diff --git a/.changeset/curvy-comics-heal.md b/.changeset/curvy-comics-heal.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d49da7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/curvy-comics-heal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@tokens-studio/sd-transforms': patch
+---
+
+Fix types for expandComposites functions, no longer trips up on key value pairs with primitive values during parsing process.
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2ddb384..814d09e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@tokens-studio/sd-transforms",
-  "version": "0.11.7",
+  "version": "0.11.9",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@tokens-studio/sd-transforms",
-      "version": "0.11.7",
+      "version": "0.11.9",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@tokens-studio/types": "^0.2.4",
diff --git a/src/parsers/expand-composites.ts b/src/parsers/expand-composites.ts
index 754347b..65fd181 100644
--- a/src/parsers/expand-composites.ts
+++ b/src/parsers/expand-composites.ts
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ function shouldExpand<T extends SingleToken>(
 }
 
 function recurse(
-  slice: DeepKeyTokenMap<false>,
-  copy: DeepKeyTokenMap<false>,
+  slice: DeepKeyTokenMap<false> | SingleToken<false>,
+  copy: DeepKeyTokenMap<false> | SingleToken<false>,
   filePath: string,
   transformOpts: TransformOptions = {},
 ) {
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ function recurse(
 
   for (const key in slice) {
     const token = slice[key];
+    if (typeof token !== 'object' || token === null) {
+      continue;
+    }
     const { type } = token;
     if (token.value && type) {
       if (typeof type === 'string' && expandablesAsStringsArr.includes(type)) {
@@ -106,20 +109,17 @@ function recurse(
           slice[key] = expandToken(token, expandType === 'shadow');
         }
       }
-    } else if (typeof token === 'object') {
-      // TODO: figure out why we have to hack this typecast, if a value doesn't have a value & type,
-      // it is definitely a nested DeepKeyTokenMap and not a SingleToken, but TS seems to think it must be
-      // a SingleToken after this if statement
-      recurse(token as unknown as DeepKeyTokenMap<false>, copy, filePath, transformOpts);
+    } else {
+      recurse(token, copy, filePath, transformOpts);
     }
   }
 }
 
 export function expandComposites(
-  dictionary: DeepKeyTokenMap<false>,
+  dictionary: DeepKeyTokenMap<false> | SingleToken<false>,
   filePath: string,
   transformOpts?: TransformOptions,
-): DeepKeyTokenMap<false> {
+): DeepKeyTokenMap<false> | SingleToken<false> {
   const copy = { ...dictionary };
   recurse(copy, copy, filePath, transformOpts);
   return copy;
diff --git a/src/parsers/resolveReference.ts b/src/parsers/resolveReference.ts
index b707912..8423b51 100644
--- a/src/parsers/resolveReference.ts
+++ b/src/parsers/resolveReference.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type boundGetRef = (
 
 export function resolveReference<T extends SingleToken<false>['value']>(
   tokenValue: T,
-  copy: DeepKeyTokenMap<false>,
+  copy: DeepKeyTokenMap<false> | SingleToken<false>,
 ): T {
   const boundGetRef = getReferences.bind({ properties: copy }) as boundGetRef;
 
diff --git a/src/registerTransforms.ts b/src/registerTransforms.ts
index d68c673..8539576 100644
--- a/src/registerTransforms.ts
+++ b/src/registerTransforms.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Core } from 'style-dictionary';
+import { Core, DesignTokens } from 'style-dictionary';
 import { transformDimension } from './transformDimension.js';
 import { transformHEXRGBaForCSS } from './css/transformHEXRGBa.js';
 import { transformShadowForCSS } from './css/transformShadow.js';
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export async function registerTransforms(sd: Core, transformOpts?: TransformOpti
         const excluded = excludeParentKeys(obj, transformOpts);
         const withFontStyles = addFontStyles(excluded, transformOpts);
         const expanded = expandComposites(withFontStyles, filePath, transformOpts);
-        return expanded;
+        return expanded as DesignTokens;
       },
     });
   }
diff --git a/test/spec/parsers/expand.spec.ts b/test/spec/parsers/expand.spec.ts
index 66f36a3..83b5ea7 100644
--- a/test/spec/parsers/expand.spec.ts
+++ b/test/spec/parsers/expand.spec.ts
@@ -373,4 +373,18 @@ describe('expand', () => {
       },
     });
   });
+
+  it('should not trip up when the recursed token contains a primitive value', () => {
+    expect(
+      expandComposites(
+        {
+          value: '#ffffff',
+          type: 'color',
+          comment: null,
+        } as SingleToken<false>,
+        'foo/bar.json',
+        { expand: { typography: true } },
+      ),
+    );
+  });
 });