Gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe – super thick, chunky and packed with tons of melty Cadbury chocolate orange buttons. And yes, they’re gluten-free!
Gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe? Since Terry’s chocolate orange isn’t gluten-free (it has a ‘may contain’ warning), I’ve been waiting for a safe alternative I can bake with… and the wait is finally over.
Sometimes you just NEED a SUPER thick cookie that’s crisp on the outside and packed with loads of soft cookie dough in the middle.
So no – these aren’t your average cookies you’d find out in the wild – they’re about an inch thick! And that’s what makes them so amazing.
(and yes, I’m gonna teach you how to make them in this recipe today!)
Muggles get to enjoy cookies like this and I estimated that it would be about 10,000 decades before a gluten-free version came along. So I sped up the process a little and made my own!
Here’s a few reasons why you need to make this:
Why make my gluten-free chocolate orange cookies?
- They’re super chunky and like soft cookie dough in the middle with lots of melty chocolate orange buttons.
- Nobody would ever know these cookies are gluten-free – you’ll have to fight to keep the muggles away!
- No xanthan gum required.
- This recipe uses Cadbury chocolate orange buttons which are gluten-free. What a discovery!
- Believe it or not, you can actually make these dairy-free – see the FAQ section to find out what products to use instead.
So, what do my gluten-free chocolate orange cookies taste like?
For starters, they blow any ol’ average gluten-free cookie out of the water. They’re crisp on the outside with the immediate taste of that epic combo: chocolate and orange.
The middle of each cookie is packed with soft, gooey cookie dough and tons of melty chocolate orange buttons and choc chips.
As they’re so thick, every bite is chunky and heavenly – you won’t want to eat a ‘regular’ cookie ever again!
Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe, keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method…
So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling.
But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time making this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!
Gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe: Frequently asked questions
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products. Double check your sprinkles to make sure they’re gf too.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe dairy free?
The Cadbury’s chocolate orange buttons I use aren’t dairy-free, but fortunately, dairy-free chocolate orange buttons are surprisingly easy to find.
You can find small bags of chocolate orange buttons in Asda that will do the exact same job. However, you’d need 10 packets for this recipe!
If you didn’t fancy buying so many separate, small packets, you can always use two slabs of roughly chopped dairy-free chocolate orange like this instead.
Don’t forget to use a hard dairy-free margarine instead of butter too.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe vegan?
Yes! Follow the advice above to make these dairy-free, then all you’re left to contend with is a single egg.
Here’s a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg. I’d recommend using aquafaba or an egg replacement powder.
- 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (whisked until frothy) – water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
- Egg replacement powder – I’d recommend using Orgran as it’s gluten free.
- 1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
I haven’t tested all of these egg-replacements so let me know how you get on in the comments below this post.
Is your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe nut free?
Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, but of course, make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use to bake this cake just to be safe.
Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.
You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first!
At the time of writing, Cadbury’s chocolate orange buttons have no allergy warnings for nuts.
Is your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe low FODMAP?
Not without making some swaps, due to the high quantity of dairy in Cadbury’s chocolate orange buttons.
However, if you were to replace them with lactose-free chocolate buttons as well as lactose-free chocolate chips, then this recipe would be suitable for the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.
Ensure any chocolate used doesn’t contain any high FODMAP ingredients.
Are Cadbury chocolate orange buttons gluten-free?
Yes, Cadbury chocolate orange buttons are gluten-free! That’s right, no gluten-containing ingredients and no ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, barley etc.
According to Coeliac UK, that makes them safe for us to eat!
Please ensure you check the ingredients when buying them in case things change, but as of the time of writing, these are suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Where can I find Cadbury chocolate orange buttons?
You can find them in any supermarket down the confectionary aisle with all the sharing bags of chocolate.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies in a food processor or standing mixer? Can I make it by hand?
Of course you can, though I actually use an electric hand whisk to make these. You don’t need to mix in the ingredients for long periods at all, so a food processor or standing mixer feels a little overkill for me.
A stand mixer is preferable over a food processor as the blade can end up tearing through all your chocolate orange buttons a little too much for my liking.
But of course, you can make this entirely by hand too – just make sure everything is evenly mixed and you don’t leave any pockets of unmixed flour.
Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies?
In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them.
A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.
For example, adding too much flour can make things dry and crumbly, whereas not adding enough sugar means it’ll lose its crisp exterior. I don’t want you to be disappointed, so please weigh your ingredients!
I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.
What chocolate chips should I use to bake your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies?
I’ve recently started using the Callebaut milk chocolate chips (or callets) and I can tell you, though expensive, they are AMAZING.
You definitely don’t need to use them for this recipe, but I thought I’d share what I used in the photos. They’re perfect for baking and come out perfectly melty!
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies without sugar?
I can understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but sugar is integral to the structure of this bake – it’s not just for adding a sweet taste!
Sugar helps to achieve that nice crisp finish as well as working harmoniously with the butter and flour to achieve a specific consistency.
So yeah, remove/reduce the sugar at your own risk!
Can I use other sugar apart from light brown sugar in this recipe?
Brown sugar is unrefined and contains molasses which makes these cookies taste like… well, like awesome, bakery-style cookies!
You’re welcome to substitute it for more caster sugar, but I’d always recommend using light brown sugar for these if you can. The end result is always better.
Can I make this recipe using other gluten free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?
There’s a big difference between ‘gluten free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten free flour.
When I say ‘gluten free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten free flours, not just one, singular flour. I buy mine down the free from aisle of my local supermarket.
Definitely go for a gluten free flour blend.
Does this recipe need xanthan gum?
You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s often an essential ingredient in gluten free baking. But not with cookies – it’s not required!
How long can I keep your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies for?
I’ve kept my cookies for around 4-5 days and they still taste as good as they day they were made. Obviously store them in an air-tight container too.
You can always reheat them for 30 seconds in the microwave at 900W for the ‘fresh out of the oven’ feel too.
When they lose the crispiness on the outside, they’re probably starting to get past their best.
Can I freeze your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies?
Of course! I’ve frozen them for up to a month and after allowing them to fully thaw, you’d never know they were frozen. One cookie should take around 3-4 hours to thaw at room temperature.
After thawing, I’d recommend baking them in the oven for 5 minutes or so just to remove any excess moisture before enjoying them warm though.
Can I print your gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe?
Of course! Just hit the print button located on the recipe below (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)
Troubleshooting
My gluten-free chocolate orange cookies weren’t soft in the middle – they were hard and crunchy.
Sounds like they were over-baked. So either your oven is way too hot or you’re leaving them in too long.
Remember, that we just want a slightly crisp outside, leaving them soft and chewy in the middle. We’re not aiming for hard biscuits here so don’t over-bake them!
My gluten-free chocolate orange cookies didn’t spread much and they’re really thick!
Yes – that means you did it right!
The whole reason we freeze the balls for 40 minutes is to minimise how much they spread in the oven.
That means a lovely crisp exterior, but with a lovely gooey, melty middle. These aren’t like your bog-standard, flat cookies – they’re supposed to be super thick and indulgent.
My gluten-free chocolate orange cookies spread too much and are flat like pancakes!
The number one reason for this is not chilling your cookie dough balls for long enough, or not chilling them at all.
We chill them to ensure they don’t spread too much as these aren’t supposed to be thin cookies – they’re supposed to be thick!
Also, make sure you use butter or a HARD block of margarine, not the kind of margarine you spread on toast. It’s too soft and not suitable for cookies – the cookie dough will basically melt in the oven.
Gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe: Method
Ok, so here’s a printable version of my gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️ Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post.
Gluten-free Chocolate Orange Cookies Recipe (dairy-free option)
Gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe – super easy to make and you'd never know they were Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free too. See the FAQ section for advice on how to make this dairy-free.
SERVINGS: 9
PREP TIME: 15 minutes mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour hr 7 minutes mins
PRINT RECIPE
4.74 from 26 votes
Ingredients
- 255 g gluten-free self raising flour
- 25 g cocoa powder ensure dairy-free if necessary
- 125 g butter softened (dairy-free hard margarine if necessary)
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp orange extract / 1 orange zested
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g milk chocolate chips dairy-free if necessary
- 220 g Cadbury chocolate orange buttons dairy-free alternative linked in FAQ section
Instructions
Cream together your softened butter with both the caster and light brown sugar until fluffy and combined. I use my electric hand mixer for these.
Add in your egg and orange extract, mix until combined.
Add in your gluten free flour, sifted cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well so there are no pockets of flour.
Add your milk chocolate chips and mix in so that they’re well distributed.
Finally add in your chocolate orange buttons and mix once more. (keep a few to one side to push into the top)
Roll your mixture into balls. Mine weigh around 110g each. Roll them really roughly so they are not smooth balls, its nice for them to have rough edges and ensure theres some chocolate orange buttons showing as they’ll look super awesome when they’re baked if so! Push a few spare buttons into the top if you can’t see many.
Chill your dough balls for around 40 minutes in the freezer ideally (or longer in the fridge).
Whilst they are chilling, preheat your oven to 180C Fan / 200C. Place 1-2 large prepared (non stick baking paper) baking trays in the oven to heat up too.
When the cookie balls are chilled enough, open your oven and place 4 balls spaced apart on your tray (they spread so no more than 4 – although the cocoa powder prevents too much spread I find!). Place in the oven for about 11-12 minutes. The cookies will still be a little gooey and have a hump in the middle when done. You want the hump – you don’t want them to be flat!!
Allow to completely cool for a good 15 minutes on the tray before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. They have a crisp outer and a soft middle. Tuck in and enjoy!
Notes
You can make these smaller if you wish, you might want to reduce the cooking time if so by a minute or two depending on the size difference.
You can cook these for slightly longer if you want them more flat and cooked but not too long, or else they’ll be overdone.
You can keep the cookie balls frozen for longer and just cook them whenever you fancy a cookie. If they have been frozen for longer, they might need a minute or two more in the oven.
Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free chocolate orange cookies recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me onInstagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
