A short and sweet post today to share these chocolate biscuits, baked gluten free and perfect for snacking or for making a crumb base for cheesecakes and pies. I made these in preparation for another recipe coming soon.
These simple gluten free chocolate biscuits are versatile: they make sturdy cut-out cookies that hold up to fondant or royal icing, and they also crush down into rich chocolate crumbs for cheesecake and pie bases. I won’t spend too long describing how chocolatey or crisp they are — instead, here are the practical reasons I love them and a few tips to get the best result.
The dough is based on a tried-and-true cookie recipe that is easy to work with. It rolls evenly, doesn’t spread much while baking, and gives a firm biscuit that won’t fall apart when decorated. That makes them ideal if you plan to cut matching fondant or icing shapes to place on top. If, on the other hand, you’re making these purely to crush into crumbs, you can shape the dough into a log in the fridge and slice off rounds — no need to bother with cutters or pretty shapes when the end goal is a crumb crust.
For ease I used only two gluten free flours: brown rice and tapioca starch. That combination worked well here, producing a smooth dough and a pleasant texture in the finished biscuits. One advantage of gluten free dough is that you can re-roll it several times without worrying about overworking gluten, so you’ll get nearly every last cookie out of the batch.
Below is the recipe I use. It makes about 24 medium biscuits and includes timing, ingredients and straightforward instructions so you can bake these with confidence.
Simple Gluten Free Chocolate Biscuits
Ingredients
- 280 g gluten free flour (I used 170g brown rice flour + 110g tapioca flour/starch)
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 175 g sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- Sift together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly so there are no lumps.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand beater, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then stir in the dry ingredients until a dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knead just until smooth and joined. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for around 30 minutes until firm.
- Roll the chilled dough out between two sheets of baking paper to about 5mm thick. Use wooden dowels or guides if you want an even thickness. Slide the dough on its paper onto a baking sheet and chill again until firm.
- Remove the top sheet of baking paper and cut shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cut biscuits on baking paper-lined trays. Re-roll scraps as needed and chill shaped biscuits on the trays for 20 minutes before baking. Alternatively, shape the dough into a log, chill until firm, then slice into 5mm rounds to make crumbs or quick rounds.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake biscuits for 12–17 minutes depending on size; medium biscuits take around 14 minutes. They should be just darkening slightly at the edges.
- Allow the biscuits to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
Use a good-quality cocoa powder for the best flavour. Natural cocoa gives a classic chocolate taste, while Dutched (alkalised) cocoa will be milder and darker in colour. Chilling the dough before baking helps prevent the biscuits from spreading and improves texture.
If your biscuits turn out a little gritty, try swapping one of the flours for a different brand that is more finely ground, or try another gluten free flour entirely. Some store-bought gluten free blends can be grainy; experimenting with different flours will help you find the best texture for your pantry and taste.
For crumbs: bake small rounds or slice a chilled dough log and crush the baked biscuits in a food processor or by placing them in a sealed bag and using a rolling pin. These chocolate crumbs make an excellent base for cheesecakes and tarts. Chilling the shaped biscuits on the tray before baking keeps edges neat and reduces spread, which is especially useful when you want uniform crumbs or uniform cookie shapes.
Nutrition (per biscuit, approximate): 108 kcal, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 5 g fat.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Any nutritional information provided is an estimate and intended as a guide only.
And here’s what I used my chocolate cookie crumbs for: a crunchy almond Toblerone cheesecake that balances creamy filling with a rich chocolate crumb base — a delicious way to repurpose these biscuits.
~Natalie
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