Gluten-free Christmas Brownies Recipe (using KitKat Festive Friends) (2024)

Gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe – super fudgy, chocolatey and incredibly easy to make! Yep – the KitKat Santas and festive friends you see on top are Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free too.

Gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe, anyone? It’s super easy to ‘Christmas-ify’ my best ever brownies recipe and you can flavour them two ways: chocolate orange or mint chocolate. It’s totally up to you!

When most people think about Christmas baking, mince pies, Christmas cake and yule logs instantly spring to mind.

But my brain is always busy thinking about how I can inject a little festive cheer into my favourite bakes!

And ok – you can’t beat a good Christmas classic, especially when it’s gluten-free. But you wouldn’t believe how awesome all your year-round fave bakes could be with a little added Christmas cheer.

So that’s exactly what we’re gonna do today!

Why make my gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe?

These brownies are super fudgy, chocolatey and gooey in the middle. NOT like dry chocolate cake.
You wouldn’t believe how easy these are to make – totally beginner friendly.
No xanthan gum required for this one.
You’d never know they’re gluten-free by tasting them AT ALL. Everyone will love these – including muggles!
KitKat Santas and Festive Friends are gluten-free (linked in FAQ section) so celebrate that fact by making these!

So what do my gluten-free Christmas brownies taste like?

As I’ve been banging on about – they’re super fudgy, intensely chocolatey with that lovely, slightly crisp, paper-like top to them.

They’re packed with chunky white chocolate snowballs (as I love to call them!) and topped with KitKat festive chocolate which adds a lovely crunchy and milky chocolate taste.

Of course, who could forget a little crushed candy cane on top for a sweet, festive finish? You can either flavour these with orange or mint extract for the ultimate choc orange/mint choc finish too.

Here’s everything you’ll need for my gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe. Keep scrolling until you see the recipe card below if you’re looking for the method and measurements…

Gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe: Ingredients

gluten-free plain flour
cocoa powder
butter
dark chocolate
large eggs
mint or orange extract (optional)
caster sugar
white chocolate chips
KitKat Santas and KitKat Festive Friends (linked in FAQ section)
candy canes (optional decoration)

So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling.

But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time making this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!

Gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe: Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination:

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.

Can I make your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe dairy free?

You can, but of course, you’ll have to swap the KitKat festive friends for a dairy-free alternative, like these dairy-free Santa bars from Tesco.

Then, simply use dairy-free chocolate (instead of regular chocolate) and Stork hard margarine instead of butter. Don’t forget to use dairy-free white chocolate chips too.

Oh and ensure your cocoa powder is dairy-free, just in case. That’s it!

Can I make your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe vegan?

Yep! If you follow the instructions above to make this recipe dairy free,then all you’ve got left to contend with is the eggs.

Can I make this recipe low FODMAP?

If you use lactose-free chocolate/choc chips in the brownies – that makes the brownies low FODMAP.

However, as the KitKat festive friends chocolate contains dairy, these wouldn’t be suitable for the elimination phase of the diet. You’re welcome to omit these or use any other lactose-free alternatives, though they can be hard to find.

Just ensure your lactose-free chocolate doesn’t contain any other high FODMAP ingredients.

Is your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe nut-free?

Whilst the brownies are easy to make nut-free as they don’t contain nuts in the first place , the KitKat festive friends have a ‘may contain’ warning for nuts unfortunately.

However, if you omit these, then this is a nut-free recipe – just please ensure all products you use are nut-free too!

Are KitKat festive friends gluten-free?

Yes! They even state it on the front of the packet. See the photo above for what they look like or you can check them out here and read the ingredients for yourself.

You can find them down the seasonal Christmas aisle with all the other festive chocolate and treats in any supermarket. I bought them in Tesco.

Can I make your gluten-free Christmas brownies in a food processor or standing mixer? Can I make this by hand?

You’re more than welcome to, but both are a little overkill for this recipe. I personally find that an electric hand whisk is the best option here.

But of course, you can make this entirely by hand with no problems too.

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe?

Certainly not! You will need a good quality 9 inch x 9 inch square though, so here’s a link to the one I use.

Does this recipe need xanthan gum?

You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten-free baking. But not with this one, it’s not required!

Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.

Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them.

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.

For example, adding too much flour can make things dry and crumbly, whereas not adding enough sugar means it’ll lose its crisp exterior. I don’t want you to be disappointed, so please weigh your ingredients!

I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

Can I bake your gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe with less sugar / without sugar?

I can understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but sugar is integral to the structure of this bake – it’s not just for adding a sweet taste!

So yeah, remove/reduce the sugar at your own risk!

How long can I keep your gluten-free Christmas brownies for?

Once cooled, I’ve kept these for 3-5 days in an air-tight container with no problems.

Can I freeze your gluten-free Christmas brownies?

Of course, just allow them to fully cool! I’ve frozen them for up to 2-3 months no problem. Make sure you slice them up before freezing, then, you can easily defrost a few slices at a time instead of the entire thing.

When you want to enjoy one, each slice should take around 3 hours to defrost at room temperature.

How can I tell when my gluten-free Christmas brownies aredone?

Grab a skewer and give it a poke in the centre. If it comes out clean, then it’s done! You might get a little chocolatey residue on there, but that’s ok too.

You just don’t want tons of gooey chocolate coating your skewer.

Gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe: Method

Ok, so here’s a printable version of my gluten-free Christmas brownies recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️ Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post.