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Soft Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

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These soft gluten-free sugar cookies are super easy, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, and a must-have addition to your gluten-free recipes repertoire.

Image shows several large sugar cookies with white frosting and red and green decorations. Text reads "Gluten Free Sugar Cookies"

This recipe is light, and pillowy, just like good sugar cookies should be. In fact, my brother, who’s notorious for making fun of gluten-free treats, ate them up without ever realizing he was taking celiac-friendly goodies from the table!

Image shows a pile of gluten-free sugar cookies with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Text reads "soft gluten-free sugar cookies"

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is it gives me a reason to make gluten-free sugar cookies – they’re my favorite! Though I have to say that gluten-free molasses cookies are a close second – I just don’t feel like it’s really Christmas until I’ve made those two cookies recipes.

Although, I’ll be honest, sometimes making gluten-free cookies is kind of scary.

What scares people off the most from making gluten-free cookies? That’s easy, crumbling. That’s what I was always afraid of when I first started baking gluten-free. Some cookies like gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are no-brainers, but sugar cookies are different – I mean, you actually have to roll them out and hope they don’t crumble when you move them to the cookie sheet.

So believe it or not, in the first six years I baked gluten-free, I never made sugar cookies.

But eventually, I got tired of being taunted by those beautiful, soft, frosted sugar cookies at the local grocery store bakery, and decided to bite the bullet and make my own.

It’s really easy once you just buckle down and just do it. And surprise! They don’t crumble or fall apart. They’re soft and fluffy, just like a good sugar cookie should be.

Photo shows rows of sugar cookies with white frosting and red and green decorations

These soft gluten-free sugar cookies – iced, and topped with sprinkles of course – are always a hit at parties! I like to top them with old fashioned, all-butter buttercream icing. Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters to make fun shapes, and have fun!

Give this amazing recipe a try

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Soft Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

These soft, gluten-free sugar cookies are a real crowd pleaser.

  • Author: Elise

Ingredients

Scale
  •  2 cups gluten-free flour mix
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  1. preheat oven to 350º
  2. in a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and sugar.
  3. Combine well.
  4. Add butter, egg, 1 tablespoon of milk, and vanilla.
  5. Mix dough until if comes together, adding the second tablespoon of milk if necessary.
  6. Dough will be stiff.
  7. Squeeze dough together into a ball.
  8. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper to somewhere between ¼” and ⅓” thick.
  9. Cut into rounds, or with shaped cookie cutters.
  10. Place on ungreased baking sheets, and place the oven for 7-10 minutes until the edges just begin to brown.
  11. Remove cookies from oven, and allow to cool until set.
  12. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
  13. Ice as desired.
  14. Enjoy!

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45 Comments

  1. What gluten free flour mix did you use? A rice based or bean based one? Do you recommend a certain variety? Thanks! Looking forward to trying this out…

    Kate

  2. The best and easiest gluten free sugar cookie I’ve ever made!!! Thank you so much! This is a new staple recipe in our home. My favorite gf flour is cup 4 cup. Turned out perfectly on the first attempt!

    Does the dough freeze well, do you know?

    Thanks!!!!

    1. Absolutely! I’ve had great success with rolling the dough into logs, and double wrapping it in waxed paper and plastic wrap.

  3. This was sooooo yummy! I substituted coconut oil for the butter and used flaxseed milk for the milk since my son has an allergy to milk. They were fabulous! Thank you for sharing!

  4. Do you still need to add xanthan gum if your baking flour already has some? Can’t wait to try this recipe! Looks amazing!!!

  5. Looks great! What temperature is the butter at, cold, room or melted? Also, did you use a hand mixer or stand mixer to mix? Thanks!

  6. Just made these for Christmas, I LOVE how they came out!! The PERFECT sugar cookie recipe and VERY EASY to make!!!

    I couldn’t ask for a better recipe or end result, and I know I’ll be making these again. 🙂

    Thanks!!

    1. I haven’t made these cookies yet, but, every other gf recipe I have made always says if your gf flour blend has xanthan gum in it already you don’t have to add more.
      I’ve seen this question on here twice and no answer was given from the frugalfarmwife. I don’t understand.
      I hope this reply helps. I do plan on making these without the added xanthan gum as my gf flour blend has it.

  7. I’ve been looking for a GREAT gluten free sugar cookie to frost for Christmas cookies & oh what a GREAT cookie Thanks you’ve made my year ☺

    1. Crisco butter flavored baking sticks! Hands down the best!! Give it a nice smooth texture.. I use half butter and half baking sticks for almost all cookies.

    1. I froze the baked cookies then set them out for 20, then frosted. Perfect! Delicious recipe! I like it almost better than the regular sugar cookies. I was surprised how fluffy they were!

    1. Calories – 128
      Fat – 5.3
      – Saturated Fat – 3.1
      – Cholesterol- 13.9mg
      – Sodium – 11mg
      Carbs – 18.9
      – Fiber – .13
      – Sugars – 7.6
      Protein- 1.2

    1. In gluten-free baking, we rely on xanthan gum to provide elasticity and stickiness in our doughs and batters. Since we don’t have gluten present, we need something that acts as the binding agent for the flour, helps hold onto some moisture, and helps give the baked good some structure.

      Hope this helps.

  8. I made these for my bakery and have gotten several compliments on them and asked for more. Will definitely be making again.
    Just an FYI when you tap to increase the recipe all of the ingredients change except the flour.

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