Gluten-free sugar cookies (aka gluten-free cut-out cookies) that you can roll, cut out, and decorate to your heart's content! These holiday-friendly cookies are flavorful, buttery, and not overly sweet, sort of like thinly-rolled shortbread. Made with a blend of gluten-free flours: almond flour, oat flour, and sweet rice flour. I've also included tested vegan and paleo options.
Decorate these with coconut butter glaze, bee pollen, and dried flower petals for naturally pretty cookies! Or turn them into gluten-free linzer cookies with a few flavor tweaks and a jam filling.
Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
Gluten-Free Cookies for the Holidays
Being Jewish, Christmas cookies were not much a part of my family's holiday traditions. Rugelach we had, but Santa hats decorated with sugar and sprinkles, not so much. We did, however, often keep a big, blue tin of buttery shortbread stashed in the kitchen come December.
A few different readers requested a gluten-free cut-out cookie recipe recently. I decided to try converting my favorite gluten-free tart crust from my cookbook – which tastes like buttery shortbread – to a GF sugar cookie recipe. I doubled the recipe and added an egg. I chilled the dough, rolled it out, cut it with biscuit cutters, and baked.
When I popped a cookie in my mouth, I couldn't believe how much I loved the results. The familiar taste of those buttery cookies in the blue tin flooded my senses. Vanilla, a hit of salt, butter, and cookie dough kissed my palate. They were so addictive that we had to hide the cookies in the cupboard so we wouldn't munch them all in one sitting. (Jay's motto is "out of sight, out of snout" when it comes to addictive foods like these cookies.)
This recipe turns out an easy-to-handle dough that gets big flavor from vanilla, butter, tasty flours, and a good hit of salt. I tested a vegan version and a paleo version, both of which turn out beautiful sugar cookies, details below and in the recipe notes.
This recipe is well-loved by readers looking for a healthier sugar cookie option with allergy-friendly options. Here's what one happy baker had to say about the recipe:
5-Star Reader Review
“I just tried these, and I think I have found the sugar cookie I have been looking for. They are easy to work with, hold embossing and scalloped edges really well. Not too sweet, so a sprinkling of sanding sugar or a thin glaze will be perfect. Thanks☺️”
—Elaine
These almond flour sugar cookies are even more of a treat when decorated with coconut butter icing and naturally pretty toppings like bee pollen and edible dried flower petals. I found these at my co-op and I've and given more natural deco suggestions below. I've also shared my recipe for a more traditional powdered sugar icing.
Healthy Sugar Cookies
These gluten-free sugar cookies use less sugar than most, and they get some good stuff from whole-grain oat flour and almond flour.
Since many of my lovely readers have food sensitivities in addition to gluten, I tested GF sugar cookies that are also:
- refined sugar-free
- dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan
- grain-free and paleo
I've also included two icing options:
- a classic powdered sugar icing
- paleo-friendly coconut butter icing sweetened with maple syrup
I experimented with different natural food powders to color the icings, including:
- turmeric (yellow)
- matcha (green)
- beet powder (pink, shown here)
And I topped these healthy sugar cookies with "nature's sprinkles":
- dried edible flower petals (calendula, cornflower, and rose)
- bee pollen
- hibiscus powder
Other pretty toppings for healthy sugar cookies could include:
- chopped pistachios or other nuts
- crumbled freeze-dried raspberries or other fruit
- cacao nibs
- hemp seeds
- naturally-dyed sprinkles
Ingredients and Substitutions
These gluten-free sugar cookies are made with just a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients.
- Butter makes the cookies moist and tender. Use vegan butter if you like to make gluten-free dairy-free sugar cookies.
- Sugar adds sweetness. I prefer organic cane sugar, which is pale tan in color, but any white sugar will work. Use brown sugar for richer color and flavor, or use maple sugar or coconut sugar for refined sugar-free gluten-free sugar cookies.
- Egg sticks the dough together. Use a flax egg for egg-free or vegan gluten-free sugar cookies (see recipe notes).
- Vanilla extract adds luscious flavor. Use vanilla paste if you want extra vanilla-y gluten-free vanilla cookies.
- Baking powder gives the cookies a little lift.
- Salt sharpens the flavors.
Gluten-Free Flours for Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
A trio of flours, plus some starch, gives these gluten-free holiday cookies a divine melt-in-your-mouth texture. I use Bob's Red Mill flours which are certified gluten-free. You can order them all online or find them at a grocer near you using their store locator.
- Almond flour lends a neutral flavor and buttery, crisp texture. For a nut-free version, sub tiger nut flour.
- Oat flour adds whole-grain flavor and a tender crumb. You can sub by weight sorghum flour, corn flour, millet flour, teff flour, or buckwheat flour (which will have a stronger yet delicious flavor.)
- Sweet rice flour helps the cookies hold together. You can sub cassava flour or a GF all-purpose flour blend.
- Tapioca starch makes the dough extensible and easy to work with. You can probably sub cornstarch or arrowroot starch if you prefer.
How to Make Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Dough
Baking and Decorating Gluten-Free Cut-Out Cookies
GF Sugar Cookies for Everyone
Bake up a batch of these gluten-free holiday cookies, and invite friends or family to decorate them with you. These cookies pack well in gift boxes once the icing has set and make a welcome treat for everyone – whether they're GF, vegan, paleo, or not.
However you make them, I hope you find these gluten-free sugar cookies as satisfying to make and eat as we do!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make these gluten-free sugar cookies, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Thin & Crisp Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Wet ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature*
- ½ cup (100 g) organic granulated sugar**
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg***
- 2 teaspoons GF vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour****
- 1 cup (160 g) Bob’s Red Mill sweet white rice flour*****
- 1 cup (105 g) Bob’s Red Mill GF oat flour, plus more for dusting******
- ¼ cup (24 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour*******
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 recipe powdered sugar icing or paleo icing
Instructions
Make the gluten-free sugar cookie dough
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl), combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Beat (or stir with a wooden spoon or electric egg beater) on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. We don’t want to aerate the dough in this case as that will make the cookies spread more.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed or stir to combine. The mixture will look curdled at this point, but it will come together once the flours are added.
- Sift in the almond, sweet rice, and oat flours with the tapioca starch and baking powder. Beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Flatten the balls into disks (the thinner you make them, the easier it will be to roll them out), wrap in beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 30-60 minutes and up to several days. Or freeze for longer storage.
Roll out the dough
- Unwrap one of the dough rounds and place it on a piece of parchment paper dusted lightly with oat flour. If the dough has been chilled for a while, you may need to let it soften for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to roll.
- Dust the top of the dough with oat flour, using a dry pastry brush to sweep away excess flour. Roll the dough into a large oval that’s 1/8-inch thick or a little thicker.
- When the dough starts to stick to the bottom, dust the top with a little oat flour, place a piece of parchment on top of the dough, and flip the whole thing over, parchment and all. Carefully peel away the now top piece of parchment, dust the dough with more flour, and continue rolling, sweeping away excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
Shape
- Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters, biscuit cutters, or an inverted glass. Place the cuts as close together as you can to maximize the dough. Or just cut it into squares with a knife or pastry wheel.
- Gather up the dough scraps and save them to combine with the dough scraps from the next dough round. You can gently smush these together, chill them for 20 minutes, and roll this dough to make more cookies.
- Transfer the cut-outs to a cookie sheet lined with parchment and chill while the oven preheats, 20-30 minutes.
Bake
- Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
- Repeat the rolling/cutting process with the other dough round.
- Bake the cookies one at a time in the upper third of the oven until set and slightly golden around the edges, 12-16 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through for even baking. I like my cookies crispy and baked longer, but if you prefer softer cookies, go with the shorter time.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets or transfer to a cooling rack. Once cool, ice and decorate.
Store
- The cookies keep well, airtight at room temperature, for up to a week or two. Cookies iced with coconut butter icing will soften if stored, covered, overnight.
Notes
- The cookie dough can be mixed, flattened into discs, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to several months.
- The baked cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks, layered between parchment paper to help them stay crisp. If they lose their crispness, "refresh" them in a 300ºF oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp them back up.
- Cookies iced with coconut butter icing will soften if stored, covered, overnight, while cookies iced with powdered sugar icing will stay crisp longer.
Nutrition
Powdered Sugar Icing
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups (200 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant milk (more as needed)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅕ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- If the icing is too thick, thin with a few more drops of milk.
- Spread or pipe over cookies, or tint with your preferred colors.
Solange says
These are lovely! Could I use an egg wash and decorate with sprinkles before baking?
Alanna says
Aw thank you! Yes I think that would work. Please let me know if you try it!
Neecie says
Hi Alanna,
Love your tart crust so can’t wait to try these.
Just out of curiosity, if I wanted to make them nut free, what could I sub the almond flour for as tiger nut flour isn’t easily available where I live.
Thanks!
Alanna says
Hi Neecie! Hmm that's a great question. I think coconut flour could work, but you'd need to use less of it since it's super absorbent, like 1/3 or 1/2 the amount by weight. You could also try another grain flour, but the cookies might be more crumbly. The protein in the almond flour helps hold the cookies together. You could also try ground seeds (maybe pumpkin seeds) but they'll have a slightly stronger flavor. Sunflower seeds can sometimes turn baked goods green, so I wouldn't recommend using those. Please let me know what you try!
Joanna says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I thought gluten free vegan roll out cookies were a magical unicorn, but these worked so beautifully. Your recipes are the best!
Alanna says
Yaayyyy that makes me so happy! Thanks for making the cookies and for the kind note and rating. Happy holidays!
Alison Marie says
Do you think I could put this dough in a cookie press to make spritz cookies? Maybe more butter? Your tart and pie crusts and your teff oatmeal cookies are my staple recipes when I do GF baking, and measuring by weight, not volume, has been a huge game changer for all my baking. I recommend your cookbook to anyone who wants to get serious about GF baking.
Alanna says
I bet that would work! Do you usually chill the dough before making the spritz cookies? If not, you might not need to add more butter since the dough is pretty soft when it's first made, but go with your gut sense and please let me know how it turns out!
Thank you so much for the kind words about my recipes! I'm so glad you're enjoying them and Alternative Baker. I agree - baking by weights is so much easier and more accurate. Anything to cut down on dishes, right?!
Eva says
This sounds intriguing - especially as I am on the lookout for a GF European style tart crust (which is a lot like sugar cookie dough) that can be used to cover the top of a tart as well (if you're curious, you could google pics of "Gedeckter Apfelkuchen" oder "Bündner Nusstorte" ...) Do you think this would work?
Thanks a million for sharing all your great recipes, by the way!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Eva,
I'm sorry I missed your note before. Yes I do think this recipe would work for that dessert. This quantity should be just right for a double-crust pie like the gedeckter apfelkuchen. Please let me know if you try it!
-Alanna
Eva says
I will! Try it and report, that is :-)
Thanks very much!
Ann says
Hi Alanna!
Can I modify this recipe to make Snickerdoodles? I have been searching for a recipe on your site but didn't find one so I thought I should ask prior to proceeding. Maybe this is something you are working on currently:-)..
Let me know your thoughts! Gracious, Ann
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Ann! You're right, I don't have a GF snickerdoodle recipe here yet, but I've been meaning to develop one so appreciate the nudge! When I *do* develop a recipe, I'll start with my favorite formula for gluteny snickerdoodles which is here and use the same flours that I used for these sugar cookies.
I'm not sure the sugar cookie recipe will work for snickerdoodles since it's more similar to a shortbread cookie in terms of the ratios of butter / sugar/ flour / egg. Please let me know if you experiment and I'll do the same!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hello again! I just saw your note from last year and wanted to follow up. I just shared this recipe for gluten-free snickerdoodles and they use the same flours as this recipe.
Please let me know if you try it!
Debbie says
When one of my students says Debbie are you bringing cookies I can eat? Yes! Perfect party cookies. This recipe has become one of my favorites.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw what lucky students. I'm so glad these have been a hit! :D
Elaine says
I just tried these, and I think I have found the sugar cookie I have been looking for. They are easy to work with, hold embossing and scalloped edges really well. Not too sweet, so a sprinkling of sanding sugar or a thin glaze will be perfect.
Thanks☺️
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Elaine,
I'm so glad you love the cookies and find the dough easy and versatile! Thanks so much for the sweet note :)
-A
Ashley says
Could I make these a few days ahead of time and store the dough in the fridge?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Ashley,
Great question! Yes, definitely. The dough keeps well, wrapped tightly and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. I added make-ahead options into the recipe card as well, so thanks very much for your question!
-Alanna
Gigi says
Growing up, I used to be a petite maniac with those Swedish butter cookies that were in a lovely blue circular tin. I would go on covert missions to hoard the individual paper liners stacked with the pretzel shaped ones and small rectangular ones, leaving others with no chance of enjoying once they opened the lid the following holiday morning. Hoping you remember these as well and I’ve seen similar ones yet they taste horrible in comparison because of all of the preservatives and chemicals. I’m looking to replicate that taste with these beautiful cookies of yours. Any tweaking that you would recommend so that I could use this dough to get the same taste and texture of the OG Swedish butter cookies? I remember them being a bit crunchy yet buttery and light in texture- a moment too long and they would melt into a hot coffee never to be seen again! (A touch of tapioca in the mix perhaps?And I’ve been loving ghee lately if possible to incorporate!) Some also had coarse sugar atop…I’m thinking they may have been shaped like spritz cookies are, but am just looking to keep it simple with perhaps a few small cookie cutters. Thank you Alanna! Transporting in time in anticipation alone…
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Gigi,
OMG I love knowing this about you haha! Those pretzel shaped ones with the sugar on top were my favorites too.
I looked up some recipes for Danish butter cookies and they're all pretty similar to this formula with butter, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, egg, and baking powder. I think the flavor should be similar, it would just be a matter of shaping them differently if you like. I also think you could brush them with an egg wash and sprinkle with some coarse sugar (sanding sugar or Demerara).
Please let me know if you play around with this recipe!
xo,
A
Martina Lauer says
Wonderful cookies. I prefer these to cookies made with the commercial GF blends.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad you like the sugar cookies and that the alternative flours are to your taste! I agree that they have a nicer texture and more delicious flavor than the GF all-purpose blends too :)