Gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe – super thick, chunky and topped with mint green white chocolate. Best of all, this one is super simple to make dairy-free or vegan AND it’s Coeliac-friendly.
Gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe? Yep, and they’re not just any ol’ cookies either. As they’re lovely and thick, you’ll find lots of soft cookie dough and melty chocolate chips inside – trust me, you’ve never had a gluten-free cookie quite like this!
I’ve dedicated the past year or so to recreating ALL of the bakery-style cookies that we always end up missing out on.
And my gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe has been on my list for a while! If you stick to the free from aisle, you’ll be limited to a few decent options, but nothing compared to what you’ll find over in the muggle fresh bakery.
So that’s where I step in! I’ve always dreamt of those crisp on the outside, soft-and-chewy-in-the-middle-type cookies and I’m sure there’s a few of you out there nodding your head whilst reading this.
But dream no longer! Here’s a few reasons why you need to make this if you weren’t convinced already:
Why make my gluten-free mint chocolate cookies?
- They’re super chunky with soft cookie dough in the middle, lots of melty chocolate buttons and an unmistakable mint chocolate flavour.
- Nobody would ever know these cookies are gluten-free – you’ll have to fight to keep the muggles away!
- No xanthan gum required.
- Believe it or not, the cookies you see in the photos are dairy-free AND vegan – see the FAQ section to find out what products I used.
- But of course, if you’re not dairy-free/vegan, this recipe works exactly the same using butter and dairy-filled chocolate too.
So, what do my gluten-free mint chocolate cookies taste like?
Now, I don’t bake a lot of mint chocolate treats that often… and now I can’t believe I’ve neglected this flavour combo for so long!
These cookies are crisp on the outside, topped with a mint green milk chocolate. They’re thick and wonderfully chunky, packed with melted chocolate chips and a soft, chewy, chocolatey cookie dough.
Of course, you get that heavenly mint chocolate flavour in every single bite – it’s both refreshing and indulgent to say the least!
Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe, keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??
Gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe: Ingredients
- gluten-free self raising flour
- cocoa powder
- butter (or hard margarine if dairy-free)
- light brown sugar
- caster sugar
- large egg (or dairy-free milk)
- mint extract
- bicarbonate of soda
- chocolate chips (dairy-free if necessary)
mint chocolate (dairy-free alternative if necessary)
Optional for the topping:
- white chocolate (dairy-free if necessary)
- green food colouring (linked in FAQ section)
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 mint chocolate 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 sure 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.
Can I make your gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe dairy free?
The cookies that you see in the photos are actually dairy-free (and vegan)! Just stick to these dairy-free alternatives like I did:
- Use a hard dairy-free margarine (like Stork) instead of butter
- Ensure your cocoa powder is dairy-free
- Use dairy-free chocolate chips, dairy-free mint chocolate and dairy-free white chocolate
That’s it!
Can I make your gluten-free mint chocolate 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.
Simply use 60ml of dairy-free milk in place of the egg and you’re good to go. You’d never notice the difference!
Is your gluten-free mint chocolate 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!
Is your gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe low FODMAP?
If you use lactose-free chocolate, one cookie would be suitable during the elimination phase of the diet. Just ensure that your chocolate doesn’t contain any other high FODMAP ingredients.
Which mint chocolate did you use?
I actually used Galaxy vegan (and gluten-free) milk chocolate which you can find in Asda. Note: it’s not technically dairy-free because it has a ‘may contain’ warning for milk, but that does still make it suitable for vegans.
If you’re dairy-free, I’ve linked an alternative above.
I recently worked with Galaxy to promote their vegan chocolate over on Instagram, hence why I used it for this recipe. But you can feel free to use any mint chocolate in this that you like!
Which food colouring should I use for the mint-coloured white chocolate?
I always use Sugarflair for any kind of food colouring in baking – it’s a food colouring gel, not a liquid.
It’s far more concentrated, meaning you need to only add a pea-sized amount to get your desired colour. So though a bottle costs £5, it lasts a very long time!
Also, it means you don’t negatively affect the consistency of whatever you’re colouring by adding loads of excess liquid in order to achieve your desired colour.
I just buy mine on Amazon here – I used party green for this one and added it to the white chocolate until I reached a minty green.
Can I make your gluten-free mint chocolate 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 for me as this is quite a thick mixture!
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 mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate cookies?
I’ve recently started using the Callebaut milk chocolate chips (or callets) and I can tell you, though expensive, they are AMAZING.
If you’re dairy-free, I’d recommend the MooFree chocolate chips, which I used in the photos. You can find them in supermarkets, though they don’t seem to indicate that on any of their websites at the mo!
They’re awesome for baking and melt just like the ‘real’ dairy chocolate chips I just mentioned.
Can I make your gluten-free mint chocolate 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!
The gluten-free self-raising flour used in this recipe has a little in it anyway, which is usually more than enough.
How long can I keep your gluten-free mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate 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 1 hour 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 mint chocolate 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 mint chocolate cookies recipe: Method
Ok, so here’s a printable version of my gluten-free mint chocolate 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 Mint Chocolate Cookies Recipe (dairy-free/vegan)
Ingredients
- 270 g gluten-free self raising flour
- 25 g cocoa powder ensure dairy-free if necessary
- 125 g hard margarine softened butter is fine here if you're not dairy-free
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 large egg or 60ml of dairy-free milk if vegan
- 2 tsp mint extract
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g chocolate chips dairy-free if necessary
- 200 g mint chocolate broken up into chunks (dairy-free alternative if necessary - linked in FAQ section)
For the optional green topping:
- 6 cubes white chocolate dairy-free if necessary
- green food colouring I use Sugarflair colours - linked in FAQ section
Instructions
- Cream together your softened vegan butter with both the caster and light brown sugar until fluffy and combined. I use my electric hand mixer for these.
- Add in your milk and mint extract, mix until fairly 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 vegan chocolate chips and mix in so that they’re well distributed.
- Finally add in your vegan mint chocolate and mix once more. (keep a few pieces 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 of the mint chocolate showing as it looks super awesome when they're baked if so! Push a few spare pieces into the top if you can't see many.
- Chill your dough balls for around 1 hour 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.
- *Optionally* to make the mint-coloured, chocolate topping, melt your white chocolate in the microwave (do this gently, ensuring you pause the microwave and mix regularly to avoid burning). Then add a tiny amount of green food colouring until you get your desired colour. (Using Sugarflair food colouring is great as you only need less than a drop to get the right colour).
- Drizzle your green coloured white chocolate all over the cookies, allow to set briefly and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
