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Gluten-Free Stuffed Cocoa Cookies

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3.9 from 85 reviews

These gluten free hot chocolate cookies are irresistibly buttery, intensely chocolatey, and feature a rich, gooey chocolate filling topped with toasted Swiss meringue. Perfectly soft and melt-in-the-mouth, these cookies are easy to make and deliver a luxurious chocolate center that’s slightly wobbly when baked, ensuring a decadent treat that’s gluten free but full of flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Filling:

  • 75 g (2⅔ oz) dark chocolate (60-80% cocoa solids), chopped
  • 80 g (⅓ cup) heavy/double cream
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 75 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
  • 1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature
  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • ⅛ tsp salt

Chocolate Cookie Dough:

  • 170 g (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 150 g (¾ cup) light brown soft sugar
  • 3 US large/UK medium egg yolks, room temperature
  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 280 g (2⅓ cups) plain gluten free flour blend (Doves Farm Freee recommended or homemade blend)
  • 45 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour blend already contains it)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar (for rolling)

Swiss Meringue:

  • 2 US large/UK medium egg whites
  • 100 g (½ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar (or ½ tsp lemon juice)
  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Adjust the oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Make Chocolate Filling: In a saucepan over low heat, gently melt dark chocolate, cream, and butter together until fully melted. Transfer to a bowl to cool until warm. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt, whisk gently without aerating until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
  3. Prepare Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, cream softened butter and light brown sugar until pale and fluffy using a whisk or mixer. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix to combine. Whisk together gluten free flour blend, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth, scoopable dough forms, firm but not sticky.
  4. Shape and Fill Cookies: Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, form dough balls, then roll in granulated sugar to coat evenly. Place on baking sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Use a 1-tablespoon spoon to make an indent in each dough ball. Rewarm chocolate filling if needed by placing bowl in hot water bath, stirring to loosen but not fully liquid. Fill each cookie with about 1 tablespoon of chocolate filling, filling the indent completely.
  5. Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time at 350ºF (180ºC) for 8-9 minutes until cookies puff slightly and filling remains slightly wobbly. Keep unbaked sheet at room temperature during baking. Allow baked cookies to cool on baking sheet until warm and set to avoid breaking.
  6. Prepare Swiss Meringue: Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in heatproof bowl over simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160ºF (70ºC) and sugar dissolves. Transfer to mixer and whisk on high speed for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks form and volume greatly increases. Add vanilla and whisk to combine.
  7. Decorate Cookies: Transfer meringue to piping bag fitted with a tip of choice. Pipe dollops or decorative patterns onto warm or room temperature cookies. Use a kitchen torch to toast meringue topping lightly.
  8. Serve and Store: Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Warm cookies have soft gooey filling; chilled cookies have a firmer, fudgy texture. Store undecorated cookies in airtight container at room temp for 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days. Decorated cookies with meringue keep best refrigerated up to 2 days.

Notes

  • Use a reliable gluten free plain flour blend that doesn’t result in dry or crumbly dough; Doves Farm Freee is recommended.
  • Adjust baking time to keep the filling slightly wobbly for a gooey center.
  • Do not reheat chocolate filling in microwave as it may scramble the egg; use a warm water bath instead.
  • Make and add Swiss meringue just before serving for best texture, though it can be refrigerated for a day or two.
  • Cookie dough should be firm enough to scoop and shape but not dry or sticky.
  • Experiment serving cookies warm versus chilled to find your preferred texture.
  • Store cookies without meringue separately from those with meringue topping for optimal freshness.

Find it online: https://yumfoodusa.com/gluten-free-stuffed-cocoa-cookies/