop. If you skip this step, the dough will be too soft and difficult to work with. You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Baking Instructions

The dough for gluten free butter crunch cookies should be refrigerated for at least two hours before baking it. This gives the dough time to fully hydrate.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the dough. You should get around 16 - 18 cookies, depending on how much you “sampled.” If the dough has chilled for a long time, it may be a bit firm, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if needed.
3.  Pour some toffee bits into a small bowl. Dip the tops of each cookie dough ball into the toffee bits so they’re generously coated.
4. Arrange 6 - 8 dough balls on each baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to spread as they bake.
5. Bake the cookies, one sheet tray at a time, for 11–12 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges and slightly puffy in the center - don’t overbake, as they’ll continue to set as they cool.
6. After removing them from the oven, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently scoot the cookies into a perfect circle.
7. Top each cookie with additional butter crunch and a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt if you like.
8. Let the butter crunch cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Since they contain toffee bits I recommend using an offset to carefully remove them from the parchment paper.
9. Repeat with the remaining gluten free butter crunch cookie dough.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.