These homemade gluten-free Oreos have crisp and snappy chocolate cookie wafers. Sandwich them with traditional vanilla buttercream or make them festive with peppermint buttercream filling.
While shooting the video for these homemade gluten-free Oreos, I baked 2.5 batches of cookies with peppermint buttercream. That's 200 chocolate wafers. 100 chocolate sandwich cookies. Almost three standard-sized boxes worth of Oreos. In other words: a LOT of cookies. So Alanna and I arranged them on plates and took Zoella to the local fire station to deliver holiday cookies.
Zoella asked questions a mile a minute the entire car ride and walk up to the station. She didn't stop talking in the lobby of the fire house. "Where is the fire engine? Where do the fire fighters sleep? Is this the fire fighter's house? When is the fire fighter coming?" She eagerly clutched the plate of cookies. Her excitement was brewing.
Homemade Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies
Then, the first hunky fire fighter came out and she clammed up. The second fire fighter came out and that was it. She'd forgotten how to speak. She nearly dropped the cookie plate. She was so stoked to meet the fire fighters and so shy when it finally happened.
Things were quiet around the station that night. They'd just dispatched a battalion to Butte County to fight the Camp Fire that ignited just outside my hometown early that morning. We didn't yet know just how horrific the fire was, but it now feels even more meaningful that we brought cookies to thank them for their work that evening.
After bouncing recipes back and forth with one of the gluten-free fire fighters (!!) for a few minutes, they offered to tour us through the station. They lifted Zoella up into the fire engine and showed off the hoses on the side of the truck before sending us on our way with stickers and fire hats. All the while, she was completely silent, clinging to me like velcro. But I knew. I mean, this girl dressed up as a fire engine for Halloween. This was core memory stuff and she was thrilled.
When we got back to the car, she requested, "I want the fire fighters to come for a play date at my house."
Haha, me too, miss. (KIDDING, LUCAS!)
Gluten-Free Oreos Recipe
This recipe for copycat homemade gluten-free Oreos is the final recipe in a year-long recipe and video partnership Alanna and I are working on with Rodelle. Here on Snixy Kitchen, I first made matcha cream tarts, then strawberry rhubarb pie a la mode popsicles, and now these gluten-free Oreos. With Alanna's help, we turned these recipes into videos and together developed even more recipes that live exclusively on Rodelle's website! Be sure to follow Rodelle’s social channels to see all the recipe videos we made this year.
Are Oreos Gluten-Free?
Sadly, no. Oreos are not gluten-free. BUT, rest assured you can make homemade gluten-free Oreos at home that are even better!
Tips for making homemade gluten-free Oreos
These gluten-free Oreos are incredibly easy to make.
Roll the dough out and use a cutter to cut out the wafers just like you would for sugar cookies. Cut the cookies as close together, re-roll and cut out more. The goal is to cut most of the cookies out on the first and second roll.
You can certainly roll the dough out a third or fourth time, but the cookies will get ever so slightly more dense.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use the bottom of a glass to press each cookie down ever so slightly on the baking sheet. This will smooth out the tops and help hold the cookies together so they won't crumble as easily.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before transferring to a wire rack. That little extra cool on the baking sheet will help the cookies firm up so they won't fall apart when you try to move them.
After piping the frosting, pop the finished homemade Oreos in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the filling firm up before devouring. These homemade gluten-free Oreos will keep in the fridge for a week or on the counter for 2-3 days. You can eat them right out of the fridge, but I recommend bringing them to room temperature before serving.
Sturdy but delicate gluten-free chocolate wafers
Once set, these gluten-free chocolate wafer cookies are crisp and sturdy enough to hold a filling without crumbling, but delicate snd airy enough that they'll snap without filling squeezing out the sides. The texture is similar to that of a graham cracker, only softening a bit after a couple of days sitting with buttercream sandwiched between.
To get that copycat dark cookie wafer akin to real Oreos, I use Rodelle’s organic dutch-processed baking cocoa, which lends color and a deep chocolate flavor (read more about my loyalty to this baking cocoa here). To emphasize the chocolate notes, I add a splash of Rodelle organic chocolate extract, which is my secret weapon for all chocolate desserts.
Homemade Oreo filling options
Sandwich the crispy gluten-free chocolate wafers with your choice of vanilla or peppermint buttercream. Once winter rolls around, I'm a peppermint fanatic.
To get in the holiday spirit, I use peppermint and vanilla extracts to flavor the filling. The result is a cross between an Oreo and a Thin Mint. Start with a small splash of peppermint extract, taste, and adjust, being careful not to turn your filling into toothpaste territory. These chocolate peppermint sandwiches are a new staple on my holiday cookie plate.
If you're averse to peppermint, no problem! Just swap out the peppermint extract for extra Rodelle organic vanilla extract. You could even add a tablespoon of matcha to the filling!
When I tested these homemade Oreos, I tried out both buttercream and cream cheese frosting filling options. I was certain I'd love the cream cheese filling the most.
While I loved the cream cheese filling equally as much, the flavor strayed quite a bit from the classic Oreo notes. The cocoa wafer was less prominent. For that reason, I'm sticking with buttercream. If you're not an Oreo purist, feel free to swap out half the butter for cream cheese. The cream cheese frosting filling adds tangy notes that make the homemade Oreos taste a bit like a whoopie pie.
Whichever choice you make, these homemade gluten-free Oreo copycats deserve a place on your holiday cookie plate!
Disclosure: Special thanks to Rodelle for sponsoring this post! Find more Rodelle inspiration on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. And thanks to you for supporting the brands that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!
Recipe
Homemade Gluten-Free Oreos: Vanilla & Peppermint
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 3½ tablespoons (144 g) super-fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (144 g) gluten-free oat flour
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (70 g) sweet rice flour, also called mochiko, different from brown rice flour or white rice flour
- ¼ cup + 3½ tablespoons (70 g) cornstarch
- ¾ cup + 1½ tablespoons (90 g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (189 g) ultrafine baker’s sugar
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (189 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chocolate extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon peppermint extract, for vanilla version, replace with ½ teaspoon more vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, corn starch, baking cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, baker’s sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the chocolate extract and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter beating until well incorporated but still crumbly.
- Divide the dough in half and form into two discs. Roll out each disk between two pieces of parchment paper to ⅛-1/4 inch thickness or a 12x11-inch oval. Chill on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Working with one half at a time, use a 2-inch round or fluted cutter to cut each round into cookies. Roll the scraps up and cut out cookies again – try to get the cookies as close together as possible, so you only had to roll out the scraps 2 times or else the cookies will get more dense and tough.
- Chill the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350°F. One sheet at a time, bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet 1.5-inches apart for 10-11 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, use the bottom of a glass cup to gently press them down so they’re flat and smooth on top. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before using a thin metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling. Repeat with remaining baking sheets.
- While the cookies cool, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter over medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and, if using, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, and salt. Beat until combined. Taste and add more peppermint extract as desired. Fill a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round pastry tip with the frosting.
- Pair the cookies by similar size. Pipe a dollop of frosting onto half the cookies, then gently make a sandwich with the paired cookies. Chill cookies for 20 minutes to set the frosting before eating (or the frosting will ooze out when you bite down!).
Veronica -
Yep those very handsome firefighter's would render me speechless as well! Now let's talk cookies this recipe is amazing! I love your stories and thank you for the recipe!
Alanna -
Zo's not the only one who gets tongue-tied around hunky firefighters! These cookies were soooooo good. Moar please (with matcha)! <3
Kate Maher -
Hi! These look absolutely lovely, but I was wondering if there is an appropriate swap for the almond flour? My fiance is deathly allergic and I know he'd love these. Thanks so much!
Sarah Menanix -
Is he allergic to hazelnuts too? If not, swap in hazelnut flour by weight. If so, while I haven't tried it this way, I think chestnut flour would work! The texture will be a little bit different - slightly less crumbly and more dense, but I'm comparing to my chestnut chocolate graham crackers and I think that would be your best bet and should be delicious! Alternatively I think you could sub in mesquite or buckwheat flour, but similarly think that the texture will be a bit different. I would start with half a batch and go from there! Let me know what you try and how it works out!
bella -
These genuinely look and sound amazing Sarah! Your photos are beautiful per usual, you captured these cookies so well!
Di -
Hello! I was wondering if there's a substitution for the oat flour since I can't have oats? Thank you!
Sarah Menanix -
I haven't tried this recipe without oat flour, but if I were going to test it, I would replace it with millet flour by weight (similar to these sugar cookies). I haven't tested it so I can't guarantee they'll turn out the same, but they'll be cookies, nonetheless;). Let me know if you do try it!
Jay -
Is the an alternative to corn starch? would potato starch work with the same measurements?
Sarah Menanix -
While I haven't tried it in this specific recipe, I've made another similar recipe where I used tapioca starch instead. That's what I would recommend. I don't have a ton of experience with potato starch beyond sourdough bread, so I can't say there!
Michelle -
Hi there! This recipe looks great. I have almond meal, regular non-sweet rice flour and regular sugar... everything else the same. Do you think using these for the almond flour, sweet rice flour and baker's sugar will make too much of a difference? Thank in advance!
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! So sweet rice flour is quite different than regular rice flour - it has stickiness that holds the cookies together. In order to fill them with cream, they need to be sturdy enough that they won't crumble, so while you *might* be able to get a shortbread-like cookie with regular rice flour, they will likely be much too crumbly to fill them with cream.
Michelle -
Thank you for the reply! I made them with the regular rice flour and they tasted great, but you're right they had a more delicate texture, like a chocolate wafer cookie. I'll try them next time with the sweet rice flour! :)
Megha -
Hi Sarah! Do you think it might work if the Sweet Rice Flour was substituted with Tapioca flour? Lockdown restrictions :(
Tanner -
Hi Sarah! Do you think the wafers would have the right consistency to make a crushed Oreo crust? Thank you!
Sarah Menanix -
Ooo - while I haven't tried it, I think it should work! I also have this pie recipe that has a chocolate crust much similar to a crushed oreo crust!
Megha -
Why don't you have star ratings! This is a 10 star!! I used milk flavour in the buttercream and Oh Em Gee! It's just like Oreos.. Muggles say even better! ⭐
Sarah Menanix -
Yay- thank you so much!! The star rating is available within the recipe card itself:)
Megha -
Sarah, you shall be going to heaven for this creation <3 perfect <3
Kristy -
I followed the recipe exactly as written, weighing everything out, refrigerating as instructed, and they completely lost their shape in the oven. Melted together. Luckily I had quick thinking and re-cut them into their Oreo shapes while they were still hot. Was left with a LOT of extra broken cookie pieces, which will be great with ice cream, but it definitely didn't work as written for me. Also, not enough cream filling for the number of cookies it made! Flavor was good at least.
Sarah Menanix -
I'm so sorry this didn't work for you! I'd love to troubleshoot to try to figure out what may have gone wrong. What brand of flours did you use for almond, oat, sweet rice, and corn starch? I've noticed that some brands are more or less finely ground so they soak up liquid and fat better than others. Did you use a similar dutch-processed baking cocoa?
Nora kelly -
Is there any way I can add sourdough discard to this recipe?