Hey Besties! You’ve been asking for this, and I’m thrilled to finally share this delicious gluten free cutout cookie recipe! The market has shifted in the last few years with many consumers opting for gluten free diets. And while many new products have been introduced to accommodate this, cookiers are looking for more options! I have family members with Celiac disease and we continue to receive more and more request for gluten free cookies. So here we are! Happy to be able to bake for those with special dietary needs! Everyone deserves delicious treats and fortunately there’s no reason to miss out! Let’s jump right in!
Gluten Free Baking
I want to be perfectly clear, that our home is NOT gluten-free. When we receive inquiries for gluten-free goods, we make it very clear that we are not a gluten-free bakery. For those with Celiac or with very strict dietary restrictions, I always encourage them to seek out a certified gluten-free bakery. To truly be a gluten-free bakery requires zero risk of any cross contamination and strict ingredient sourcing. We will never be a gluten-free bakery, but for those who just prefer gluten-free baked goods, we’re happy to bake!
This recipe is super simple, easy and delicious to make for those who prefer gluten-free cookies! But we use the same equipment (mixer, cookie sheets, etc) that we use for all of our cookies. A true gluten-free bakery would need all separate equipment to avoid any risk of cross-contamination. So just beware of who you are baking for and any claims you make about your gluten-free cookies. We’re baking with all gluten-free ingredients today but would never claim to be a gluten-free bakery.
Gluten-free Cutout Cookies
Decorated sugar cookies have been having a moment…or several years now! And while the royal icing we make and use to decorate has always been gluten-free, cutout cookies contain a lot of flour! Fortunately, I’ve been able to adapt our much-loved vanilla sugar cookie recipe to be gluten-free!
There’s just one key ingredient swap and one other suggestion! The gluten-free flour we love and use for this recipe is THIS! We’ve had great success with this flour and our taste testers agree!
- GLUTEN FREE MADE EASY: Bob’s Red Mill expertly crafted a one-to-one blend of gluten free flours, starches and xanthan gum; effortlessly transforms traditional cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins and pancakes into gluten free treats
If you’re familiar with our other cutout cookie recipes, you’ll know we never chill our dough and still yield fabulous cookies that perfectly hole their shapes! However, when baking with gluten-free flour, I highly recommend freezing your dough for at least 24 hours to soften the granules. Gluten-free flour can tend to be grittier and by freezing before baking, it softens those granules to avoid that gritty texture. It also makes me incredibly soft, chewy cookies!
Our taste testers love this recipe adaptation and I’m so happy to be able to bake for my gluten-free family, friends and customers so easily!
Cookie Flavoring Options
The recipe I’m sharing utilizes vanilla extract, which is always delish! But I do want to share that we commonly use THIS baking emulsion for a sensational cookie flavor. If you’re looking for a more signature flavor, there is a whole world of emulsions and flavorings available to you! In this case, we use 1 tsp vanilla extra and 1/2 tsp butter vanilla emulsion for this incredible flavor.
I just want you to know that you’ll have this great structure in this delicious gluten-free cutout cookie recipe, but you can change up flavorings as long as they are gluten-free!
Gluten-Free Cookie Decorating
If you will be using this gluten-free cutout cookie recipe for decorating, let’s talk icing! Many meringue powders are gluten-free, but you should definitely check the powder you use to be sure. We only use Genie’s Dream meringue powder for all of our royal icing which is gluten-free. We love it for its flavor and the decorating results it gives us but being gluten-free is also a nice bonus! If you need a great royal icing recipe, THIS post explains exactly how we make our royal icing every day!
The Gluten-free Cutout Cookie Recipe!
Our customers, family and friends LOVE these gluten-free cookies and I hope you do too! Soft and chewy, they pair beautifully with royal icing or enjoy them plain in all your favorite shapes! Everyone deserved a cookie!
The Gluten-Free Cutout Cookie Recipe You’ve Been Asking For!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter Chilled
- 1 cup (200g) Granulated White Sugar
- 1.5 tsp (7.5g) Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg Chilled
- 2 tsp (9.5g) Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp (3g) Salt
- 3.5 cups (425g) Gluten-Free Flour We use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- We bake on our favorite perforated baking mats to eliminate any chance of spread, for even baking and pretty undersides of our cookies!
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. No need to excessively cream as it can lead to cookie spread.
- Beat in vanilla and egg.
- In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt and gluten-free flour. Add to wet ingredient mixing bowl a little at a time.
- Mix until thoroughly blended. Dough should be pulling away from the bowl.
- Recommended: Freeze dough for at least 24 hours to soften gluten-free flour granules.
- In my experience, this dough works best for cookies at 1/4" thick. I use my Joseph Joseph rolling pin which does the measuring for me – genius! If you prefer thicker cookies, you'll just want to adjust your baking time.
- Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes, depending on size of cookie. I also suggest baking similar-sized cookies together.
- Cool cookies on cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
Have Fun Serving YOur Gluten-Free Fans!
I hope you love this gluten-free cutout cookie recipe as much as our family, friends, customers and taste testers do! I’m excited to be able to offer these more broadly, especially this holiday season. With more and more people moving to a gluten-free diet, I’m happy to be able to serve them all!
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Thank you for taking the time to research and share a gluten free treat for those with Celiac disease. Freezing to soften the granules is a tip I have not seen before so thank you for also adding additional helpful information about this recipe. I also appreciate that you addressed the cross contamination aspect of gluten free baking.
Hi Patricia! I’m so happy this was helpful!! I hope you love the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m trying it today for a customer. Question….albeit slightly silly, but you mention freezing the dough for 24 hours, how long does it need to sit out before you can roll it and cut out cookies? Patti
Hi Patti, you can roll it out as soon as it will allow it! It depends on the climate in your home, but for me, it usually has to sit out for at least a couple hours before I can start working with it. Happy baking!