Cookies…cupcakes…cookies…why choose when you can make these melt-in-the-middle gluten free cookie cupcakes instead! Cookie dough pressed into muffin tin moulds, with a melting chocolate or nutella centre, these really are the most delicious afternoon treat.
These gluten free cookie cupcakes are an ideal bake if you are running low on eggs, as they only need 1 medium egg. I’ve kept the volume of ingredients quite small so you don’t end up with a huge batch. If you do want a bigger number, simply double or triple the recipe.
Cookie cupcakes have a short cooking time, meaning you’ll get a lovely caramelised cookie shell with a soft cookie and chocolate middle. Once baked, you can either gobble them hot from the oven (after a few minutes to firm up) or allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to three days.
These babies are awesome microwaved later and eaten with ice-cream or clotted cream for a brilliant pudding. I am basically drooling just thinking about that combo haha!
I’ve tried these with both chocolate and hazelnut chocolate spread (i.e. nutella or a palm oil free alternative) for the filling and both work fabulously. Gu do a palm oil free chocolate spread and Nature’s Store have a dairy free, palm oil free choc spread that is excellent – I tried that one in my latest batch and it baked really well.
Another couple of variations I have in my mind to try: white chocolate chips as the centre; dulche de leche centres; or pistachio nuts in the cookie dough mix and a dark chocolate centre.
Gluten Free Cookie Cupcakes (Makes 9)
Ingredients
- 60g (2.1oz) salted butter
- 150g (5.3 oz) soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 medium egg
- 160g (5.6oz) gluten free plain flour
- 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 75g (2.6oz) milk chocolate chips/75ml (2.5 fl oz) hazelnut chocolate spread
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C (fan).
- Grease 9 holes of a non-stick muffin tray with a little butter or margarine.
- Take a large bowl and cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Add the egg and the vanilla essence and continue to mix.
- Next, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and xanthan gum into the bowl. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined. You want to end up with a soft cookie dough mixture, which can be rolled without sticking to your hands too much but that is still soft and pliable and has a sheen. If the mix is too sticky, add a little flour. If too dry, add a little milk.
- Now divide the mix into 4 pieces and set one side.
- Make 3 balls of cookie dough from each of the remaining 3 pieces and place a ball into each hole of the muffin tin (you will end up with 9). Press each ball into the tin – you want to end up with a little dough cup, with hollow in the middle and the cookie dough raised up the sides of the muffin mould.
- Sprinkle a few chocolate chips or spoon a tsp of chocolate spread into each of the little cookie dough cups.
- Using the remaining quarter of the dough, break into 12 pieces and press out into little circles to cover the tops of your cookie cups. These don’t need to be super neat, as you can gently press the edges of the cookie lid into the cup. The aim is to cover the chocolate centres.
- Now bake for 12 minutes until slightly golden, for a gluten free cookie cupcake that is lovely and soft inside.
- Allow the gluten free cookie cupcakes to cool a little before you remove them from the tin – they should pop out easily if you gently twist them with you fingers – then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
To Serve
Serve warm with ice-cream or allow to cool and save them for a treat later on! They are best consumed in the first couple of days, but if you have some left over after a few days (a miracle if they last that long without being scoffed!) then a quick blast in the microwave will melt those centres and freshen up the dough.
For more baking inspiration, check out one of my other gluten free recipes while you are here:
Enjoy! x
