These tender and sweet Gluten Free Sugar Cookies are the perfect delicious blank canvases to decorate this holiday season!
Did you ever decorate cookies around the holidays as a kid?
I did, and I loved it. I wanted to keep that annual tradition with my girls, so I created this allergy-friendly recipe for Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies.
These gluten-free cut out cookies are blank canvases for creativity. I’ve made several batches over the years that my girls have decorated.
How to decorate Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cookies:
Dairy-Free Glaze
Made from organic powdered sugar and water (or you could use dairy-free milk instead). In a medium sized mixing bowl, add 2 cups of organic powdered sugar then add water, teaspoon by teaspoon until the glaze is at your desired thickness.
Dairy-Free Frosting
This is our favorite dairy-free frosting recipe (and it’s definitely my husband’s preference of decorating!):
1 pound organic powdered sugar
½ cup palm shortening
¼ cup vegan butter or ghee (or more palm shortening)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-5 tablespoons water or dairy-free milk
In a large sized mixing bowl, add the organic powdered sugar, palm shortening, vegan butter or ghee, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of water or dairy-free milk. Beat until light and fluffy, and add more water or dairy-free milk until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
To either, the glaze or the frosting, you can add natural food dye, regular food dye, or leave it out entirely.
And don’t forget the sprinkles! We like these naturally dyed ones.
Frequently asked questions about this Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie recipe:
Q: Is the texture crispy or soft?
A: It depends. If you roll the dough thin, between ⅛-1/4″ thick, and then bake them until they are golden, they will be more on the crispy side. If you roll the dough thicker, ¼″ thick, or a little thicker, and then bake until they are just done/set, they will be more on the soft side. Frosting helps keeps them soft too!
Q: Can I make these egg free?
A: I have not tested this recipe egg free, but since there is only 1 egg in this recipe, it might work well egg free. If I had to choose a substitute, I’d try either egg replacer, or a chia egg (To make a chia egg combine 1 tablespoon of ground chia seed with 3 tablespoons hot water. Let the slurry sit for at least 10 minutes for the slurry to gel.).
Q: Can I use all butter in place of the vegan butter/ghee and palm shortening?
A: Absolutely!
Q: Why do you freeze the raw cookie cutouts on the baking sheets before baking vs. chilling the dough and then rolling it out to cut shapes?
A: This is an updated recipe. When I originally published this recipe, I recommended refrigerating the dough and then rolling it out to cut shapes. BUT, the more I made the dough, I realized it became hard to work with after it had sat in the refrigerator; the dough became dry and crumbly. It is much, much easier to roll the dough out immediately after mixing it, cutting shapes, placing them on the baking sheets, and then freezing the cutouts on the baking sheets.
Q: Why do I have to freeze the raw cookie cutouts on the baking sheets?
A: This keeps the cookie cutouts from spreading too much and losing their shape.
Tips for rolling out the Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie dough:
- If your dough is too soft, and transferring the cut out shapes to the baking sheet is difficult, pop the raw dough in the refrigerator for 20-60 minutes. Humidity and temperature will vary greatly, and it will effect your dough. The temperatures and humidity I deal with here in Alaska are drastically different than what someone in Florida might experience.
- If your dough is too crumbly, it needs more moisture. Either wet your hands, and then gently massage the dough, or pop the dough back into the bowl of your electric mixer. Add additional water, teaspoon by teaspoon until your dough is back to being pliable.
- This pie crust bag is also super handy for rolling out cookie dough, not just pie crust!
How to make gluten-free sugar cookies
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the vegan butter or ghee, palm shortening, and cane sugar. Cream together for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg, cold water, and vanilla extract. Beat well.
- Add the sea salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, millet flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca starch. Mix until blended.
- Divide the cookie dough into 2 equal sized disks.
- To roll the dough, lay a piece of parchment paper on a work surface and lightly sprinkle with sorghum flour. Place a disk of dough in the middle of the parchment paper, sprinkle the disk with sorghum flour, and roll the dough until it’s ¼ inch thick, starting in the middle and working out towards the edges. Keep sprinkling the dough with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
- Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes. Carefully transfer the cut shapes onto the prepared baking sheets using a spatula.
- Place each baking sheet in the freezer, and freeze for 15 minutes before baking. This will keep the cookie dough from spreading too much and losing its shape.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Bake for 10 – 14 minutes, just until the cookies appear slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
- Decorate as desired and enjoy!
Favorite gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes:
Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Mocha Hazelnut Cookies
Gluten Free White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies from My Gluten Free Kitchen
Guilt Free Paleo Pecan Pie Cookies
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms from What the Fork food blog
I hope you enjoy these gf sugar cookies as much as my family does!
xoxo,
Mēgan
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Recipe:
These tender and sweet Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies are the perfect delicious blank canvases to decorate this holiday season! We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
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itzia says
My favorite holiday memory is going to Disneyland with my family
Mindy Hart says
Looks wonderful!
Erica D says
I’ve really had to re-create memories, since they all involved food – once I was diagnosed as a celiac. Now my favorite memories are when family members genuinely go out of their way to make sure I’m safe during Thanksgiving or Xmas dinner!
jules says
I love that you iceed these cookies with white icing – so understated and lovely! Actually making homemade sugar cut-out cookies has to be one of my favorite holiday memories!!!
~jules
gfJules.com
Jeffrey says
I always like going to my Grandma’s little house and eating at the kids table which was a card table. I was a really picky eater then and my parents pretty much let me eat mash potatoes and biscuits for dinner. My grandma made some really good cookies, I never skipped dessert!
Laureen Fox says
My most favourite holiday memories are of the handmade pyjamas my grandma used to make for all 26 of her grandchildren!
Lori Williams says
My favorite holiday memory is my grandmother coming over my house and teaching me how to cook/bake special things for the holidays. Miss my grandmother.
Kelly D says
My favorite memory is when my son was 3 months old and we visited family for his first Christmas.
Becca Z says
My older brothers coming home from college with their friend who flew his own plane, and we all got to go for rides (my first plane ride) on Christmas Day.
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate says
I love your snowman! Those little chocolate chip buttons are the cutest. Can’t wait to make these with my girls.
Best,
Chrystal
Brianna Hobbs says
These cookies are so fun! I loved baking cookies with my mom when I was a little girl. I love that they are dairy free and gluten free.
Shannon says
I remember baking gingerbread cookies with pink frosting as a little girl with my great grandmother during the holidays. Such a sweet memory that I would like to create with my children. Now to figure out that gingerbread cookie recipe she had but make it gf!
Twila says
Opening gifts Christmas morning then getting together with my mom’s family for the day. Always such a fun day, all the food and playing with my cousins all day!
Odessa says
My favorite Christmas memory is many years spent on Christmas eve in Seattle with my family eating Chinese food, then falling asleep in the car in the drive home while it rains outside.
Theresa says
Baking cookies and popcorn balls and all sorts of special holiday goodies with my mom.
amanda sakovitz says
going to see christmas lights with my family
Stephanie says
Glad your back 🙂 my favorite memory is making Italian fig cookies with the family. Still working on a gluten free version of that dough!
Natalie says
I remember baking and decorating gingerbread houses with my family. That has always been my most cherished memory of the holidays.
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
Megan, these look great! I am wanting to make sugar cookies this year with my kids! Looks like I just found the perfect recipe!
Amanda says
Laughing with my family over holiday moments “gone wrong” – it’s the little things!
Bridgett Wilbur says
Making homemade fudge with my great grandmother.
Lacy says
I love cut out sugar cookies. These sound delicious!
Shoshannah Harvey says
I can’t wait to try these! They really look good!
Jessie says
These look fantastic! Thanks for sharing:-)
Tammy says
My favorite holiday memory is baking with my mom when I was a little girl. She died when I was 14 and those baking memories are precious!
Elle P. says
Baking delicious goodies with my Mother and brothers.
angie says
my favorite Christmas memory is baking our favorite Christmas cookies from mom’s cookbook. This will be our first Christmas gluten free, so I’m excited to make some of our traditional cookies gluten free for my celiac daughter. I love a good challenge!
Laura J says
My favorite holiday memory was when I was a teen, and I got to fly down to Florida to visit my grandmother who spent her winters there on the gulf. Was my first time flying and away from home, I had so much fun with my grandmother looking for sharks teeth washing up on the shore every morning. Such beautiful memories!
Leslie says
We went to the Phillipines on a missions trip as a family and the day we flew home was Christmas and because of the time change we ended up getting home on Christmas so we got to celebrate Christmas 2 times. Plus, the blessed memories of touching into people’s lives during the holiday season.
Carrie says
My favorite memory is Christmas Eve services followed by dinner and fun with all our extended family at my grandma’s house!
Anne Marie says
Together with family and we were all healthy. Boy how times have changed. I pray we can get back one day.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Love this recipe! Perfect for this time of year. Your sweet puppy is so precious too! Pinning.
Melanie Lopez says
My best Christmas memory is the first one when we had my son. He was only 5 days old
Pam Arthur says
My favorite holiday memory is making ornaments with my dad and decorating the tree.
Nicole says
My favorite holiday memory is just laughing with my cousins 🙂
Joanne Peterson says
Megan,
It’s so good to see you post again! I have been thinking of you very often and wondering how you and your family have been faring.
These cookies look lovely and we really like sugar cookies! The ingredients other than the cane sugar are exactly what my husband can eat, so this will be a simple substitution. My husband’s favorite cookie is a butter type sugar cookie, like this. The boys just love cookies. 🙂 And yes, growing up we decorated a truckload of sugar cookies, all five of us brothers and sisters.
Great to see you back!
Hugs, Joanne
Colette says
Lovely photos! And those cookies look very holiday worthy!
Jodi says
My favorite memories are of making treats for Christmas with my sister ( who lives in Anchorage) and my grandmothers. My kids have dairy and gluten issues, so I’m very grateful for your recipes! Happy holidays!
Carolyn says
Favorite memory: baking for the holidays with my Mom!
Jessica says
My sister and I used to make a gingerbread house and cookies every year. There would be so much sugar in the kitchen we would have an entire day of cleanup!
Bea says
Loved decorating the tree with eggnog!
Cherie says
My favorite memory is making cookies with my mom. This taught me how to do the same with my children and our many daycare children.
Julie Snow says
We moved to Tennessee the week before Christmas and kids were 3, 6 and 10. We put a very small tree in the car and the kids stockings so we could put them up as soon as we got to our new home. The movers didnt deliver the rest of our stuff until a week later but something about our still empty house said “home” worth the tiny lit tree and Christmas stockings hanging on the fireplace. Sweet memory.
Charlotte Moore says
That is hard to think of right now. I guess when our children were small and we made the decorations for the tree. Didn’t have a lot of money so we had to make do.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Good to see your update.
Tara says
I loved looking in my stocking on Christmas morning! Santa always had great stocking gifts!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
I don’t have one specific memory, but I love the family time!
Lisa says
Can’t wait to try these! I have been wanting to find a gluten free cookie that could be decorated for each holiday.
patricia says
One of my favorite Christmas memories is traveling to visit our sister and family in Texas for christmas and then traveling with our 3 children to Disney World in florida
Joanne Peterson says
BTW, the puppy is so sweet and adorable looking. I can understand the excitement of the little one coming home when it is the right time!
Heather says
I always loved snuggling in a blanket on the floor beside the enticing smell of the Christmas tree surrounded by my family and either Christmas music or Christmas movies.
Gordon Stanley says
It’s great to have a new puppy to grow up with young children.
Cyndi br says
Favorite memory is making ornaments for the Christmas tree
julie says
my sons first hannukah-it was so nice celebrating with all our family
Angie says
Favorite Christmas memory is when I was old enough to question the reality of Santa, so my dad tricked me for another Christmas by adding an ash bootprint in front of the fireplace. 🙂
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says
Aw, both the cookies and the puppy – too cute! My favorite holiday memory was the smell of my mom baking pumpkin bread – she baked tons of loaves for gifting!
Karen says
My favorite Christmas memory is dinner at my Grandma’s house on Christmas Day. I always thought her china made the table look so beautiful and she was such a wonderful cook.
Amanda says
Waking up early on Christmas morning with my sister and rushing downstairs to see what Santa had brought us. We would then turn on loud country Christmas music (her choice!) to wake up my parents.
Amber B says
Christmas morning. Not for any particular reason than the excitement 🙂 And family visiting.
Windy F says
My dad used to make molasses cookies and as kids we would help him. I remember dad having one child on his shoulders and two or three of us around him helping pour in the ingredients.
Heather says
My favorite Christmas memory was the year my x-husband left us. I was sad, thinking my children were suffering with their new reality. However, after our simple dinner, we went out to look at Christmas lights and came back for a homemade dessert. The children told me it was their best Christmas ever. They reminded me what Christmas is really about.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this gift card; it would be extremely helpful.
Gina M (Wild Orchid) says
My favorite memory is baking and decorating cookies with my mom!
Entered the Rafflecopter as “Wild Orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
DJ says
I always enjoyed decorating the tree with my Grandfather. It’s one of my favorite memories of the time we spent together.
Ty says
My favorite holiday memory is when we were kids going to my grandparents house and smelling all the fantastic smells of baking and cooking walking in. Spending time with lots of family and playing outside in the snow.
Seyma Shabbir says
One of my favorite memories was when my dad was stationed in Germany and we went to a Christmas celebration downtown. They had gluwein (a german sweet warm wine) and I got to taste it. They had german cakes and cookies and celebrated lighting a tree.
Tara says
My most favorite memory is coming down the stairs early early on Christmas morning to all the tree lights and decorations still on. Checking out the presents from Santa under the tree and in the stockings. Looking that he ate the cookies and drank the milk. Just that moment of wonder and excitement to myself. Then I would go back to bed and wait until everyone in the family was awake to open presents.
Erika W. says
My favorite holiday memory is the first Christmas with my daughter. She has brought such joy to our family and I love all the pictures of everyone holding her by the Christmas tree.
Katy P says
My favorite memory is going to my grandparents’ house for Christmas.
Aaron says
My favorite holiday memory was the blizzard of ’84 – it was if Christmas was canceled.
rachel @ athletic avocado says
Such a classic recipe! Can’t believe these are GF and DF!
Rozelyn says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My kids haven’t had homemade sugar cookies since their food allergy diagnosis. Oh that’s about 5 years ago. Can’t wait to make this soon.
Melanie says
My favorite memory is one that is funny now, but it really was not back then.
My family has always opened one gift on Chistmas Eve. It was fun because Dad always said no, but we would argue and argue knowing we would eventually win.
One Christmas Eve, when I was a young teen, I agreed to babysit for some friends so “santa” could go out and get a christmas tree (their tradition).
When I got home to my house that evening, I discovered that Dad had told my brother and sister that they could open ALL of their presents since he had to work Christmas morning. Christmas was over.
I was devastated since for me, the joy is also in watching others.
*sigh*
Casandra Farley says
My best memory is making Snickerdoodle cookies with my two oldest grandsons. They live far away from me now but we make them when we are together. Then they eat them all up.
Rachel Durand says
I loved decorating the Christmas tree.
Patt says
I loved watching my nana bake butter cookies. We put spicy cinnamon candies on them.
Holly says
Baking spritz cookies with my grandmother and going crazy with the sugar and sprinkles, it was always so much fun 🙂
Cindy A. says
Driving around our little town to ooh and aah at all the Christmas lights. 🙂
april says
Mine is hiking out through the tree farm to pick out a tree and watching my dad cut it down….snow was on the ground, it was beautiful.
Michelle P says
Christmas eve at my grandpa’s (my dad’s father’s) house. All the friends & family, food, talking, opening gifts, going to midnight mass.
jennifer says
my favorite holiday memory was getting to unwrap one present on chrsitmas eve and it would always be our christmas pajamas that we would wear to open presents in the morning. Christmas was always so much fun at our house.
Lindsey | Cafe Johnsonia says
All of my memories center around food! ha! I loved making treats with my mom and grandmothers, especially homemade candies.
Ruth says
Favorite holiday memory – at my grandparents house to spend one.last.Christmas. with my grandpa who had cancer. Not the easiest holiday but special memories.
[email protected] says
Christmas was always special for me. I would spend hours laying under the lit tree, play with all the decor and break out the Christmas records in July. No one memory, but a whole of positive ones!
Elle @ Only Taste Matters says
My favorite holiday memory is making cookies with my mother every year. 🙂
Linda says
I can’t say that I have a favorite memory, but one of them is that my mom would sew matching flannel nightgowns for me and my sister. They were so soft and warm and pretty, and my mom had made them!
candy kratzer wenzel says
My favorite Christmas memory was setting up the manger and putting together the old cardboard fireplace to hang our stockings which kept tipping over.
Cheryl says
My favorite holiday memory is finding my first bicycle — a bright shiny red one — under the tree. Of course it had training wheels.
Jen says
The first Christmas with my kids.
Marilyn Barnes says
My favorite memory was one Christmas when I had given away toys for a collection for less fortunate children but regretted giving one favorite doll. Somehow my father was able to retrieve that particular doll back and presented it to me on Christmas morning. I thought he was lost to me and had really mourned his loss but my dad brought him back. I was one very happy little girl.
melanie smith says
My favorite holiday memory is from about 28 years ago. I woke up and the ENTIRE living room was so full of presents you coulnt even walk in it. It was the best Christmas ever
sabrina says
Driving around the city looking at all the wonderful Christmas lights and decorations at night. 🙂
Jeff Gallup says
Spending a snowy Christmas eve in Leavenworth, WA.. it was beautiful 🙂
Kat Schneible says
Thank you for this great sounding sugar cookie recipe. Your recipes for baked goods are my favorites. I can’t eat gluten, dairy, soy or shellfish. And most of the time I can make your recipes without a lot of substitutions and they come out tasting GREAT! Thank you again.
Kat Schneible says
Oops I forgot to tell you my favorite holiday memory….is Midnite Mass, or maybe it was decorating our Christmas tree Christmas eve with our dad, or baking holiday cookies…. there are too many wonderful memories to pick one favorite…
Anna says
My mom was the family cookie lady, she baked an amazing variety of cookies and Christmas treats. That’s my constant and favorite memory, and now I work hard to recreate at least a few of those cookies so my children can safely consume them. I also love trying others’ recipes. I’ve already made two batches of sugar cookies but I still may make this one between now and Christmas, lol. My husband loves Sugar cookies!
Dee Fedor says
My best memory of Christmas is all the thousands of cookies I made with my Mom and younger sister. They are both gone now, but they are with me when I make the same cookies now. Only thing that is changed is they are now all Gluten-Free!
Colleen M says
Thanks for the great recipe – I am excited to try these during the holidays with my family
Colleen M says
My favorite Christmas memory is making cookies with my mom!
Marcelina Valverde says
A favorite Christmas time memory for me was baking and baking and baking some more with my siblings…we would bake for 4 or 5 days it seems like haha. thats what we gave away as family gifts…snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, no bake oat cookies, chocolate crinkles, sugar cookies, lemon bars, banana bread, pumpkin bars…so many memories around baking together . Im so glad my friend introduced me to your blog because I have made diet changes for my last daughter who has eczema…glad to learn from you!
cindy says
Spending time with family
Heather says
My favorite holiday memory is when a group of NICU nurses came in early or stayed late to work out how I could hold my son for the first time on Christmas Eve he was 3 weeks old and I had not been able to hold him yet. It took 5 nurses to handle all of his wires, cords etc in order for me to hold him for 10 min. It was the best gift ever. I will forever be grateful.
Kristin says
I loved that we never had that post-gift-opening letdown. We opened our presents in the morning, had a nice dinner, and then the house filled up with aunts and uncles and cousins all afternoon! 🙂
Taylor says
Making cookies with my mom and sister
Kristin says
Our house was always filled with people! We opened presents in the morning, had a nice dinner, and then the aunts, uncles, and cousins started filing in 🙂
Yevette Dingman says
My teens were just asking for a sugar cookie recipe to make for giving to their friends! Thank you for sharing!
Ashleigh Swerdfeger says
My favourite memory is Christmas dinner with my great grandma
Sarah V. says
My favorite holiday memory is baking cookies and pies with my mom.
Terry says
My favorite memory was my sons first Christmas… every one thought I was cheap and lame. because my presents to him was wrapped boxes with paper tubes and paper. Funny thing my gift got played with the most and mine was the cheapest.
wendy says
I love everyone opening menorah’s and the light glowing in the house
Jillian Too says
I can remember running downstairs and discovering that Santa had filled out stockings. It was magical.
Karol says
When my family and I were still living in Brooklyn, NY, we used to take long walks around the neighborhood in the winter, to see all the lights and decorations. It was one of my absolute favorite things to do and a wonderful way to spend time with the family.
Emily N. says
I remember one year the grandparents hosted and we had a whole bunch of extended family all together at their house.
Susan Christy says
Getting my first bicycle
Amanda Whitley says
my favorite holiday memory is my first Christmas after i was married starting our own family traditions
Thomas Murphy says
The year my family went to Disney world for Christmas.
TJ Toronto says
Hi there, does anyone have any comments on the actual cookie that this recipe creates? Are they crunchy, chewy, grainy, comparatively sweet, etc? I’ve looked at the post and the comments a few times and can’t get a sense of how they actually turn out. Any notes on the cookies themselves would be very helpful. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Megan says
Hi TJ,
These cookies can vary from soft to crispy, depending on how thin you roll them out, and how long you bake them. I prefer to roll mine out to 1/4 inch, then try to catch them when they are just done (NOT golden), so they stay a little soft. BUT, if I misjudge the baking time and they end up crispy, my family still loves them. To me, these cookies are not grainy, unless you use a ton of excess flour to roll them out. Hope that helps!
KANEEZ FARID says
Hi there
Did you use all natural food dyes for the cookies above?? I want to stick to natural food dyes.
Thank you,
Kaneez
Megan says
Hi Kaneez,
No, what you see above it artificial food dye. Not what I would normally use, but for pictures of decorated cookies (for marketing) that’s what I decided to use. To feed my family, I either don’t dye the frosting, OR I use beet powder for a pretty pink color.
Lisa says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Do you have any suggestions for replacing the Miller flour? Would tiger but or teff flour be a good replacement? Or maybe cassava?
Thanks!
Mēgan says
Hi Lisa,
I would try subbing it with a combination of sorghum flour/brown rice flour. I’ve never worked with tiger nut, and cassava isn’t something I would try in this recipe.