Blackberry Cookies

5 from 5 votes

These Blackberry Cookies are soft and chewy gluten free sugar cookies that are topped with a blackberry frosting! This fruity cookie recipe has blackberry in 4 ways! There is a blackberry syrup mixed into the dough, chunks of blackberries in the cookies, they're iced with a stunning blackberry frosting and topped with fresh blackberries! The tartness from the blackberries and the sweetness from the frosting, create the perfect paring of flavors! Best yet, they're eggless, nut free and easily vegan!!! Unlike many eggless cookies that go stale very quickly, these beauties stay soft for days!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Freeze Time1

Total Time1 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: large cookies

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

For the Blackberry Syrup

1 ¾ cups frozen blackberries
¾ cup granulated sugar

For the Cookies

2 cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (keep the 2 tablespoons separate for rolling)
2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons blackberry syrup
½ cup frozen blackberries , chopped into tiny pieces

For the Frosting

2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
2 tablespoons blackberry syrup
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water (room temperature)
pinch kosher salt

Decorating

12 fresh blackberries (to top the cookies if desired)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Blackberry Syrup

In a saucepan set over medium heat, cook the ¾ cup granulated sugar and 1 ¾ cups of blackberries, stirring constantly, and smashing the blackberries with your wooden spoon, until they are broken down and the mixture is thick. About 5-7 min.
You want the blackberries to be completely broken down. No whole pieces of fruit anymore. It will still appear a little chunky and that’s fine.
Set a mesh colander over a bowl. Pour the hot blackberry mixture carefully through the strainer and set aside to let cool. There should be about 4 tablespoons of blackberry syrup once it's strained. It will thicken as it cools.
Measure out ½ cup frozen blackberries (yes, they must be frozen). Rough chop the blackberries into small pieces. Be careful not to over chop; you don't want a puddle of blackberry pulp. You can pick out the stems if desired.
Place the chopped blackberries into a freezer safe bowl and pop back into the freezer until you're ready to add them into the dough.

For the Blackberry Cookies

In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups gluten free flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the remaining 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick and 1 ¼ cups of the sugar until it is soft and creamy. About 2-3 minutes.
Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture, 3 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons of the cooled strained blackberry syrup (it might be pretty thick) into the creamed butter and sugar. It will look dark mauve and chunky.
Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
Gently using a spatula, fold in the ½ cup frozen chopped blackberries. The dough will become a lovely marbled mauve/lavender color. Be careful not to mix too much or the dough will become slimy.
Keep the dough in the bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour. You must not skip this step or the cookies will spread everywhere and it must be frozen, not in the fridge.
After the dough has been in the freezer for at least 1 hour, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Use an ice cream scoop or a large cookie scoop to make large cookies. It makes 12 scoops.
Roll each dough ball in the extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to coat completely.
Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Store extra dough balls in the freezer while the rest are baking if they don't all fit. I only bake 6 at a time.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven by using a spatula to push them into a circle shape and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
If adding the frosting, let the cookies cool completely before adding it, otherwise the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.

For the Blackberry Frosting

In a small bowl, using a spatula, mix together the 4 tablespoons of butter, 2 cups of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of blackberry syrup and a pinch of salt.
Slowly add in the 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. The frosting should be smooth and creamy. You may not need all the water.
Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the cooled cookies. Don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie. Make sure you can see the pretty cookie on the edges.
Top the cookies with fresh blackberries.
Make sure to use fresh in this step and not frozen. Frozen will create a puddle when they thaw.

Video

Notes

For smaller cookies: Use a small cookie scoop and bake at same temperature for 13 min. Make sure to keep dough in the freezer in-between baking the batches.

Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks and a non-dairy milk.

All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 2 packed cups of regular flour (336 grams). Still chill the dough.

Storing: Once the frosting hardens, keep extra cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days in a single layer. Do not stack.

Freezing: Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and then pop it in a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 30 days.

Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Nutrition