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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

    Published: Sep 9, 2019 · Updated: Dec 20, 2021 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    frosted sugar cookies on silicone mat
    Frosted sugar cookies in Christmas theme on wire rack.
    Frosted mitten cookie on a wire rack.
    Frosted mitten cookie on a wire rack.

    These delicious gluten-free sugar cookies are tender yet crisp and frosted with soft buttercream icing. They rival the 'regular' versions! This popular recipe has been tested and works well with several gluten-free flour blends. Keep reading for all my tips and tricks for successful gluten-free cut-outs!

    A stack of gluten free sugar cookies with pastel frosting and sprinkles.

    Why You'll Love this Recipe

    The holidays aren't the holidays without Gluten-free Sugar Cookies!  Making cut-out cookies can be a weekend-long extravaganza, making double & triple batches of dough and frosting. Spending hours decorating to your heart's content.  It's a favored holiday tradition!  

    To be honest though, cut-outs aren't just for the holidays! Why not have these yummy cookies year round?! Make hearts for Valentine's Day, Shamrocks in March, cute flowers in springtime! You get the idea!

    If you're spending the time and effort to make cut-out cookies, especially with expensive gluten-free ingredients, they had better be good! There is no room for mediocre in this situation. This recipe consistently gets raving 5-star reviews from friends, family, and readers! Many say that these gluten-free sugar cookies are just as good, if not better, than their gluten-filled counterpart! That's a win!

    They are soft with great flavor, thanks to butter and a touch of brown sugar. They hold their shape perfectly when baking! Plus, they are pretty forgiving and can be made with many of the gluten-free blends currently on the market!

    For an easy, no-roll sugar cookie, check out this gluten-free Crumbl copycat sugar cookie!

    Ingredients

    The great thing about sugar cookies is you probably have everything you need to make them already on hand!

    • 1:1 Gluten-free flour blend:
      • I've successfully made these cookies with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Pamela's Artisan Blend All-purpose Flour, Namaste Perfect Blend, Bob's 1 to 1 baking flour, and Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour (blue bag).
    • Brown sugar: not a typical ingredient in 'regular' sugar cookies, but in gluten-free sugar cookies brown sugar adds just the right amount of tenderness and moisture.

    Making the Dough

    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

    Then Mix in the Dry Ingredients:

    • Whisk together the dry ingredients.
    • Dump the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
    • Blend until very well combined. 
    mixing in the dry ingredients for sugar cookies

    Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in a plastic bag or plastic wrap.  Then wrap and chill the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.  

    I know no one likes to chill dough but you really should for this recipe.  Here's why:

    • Chilled dough is less sticky and easier to roll out.
    • Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape while baking, especially if the perfect cut-out shape is important to you!

    Tips for Rolling Out the Cookies

    • Let the dough chill until cold.
    • Roll out on parchment sprinkled with gluten-free flour so that the dough doesn't stick.
    • Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. If you get them too thin, they will be hard to handle without cracking.  Too thick and they may get puffy.
    • Dip a thin spatula that is large enough to hold the whole cookie in GF flour to help move the cookies from the rolling surface to the cookie sheet.
    • If you're still having trouble moving the shapes to the cookie sheets:
      • Try re-chilling the dough. OR
      • Roll the dough out on a piece of parchment the size of your cookie sheet.
      • Place the dough-lined parchment on the baking sheet.
      • Cut shapes 2 inches apart.
      • Remove the scraps around the shapes, leaving the shapes intact on the cookie sheet, and then bake!
    • Gather scraps and re-roll the dough so you don't waste any!  
    • Opt for smaller shapes. The larger the cut-out, the more fragile the cookie will be when decorating.
    sugar cookies rolled out and cut into shapes, baked on a sheet pan.

    Baking Tips

    • Don't over bake. The cookies bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes depending on how crisp you like them. For softer cookies, pull the cookies out just as they start to brown. Let them go a couple of minutes longer for crisper cookies.
    • Let the cookies cool directly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack. This is an important tip! If you try to remove them from the cookie sheet too soon, they will break easily. Allowing them to cool on the pan gives them time to set.

    Frosting Tips

    • A combination of butter and shortening is best for frosting that sets but is still soft. If you don't like to use shortening, you can use all butter.
    • Make sure your buttercream isn't too stiff. You want an easily spreadable/pipe-able consistency. Add more cream or milk if the frosting is hard to work with.
    • Use gel food coloring from Wilton, Americolor, or a craft store like Hobby Lobby. The colors are more vibrant and will not water down your frosting.
    • Frost over a cookie sheet to catch crumbs & sprinkles for easy clean-up... especially great when kids are helping!
    • Use a small star tip to dot stars all over the cookies. This is an easy way for kids to decorate!
    • Frost larger shapes flat on the table or cookie sheet, not in your hand, to prevent them from cracking.
    • Add sprinkles immediately after you apply the frosting so they will stick.
    • Speaking of sprinkles, be sure to check that yours are gluten-free!
    Frosted sugar cookie circles with sprinkles filled a speckled sheet pan.

    Best Frosting for Sugar Cookies

    You can use any buttercream frosting, glaze, or royal icing recipe you like but I prefer the classic Wilton buttercream recipe for sugar cookies.  It is soft to the bite but also firms up nicely for storage.

    Storage

    • Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but they are best eaten sooner rather than later.  
    • If you make the sugar cookies more than a day ahead of when you need them, pop them in the freezer until the day of so they are nice and fresh!
    • The cookies can be frozen for at least one month!
    • You can freeze them after you bake the cutouts, unfrosted or frosted!  
    • When ready, take them out of the freezer to thaw at room temperature. They taste just as fresh as the day they were baked.  

    More Gluten-free Cookies

    • If you need more cookie inspiration, you can check out all of my cookie recipes!
    • Flourless Peanut Butter Blossoms are a twist on a classic. I've got a gluten-free version of the original, too.
    • How do you like your thumbprints? With Buttercream or Jam?
    Plate full of pastel frosted gluten-free sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles.

    Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside.com
    The best gluten-free sugar cookies are tender yet crisp and hold their shape perfectly for rolling cut-outs.
    5 from 4 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Chill the Dough 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 32 mins
    Course Dessert
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 24 cookies
    Calories 242 kcal
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    Ingredients
      

    Wet Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter, softened
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 1 egg
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 ½ Tablespoon milk

    Dry Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cup gluten-free flour blend, King Arthur Measure for Measure, Cup4Cup Multipurpose, Namaste Perfect Blend, or Pamela's All-purpose Blend
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Buttercream Frosting

    • ½ cup butter, softened
    • ½ cup shortening
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 to 4 Tablespoons milk
    • 4 cups powdered sugar, about 1 lb.
    • gel food coloring, if desired

    Instructions
     

    Make the Cookie Dough

    • Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, & salt.  Set aside.
    • In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  About 1-2 minutes. 
    • Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk.  Mix until well combined. 
    • Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.  Add to the creamed mixture and blend until well combined.
    • Gather the dough into a ball, cover, and chill the dough in the refrigerator 2 hrs or overnight. 

    Bake the Cookies

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
    • Sprinkle flour on a piece of parchment. Place the dough on top and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Also, flour your rolling pin.
    • Roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thicknes (erring on the side of thicker than too thin), adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. 
    • Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the baking sheets, leaving a 2-inch space between cookies.  
    • 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.
    • 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. 
    • Cool completely before frosting.

    Buttercream Frosting

    • Cream together the softened butter and shortening in mixer bowl.
    • Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined.
    • Add milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Keep adding milk until a fluffy, smooth, & spreadable consistency is reached.
    • Divide frosting and use gel food coloring to tint, if desired.
    • Frost cooled cookies.

    Notes

    • Cookies are best eaten fresh.
    • Keep in airtight container up to three days.  
    • Freeze cookies, tightly wrapped, if desired.  
    • Cookies can be frozen before or after frosting.
    • Can freeze for a month or longer. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookieCalories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 11mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 249IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

    More Gluten-free Cookie Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies
    • Chewy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Raisins
    • Gluten-Free Crumbl Oreo Dirt Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
    • Gluten-Free Crumbl Galaxy Brownie Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

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    1. Chelsea

      December 18, 2018 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      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

        December 18, 2018 at 9:26 am

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

        Reply
    2. Kathy

      December 19, 2018 at 6:01 am

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

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        December 19, 2018 at 6:24 am

        Thank you! They really are good!

        Reply
    3. Eileen

      December 28, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are everything I imagined them to be! All I had was Cup4Cup, but it worked great with that flour. The frosting was hard to spread on cookie shapes that weren't circles, but it was so delicious I didn't care that they looked a bit messy. I just ate that last one and will be dreaming about them until I have an excuse to make them again.

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        December 31, 2020 at 12:31 pm

        Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Eileen! If you are at all into piping, we really like to use a small star tip to dot the frosting on. You're right though, they're delicious no matter how they look!

        Reply
    4. Lynn

      November 05, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      Hi, I found your site when searching recipes made with Caputo Fioreglut, making your pizza recipe tomorrow! Have you had success using this flour in your cookie or pie recipes?

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        November 27, 2021 at 9:06 am

        I have not used this for cookies or pie, mostly because it is so expensive! But I have used it to make this pasta and it turned out beautifully!

        Reply

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    Katie Olesen headshot.

    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

    More about me →

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