Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies are the chocolate version of my very beloved Gluten Free Butter Cookies. These cookies feature a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a fudgy center, very similar to brownies, that’s sure to satisfy chocolate cravings. Whether you enjoy them on their own or dip them in chocolate for an extra indulgence, these soft, chocolatey cookies are a holiday must make.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Tools needed to make Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough
- How to pipe Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Baking Instructions
- Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Storage & Freezing
- FAQ - Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Gluten Free Chocolate Recipes to try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I've tested these Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, King Arthur Measure for Measure, and my own gluten-free flour blend. All three blends work beautifully, but I noticed some subtle differences. The cookie dough made with King Arthur flour was more compact and harder to pipe plus the cookies spread very little during baking. My favorite blend for this recipe is Bob's Red Mill 1-1 (in the blue bag).
Unsalted Butter: The butter is definitely a key ingredient for these chocolate butter cookies. Make sure it's at room temperature or even a bit warmer than that. Cold butter doesn't cream well with the powdered sugar. It can also cause for the dough to be stiff and difficult to pipe.
Almond Flour: Because almond flour retains moisture well, it helps keep cookies soft and prevents them from drying out too quickly. It also gives the chocolate butter cookies a subtle nutty richness that complements the buttery and chocolatey flavor. If you are on a nut free diet replace the almond flour with the same amount of gluten free flour.
Dutch Processed Cocoa: Make sure to use dutch processed cocoa powderwhich produces richer, fudgier flavors. I am a big fan of deZaan Dutch Processed Cocoa Powders but to be honest, there is nothing wrong with Hershey Special Dark. If you use Natural Cocoa Powder in this recipe, the cookies may be dry and lighter in color.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the gluten free chocolate cookies a more delicate crumb. Some people also call it confectionary sugar or icing sugar.
Dark Chocolate: I recommend using a product around 60% - 65% dark and make sure it's a chocolate you enjoy eating since it really contributes to the cookie flavor. This is a great recipe to use an artisan chocolate bar.
Milk: Any percentage of milk work here. I have also used heavy cream or non dairy milk sucessfully in this cookie recipe.
Tools needed to make Chocolate Butter Cookies
To successfully make this buttery chocolate spritz cookie recipe, you will need a few kitchen tools. Most of them are available on Amazon which I have linked.
A piping bag and a pastry tip: For piping butter cookies, I recommend using an Open Star Piping Tip, like Ateco 828, Ateco 827 or even Wilton 1M. If the Pastry Tip is too small it will be impossible to pipe the butter cookies. I also recommend investing in some sturdy disposable piping bags. You can use a zip lock bag with a corner cut-off in case you do not own piping tips or a pastry bag. Just be aware that ziplock bags may not be sturdy enough for the butter cookie dough. You could always use two ziplock bags to make them sturdier. To do so, transfer the cookie dough to a bag with no tip. Cut the tip of that bag and place it inside the second ziplock bag that is fitted with the pastry tip. (This also works if your disposable piping bags are not very sturdy)
Sheet Trays/Baking Sheet: you will need two sheet trays lined with parchment paper for this recipe. You will not be able to bake all the gluten free butter cookies on one sheet tray (I tried). I like using Nordic Ware Half Sheets.
You will also need a mixer (electric hand mixer or stand mixer), a mixing bowl, a whisk and a flexible rubber spatula.
Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough
The key to making the chocolate butter cookie dough is having the butter, milk and the egg at room temperature. I also highly recommend having the piping bag and parchment paper lined baking sheets prepared and ready to go.
- Fit a piping bag with a large pastry tip (preferably something like Ateco 828, Ateco 827 or even Wilton 1M). Place the piping bag inside a tall glass or jar, folding the top edge of the bag over the rim to hold it open. This creates a stable "stand" to fill the piping bag while keeping your hands free. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside while you prepare the chocolate butter cookie dough.
- In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder and kosher salt. Set aside. Cocoa powder tends to be lumpy so I like to sift it.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Starting at a very low speed, cream the two ingredients together. Once the ingredients start to come together, increase the speed to medium-high. Mix until light and fluffy, around 3-4 minutes. Make sure to stop the mixer halfway and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula.
- While the eggs and sugar are going, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. This should take around 90 seconds. Once the chocolate is almost all the way melted, remove it from the microwave and allow for it to cool for a few minutes. If the chocolate is too hot, the butter will melt and can cause for the cookies to spread in the oven.
- Add the whole egg and vanilla extract. Mix on high speed until combined for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and mix for another 10-15 seconds. It is possible the mixture will look curdled.
- Next add the melted and slightly cooled chocolate and room temperature milk to the mixing bowl. I actually nuke my milk for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to ensure it's warm.
- Cream the butter and melted chocolate and milk together. It should look very similar to chocolate buttercream. Smooth and creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two steps. Mix on low speed until combined. Make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated. The butter cookie dough will be thick but should be smooth and look pipeable. The amount of milk needed can depend on the brand of gluten free flour and how "large" the egg is you use. The eggs I use for baking are roughly 55 grams weighted outside of the shell. If the dough appears very thick, add 1-2 additional teaspoons of liquid. Please be aware the more liquid one adds the more the shortbread cookies will spread while being baked.
- Transfer the gluten free chocolate butter cookie dough to the prepared pastry bag. If you like you can also work with just half of the dough at a time. I recommend this especially if you have never worked with a piping bag before.
How to pipe Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
Piping chocolate cookie dough can feel tricky, especially if the dough is on the stiffer side. While developing this recipe, I experimented with the amount of milk used. I learned that adding too much liquid caused the cookies to spread in the oven, losing their beautiful shape and texture.
To make piping easier, I recommend using a large open star tip, which helps the dough flow more smoothly out of the bag. If the dough feels too stiff, gently warm it up by laying the pastry bag on your stovetop for a minute (if the oven is on) or wrapping it in a kitchen towel soaked in hot water. You can also warm it with your hands by lightly rubbing the bag. It doesn’t take much to soften the butter and make the dough more pliable.
When you’re ready to pipe, place the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets in rosette shapes. Start in the center and pipe outward in a circular motion, applying even pressure to create cookies about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter. Be sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for slight spreading.
Once all the cookies have been piped, place the sheet pans in your fridge and allow the cookies to chill for at least 30 minutes. Lighty wrap them with plastic wrap or use a sheet tray cover. Chilling will ensure they won't spread in the oven and hold their shape. At this point you may refrigerate the piped cookie dough for 2 days.
Alternative Way: If you don’t have a piping bag and tip, you can still make these cookies. Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop, roll it into balls, and press each one with a fork to create a criss-cross pattern. This alternative method is just as effective and produces cookies with a classic, charming look. Make sure to chill the shaped cookies before baking to prevent spreading.
Baking Instructions
- When you’re ready to bake the chocolate cookies, preheat your oven to 365°F and position the oven rack in the middle.
- Bake them one sheet tray at a time in the fully preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Keep in mind that baking time may vary depending on the size of your cookies and the quirks of your oven. Smaller cookies may be done in about 10 minutes, so keep an eye on them. If you prefer a crispier texture, you can bake the cookies for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely if you plan to dip them in melted chocolate - it’s worth the wait for that perfect finish!
Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Butter Cookies
While I love high-end high-quality chocolate like Valrhona and Cacao Barr in many recipes, I love using coating chocolate also known as Melting Wafers. Melting Wafer are normally located in the baking aisle in grocery stores. Personally, I am a big fan of the Melting Wafers sold at Aldi.
- Once the butter cookies are cool, melt the chocolate wafers according to package instructions. I melt mine carefully in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals and use a rubber spatula to stir it until smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate and wipe off the excess chocolate at the edge of the bowl.
- Place the chocolate dipped butter cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet tray and sprinkle with some chopped candy cane or seasonal sprinkles.
- Allow the chocolate to set fully before storing the cookies or serving them.
Storage & Freezing
The best way to store Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies is in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. If you'd like to keep them fresh for a longer period, you can refrigerate them. Just be sure the container is tightly sealed. This prevents the cookies from absorbing moisture or odors from other foods in the fridge.
For even longer storage, you can freeze fully baked butter cookies for up to one month. Simply thaw them at room temperature when you're ready to enjoy.
If you'd like to freeze the unbaked cookies, pipe them into rosettes on a sheet tray and freeze them until firm. Once fully frozen, transfer the cookies to a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake, place the frozen cookies directly on a sheet tray and bake them from frozen as directed. You may need to add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time to ensure they're fully baked through.
FAQ - Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
I don't own a cookie press, I can not give you a clear answer here. If you try it, please let me know in the comments.
If the dough is too firm, you can soften it slightly by gently warming it. Lay the piping bag on your stovetop for a minute (if your oven is already on) or wrap the bag in a warm, damp kitchen towel. You can also rub the outside of the piping bag with your hands to warm up the dough inside.
Join my Gluten Free Community!
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.
More Gluten Free Chocolate Recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
These Gluten-Free Chocolate Butter Cookies are a must-try holiday treat! With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and fudgy center, they’re perfect for gifting or enjoying with loved ones. Easy to make and full of chocolatey goodness, these cookies are sure to impress everyone at your next holiday gathering
Ingredients
Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies
- 200 grams Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour (See Note)
- 100 grams Almond Flour, fine ground
- 75 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 200 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (needs to be soft)
- 115 grams powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75 grams dark chocolate
- 30 grams milk, at room temperature
Instructions
Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough
- Fit a piping bag with a large pastry tip (such as Ateco 828, Ateco 827, or Wilton 1M). Place the bag inside a tall glass or jar, folding the top edge over the rim to hold it open. This creates a stable stand to fill the bag while keeping your hands free. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Start on low speed and gradually increase to medium-high, mixing until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through.
- While the butter and sugar are mixing, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, about 90 seconds. Let it cool slightly—if the chocolate is too hot, it can cause the butter to melt and the cookies to spread too much during baking.
- Add the whole egg and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl, and mix on high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for another 10-15 seconds. The mixture may look curdled, which is fine.
- Add the melted chocolate and slightly warmed milk (microwave for 10-15 seconds if needed) to the bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy, similar to chocolate buttercream.
- Add the dry ingredients in two steps, mixing on low speed until fully combined. The dough will be thick but smooth and pipeable. If the dough is too thick, add 1-2 teaspoons of extra liquid, but keep in mind that more liquid can cause the cookies to spread during baking.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared piping bag. If you prefer, you can work with half the dough at a time, especially if you're new to using a piping bag.
Piping the Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Pipe the butter cookies into circles on the parchment paper. Apply even pressure to the piping bag while turning it in a circular motion to form rosettes. Start from the center and work outward, aiming for cookies about 1 ½ to 2" in diameter, with 2" of space between them.
- Once piped, chill the cookies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, lightly covered with plastic wrap or a sheet tray cover. Chilling ensures the cookies maintain their shape and don’t spread during baking. You can refrigerate the piped chocolate cookie dough for up to 2 days at this point.
Baking Instructions
- When you’re ready to bake the chocolate cookies, preheat your oven to 365°F and position the oven rack in the middle.
- Bake them one sheet tray at a time in the fully preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Keep in mind that baking time may vary depending on the size of your cookies and the quirks of your oven. Smaller cookies may be done in about 10 minutes, so keep an eye on them. If you prefer a crispier texture, you can bake the cookies for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Repeat with the second tray of cookie dough.
Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I've tested these Gluten Free Chocolate Butter Cookies with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, King Arthur Measure for Measure, and my own gluten-free flour blend. All three blends work beautifully, but I noticed some differences. The cookie dough made with King Arthur flour was more compact and harder to pipe plus the cookies spread very little during baking. My favorite blend for this recipe is Bob's Red Mill 1-1 (in the blue bag).
Pastry/Piping Tip: I recommend using an Open Star Tip, like Ateco 828, Ateco 827 or even Wilton 1M. If the Pastry Tip is too small it will be impossible to pipe the butter cookies.
Stiff Dough: If your dough is too stiff, gently warm it up. I do this by laying the pastry bag on my stove top for a minute (only works if your oven already happens to be turned on and warmed up your stovetop). This will soften the butter, making the dough smooth and easy to pipe. You can also soak a kitchen towel in hot water and lay the pastry bag on the hot towel for a few minutes. Another way is just gently rubbing the pastry bag with your warm hands. It doesn't take much to soften the butter again.
Cookie Press: I have not tested this recipe with a cookie press.
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