Chemical Profile of Gluten-Free Cookies Enriched with Cracked Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa HBK) as a Source of Functional Compounds

The processing of Brazil nuts generates by-products such as cracked kernels and press cakes that are frequently undervalued despite their rich biochemical composition. This study provides a comparative compositional evaluation of partially defatted Brazil nut flour applied to gluten-free cookies, focusing on sugars, tocopherols, selected phenolic acids, and mineral composition. Cookies formulated with Brazil nut flour were compared with control formulations and, descriptively, with commercial gluten-free products. The incorporation of Brazil nut flour resulted in consistent compositional enrichment, including higher levels of γ- and α-tocopherols, gallic and caffeic acids, and essential minerals, alongside a lower sucrose content relative to control cookies. From a food biochemistry perspective, these results indicate an improved nutritionally relevant of the formulated cookies. The findings support the compositional potential of Brazil nut by-products as upcycled ingredients for nutritionally improved gluten-free baked products and provide a foundation for future studies addressing biological activity, bioaccessibility, and functional validation.