If you’ve never had a madeleine before, you’re in for a treat, especially this festive version. These gluten-free chocolate madeleines are soft and cake-like in the center with just the right crispy edge, and the cool hint of peppermint makes them perfect for the holidays. Whether you drizzle them with icing or dip them in chocolate and crushed candy canes, they’re beautiful on a cookie tray and easy to make ahead.
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If you love those adorable little French Madeleine cookies you see in bakeries, this gluten-free peppermint Madeleines recipe is going to be a treat for you.
These chocolate Madeleine cookies are chocolaty, minty, and completely irresistible. You can dress them up with icing, dip them in chocolate, add crushed candy canes, or just enjoy them plain. If you love holiday cookies as much as we do, you will want to try all of my delicious gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes.
A Note From My Kitchen
The holidays are my favorite time to reimagine classics with fun flavor twists. These gluten-free chocolate madeleines are rich, minty, and festive. I tested this recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure blends, and both worked well. Other blends also work. Just know it is okay to make adjustments to the batter if needed. If your batter feels too runny or too thick, you can adjust it easily with a tablespoon of flour or milk. These bake beautifully in a madeleine pan, but if you don’t have one, you can bake them drop-style like cookies.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Other blends will work, but you may need to tweak the moisture levels. Read my Gluten-Free Flour Guide for more tips about using the right flour blends.
- Almond Flour – I recommend almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal is a thicker grind, making your cookies grainy.
- Xanthan Gum – If your flour blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Read Why Binders are Needed in Gluten-Free Baking for more information.
- Cocoa Powder – There are several good cocoa powders that are gluten-free, including Ghirardelli, Anthony’s, and Hershey’s.
- Icing – Make your own with powdered sugar and milk, or buy this pre-made icing by Wilton.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. Swap vegan butter if you would like your Madeleines to be dairy-free.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Madeleines (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add your wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix until just “barely” mixed. This will help to keep your Madeleines light and fluffy in the middle.
Step 4: This is an image of your batter’s consistency. The batter should be soft but thicker than pancake batter.
👀 Sandi Says: If you don’t have a Madeleine pan, you can make them drop-style on a
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Step 5: Add this batter to a non-stick madeleine pan. Bake them at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes. When adding the batter, remember not to overfill each section of the pan because they will rise.
Step 6: Carefully remove the Madeleines from the pan and place them onto a cooling rack. Decorate them when they are fully cooled.
If you enjoy baking Madeleines, try my Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines or these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Madeleines recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I lightly spray my Madeleine pan with coconut oil spray. This helps crisp the edges of the Madeleines.
Yes. Use vegan butter and plant-based milk.
These Madeleines will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
There are several gluten-free cocoa brands available, including Anthony’s, Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, and Nativas.
For more cookie tips, read my Gluten-Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide and my Gluten-Free Baking Tips.
More Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies!
You can make this gluten-free Madeleines recipe for holiday cookie exchanges, teacher gifts, or just eating with a glass of milk like my kids.
- Gluten Free Vanillekipferl
- Gluten Free Ginger Cookies
- Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Madeleines
Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
- ¾ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¼ cup almond flour * see note
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder * see note
- ⅔ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter * see note
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Icing I used Wilton’s
- Crushed peppermint candy or candy canes
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum (if needed) until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and milk until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix until just combined. Do not overmix the batter should be thicker than pancake batter, but soft enough to scoop
- If the batter seems too runny, add 1 tablespoon of flour. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Lightly spray your madeleine pan with gluten-free spray or an oil spray. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of batter into each well. Don’t overfill each section because the batter will puff up.
- Bake at 350ºF for 10–12 minutes. The edges should be lightly crisp, and the centers soft but set.
- Let the madeleines cool in the pan for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Once cool, decorate with icing, melted chocolate, or crushed candy canes.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. Other blends should work, but you may need to tweak the moisture level.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- I highly recommend using almond flour instead of almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter with vegan butter.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk because it is too thick.
- If you don’t have a Madeleine pan, you can bake these drop-style on a cookie sheet.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer. Freeze cooled Madeleines in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Yum! and gluten-free! I will have to try these for our cookie exchange…can they be made without the madeline pan?
Hi Amanda,
You don’t need the Madeleine pan…they can just be cookie shaped.