This recipe was updated and revised October 2023
These Halloween Oreos are a gluten free and vegan version of the original. With a crunchy dark chocolate cookie and a naturally colored sweet orange cream filling, these bring you back to your childhood, turning the milk orange with every dunk!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE GLUTEN FREE HALLOWEEN OREOS
They're fun to make and perfect for spooky season
They taste so similar to real Oreos
A nostlagic favorite but made healthier
No gluten, no dairy and colored with natural food powders
WHY I MADE HALLOWEEN OREOS
Oreos are one of my all time favorites. I loved to dunk them in milk until they got completely soggy and I’d have to fish them out with a spoon. So I was thinking, what is a favorite Halloween treat can I make into a healthy, gluten free, dairy free version? HALLOWEEN OREOS. The iconic Oreo with a creamy orange frosting. It took 3 tries to get the cookie PERFECT, but the healthier Oreos were born. They're vegan friendly and also safe on a modified low FODMAP diet!
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INGREDIENTS IN GLUTEN FREE HALLOWEEN OREOS
Oat Flour
Baking Powder
Sea Salt
Coconut Oil
Maple Syrup
Flax Egg, or Egg
Non Dairy Butter
Powdered Sugar or Sweetener
Natural Food Color Powders or Food Color Drops
SUBSTITUTIONS AND SWAPS
Oat Flour: This is a gluten free flour I love to add to my baking for texture. You may sub this with all purpose gluten free flour.
Almond Flour: I love to bake with almond flour because it gives the best texture and has a neutral flavor. You cannot sub the almond flour here, the fat in the almonds gives these cookies a crunch.
Cacao Powder or Black Cocoa Powder: It’s important here that you use dark cocoa, dutch is probably best but you can also use black cocoa for that iconic Oreo flavor. I used cacao powder because it’s a superfood and full of antioxidants, and they came out great!
Coconut Sugar: I always use this as my sweetener. It’s low glycemic and safe on most low carb diets. And doesn’t taste like coconut! Any granulated sweetener should work here, such as organic cane sugar or granulated maple sugar (just not brown sugar).
Coconut Oil: This is your healthy fat in the cookie. I haven’t tried subbing this but you may try to sub for non dairy butter, grass fed butter or ghee.
Maple syrup: This helps add crunch to your cookie. I made these with honey as well and they both work but I recommend the maple syrup.
Egg, or Flax Egg: Either will work here! To make a flax egg, mix together 1 Tbsp of ground flax to 3 Tbsp of water water and let sit for 5 minutes. Just to note: an egg will give these a softer texture and they may rise a little more.
Non Dairy Butter: I always use Miyoko's butter in my baking, but any non dairy butter should work here. Or grass fed butter.
Powdered Sugar: You can use traditional confectionary sugar here, or you can make your own unrefined powdered sugar by placing granulated sweetener in a blender for 30 seconds until a powder. I suggest a neutral flavor sweetener like monkfruit, so it doesn't alter the flavor of your cream filling.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN HALLOWEEN OREOS:
(See recipe card below for measurements and full recipe!)
1.) Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine almond and oat flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, melt 4 tbsp of the coconut oil. Combine with the dry ingredients. Add in the maple syrup and flax egg. If the dough is crumbly and breaks apart when rolled into a ball, add another tablespoon of coconut oil.
2.) Refrigerate for 15 minutes until dough is just chilled.
3.) Roll into a ball and place between two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/8” thickness.
4.) Using a small circle cookie cutter, cut out small circles and place them on the lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with the extra dough until it is all used. You can also use a cookie press like the one I used!
5.) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.
Make the Filling:
The cookies must be cool before you frost them! And you will need a hand mixer to make the frosting.
1.) Mix butter with a hand mixer until it gets soft and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and keep mixing until no lumps.
2.) Mix in vanilla and milk until it becomes a frosting consistency. Start with 1 tbsp of milk and add more if the frosting is too dry. The frosting should be spreadable.
3.) Add one packet of Orange color powder (I like Color Kitchen Foods) to one of the frosting bowls and mix thoroughly until combined. Alternatively you can use any food coloring drops for each bowl! I recommend natural colored drops.
Assemble the Cookies:
I used a piping bag, it gives them a smooth edge. But you can frost them on as well. Spread it out evenly and then smoosh the cookie down a bit with the top half of the other cookie.
Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for about 15 minutes, to set. Store in fridge!
See video above on how I made and assembled
FAQs
ARE THESE LIKE REAL HALLOWEEN OREOS?
YES. These Halloween Oreos are made with oat flour, almond flour and unsweetened cacao power. I sweetened them with coconut sugar and a bit of maple syrup. They taste SO SIMILAR to real Oreos. I also made a green version with added eyeballs, and made little mini Halloween Oreo Monsters.
WHAT IS BLACK COCOA POWDER? DOES IT TASTE THE SAME?
Black cocoa powder will give you that classic Oreo flavor, but it is a lot more rich in flavor than regular cocoa or cacao powder and can be a little bitter. Because of this I recommend adding a little more sweetener if you use it. I suggest adding one more 1 Tbsp of coconut sugar and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup if using black cocoa powder.
WHY ARE MY OREOS SOFT AND NOT CRUNCHY?
They were either rolled too thick or need more time in the oven. The cookies will not get crunchy until they are fully cooled. If fully cooled and still soft, place back in oven for 5 minutes. They will eventually become crunchy, just be careful they don't burn.
CAN I MAKE HALLOWEEN OREOS NUT FREE?
Unfortunately no other flours have been tested in place of the almond flour. You may be able to swap BOTH flours for a total 3/4 cup of 1:1 gluten free flour, it just hasn't been tested. If the dough becomes too dry, add another flax egg to the dough and maybe even a little more coconut oil.
Any more questions? Ask in the comment box below!
Monster Oreos. They're fun to stack and dunk in a big glass of (oat) milk.
MORE NOTES TO MAKE THE PERFECT GLUTEN FREE OREOS:
~ If using black cocoa powder, I suggest adding a little more sweetener. It is rich and can be a little bitter. I suggest adding at least 1 Tbsp more of coconut sugar and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup if using black cocoa powder.
~ You can substitute a real egg for the flax egg. The texture of the cookies may be a little softer and rise more but still delicious.
~ If the cookies are rolled thicker than 1/8", they may need another minute or two in the oven. Check on them at 10 minutes, and remove if edges are firm. If fully cooled and still not crunchy, place back in oven for another 5 minutes. They will get crunchy once cooled.
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