stack of 3 homemade gluten free oreos with the top one with a piece missing

5 from 18 votes

Prep Time : 25

Cook Time : 15

Homemade gluten free Oreos, crisp chocolate wafer cookies with plenty of sweet cream filling, are so easy to make from scratch.

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Homemade gluten free Oreos, crisp chocolate wafer cookies with plenty of sweet cream filling, are so easy to make from scratch. A fun homemade alternative to Nabisco!

Pile of chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling on a white scalloped cake plate with one cookie on top with a bite taken

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Why I love these homemade gluten free Oreos

When I first developed this recipe for homemade gluten free Oreos, Nabisco didn't make a gluten free chocolate sandwich cookie of any kind. There were other gluten free cookie brands that made pretty good ones, including “gluten free Joe-Joe's” from Trader Joe's.

The fact that Nabisco now makes a few gluten free Oreo varieties, it's even more fun to make this homemade version. They're not quite as thin as the packaged kind, but I never liked how thin the chocolate wafer cookie is in Oreos.

Our homemade version is richer than the original, since the cookies are made with tons of cocoa powder and even some melted chocolate. And the filling is yours to customize, since they still don't make any of the flavored Oreos gluten free. Try chocolate or lemon frosting.

Raw brown circles of dough on brown paper on a gold colored baking tray

Do gluten free Oreos taste any different?

It's been a long time since I've had a conventional, gluten-containing Oreo. But both of my daughters eat gluten outside the house (it's my son who has to be gluten free).

I asked my gluten-eating daughters if the packaged gluten free Oreos taste any different. I think they're the best judge. Their response: “not really.”

The Nabisco gluten free Oreos are a super-close version of the original favorite sandwich cookie. They're crispy and chocolatey, and the filling is just right.

The chocolate cookies stick in your teeth like they're supposed to do. And I do love that my gluten free son can feel super normal, eating “regular” Oreos.

Baked round brown on brown paper on a gold colored baking tray

What are the ingredients in gluten free Oreos?

According to Nabisco, the ingredients in gluten free Oreos are:

sugar, white rice flour, tapioca starch, palm oil, canola oil, whole oat flour, cornstarch, cocoa processed with alkali), invert sugar, soy lecithin, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, chocolate, artificial flavor

You'll notice that one of the ingredients is “whole oat flour.” Although oats are gluten free when they're sourced properly, Nabisco doesn't specify that their oat flour is made from certified gluten free oats.

However, Nabisco's gluten free Oreos are certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO). The GFCO is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group, or GIG. I happily use Nabisco's gf chocolate sandwich cookies, for example, in my gluten free no bake Oreo cheesecake.

Hand holding a baked round chocolate cookie and placing it on top of filling that's on another cookie

Flavor variations

One of the fun things about Oreos is all of their crazy colors and flavors. Gluten free Oreos come in regular filling and “double-stuff,” but otherwise are only available as the classic chocolate sandwich cookie with white cream filling.

When you make your own cookies, you can flavor or color them any way you like. To make vanilla Oreos, you'd need a separate recipe (it's in my book, Gluten Free Classic Snacks, too). But that doesn't mean we don't have options.

For a chocolate filling variation

In place of the 4 cups (460 g) of confectioners’ sugar, use 3 1/2 cups (400 g) of confectioners’ sugar plus 3/4 cup (60 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Begin by adding 3 cups (345 g) of the confectioners’ sugar and all the cocoa powder along with the meringue powder. Then, add up to the remaining 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, if necessary, to thicken the frosting.

Lemon filling variation

Replace 1 tablespoon of the milk with the juice of 1 lemon, and add finely grated zest of 1 lemon. You could do this with any other citrus fruit, too.

Lime sounds really good to me. You could even make a gluten free key lime pie version!

Round chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling and one with a lid partially on

Ingredient substitution suggestions

Dairy free

There's dairy in both the cookies recipe and in the filling recipe. You should be able to replace the butter in both with vegan butter—as long as you use Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen brand.

Vegan butter has a similar moisture content to dairy butter. Earth Balance buttery sticks and other margarine-type butter alternatives have a lot more moisture.

When there's too much moisture in the cookies, they won't keep their shape during baking. And when the butter alternative has too much moisture in the filling, it'll be too soft.

Egg free

There's egg in both the cookie recipe (1 egg and 1 egg white), and in the filling in the form of meringue powder. The egg should be able to be replaced with 1 “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). I'm not sure if aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas) can be used to replace the egg white.

If you can't have egg, or you simply don't have meringue powder (LorAnn and AmeriColor brands are gluten free), you can leave it out. There isn't a substitute that will stiffen the frosting, other than just using more confectioners' sugar.

Stack of 3 chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling with a bite taken from the top cookie, all on black surface

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Gluten Free Oreos Recipe

Homemade gluten free Oreos, crisp chocolate wafer cookies with plenty of sweet cream filling, are so easy to make from scratch.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 15

Yield: 30 sandwich cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

For the cookies

2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I like Better Batter here; click through for full info on appropriate blends)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
1 cup (80 g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder natural will work, too
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
1 (25 g) egg white at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling

10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) milk at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons meringue powder
4 cups (460 g) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Prepare the cookies.

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.
In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the butter and chocolate and melt over a double boiler until smooth. Alternatively, melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts at about 70% power until melted and smooth.
To the chocolate mixture, add the granulated sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla, and mix until very smooth.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Mix to combine, and then knead the dough with your hands to bring it together.
Place the dough between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/4-inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut out rounds using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Pull away the surrounding cookie dough, and remove the rounds from the paper. Place the rounds 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are dry to the touch (about 15 minutes).
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. They will crisp as they cool.

Prepare the filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, place the butter, milk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Raise the speed to high and beat until creamy.
Add the salt, meringue powder, and about 3 1/2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated.
Add up to the remaining 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, if necessary, to thicken the frosting.

Assemble the cookies

Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch open piping top. When the cookies are cool, invert half of them and pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling onto the inverted cookies.
Top with the remaining cookies, right-side up, and push down gently to form a sandwich.

Notes

Chocolate filling variation: In place of the 4 cups (460 g) of confectioners’ sugar, use 3 1/2 cups (400 g) of confectioners’ sugar plus 3/4 cup (60 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder. Begin by adding 3 cups (345 g) of the confectioners’ sugar and all the cocoa powder along with the meringue powder. Then, add up to the remaining 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, if necessary, to thicken the frosting.

Lemon filling variation: Replace 1 tablespoon of the milk with the juice of 1 lemon, and add finely grated zest of 1 lemon.

Storage recommendations.
The filled cookies can be stored in a sealed glass container at room temperature and should maintain their texture for about 5 days.
For longer storage, seal the unfilled chocolate cookies tightly in freezer-safe wrap or container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature and fill as directed before serving.

Adapted from the book Gluten-Free Classic Snacks: 100 Recipes for the Brand Name Treats You Love, by Nicole Hunn. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2015.