These vegan and gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies are so delicious and a perfect allergy friendly alternative to oreos! Grab a few and enjoy with a cold glass of milk.
When I was deciding what recipes to share in my 31 Day series, I thought about what foods and treats I loved when I was little. Oreos immediately popped into my mind, as that was probably my favorite store bought cookie. If you stacked up all the Oreos I ate as a child and young adult, I wonder how tall the stack would be? Probably pretty tall.
Then I started thinking about the fact that my five year old has never had a real Oreo! And that seems sad, somehow, although I am not a fan of the high fructose corn syrup inside. We’ve tried the store bought gluten free variety, and they are just okay, not our favorite.
I decided to make vegan and gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies, and although they do not taste exactly like oreos, they are really, really, really good. Just ask my five year old.
What size cookie cutter works best for these sandwich cookies?
I used a two-inch round cookie cutter. You could use a slightly smaller or larger one if you wish. A biscuit cutter would also work!
How do I keep gluten free cookies from spreading?
If you chill the dough, and then work quickly to roll it out while it’s still cool, the cookies should not spread too much during baking.
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Vegan and Gluten Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup vegan buttery spread softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups gluten free flour*
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 2 Tablespoon vegan buttery spread melted
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Make the cookie dough:
Beat vegan buttery spread and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the applesauce, mix until combined.
- Combine gluten free flour, cocoa, and salt and add to the wet ingredients a little at a time until incorporated.
- Divide dough into 2 equal parts; flatten each portion into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place 1 portion of dough on a lightly floured surface, and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Make sure your rolling pin is coated with GF flour. If you haven’t tried to roll GF dough before, it can be sticky! Flouring the surface and the pin help make it easier.
- Cut out round shapes with a two inch fluted biscuit cutter like this. Carefully lift the rounds up with a thin spatula and transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet. Leave about 1.5 inches between cookies.
Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes for 2 inch cookies. Keep an eye on them, since the dough is dark, it’s hard to tell when they are done! Don’t let them burn! Let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks.
Make the filling:
With a hand mixer, mix the butter and non-dairy milk. Add the confectioner’s sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until smooth.
- The filling should be thick but spreadable. You may not need all of the confectioner’s sugar. (The filling does indeed taste exactly like oreo filling. Yay!)
- Once the cookies are completely cool, frost one cookie and then top with another cookie and press together. These should be stored in the refrigerator due to the non-dairy milk in the filling.
Recipe Notes
*A number of gluten free flour blends work well here: Namaste Perfect Flour Blend, Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, Trader Joe's Gluten Free Flour Blend, Living Now Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour. Make sure you choose a flour that is safe for your dietary needs.
If you can't have applesauce, try prune puree or beet puree.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container.
These vegan and gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies are:
- perfect for packing in school lunches
- allergy friendly
- a tasty treat that all can enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these vegan and gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies! They are really yummy with milk, or with hot chocolate, as we discovered the other day. :)
If you could recreate a store bought cookie to fit your nutritional needs, what one would it be?
We had friends visiting, and their daughter has serious gluten issues. We wanted them to feel free to eat and relax, so I was delighted to find such a kid-friendly recipe! I did use butter instead of the vegan spread, and it worked just fine. The only complaint (from my own children, naturally!) was that I failed to make these “double stuff” filled. Both kids and adults were very pleased with the cookies, and not one cookie made it past lunch. Thanks for your site!
Thank you so much!! These taste AMAZING!!
I brought them to a family gathering and no one could tell it was gluten free and vegan!!
So glad you liked these! Thanks for letting me know!
I’m assuming BRM biscuit & baking mix already contains baking powder…If I use a gf flour blend instead of a premade baking mix, do you think I should add baking powder & baking soda? I would like them to be more of a wafer than a puffy cookie. What’s your opinion? TIA! :)
I remember those commercials where two people twisted open an oreo to see who got the most cream! Those cookies would always break when I tried doing that with a friend (or by myself).
Absolutely LOVE this healthy version of one of my childhood favorite cookies!
ohhhh YES! Yum! This is one cookie I would have requested to be recreated! Or maybe those ice cream sandwiches- Not sure if you have them, but they are called Maxibons- So good!
Wow, I had no idea what Maxibons were, so I looked them up…they look amazing! And no, we don’t have them here, so now I’m sad. Thanks a lot, Arman! ;)
How fun are these! Perfect allergy-free solution!
Thanks, Rebecca!
These look so yummy!! Just like a guilt-free cross between an oreo and whoopee pie :)
These cookies look amazing! I’d never tell they’re vegan and gluten free, they sound better than most! x
they look yummy!
These look great! (and simple!)
How long do they last with the filling in before the cookie gets soft?
I don’t know, because they lasted for a few days only (we ate them up!) and the cookies were still firm. I did store them in the fridge though, because the filling contains almond milk.
in my opinion the oreo is the perfect cookie. warm chocolate chip from the oven are great, but there is something about that store bought cookie dipped in milk that is tough to resist. can’t wait to try this gf option. looking forward to some other gf goodness during your 31 days!
I know…that’s how I feel about oreos! The dipping in milk is a key factor! Thanks for stopping by!
I didn’t grow up eating Oreos, but these look so good. Excited to try them!
Thanks, Janelle! I hope you like them!