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Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

These soft, melt-in-your-mouth Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies are perfect for making cut-out cookies.

pink marbled gluten free sugar cookies on a plate

RECIPE FOR PERFECT GLUTEN FREE CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

This Gluten Free Sugar Cookie recipe is perfect for cutting out cookies. These gluten- free don’t spread during baking. They have a delicious melt in your mouth texture and are perfect for cookie decorating with royal icing.

INGREDIENTS FOR GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES

ingredients for gluten free cookies

MAKE THE GLUTEN FREE COOKIE DOUGH

Gather all the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, honey, vanilla, and almond extract. If you don’t have almond extract or you don’t like it, use vanilla or lemon extract instead. Into a medium-size bowl, sift Gluten-Free Flour, starch, baking powder, and salt.

mixing dry and wet ingredients sugar cookies
  • Cream room-temperature butter with sugar until fluffy. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Gradually beat in egg mixture-honey mixture. Beat until well combined, another 1-2 minutes.
  • Then at low speed, in 3 additions, beat in the flour mixture. Once the dough is moist throughout, continue beating for 20 seconds.
creamed sugar and butter in a bowl

Gather the dough for the best gluten-free cookies into a ball. Flatten it into a disk and wrap it in clear plastic wrap. Be sure to chill the dough for at least 4 hours. I prefer to let it rest overnight, even for up to 2 days. Resting gluten-free cookie dough is very important.

gluten free sugar cookie dough wrapped in plastic

ROLL THE COOKIE DOUGH

Lightly dust your work surface with potato starch. Roll the cookie dough ¼ inch thick and cut out desired shapes. Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes.

cut out gluten free sugar cookies on a baking sheet

BAKE COOKIES

Bake cookies in the preheated oven at 335F (168C) for 10 minutes. Bottoms should be lightly brown and edge a little crispy. Let cool for 5 minutes on a baking sheet. Then transfer cookies onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

baked cookie with golden edges on a baking sheet

GLUTEN-FREE CUT OUT COOKIES SUCCESS TIPS

  • Why do I need to chill the gluten-free dough? As you know, gluten-free cookies are known for their gritty, sand-like texture. Chilling and resting the dough is essential for developing a soft, smooth texture. During this resting period, flour gets adequately hydrated, resulting in a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie texture. Be sure to chill the dough for at least 4 hours. I prefer to let it rest overnight, even for up to 2 days. Resting gluten-free cookie dough is very important. Don’t skip this step.
  • Why do you add starch to cookie dough? Gluten-free cookies made with starch bake with a softer, fluffier texture. I find, it also eliminates the gritty texture of most gluten-free cookies.
  • How big can I make the cookies? For the best results, use a 3.25-inch cookie cutter or smaller.
  • Is your dough crumbly? Add a teaspoon of milk.
  • Don’t overmix the dough. Most gluten-free mixed contain Xanthan Gum. Cookie dough made with flour blend containing xantham gum when over-mixed, will become very tough and elastic-like. Overmixed gluten-free cookie dough will stretch when pulled apart.
  • What kind of flour should I use? – I use Gluten-Free measure for measure flour. You can also make your own Gluten-Free Flour Blend via Minimalist Baker.
  • I want to make this recipe Vegan & Gluten-Free; what adjustments should I make? I suggest you use my recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies. You can use Pamela’s Artisan GF flour to make a vegan and gluten-free version (per Christina’s recommendation; see the full comment in the comment section).
  • More Gluren-Free baking tips via Whole New Mom
undecorated sugar cookies

EASY COOKIE DECORATING WITH A ROYAL ICING

I used an easy and fast dipping method to decorate gluten-free flower cookies.

  • Thin royal icing to 10-second consistency royal icing. Divide icing into bowls.
  • Color icing with gel food colors. I mixed two shades of pink and white icing.
  • Cover the icing with a damp kitchen towel and sit for 10 minutes. This time allows air bubbles formed during mixing to float to the surface.
  • Use a toothpick to pop the air bubbles.
  • Or bang the bowl with the icing on the counter and watch the bubbles pop.
  • Be sure to cover the bowl with icing with a damp towel to prevent icing from crusting.
10 second consistency royal icing in a bowl
  • To white 10-second consistency royal icing, add contrasting colors. I used light and deep pink.
  • Use a toothpick to swirl the colors.
marbling icing with a tootpick

DIPPING ICING METHOD

  • Hold the cookie by the edges, turn it upside down, and let the cookie touch the icing.
  • Gently wobble the cookie or turn it gently. This ensures that icing touches the edges and covers the whole surface of the cookie.
  • Carefully lift the cookie from the icing. At first, there is a slight resistance, this is normal.
  • Move the cookie above the icing surface, let the icing drip off the cookie for a few moments.
dipping cookie in royal icing
  • Then, turn it over, place it on a flat, firm surface, and shake it gently to smooth the icing.
  • If you see any bubbles on the surface, pop them with a needle tool.
  • Let the icing dry.
popping bubbles in royal icing

cut out gluten free cookies on a plate

MORE DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES

TO MAKE MARBLED GLUTEN-FREE SUGAR COOKIES YOU NEED

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Pink marbled flower shaped cookies on a plate.
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5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies (using a 2.5 inch cutter)
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword gluten free, gluten free baking
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 8 hours
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 30
Calories 100kcal
Author Hani

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup Gluten Free Flour I used King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour
  • ¼ cup potato starch Substitute : gluten free cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract Susbtitute : vanilla, lemon

Instructions

  • Whisk together GF flour(1 1/4 cup ), potato starch(1/4cup), baking powder(1/4tsp) and salt(1/8tsp). Set aside.
  • In a small dish whisk together egg (1), honey(1tbsp), vanilla extract(1 1/2tsp) and almond extract(1/2tsp).
  • In a bowl cream room temperature butter(6tbl) and sugar(1/2cup) until pale in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Gradually beat wet ingredients into the butter mixture. Beat well. About 2 minutes.
  • In 3 additions beat in dry ingredients. Once dough is moisten through, beat for additional 20 seconds. Gather dough into ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap in a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours. (minimum 4 hours)
  • Preheat oven to 335F. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment or use a Silicone Mat. (I use DoughEZ rolling mat). Dust your work surface with little bit of potato starch. Using ¼inch rolling guides, roll out the dough. Cut out shapes and transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Chill the cookies for 10 minutes. Bake at 335F for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies onto a cooling rack.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Decorate with icing as desired.

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marbled decorated cookies on a plate

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18 Comments

    1. Hi Joan,
      I don’t see why not, though I haven’t tried it myself.
      It’s something I need to try and test to be 100 % sure.
      Hani

  1. Hi Hani,
    I watch your lives all the time.
    I recently made gluten free by just changing out the flour the dough was very easy to work with and baked nicely, but as they cooled became flaky on top and seemed very fragile. Does the resting and /honey help with this? I decided decorate the smooth bottom side. And put some royal icing on the other side to lend support, but it will be extra sweet.

    1. Hi Tonya,
      Resting allows for proper flour hydration resulting in more desirable texture, usually gluten-free cookies have sand like texture, not very
      appetizing, proper hydration helps with this. Honey is naturally hygroscopic ( you can also use invert sugar syrup) it draws moisture from air, keeping the cookies moist for a little longer.

  2. Can you freeze this dough? If so, for how many days or weeks?

    Apologies if this is a question you’ve answered before. I am unable to find it.

    1. Hi Carla,
      I suggest rolling it out into small sheets, freezing it on a tray, and then wrapping in food wrap and freezing it in Ziploc bags for up to 2-3 months.

  3. Hello! I am planning to make these for use in a cookie decorating class, but some of the cookies are larger like 5″ across and maybe 3″ wide rectangular shape. Is there a reason it says not to do over 3.25″ size? I have read on other blogs that gluten free browns faster and cooks through more slowly so you use lower temp & longer cooking time. Would that work here as well you think? Or do they simply not bake through if they are too large? For example if I dropped it to 325 or 315 and baked it longer? Thanks for any thoughts!

    1. Hi Lora,
      I think at the time of my testing larger cookies were too dry when I made them larger. Maybe it’s just my own. You can definitely experiment with a different temperature and bake them for a a little longer.

      1. Hi Kate,
        I haven’t tried it with this recipe but if you look at my Vegan Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe, one
        of the commenters mentioned they used the Vegan Cut-Out Recipe with Pamela’s Artisan GF flour successfully to make a vegan and gluten-free version.

      1. Hi Joanna,
        I haven’t tried it myself, so it’s hard for me to say if the results will be the same. Cookies might be slightly different.

  4. BEST gluten free sugar cookies I’ve ever baked. They came out soft and chewy and possibly better than the regular sugar cookies I made using gluten. Will use this recipe forever!

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