4.6 from 295 votes
By Melissa Erdelac · (updated May 21, 2024) · 126 Comments
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Learn how to makethe bestgluten-free sugar cookies from scratch that aresoft, easy to roll out, and taste amazing. Easy, homemade gluten-free cut-out cookies tastes so much like old fashioned ones,no one will know the difference! This recipe has earned hundreds of 5-star reviews and earned thousands of smiles!
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5-Star gluten-free cut out Cookies recipe
Any holiday or Christmas would not be complete without a batch of traditional rolled sugar cookies. Every year growing up I looked forward to decorating cut-outs withsugar cookie icingand dosing with festive sprinkles.
As a mom of four now, my kids love decorating sugar cookies just the same.(Which also goes along with the Christmas sprinkle explosion covering my kitchen.)
I was determined to find a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe with the same great taste after becoming GF over 10 years ago and more recently writing agluten-free cookbook.
This recipe is so good, and just as easy to roll out,I prefer it over the cookies I grew up on! And I’m so happy it’s not just my life that has changed, but hundreds of readers have written in with their own success stories. 😊
“By far the BEST sugar cookies! These are just perfectly soft and delicious. The dough is so easy to work with. I could not even critique this recipe in the slightest. My family and I love these cookies! I’m grateful to have this recipe and it’s the only cut out cookie recipe I’ll use” – Sunny
My mom used a recipe without baking powder so the cookies wouldn’t puff up and lose their shape during baking. These cookies also do not use baking powder. They maintain the same shape after rolling, cutting out, and baking.
Gluten-free bakers will love these cookies because of how easy the dough is to work with and incorporate easy gluten-free baking tips. They work well for gluten-free Christmas cookies, Valentines, Graduation, or to cut out in any shape! Plus,I guarantee no one will even know they are gluten-free!
How to Make Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Step 1 – Cream the butter and sugar
When creaming butter and sugar together, beat it until very light and fluffy. This will take about 3 minutes.
Step 2 – Add egg, milk, and vanilla.
Beat again until well combined and mixture is smooth. At first it may look a little curdled. Have faith and keep mixing!
Step 3 – Add the GF flour, salt, and chill.
See, I told you it was easy! Mix in the flour, salt then cover the bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. If you are in a time crunch, I’ve also frozen it for 30-40 minutes. The colder the dough is the easier it will be to roll.
Roll Like A Pro
Okay, you got me. I know the hardest part about making homemade sugar cookies isn’t the dough, but the rolling it out…especially when it comes to GF versions. But that’s not something you have to worry about anymore!
- Sprinkle gluten free flour onto a rolling surface or silicone mat. The trick is to not use too much flour or you will dry out your dough. Usually I sprinkle some on my work surface and then rub the rolling pin with some to keep it from sticking.
- Use half the cold dough and roll out to about 1/4″ thickness. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and transfer the cut out cookies to prepared baking sheets. If you aren’t baking the cookies straight away, I recommend storing the baking sheets in the fridge because they are best baked from cold dough so they don’t spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. If you want them extra crispy, some readers have said they let them bake a few minutes longer.
Ways to Use this cookie Dough
Use gluten-free sugar cookie dough in more ways than holiday cut out cookies.Make a variety of gluten-free cookie recipes with one dough!
- Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies – In my house Christmas isn’t complete without out cut-out sugar cookies. Use Christmas cookie cutters and decorate with festive sprinkles.
- Drop Sugar Cookies – Shape into 1 inch balls or use a medium cookie scoop. Roll the dough in granulated sugar. Flatten slightly with glass bottom and bake as directed. Alternatively, use this copycat gluten-free crumble sugar cookies recipe!
- Jam Thumbprints – Roll sugar cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Use thumb to make a well in center of each ball. Fill with small spoonful of jam and bake for 10-11 minutes.
- Fruit Cookie Pizza – Press dough onto a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 13-15 minutes and cool completely. Frost with cream cheese icing and decorate with fresh fruit.
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups – Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place in mini muffin tins with liners. Press in a miniature Reese Peanut Butter Cup and bake 9-11 minutes.
Sugar Cookie Icing options
If you don’t knowhow to make sugar cookie icing, this recipe is my absolute go-to because it takes 5 minutes, hardens smooth and glossy, and I always have the ingredients on hand.
- Royal Icing – If you prefer royal icing using egg whites try this recipe and tint it with food coloring.
- Fluffy Buttercream Frosting – Love a fluffy frosting to go along with soft sugar cookies? Try this sugar cookie frosting, but half the recipe.
- Cream Cheese Icing – For a bit of tangy sweetness top the cookies with cream cheese frosting.
Note About Gluten-Free Flours
Not all gluten-free flour blends are created equal. Typically I make gluten-free cookies with Cup4Cup (highly recommended!), but here are some other brands to try.
Please note: Flour blends use different ratios of gluten-free starch, such as tapioca flour, rice flour, almond flour, or cornstarch. These varying ratios and ingredients will change the texture and taste of the cookie.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour – Another great GF flour blend because of the ease of use. I find the texture to be slightly denser, but still yields a soft sugar cookie.
King Arthur Measure-for-Measure– Make sure you are using the “measure-for-measure” kind instead of King Arthur all-purpose GF flour, which doesn’t include xanthan gum.
Namaste Gluten-Free Flour Blend– Many bakers use this mix because it’s economical and available at Costco. Although the cookies will still hold their shape, the taste is rather gritty. To make the taste more pleasing, try replacing 1/2 cup of the flour with almond flour.
Best Tips to Remember
- The dough can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator.
- Make sure the dough is very cold before cutting out the cookies. This helps them hold their shape during baking.
- If you plan on cutting out all the cookies first, store the baking sheets holding pre-baked cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- For quicker chilling freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer before the dough freezes completely.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for part of the vanilla extract for a slightly different flavor.
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
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No Fail Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut Out)
Learn how to makethe bestgluten-free sugar cookies from scratch that aresoft, easy to roll out, and taste amazing. Easy, homemade gluten-free cut-out cookies tastes so much like old fashioned ones,no one will know the difference!
4.62 from 295 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
chilling: 1 hour hour
Servings: 24
Author: Melissa Erdelac
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Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 tsp. almond extract + 1 tsp. vanilla)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)
- 2 cups (292 g) gluten-free all purpose flour (Cup4Cup all purpose gluten-free flour highly recommended)
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter until very light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes for mixture to be fully creamed.
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar,½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
Add the egg, milk, vanilla, and salt to the butter / sugar mixture. Beat again until very well combined. It may look separated and curdled at first, but as it beats longer it will blend together smoothly.
1 large egg,1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free),2 teaspoons vanilla extract,¼ teaspoon salt
Add the flour and beat at low speed until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. The dough should be very cold throughout.
2 cups (292 g) gluten-free all purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper for best results. Otherwise, leave baking sheets ungreased. Set aside.
Sprinkle gluten-free flour onto a rolling surface or silicone mat. Use half the cold dough and roll out to about 1/4" thickness. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and use a spatula to transfer the cut out cookies to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with all the remaining dough. TIP: If you plan on baking the cookies at the same time, store the baking sheets with cut out cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Warmed dough spreads more during baking.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. After cookies have cooled, decorate with my favorite sugar cookie icing. Store in airtight container up to 3 days.
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Recipe Notes
Expert Tips and Tricks
- The dough can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator.
- Make sure the dough is very cold before cutting out the cookies. This helps them hold their shape during baking.
- If you plan on cutting out all the cookies first, store the baking sheets holding pre-baked gluten free cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- For quicker chilling freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer before the dough freezes completely.
- For dairy-free cookies, replace the butter with vegan butter sticks and the milk with a non-dairy substitute. The recommended flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder so you will have to use an alternative all purpose GF flour blend.
Freezing Gluten-Free Cookies
Freezing Baked Sugar Cookies:
Make gluten-free sugar cookie recipe as directed, cooling completely. Cookies may be frozen either unfrosted or with frosting.
If cookies are frosted, make sure the icing has set before stacking. Place cookies in a large airtight container, wrap the container with plastic wrap, and freeze up to 2 months.
Allow cookies to thaw one hour at room temperature before frosting or serving.
Freezing Unbaked Sugar Cookies:
Prepare the cut out cookie dough as directed. When it is time to chill the dough, transfer it to a freezer ziplock bag, squeezing out any excess air. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and cutting out.
Alternatively, roll out the cookie dough and cut out cookies as directed. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets and transfer baking pans to freezer.
Once the cookies have hardened, carefully remove them from the parchment and stack in freezer ziplock bags. Freeze, laying flat, up to 2 months. When ready to bake, transfer back to lined baking sheets. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to baking time.
Ways to Use Cookie Dough
- Drop Sugar Cookies – Shape into 1 inch balls and roll dough in sugar. Flatten slightly with glass bottom and bake as directed.
- Jam Thumbprints – Roll sugar cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Use thumb to make a well in center of each ball. Fill with small spoonful of jam and bake for 10-11 minutes.
- Fruit Cookie Pizza – Press dough onto a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 13-15 minutes and cool completely. Frost with cream cheese icing and decorate with fresh fruit.
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups – Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place in mini muffin tins with liners. Press in a miniature Reese Peanut Butter Cup and bake 9-11 minutes.
Recipe adapted from MOMables
Nutrition
Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Categories: 4th Of July Baking Christmas Cookies Dairy Free Desserts Easter Fall Freezer-Friendly Gluten Free Halloween Holidays Recipes Spring Summer Valentines Winter
