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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert / Cookies / Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

December 8, 2018 · 4 Comments

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Christmas· Cookies· Dessert· Gluten Free Recipes· Holidays· Recipes· Winter

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The best gluten-free sugar cookies! The cookies are tender yet crisp & definitely not dry. They hold their shape perfectly for Christmas cut-outs.  

a plate of cutout cookies, red and white striped towel

Christmas isn’t Christmas without Gluten-free Sugar Cookies!  Making cut-out cookies is a weekend-long extravaganza in our house. From making double & triple batches of dough and frosting to spending hours decorating to our heart’s content.  It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions.  

Obviously I had to figure out a recipe that was not only gluten-free but also rivaled regular cookies. I have something to prove, ya know.  What? I don’t know for sure. This recipe though? It really is the best gluten-free sugar cookie recipe.  My husband’s favorite Christmas cookie is the sugar cookie.  He gave these a raving 5-star review!  He exclaimed that these gluten-free sugar cookies are just as good, if not better, than their gluten-filled counterpart!  If he said that, you know they’re good!  (He also admitted he was a little worried about not having his beloved frosted sugar cookies this year… Come on, boo… I got you!)

*This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients in Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

There really aren’t any fancy ingredients in my cut out cookies! Regular sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk are blended together.  Then gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt are added.

The most notable difference between my recipe and other recipes is that I add in a little brown sugar!  The brown sugar makes them a bit more tender, adds moisture so they’re not dry, yet still allows for a nice crisp sugar cookie. 

As for the gluten-free flour, I used Pamela’s Artisan Blend All-Purpose flour (affiliate link).  I love that mix.  It works really well in a lot of recipes, like these frosted pumpkin cookies.  I get mine from Thrive Market, they usually have a great price there.

Making the Sugar Cookies

The process is just like any other sugar cookie recipe!  Start by mixing the wet ingredients.  Cream the butter and sugars together.  Then mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk.

mixing the wet ingredients for sugar cookies

Next, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Then dump the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until very well combined. 

mixing in the dry ingredients for sugar cookies

The mixture should make a stiff dough.  Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in a plastic bag or plastic wrap.  The next step… Chill the dough.

Yes. You have to chill the dough.  I’m sorry, but you just do.  Put the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.  The chilled dough will be less sticky and easier to roll out. You also want the dough cold so that the cookies hold their shape in the oven!  

sugar cookies rolled and cut out, on a silicone mat, and baked

Tips for Rolling Out the Cookies

  • Let the dough warm up on the counter for up to 15 minutes before rolling out the cookies.
  • Sprinkle flour on your surface and rolling pin so that they don’t stick to the rolling pin or counter.  
  • Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.   
  • You can gather the scraps and re-roll the dough so you don’t waste any!  
  • The cookies bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes depending on how crisp you like them. Once they start getting light brown, you know they will be crisp.  For softer cookies, pull the cookies out before they brown. 
a plate of frosted sugar cookies

Frosting… the most important part?

You can use any frosting or icing recipe you like! What do I use?  #TeamButtercream for these sugar cookies.  

Storing Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

  • Store these cookies in an airtight container for several days.  
  • The cookies can also be frozen for at least one month!
  • You can freeze them unfrosted or frosted!  So go ahead and get your cookies baked and/or frosted well before the holidays!  
  • To thaw, just pull them out and let them thaw at room temperature.  You’ll be surprised at how well they hold up! They taste just as fresh as the day they were baked.  
  • If you make the sugar cookies even just a few days to a week ahead of Christmas, I would still pop them in the freezer until the day of so they are nice and fresh!
frosted gluten free sugar cookies on silicone mat
5 from 2 votes
Print

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

The best gluten-free sugar cookies! The cookies are tender yet crisp & definitely not dry. They hold their shape perfectly for Christmas cut-outs.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword christmas, cookies, frosted, Holidays, sugar
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill the Dough 2 hours
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 179 kcal
Author Katie | Wheat by the Wayside.com

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon milk
  • 1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend I used Pamela’s All-purpose Blend
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 to 4 Tablespoons milk
  • 4 cups powdered sugar about 1 lb.
  • gel food coloring if desired

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, & salt.  Set aside.

  2. In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  About 1-2 minutes. 

  3. Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk.  Mix until well combined. 

  4. Dump in the dry ingredients.  Mix again until well combined.

  5. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or a plastic bag.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator 2 hrs or overnight. 

When it’s time to bake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to set at room temperature up to 15 minutes.

  2. Sprinkle flour on your rolling surface and the rolling pin.  Lay the dough out and sprinkle a little flour on top.

  3. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. 

  4. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the baking sheets, leaving a little space between cookies.  

  5. Gather remaining dough scraps and re-roll.  Continue to re-roll and cut out shapes until all the dough has been used.  Bake in batches as cookie sheets fill up.

  6. Bake the cookies at 350°F 10-12 minutes.  For crisper cookies, allow the cookies to get lightly browned.  For not so crisp cookies, pull them from the oven before they brown. 

  7. Cool completely before frosting.

Making Buttercream

  1. Cream together the softened butter and shortening in mixer bowl.

  2. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined.

  3. Add milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Keep adding milk until a fluffy, smooth, & spreadable consistency is reached.

  4. Divide frosting and use gel food coloring to tint, if desired.

holding a frosted sugar cookie

Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment & star-rating below. Use the social share buttons to save this recipe to Facebook & Pinterest! Tag me on Instagram @wheatbythewayside and use #wheatbythewayside.  Happy Cooking!

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About Katie

Katie Olesen is a former Clinical Laboratory Scientist turned food photographer and recipe developer. She lives in a small Illinois town with her husband and three children. After her Celiac Disease diagnosis, she focuses on easy and accessible gluten-free recipes that anyone can enjoy.

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Comments

  1. Chelsea says

    December 18, 2018 at 9:22 am

    Made these cookies yesterday and they turned out great! The thinner cookies were easier to decorate; I accidentally left a few cookies too thick, and they crumbled easier but tasted really yummy. I would recommend these and make them again!

    Reply
    • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says

      December 18, 2018 at 9:26 am

      Awesome! So glad they worked well for you! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kathy says

    December 19, 2018 at 6:01 am

    These really do taste as good as, if not better than, any other sugar cookie !

    Reply
    • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says

      December 19, 2018 at 6:24 am

      Thank you! They really are good!

      Reply

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