The Perfect Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

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These soft, chewy sugar cookies are so delicious you’ll never know they are gluten-free! But, if you don’t wish to make these cookies gluten-free no problem! Just use regular all-purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum.

This is the perfect gluten-free recipe for cut-out sugar cookies and it’s super easy to make. What’s also awesome about this recipe is that the dough doesn’t need to be chilled although I do recommend popping the cutout cookies into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before baking so that the cookies keep their shape.

I have been working on the perfect gluten-free sugar cookie for a couple of years now. One that is soft and chewy but tastes like a true sugar cookie.

What I have come to learn is that it is all in the flour!

What kind of flour do you use?

There are many types of flour that are considered gluten-free like almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, white rice flour and millet flour to name a few of the more frequently used flours.

However, there are also many gluten-free all-purpose flour blends that can simply replace regular all-purpose flour in a recipe. But beware, not all gluten-free all-purpose flours are the same. I find some just do not taste right in baking like the very popular Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour which I think doesn’t taste right because of the bean base. I also find some gluten-free all-purpose flours are too starchy for baking.

My two favourite cup-for-cup gluten-free flours are Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag) and the 1-to-1 Baking Flour blend from Bulk Barn.

One other important piece to note when baking with 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup flour is the use of xanthan gum. Since there is no gluten in these flours, we need something to ensure our baking doesn’t fall apart on us.

The two 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blends I mention above both contain xanthan gum in the blend so it’s not necessary to add more but, if your flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, the general rule of thumb is to add 1/4 of a teaspoon of xanthan gum per 1 cup of flour in your recipe. You shouldn’t need more than a tablespoon of xanthan gum in a recipe.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Recipe

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing bowl
• Stand-Mixer
• Spatula
• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Baker’s sheets
• Cooling rack
• Piping bags
• Decorating tips
• Coupler

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or the 1-1 gluten-free flour from Bulk Barn)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it which both of the blends named above do)
• 1 /2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. In a bowl sift together flour, xanthan gum (if using), salt and baking powder.
2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars for about 5 minutes making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula a couple of times. The butter should look light and creamy.
3. Gradually add the egg to the butter mixture beating until it is fully incorporated.
4. Add vanilla and almond extracts to the butter mixture.
5. Lower the speed on your stand mixer and slowly start adding the flour mixture to the butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl each time you add flour.
6. Once all of the flour has been combined, knead the dough with your hands until the dough comes together in a ball.
7. For cut out cookies, I recommend chilling the dough for an hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.
8. Preheat oven to 375^o F.
9. Break/cut dough into two balls.
10. Roll out the first dough ball in between two pieces of liberally floured parchment paper to about 1/4 inches thick.
11. Use cookie cutters dipped in flour to cut out shapes. Remove excess dough from around the cutouts and place your cookies on a baker’s sheet lined with parchment paper and cool cookie cutouts in the fridge for 10 minutes or 5 minutes in the freezer.
12. Use excess dough to form a new dough ball and roll out to cut out more cookies.
13. Repeat this process until all of the dough is used up.
14. Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
15. Cool cookies on the baker’s sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
16. Decorate cookies with royal icing, buttercream icing or any icing you prefer.
17. Store/freeze in an airtight container in between layers of parchment paper.

Buttercream Icing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound (2 cups) butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Icing gel colours, optional
• Sprinkles, optional

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, cream butter for about 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add icing sugar and blend together until fully incorporated.
3. Beat in vanilla extract.
4. Add icing gel colours if using and mix until the desired colour is reached.
5. Spread on cookies and sprinkle.

Royal Icing Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups icing sugar
• 3 tbsp meringue powder
• 9-10 tbsp room temperature water
• Gel Food Colouring
• Sprinkles, optional

Directions

1. In your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the icing sugar, meringue powder, and water together on high speed for 5 minutes. When you lift up the whisk attachment, the icing should drizzle down and smooth into the icing in the bowl in 5 to 10 seconds. If your icing is too thick, add a bit more water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more icing sugar.
2. Add the decorating tip to your piping bag and fill it with icing.
3. Use the piping bag to decorate your cookies.