• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Our Salty Kitchen
  • Browse All Recipes
  • Season
    • Fall Recipes
    • Spring Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Winter Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
  • Diet
    • Gluten Free
    • Grain Free
    • Keto
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Whole30 Recipes
  • Course
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments and Sauces
    • Desserts
    • Cocktails
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups and Stews
  • Method
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
    • Grilling Recipes
    • Stir Fry
  • About
    • Let’s Collaborate!
    • Recipe Photography for Food Bloggers
    • Photography Portfolio
    • License Images
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes
  • Salads
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home » Dietary Restrictions » Gluten Free » Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

    Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

    December 17, 2021 By Danielle Esposti Leave a Comment

    May contain affiliate links.See our Privacy Policy and disclosure.

    Go to Recipe
    Pinterest collage for sugar cookies made with one-for-one gluten free flour, decorated with vanilla glaze.
    Pinterest image for a gluten free sugar cookie recipe, with vanilla glaze.
    Pinterest collage for a gluten free sugar cookie recipe, with vanilla glaze.

    You don’t have to worry about performance issues with our Gluten Free Sugar Cookies. This easy sugar cookie recipe works just as well as the traditional method. Want a bonus? They don’t require chilling! Perfect for icing and decorating, everyone (regardless of dietary restrictions) will love these holiday cutout sugar cookies!

    Gluten free sugar cookies with icing and gold sprinkles scattered on a light concrete background.
    Jump to:
    • How to Make Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
    • Baking Tips for Gluten Free Sugar Cookies!
    • Our Favorite Way to Ice Sugar Cookies
    • Can I Use Almond Flour in Place of Gluten Free Flour?
    • More Baked Holiday Favorites
    • Recipe

    My kids are the perfect storm combination of sugar fiends and cookie monsters. So for them, the best part of December is the mass quantity of cookies they’re (kind of) allowed to consume. Honestly, I’d probably save a ton of money on presents if I just wrapped up tins of chocolate chip cookies and put those under the tree.

    However, we recently starting eliminating gluten from our younger son’s diet to see if it might improve some issues he’s been working through. Therefore, ’tis the season to experiment with gluten free sugar cookies!

    On a hope and a prayer, I started with my go-to sugar cookie recipe, but substituted one-for-one gluten free flour (with xanthan gum) and to my absolute delight, they’re just as good as a classic sugar cookie – and my husband thinks they’re actually better.

    These gluten free sugar cookies still have that beloved buttery taste, but the texture was what sealed the deal. They’re the goldilocks of cutout sugar cookies – not crack-your-tooth hard and not dissolve-in-your-hand soft. These semi soft sugar cookies are just right, with crispy edges and the perfect amount of squish in the center.

    So, are they the best iced sugar cookies? Um, I’m gonna say yeah. Cause if gluten free sugar cookies are just as delicious as traditional sugar cookie cutouts, perform just as well, don’t need to be chilled first, and they’re compliant for those who might otherwise not experience the joy of biting the head off a cookie snowman, well, then win-win-win-major win.

    For a condensed post with just step-by-step instructions, click to view the web story for this recipe!

    • Side view, several stacks of gluten free sugar cookies on a circular black cooling rack.
    • An iced sugar cookie with gold sprinkles surrounded by more sugar cookies, a bowl of vanilla glaze, and a small bowl of gold sprinkles.

    How to Make Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

    No taste or texture are sacrificed when you switch out your all-purpose flour in this recipe for Gluten Free Sugar Cookies. Using a one-for-one gluten free flour helps these iced sugar cookies perform just like traditional cutouts. Finish with a sweet vanilla glaze and your favorite sprinkles!

    • Butter and powdered sugar whipped until light and fluffy in a glass mixing bowl.
    • Adding gluten free flour in batches to creamed butter, sugar, and egg mixture.
    • Gluten free sugar cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
    • Rolled out gluten free sugar cookie dough with three cookies cut-out.
    • Cut out gluten free sugar cookies on a baking sheet.
    • Gluten free sugar cookies cooling on a circular black cooling rack.
    1. CREAM. Cream the butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until light in color and very fluffy.
    2. MIX. Add egg, and beat until completely blended. Then add vanilla and beat 30 seconds more..
    3. WHISK. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
    4. ADD. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in thirds, mixing by hand with a wood spoon or rubber spatula. Continue adding until dough comes together and does not stick to your fingers.
    5. REST. Rest dough for 5 minutes. This dough doesn’t need to be chilled.
    6. MAKE. Divide dough into fourths, then roll out to ¼″ thickness.
    7. CUT. Cut into desired shapes and transfer to an unlined baking sheet.
    8. BAKE. Bake at 375°F for 7 minutes, until edges are just barely golden brown; the centers will still be soft. Cool completely on a wire rack.
    9. GLAZE. Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream in a medium bowl to make the glaze. Dip the cookies into the glaze, then dust with festive sprinkles.
    Gluten free sugar cookies with vanilla glaze and gold sprinkles on a rose-gold baking sheet.

    Baking Tips for Gluten Free Sugar Cookies!

    • Make sure your butter is room temperature and soft before creaming with sugar.
    • This recipe calls for using powdered sugar, not granulated sugar. Just trust!
    • Use a one-to-one gluten free flour – this blend will already include the correct amount of xanthan gum.
    • If dough is too wet after mixing all ingredients together, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of additional gluten free flour, but be conservative.
    • You do not need to chill the dough before rolling or cutting!
    • Use a cup or mason jar to cut dough into circles if you don’t have cookie cutters.
    • When making the glaze, note that the mixture will be very thick at first and start to thin as you continue to whisk. Add another tablespoon of heavy cream if the glaze is too thick – the right consistency is when the glaze runs off the whisk with a consistency just a bit thicker than honey.
    • Add sprinkles while glaze is still wet so they stick; if decorating with piped colored icing, wait at least 2 hours until the glaze has formed a crust.

    Our Favorite Way to Ice Sugar Cookies

    Try a glaze instead of royal icing. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the look and flavor of royal icing – but it’s a pain in the butt, and definitely not an accessible form of cookie frosting for chef’s of all abilities. A simple vanilla glaze – made with heavy cream for a thicker, richer consistency – is perfect for these gluten free sugar cookies. Simply whisk, dip, drip, then sprinkle.

    • Vanilla glaze running off a small whisk into a pyrex glass measuring cup.
    • Dipping a sugar cookie into a shallow bowl of vanilla glaze icing.
    • Vanilla glaze icing running off a sugar cookie hovering over a shallow bowl.
    • Holding a freshly glazed gluten free sugar cookie.

    Can I Use Almond Flour in Place of Gluten Free Flour?

    No, almond flour cannot be substituted one-for-one in this gluten free sugar cookies recipe. Almond flour needs a binder and typically a few other tweaks (such as a bit more liquid, or a bit less flour) to work as an adequate substitute for baking flours.

    More Baked Holiday Favorites

    • Italian Butter Cookies
    • Polish Chrusciki (Angel Wings)
    • Peppermint Whoopie Pies
    • Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
    • Olive Oil Gingerbread Cake

    Did you make these gluten free sugar cookies? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

    While you’re at it, let’s be friends – follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for the latest and greatest.

    Recipe

    Gluten free sugar cookies with icing and gold sprinkles scattered on a light concrete background.

    Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

    5 from 1 vote
    Author: Danielle Esposti
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
    No taste or texture are sacrificed when you switch out your all-purpose flour in this recipe for Gluten Free Sugar Cookies. Using a one-for-one gluten free flour helps these iced sugar cookies perform just like traditional cutouts. Finish with a sweet vanilla glaze and your favorite sprinkles!
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 25 mins
    Servings : 24 3″ cookies
    Calories: 234

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks, 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar, unsifted
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 ¾ cup gluten free flour with xanthan gum
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt

    Vanilla Glaze

    • 2 c powdered sugar
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 6-7 tbsp heavy cream
    • 3 drops food coloring, optional
    • 3 tbsp sprinkles

    Instructions

    • Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, start on low speed and beat 1 minute, until the ingredients are well mixed. Increase the speed to high and cream 3 minutes more, or until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
    • Add the egg, then beat on high speed until completely blended. Add the vanilla extract, and beat on high speed 30 seconds more.
    • Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk until well combined.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, mixing by hand with a wood spoon. Continue adding the dry ingredients until the dough comes together, easily pulls from the sides of the bowl, and does not stick to your fingers. You may need to add up to 2 additional tablespoons of gluten free flour, but be conservative. Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
    • Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment or wax paper until roughly ¼ inch thick.
    • Cut into desired shapes, then transfer to an unlined baking sheet, leaving at least 1” between each cookie.
    • Bake at 375°F for 7 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden brown; the centers will still be soft. Rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack using a spatula and cool completely.
    • Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 6 tbsp heavy cream in medium bowl. The mixture will be very thick at first and start to thin as you continue to whisk. Add another tablespoon of heavy cream if the glaze is too thick – the right consistency is when the glaze runs off the whisk with a consistency just a bit thicker than honey. Add the food coloring, if using, and whisk until the color is even throughout.
    • Transfer the glaze to a wide, shallow bowl. Dip a sugar cookie into the glaze, then hold over the bowl until the excess runs off. Turn right side up, place on baking sheet and sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles. The glaze form a crust in about 2 hours, but still be a bit soft underneath.

    Nutrition Information

    Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 234kcal (12%), Carbohydrates: 30g (10%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 6g (30%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 96mg (32%), Sodium: 115mg (5%), Potassium: 32mg (1%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 21g (23%), Vitamin A: 95% (95%), Vitamin C: 1% (1%), Calcium: 36% (36%), Iron: 2% (2%)
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @oursaltykitchen or tag #oursaltykitchen!
    « Cauliflower Stir Fry
    Crab Stuffed Mushrooms »

    Disclaimer: This post and the recipe card may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission (at no cost to you!) if you make a purchase using these links. Rest assured, we only endorse products we own and truly love!

    Leave a Comment
    Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Our Salty Kitchen! We create real food for real people. Our whole foods recipes are seasonal, locally sourced, and simply prepared. Learn More! 

    Footer

    ABOUT US      CONTACT US      PRIVACY POLICY 

    A collage of publication logos that have featured recipes and photography from Our Salty Kitchen.

    Footer

    Privacy

    Privacy Policy

    Let's ConnecT

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    About Us

    Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Our Salty Kitchen

    23 shares