Description

Delight in these rich and gooey Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Cookies, featuring a soft cocoa cookie base filled with a luscious dark chocolate center and topped with a fluffy, toasted Swiss meringue. Perfectly balanced in texture and flavor, these cookies offer the ultimate indulgence for gluten-free dessert lovers.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Filling:

75 g (2⅔ oz) dark chocolate (60-80% cocoa solids), chopped
80 g (⅓ cup) heavy/double cream
30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
75 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
⅛ tsp salt

Chocolate Cookie Dough:

170 g (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
150 g (¾ cup) light brown soft sugar
3 US large/UK medium egg yolks, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
280 g (2⅓ cups) plain gluten free flour blend (such as Doves Farm Freee gluten free plain white flour)
45 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) Dutch processed cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum)
½ tsp salt

Additional Ingredients:

100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar

Swiss Meringue:

2 US large/UK medium egg whites
100 g (½ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar (or ½ tsp lemon juice)
½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or baking paper.
Make Chocolate Filling: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the dark chocolate, heavy cream, and butter together until fully melted. Pour into a bowl and let cool until warm. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt, then whisk gently (avoid aerating) until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
Prepare Chocolate Cookie Dough: Cream the softened butter and light brown sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, mixing well. In a separate bowl, whisk gluten free flour blend, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until smooth, scoopable dough forms with no flour clumps.
Shape and Sugar Coat Cookies: Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion dough, roll into balls, then roll in sugar until evenly coated. Place on baking sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Use a 1-tablespoon spoon to make an indent in the center of each dough ball.
Reheat Chocolate Filling if Needed: If the filling has firmed, place its bowl inside a larger bowl with hot water (avoid water entry). Stir until loose but not runny. Do not microwave.
Fill Cookies: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of chocolate filling into each cookie indent, filling to the brim without overflow. No filling should remain.
Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time for 8-9 minutes until cookies have spread slightly and puffed, with filling still slightly wobbly in the center. Keep unbaked sheet at room temperature.
Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet until warm and firm enough to handle; avoid moving while hot to prevent breakage.
Prepare Swiss Meringue: In a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, whisk egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar continuously until mixture reaches 160ºF (70ºC) and sugar dissolves. Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk on high for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and whisk to combine.
Pipe and Toast Meringue: Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with desired tip. Pipe onto warm or room temperature cookies. Toast meringue with a kitchen torch before serving.
Serve: Enjoy cookies warm for gooey centers, or chilled for a fudgy texture. Reheat chilled cookies for 5-10 seconds in microwave if preferred warm.

Notes

Use gluten free flour blends that absorb moisture similarly to Doves Farm FREEE or King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour for best results.
If using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, reduce flour to 75% of recipe weight, then adjust for cookie dough consistency.
Avoid King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour as it causes dry, crumbly dough.
Make Swiss meringue just before serving for best texture; decorated cookies keep for up to 2 days refrigerated.
Cookies without meringue keep 2 days at room temperature or 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
To reheat chocolate filling gently without scrambling the egg, avoid microwaves and use hot water bath method.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet before moving to prevent breakage.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 8-9 minutes per batch
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: gluten free cookies, hot chocolate cookies, chocolate cookies, swiss meringue, gluten free baking, dessert, cocoa cookies, soft cookies