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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!
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.
My gluten free oatmeal cream pies is also amazing, it has a deliciously sweet filling in between the cookies.
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.
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.
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 oreo cheesecake.
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!
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.
Gluten Free Oreos Recipe
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.
Video
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Notes
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ma’am… this recipe is so fucking amazing I had to stop mid‑bite and come thank you personally. I made the gluten‑free Oreos and they came out PERFECT — like, dangerous-level perfect. Crispy, chocolatey, the filling is spot-on… I’m honestly offended at how good they are. Thank you for blessing the gluten-free world with this magic.
Meredith, you made me LOL. Thank you for blessing me with your enthusiasm, and I’m so glad you loved the cookies!!
Would these work to make the Oreo crumb portion of an ice cream cake (DQ copycat)?
Hi, Amy, yes! Definitely. I actually have a recipe for gluten free ice cream cake with a cookie crunch layer, and you could definitely use these Oreos for that portion. I would cut the rolled out dough into squares with a pastry or pizza wheel rather than cutting out rounds, to make your life easier, though.
This is so exciting! Thank you! Do you ever use these to make a pie crust? I would assume that you wouldn’t go to all the work of making them into sandwiches first, so I’m curious if you’ve ever determined a ratio of cookie to filling for mixing up a pie crust. Ice cream pie with an Oreo crust is my son’s favorite dessert, but I can’t find a commercial Oreo-style cookie that he can tolerate.
Hi, Shelly, I don’t like to use the filling for an Oreo cookie crust because I find the extra fat in the filling makes the crust too greasy. So I wouldn’t fill them for the crust. If you want to see exactly how I make an Oreo cookie crust, please see my recipe for no bake Oreo cheesecake.
These look amazing! Can you tell if the cookie is crunchy or soft?
They’re crunchy, Maria! Like they’re meant to be. :)
what is meringue powder, and where do i find this.?
Thank-You
As I discuss in the post, Debra, I recommend Lorann or AmeriColor brands of meringue powder. It’s available online and in some larger craft stores. Google sources!
How well beaten is the egg white?
Just beat it until uniform with the whole egg, Esther. It doesn’t matter that much!
This is my kids’ favourite cookie recipe!
R
I loved the story you shared with me over email, Rosemary, about how your daughter wasn’t interested in the packaged ones, having grown up with this recipe. That’s my kind of kid!
Just to throw it out there, Glutino makes a pretty good gluten free Oreo. For those with little time or are in pinch for an Oreo craving.
I’d recommend Nabisco over Glutino, JC. I discuss the packaged cookies extensively in the post.