How to make easy gluten-free sugar cookies.

This gluten-free sugar cookie recipe is probably the easiest gluten-free recipe you have ever come across. These cookies might be also the tastiest you have ever made. Don’t forget to pin it!

gluten-free sugar cookies

Here I go again, I am not a baker. If you have followed me for some time now you have heard this from me a couple of times. Still, I don’t give up. I love baking. Who doesn’t, right? The smell of freshly made cookies makes any house cozy and warm. I am always so happy when I come up with something that is easy and delicious and just can’t wait to share this simple recipe with you.

Are these cookies gluten-free?

Yes, of course! Like all the other recipes you will find on my blog, these cookies are gluten-free. I used gluten-free flour blend to make them and they are absolutely safe for you if you are following gluten-free diet. By the way they taste just the classic sugar cookies.

Are these gluten-free sugar cookies healthy?

By the current definition of HEALTHY food, these cookies won’t get the highest grade. They contain sugar, butter, and white flour, even if it is gluten-free. However, let’s see if these cookies are actually unhealthy and what are the alternatives. For me, these cookies are the perfect example of a VERY GOOD treat, occasional food. If you compare them to the store-bought variety, they will win all the way. Let’s have a look at the ingredients of the cookies that are very popular with children in Australia:

Gluten-free Flour Blend (Maize Starch, Modified Tapioca Starch (1412),

Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, 

Soy Flour,

Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin),

Thickeners (415, 412, 464),

Potato Starch,

Sugar,

Vegetable Oil, 

Milk Chocolate Chips (6%) (Sugar, Cocoa Solids, Milk Solids, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin, E476)),

Condensed Milk,

Butter (From Milk),

Vegetable Fibre, 

Eggs,

Whey Powder (Milk),

Glucose,

Natural Flavour,

Salt,

Baking Powder.

As you can see the ingredients list is long and it contains a couple of ingredients that I would recommend avoiding such as vegetable oil and emulsifiers.

Ingredients I used

This gluten-free sugar cookie recipe requires only a few everyday ingredients, just as homemade cookies should.

  • Gluten-free flour blend
  • Organic raw sugar
  • Guar gum, or use xanthan gum. Though I believe guar gum is a better option.
  • Organic unsalted butter.
  • Free-range egg
  • Organic vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

That it is! 16 ingredients vs 6. It is a big difference. You don’t need anymore to make delicious cookies. These cookies ABSOLUTELY CAN BE a part of a healthy family diet if you enjoy them as an occasional treat.

Why there is no baking powder or baking soda used in this recipe?

This recipe doesn’t require baking soda or powder. Adding some will lead to building little air bubbles in the dough and will make cookies to raise while baking. The cookies will also spread and crack on the top.

Are these sugar cookies easy to make?

Yes, yes, and yes! As mentioned before I am not a baker and if I can make them, you can make them too. They are really a no-fuss, one-bowl wonder. The part I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need to cream the butter with sugar. In fact, you MUST NOT cream butter and sugar as it will make the cookies spread when baking.

SOS: Why do my cookies spread?

As mentioned above, your cookies will spread if the sugar cookie dough has tiny bubbles of air in it. This is why we DO NOT BEAT the butter with sugar and DO NOT USE baking powder or baking soda. Keep it simple 🙂

Nevertheless, they taste just like a classic sugar cookie.

Decorating the cookies

These cookies are really good for decorating. They come out nice and flat and despite being gluten-free hold their shape quite nicely. I would recommend decorating them on the same day though as they get a little more brittle and crumbly on the following days.

How to decorate sugar cookies?

I had all the good intentions to decorate the cookies for this post, but they disappeared before I could do so. But you can decorate them with icing and chocolate and whatever your heart desires. The only thing I managed to do is to press some cute prints on half of mine. It worked a treat.

raw gluten-free sugar cookies on a baking tray

How to store cookies?

We usually don’t have many cookies to store because they just seem to disappear within a couple of days. But if you have better willpower and want to enjoy your cookies over a longer period of time you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Yes, yes, and yes! As mentioned before I am not a baker and if I can make them, you can make them too. They are really a no-fuss, one-bowl wonder. The part I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need to cream the butter with sugar. In fact, you MUST NOT cream butter and sugar as it will make the cookies spread when baking.

gluten-free sugar cookies with home-made print on a plate
seven gluten-free sugar cookies staple with black and white ribbon

The easiest gluten-free sugar cookies recipe ever

Elena Elliott
Amazingly delicious gluten-free sugar cookies. Sweet and crunchy, just as you want good cookies to be. The best part they are incredibly easy to make. Don't forget to pin it!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 360 g gluten-free flour I used Aldi plain gluten-free flour
  • 200 g organic raw sugar
  • 230 g unsalted butter softened. I recommend cutting the butter into small cubes.
  • 1 large egg at room temperature, quickly whisked
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract or 1 tsp of organic vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360'F) and prepare the baking sheets by lining them with baking paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, guar gum, and salt.
  • Add the pieces of butter, whisked egg, and vanilla paste. Knead everything together in a bowl into a smooth soft dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10-20 minutes, do not refrigerate.
  • Dust the work surface with gluten-free flour. Divide the dough into 2 parts.  Keep one half in the mixing bowl, covered, so that the dough doesn't get dried out.
  • Roll out the dough until approximately 4mm thick (0.15 inches). Using a cookie cutter cut out the cookies and place them on the lined baking sheet. Leave a centimeter (0.4 inches) between the cookie as they will spread a little as they bake.
  • Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until nice and golden around the edges. Take them out and leave them to cool on the tray before transferring them on a wire rack to cool down completely.
  • Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 with the remaining cookie dough. Re-roll the trimmings too. Your cookies are ready. Enjoy!

Notes

As mentioned above, if you want to have nice flat cookies that keep the shape and don't spread, don't beat sugar and butter.
If you don't have a cookie-cutter, use a glass cup with thin edges to cut out the cookies.
Add some 50g of Dutch-processed cocoa to make chocolate sugar cookies.
Keyword gluten-free cookies, gluten-free sugar cookies, sugar cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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One Comment

  1. I made them with my kids yesterday and they turned out really good. Easy recipe and easy to make.

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