Gluten Free Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe

It’s nearing Valentine’s Day which means all things chocolate, right? At least, that’s what I was thinking when I decided to take my well-loved gluten free Linzer Cookie recipe and turn it into a gluten free CHOCOLATE Linzer Cookie recipe! Pretty brilliant, right?

I mean, adding chocolate to nearly anything is a good thing, and this gluten free Chocolate Linzer Cookie recipe is no exception.

If you’re unfamiliar with Linzer Cookies, they hail from Austria — the town of Linz, to be precise. They are an extension of Linzertorte, if you’ve seen or tasted those before. This version of tart is one of the oldest known — a recipe was discovered that dated to 1653.

The cookie version uses the same dough (a lot like a shortbread), but instead of making a tart, it’s cut into two cookies sandwiching yummy berry jam. The top cookie also has a small cutout (called “Linzer eyes”), exposing the jam tucked inside. I’ve made them that way for years with this recipe.

But you know what also goes with sweet berry jam? Chocolate!

And what better chocolate than Enjoy Life Foods Baking Chocolate**? These have been my go-to baking chips for years because they’re certified gluten free and are free-from 14 common allergens, verified Non-GMO, certified kosher, AND certified vegan and paleo-friendly.

I partnered with Enjoy Life Foods for this recipe because I trust that their chocolates will not only be safe for my dairy free and gluten free family, but also for those of my friends with food allergies. Oh, and did I mention they make truly delicious chocolate? No compromises here.

They make both semi-sweet and dark chocolate baking chocolates, so you can choose to use either one in this gluten free Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe.

And since we’re on the subject of chocolate for Valentine’s Day, Enjoy Life Foods just debuted new Valentine’s Day Chocolate Minis, too!

They’re super cute and of course delish: Dark Chocolate, Ricemilk Chocolate, Ricemilk Crunch, and a variety pack — they are the perfect solution for classroom Valentines or special lunchbox treats (I may have gotten started on this tradition a little early this year, but I’m not hearing any lunchbox complaints!).

At any rate, I want you to know that despite any dietary restrictions you may be contending with, you have a choice if you want to give or bake with chocolate; no need to go without on the biggest chocolate holiday of the year!

Now, back to the cookies! Linzer cookies have long been one of my favorites. I actually never made them until I went gluten free, but I’m told that my gluten free Linzer Cookies taste identical to the gluten variety. They are typically made with some almond meal for texture and flavor, and these are no exception (you can see the little flecks of color from toasted almonds in the close-up picture below).

They’re also made with my award-winning gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour to hold the dough together without any grit or funky aftertaste. It’s easy to see why these delicious cookies would be loved by all, gluten free or not.

I’m excited to share this new chocolatey twist on the classic Linzer Cookie with you. And I’m also excited to give 3 of my readers a sampler of Enjoy Life Foods Baking Chocolates so you have no excuses not to try this recipe (and many more!) right away!

To enter, follow the rafflecopter info below the recipe to leave a comment on this blog post, telling me your favorite kind of chocolate! You can score more entries by also sharing on social media – details are in the rafflecopter widget. Good luck and happy baking!!!

Here’s how to make these pretty Gluten Free Chocolate Linzer Cookies in a few easy steps:

Simply roll out the dough (recipe below) on a mat well-floured with gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (so there’s no grittiness) and use a Linzer cookie cutter like this one to cut the outer cookie edge and the inner cookie “eyes.”

Then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Once the cookies have baked and cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate like this:

Or just spread melted chocolate on the top of one cookie, then top with another with the middle “eye” cut out.

You may go back and spread a small amount of your favorite jam inside the “eyes” on top of the chocolate if you like, or leave them plain chocolate, or do a mixture of both!

Then sprinkle the tops with a lot or just a little powdered sugar — whichever you prefer.

Happy Linzer making and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Continue to Content

Gluten Free Chocolate Linzer Cookies Recipe

Yield: ~80 cookies (40 sandwiches)

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 7 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks), room temperature
• 2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg (or favorite egg substitute like 1/4 cup applesauce)
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) toasted almonds, ground*
• 1 1/2 cups (202 grams) gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Foods gluten- and allergen-free chips)
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam (optional)

Instructions

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat.

Slowly stir in the dry ingredients: ground almonds, gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Shape dough into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until cold and no longer sticky.

Remove covered dough to come closer to room temperature before rolling.

Preheat oven to 375° F (static) or 350° F (convection).

Dust a baking mat or clean counter with plenty of gfJules Flour to keep the dough from sticking. Divide the dough in half and roll one half out while the other half remains wrapped.

Roll gently in different directions until the dough is uniformly 1/8 inch thick. Using Linzer cutters, cut out cookies with a center cutter to remove a shape from the center of half of the cookies. Roll out all the dough, cutting half the cookies with a Linzer cutter with the center cutter and half the cookies without the center cutter.

Lay cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 6-7 minutes. They should still be soft but lightly browning around the edges. If you wait until the cookies are crunchy in the oven, they will be overcooked.

Remove to cool on wire racks; cookies will get slightly crunchier as they cool, then get softer if using jam instead of melted chocolate between them.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan on the stove on medium-low, stirring constantly so it will not burn.

When completely melted, drizzle in a criss-cross pattern across the tops of the cut-out cookies or leave plain. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread a thin layer of chocolate on top of each full cookie, placing a cut-out cookie on top while the chocolate is still melted.

If you would like to also use raspberry jam, spoon a small amount into the center of the cut-outs, on top of the melted chocolate. Drizzle more chocolate on top, if desired.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Notes

*Toasting Almonds:
Spread ½ cup raw almonds on an un-greased baking sheet, and toast in an oven preheated to 350 F for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown, aromatic and not burned.

Allow to cool, then grind in a food processor until uniformly granular but not too small or it will turn to almond butter by the food processor.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** This sponsored post was created in partnership with Enjoy Life Foods. As always, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more information. Working with select brands I love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!