Description
Delight in these Halloween Chocolate Sugar Cookies that are naturally gluten free, featuring a rich cocoa-flavored almond and tapioca flour base. Rolled in cocoa powder and baked to perfection, these tender cookies are filled with a creamy, sweet peanut butter fluff. Perfect for festive occasions, these cookies are easy to make and irresistibly tasty!
Ingredients
Scale
Gluten Free Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, plus extra for rolling
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Fluff Filling
- ¼ cup marshmallow cream
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment (using the smaller 3-quart bowl), add the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed. Alternatively, you can use a handheld mixer for this step.
- Add Egg Yolk and Vanilla: Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet mixture, starting at low speed to prevent flour from flying, then increase to medium speed. Mix until the dough is uniform with no dry streaks and starts to pull away from the bowl sides.
- Chill Dough: Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough for easier rolling.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Lightly dust your work surface with cocoa powder to avoid white flour streaks. Place the chilled dough in the center and roll out to about ¼ inch thickness (thinner if making sandwiches). Cut into desired shapes and arrange cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges are set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer fully to the rack to cool completely.
- Make Peanut Butter Fluff Filling: While cookies cool, combine marshmallow cream, creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds to soften the mixture slightly, then stir until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to overheat.
- Assemble Cookies: Spoon about a tablespoon of the peanut butter fluff onto the bottom half of a cookie, then gently press the top half on to form a sandwich. The filling will spread to the edges.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 12 cookies when rolled to ¼ inch thickness using standard cookie cutters.
- You can double the recipe if you want a larger batch.
- Dutch process cocoa powder is preferred for a richer, less acidic flavor compared to natural cocoa powder.
- White granulated sugar can substitute for organic cane sugar if needed.
- Use cocoa powder—not flour—to dust the rolling surface to prevent white streaks on cookies.
- Creamy traditional peanut butter is recommended over natural varieties to avoid excess oil in the filling.
- A stand mixer with a 3-quart bowl or a handheld mixer works best for creaming the butter and sugar properly.
- Cookie cutters used are linked in the original recipe for festive Halloween shapes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie sandwich
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
