These gluten free skeleton cookies are shaped like gingerbread men but with a fun, spooky twist. Each cookie has a skeleton design drawn with royal icing, which adds a playfully eerie vibe. Rich, chocolaty, and perfectly crispy, they are a festive treat for Halloween.
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Happy Halloween!! I love creating fun treats during this time of year. My newest gluten free chocolate cookie recipe is perfect for a Halloween party! Imagine a Halloween party set in a dimly lit room decorated with flickering candles and spooky treats! These cookies would be the star of the party!
I based this gluten free chocolate cut-out cookie recipe on my Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcake Cookie recipe, but I modified it a bit so it would hold up to cookie cutters. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! You may also love these Gluten Free Black Velvet Whoopie Pies.
If you love cookies, I have 100s of yummy Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes for you to try!
Allergen Information:
These homemade skeleton cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, oat-free, and soy-free. To make these cookies dairy-free, use dairy-free chocolate chips and plant-based butter.
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my recipes. I recommend chilling the dough with any flour blend.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also works well in this recipe. Again, chilling the dough is important; it gives this blend a chance for the rice flour to soften and eliminate grit.
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 with the two blends listed above. If you use another blend, you may need to add more flour or butter. If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
- Black Cocoa Powder – To make these cookies black, I used black cocoa powder. It has a rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking Powder—I use a tiny bit of baking powder in this recipe. If you can, use aluminum-free.
- Brown Sugar – I used brown sugar to keep the color dark. You can use cane sugar if you prefer.
- Eggs – Use size large eggs.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Chocolate Chips – I used Enjoy Life chips, but there are many gluten free brands of chocolate chips.
Tips For Success
1. Chilling the dough is vital for your cookies to hold their shape while baking.
2. Do not put a batch of cookies on a hot baking sheet. When they touch the hot pan, the cookies will start to bake and may spread in the oven.
3. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. It is much easier to slide the cookies onto the cooling rack.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the butter and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 25-second intervals until the butter is melted. Stir to mix the melted butter and chocolate chips.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a stand mixer bowl. This includes the egg, butter, and chocolate combination, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
👀 Sandi Says: if you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the wet ingredients with a whisk in a mixing bowl.
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Step 3: Slowly add the dry ingredients, including the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and salt. You can mix by hand in a mixing bowl as well if you prefer.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all of the flour mixed in. Mix for 25-30 seconds until it becomes cookie dough.
Step 5: Place the chocolate cookie dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 45-60 minutes. This not only chills your dough so it rolls out nicely, but it also gives the rice flour time to soften so the cookies are not gritty.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust a little flour on the silicone mat if your dough is sticky. Place it on a silicone mat and use a rolling pin to roll it to 1/2 inch thickness.
Step 7: Cut out the cookies using a gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Step 8: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Remove the cookies from the oven and slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack. Make sure the cookies are fully cooled before decorating!
When the cookies are cooled you can decorate them with royal icing. I used Judee’s Royal Icing Powder. It is made in a dedicated gluten-free factory. If you prefer to make homemade royal icing, use the recipe in my Gluten-Free Cut Out Cookie recipe.
Fill a small squeeze bottle with royal icing. I really love this icing set, that I bought on Amazon because it comes with a few bottles and a funnel, so you can pour it easily.
You can make any decoration on the cookies. I like to make skeletons and mummies. You can also have fun with googly eyes or sprinkles. Check my sprinkles list to make sure your sprinkles are gluten free!
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can use regular cocoa powder; just note your cookies will not have a vibrant black color.
Store these cookies in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days. If you don’t eat them quickly, they freeze very well. To freeze them, put the cookies into a freezer-safe freezer bag and freeze them.
Gluten-Free Related Reading
My Best Gluten-Free Baking Tips For Better Baking!
Why Binders Are Important In Gluten-Free Baking
The Best Gluten Free Flour Blends – And how to use them!
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
- Gluten free Halloween Cookie Mix in a Jar
- Easy Gluten Free Circus Cookies
- Gluten Free Halloween Cut-Out Cookies
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Cream Pies
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!
Spooky Gluten Free Skeleton Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see notes
- ½ cup black cocoa powder * see notes
- ½ teaspoob baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar cane sugar also works
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces chocolate chips
Royal Icing – See Notes
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Instructions
- Add the butter and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 25-second intervals until the butter is melted. Stir to mix the melted butter and chocolate chips.
- Place the paddle attachment on the stand mixer. Add the wet ingredients to a stand mixer bowl. This includes the egg, butter, and chocolate combination, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients, including the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and salt. You can mix by hand in a mixing bowl as well if you prefer.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all of the flour mixed in. Mix for 25-30 seconds until it becomes cookie dough.
- Place the chocolate cookie dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 45-60 minutes. This not only chills your dough so it rolls out nicely, but it also gives the rice flour time to soften so the cookies are not gritty.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust a little flour on the silicone mat if your dough is sticky. Place it on a silicone mat and use a rolling pin to roll it to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cut out the cookies using a gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Remove the cookies from the oven and slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack. Make sure the cookies are fully cooled before decorating!
Notes
- I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour blends. Other blends should work, but you may need to tweak the wet or dry ingredients.
- Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
- I used black cocoa powder because it makes the cookie dough black for Halloween. You can also use Dutch process cocoa powder, which is dark. Regular cocoa powder works, but your cookies will turn out more brown.
- When the cookies are cooled, you can decorate them with royal icing. I used Judee’s Royal Icing Powder. It is made in a dedicated gluten-free factory. If you prefer to make homemade royal icing, use the recipe in my Gluten-Free Cut Out Cookie recipe.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days. If you don’t eat them quickly, they freeze very well. To freeze them, put the cookies into a freezer-safe freezer bag and freeze them.
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.
