These gluten-free brandy snaps capture everything we love about the classic crunchy treat, reworked for a gluten-free kitchen. Lacy, crisp, and warmly spiced biscuit tubes filled with a silky, richer-than-usual whipped filling I call Ultimate Whipped Cream.
Brandy snaps are a beloved dessert in the UK, Australia and New Zealand: thin, crisp tubes made with golden syrup and a hint of warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger. While still warm they’re quickly shaped into tubes, and once cooled they’re filled with whipped cream for a delicate, satisfying bite.
Traditional brandy snaps usually contain gluten, but this gluten-free recipe produces delicate, crisp snaps that I think taste better than store-bought versions. They’re a little fiddly at first, but once you learn your oven timing and have a rolling rhythm, you can work through a batch quickly.
The Best Brandy Snap Filling – Ultimate Whipped Cream
While the snaps are the star, the filling is what makes them irresistible. Instead of plain whipped cream, this version combines whipped egg yolks and mascarpone into whipped cream, producing a filling that’s richer, silkier and slightly custardy without the fuss of making a full custard.
The egg yolks are gently heated with sugar, whisked until pale and ribbon-like, then folded into mascarpone and finally combined with whipped cream. The result is a whipped filling with a luxurious texture and depth of flavour that lifts the brandy snaps into something special.
If you prefer a simpler route, you can fill the snaps with regular whipped cream—but I recommend trying the Ultimate Whipped Cream at least once; it transforms the dessert.
Scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient list and printable recipe, or read on for helpful ingredient notes and step-by-step tips.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – salted or unsalted will work; I usually use salted.
- Brown sugar – gives a deep caramel flavour to the snaps.
- Golden syrup – the key sweet, sticky element that creates the lacy texture.
- Brown rice flour & tapioca starch – I use these individually because they give a crisp, light texture. A store-bought gluten-free blend can work, but blends vary, so you may need to adjust the flour slightly if the snaps spread too much.
- Ground cinnamon & ground ginger – the classic warming spice combo.
For the whipped filling:
- Egg yolks – fresh large yolks are best. If you’re concerned about raw eggs, use pasteurised yolks.
- Caster sugar – dissolves quickly and gives a smooth texture; granulated sugar is an acceptable substitute.
- Vanilla paste or extract – either works; vanilla paste adds visible seeds and extra depth.
- Mascarpone – choose a smooth, creamy mascarpone for the best texture.
- Whipping cream – use a pourable cream around 35% fat that is suitable for whipping (often labelled heavy cream or heavy whipping cream in some countries).
Making Gluten Free Brandy Snaps
The snaps will spread significantly during baking, so space teaspoons of batter well on lined trays. Bake one tray at a time and shape the snaps while they’re still warm and pliable. If they cool too quickly, rewarm briefly on a tray or in the oven for a minute to soften them again.
I shape the snaps around non-stick cannoli tubes, but a thick wooden spoon handle works fine too—ideally four handles so you can roll quickly as trays come out. You can also drape warm snaps over an upturned muffin tin to make baskets, or leave them flat for layered desserts. They’re versatile and impressive whichever way you choose.
Once the snaps have cooled and held their shape, use a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip to fill them from both ends so they’re evenly filled. These are best eaten soon after filling to keep the snaps crisp; filled snaps will soften over time.
Storing tips: Unfilled snaps keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. Layer them between sheets of baking paper, and for extra protection against moisture you can add a little uncooked rice at the bottom of the container to absorb humidity or tuck in a clean silica gel packet.
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes You May Like:
- Gluten Free Tiramisu – a family favourite made with an easy sponge cake instead of ladyfingers.
- Gluten Free Trifle – build your own ultimate trifle dessert.
- Easy Nutella Mousse – a quick three-ingredient chocolate-hazelnut mousse.
- Gluten Free Mince Pies – an essential gluten-free Christmas pastry, filled with quick fruit mince.
- Gluten Free Fruit Cake – a classic gluten-free Christmas cake.
Gluten Free Brandy Snaps with Ultimate Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the Brandy Snaps
- 110 g butter
- 110 g brown sugar
- 110 g golden syrup
- 50 g brown rice flour
- 50 g tapioca flour
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
For the Ultimate Whipped Cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 200 g mascarpone
- 400 ml whipping cream
Instructions
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Heat oven to 180°C. Line baking trays with non-stick baking paper (use as many trays as you have).
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Gently heat the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Don’t let it boil; this takes about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
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Sift together the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon and ginger, then whisk to combine.
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Stir the dry ingredients into the warm butter-syrup mixture until just combined.
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Drop teaspoons of the mixture onto the prepared trays—four per tray is manageable—leaving plenty of space as they will spread significantly.
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Bake one tray at a time for about 6 minutes, until the snaps are bubbling and just darkened at the edges.
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Prepare your moulds (cannoli tubes or greased spoon handles) and keep an offset spatula nearby. When you remove a tray, immediately put the next one in to keep the process moving.
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Slide the baked snaps, paper and all, onto a heatproof surface for 30 seconds. Lift an edge with a spatula when they’re just cool enough to handle but still pliable. Flip so the bubbly side faces out and quickly roll each snap around the mould. Place seam-side down on a wire rack to cool.
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When cool enough to hold their shape, remove the moulds. Try to slide them out before the snaps fully harden to reduce breakage. Wipe excess butter from the moulds between uses but leave a little to prevent sticking.
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Continue baking remaining snaps. If any snaps cool too quickly and become too firm to roll, warm them briefly on a tray or return them to the oven for a minute.
Ultimate Whipped Cream:
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Place egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water). Whisk for about 10 minutes until the sugar mostly dissolves and the mixture is warm.
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Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer until pale and thick enough to form ribbons. Beat in the vanilla and mascarpone.
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Whip the cream until stiff peaks begin to form, then fold in the egg-mascarpone mixture until combined and the cream holds peaks.
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When the snaps are cool, fill them using a piping bag fitted with a round or star nozzle. Pipe from one end until you feel resistance, then fill from the other end for even distribution.
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Storing: Fill snaps just before serving to keep them crisp. Unfilled snaps store in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
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Layer snaps between sheets of baking paper. For added protection against moisture, place a small amount of uncooked rice or a clean silica gel packet in the container to absorb humidity.
Notes
Flour – Brown rice and tapioca flours produce a light crispness; you can experiment with your favourite gluten-free blend, but expect slight differences in spread and texture.
If gluten is not required, replace the rice and tapioca flours with 100g plain wheat flour.