This recipe was originally published December 6, 2018. Updated November 29, 2020.
These gluten free cinnamon nut cookies have been a favorite of mine for years – since I owned my cookie bakery. They are super easy to make. And they should come with a warning, because you can’t eat just one!
How to make gluten free cinnamon nut cookies
The first step in cookie making is always creaming the fat (butter in this case) with sugar. It’s important to use room temperature butter here. Add both ingredients to a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Creaming the butter and sugar together will aerate the butter, giving more air bubbles to your final product. This increases the rise and improves the texture.
Next we will add in the eggs, one at a time. Again, you eggs should be room temperature. Using too cold eggs, will chill the butter and cause the batter to look curdled. It won’t be ruined if this happens, but it’s not ideal.
Finally, combine all of your dry ingredients in a medium size bowl – gluten free 1-to-1 flour blend, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Stir together so the ingredients are well dispersed. Then turn your mixer to the lowest setting and slowly pour in the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix, you want to stop when there is just a tiny amount of dry ingredients left visible in the bowl.
Add the finely chopped walnuts and fold together with a spatula until they are evenly incorporated. These cookies don’t require chilling, but if you want to mix ahead this is a stopping point where you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the 4 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon for the topping.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough and place onto the lined baking sheets. Place about 3 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies with your hand, until they are about 1/2” thick. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack.
Which gluten free flour is best for cookies?
Personally, I use the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Flour Blend most often. It’s easy to find in most grocery stores and also easily available online through Amazon (link above) or directly from Bob’s Red Mill. In cases, when this flour is not available, I have also used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure as well as Wal-Mart Brand Gluten Free All Purpose Flour blend. The most important thing is that you are using a flour blend here (cup for cup, 1 to 1, measure for measure) that will most closely mimic wheat flour. You also need to make sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum. If not, you will need to add it to get the desired results.
Replacing the flour in this recipe with 100% almond flour, coconut flour, all purpose flour, etc will not give you desired results.
Do gluten free cookies take longer to bake?
The answer is no. However, you may be fooled into thinking your cookies are not done, since gluten free flour rarely browns the way that wheat flour does. If you’re waiting and watching for signs of browning, you will likely over bake your cookies, resulting in a dry hard cookies.
These cookies are meant to have chewy edges and a soft middle. The best way to ensure that result is to check your cookies by gently poking the edge of a cookie when you’re nearing the total cook time. If the edge is just a little stiff, then the cookie is done. If it is still soft, then cook an additional 2 minutes at a time, checking after each 2 minutes in the same way.
Are these snickerdoodle cookies?
No. These are more of a cinnamon spice/sugar cookies with nuts added. Snickerdoodles specifically require cream of tartar and baking soda, which creates a bit of a tangy flavor as well as makes them a bit more puffy when baked.
For more delicious cookie recipes, check out these posts:
To pin this recipe for later, click the save button on any image in this post or the recipe card. Please tag me @wellfedbaker on Instagram if you make this recipe! Happy baking!
Gluten Free Cinnamon Nut Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 C Vegan Butter regular or dairy free
- 2 C Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 ½ C Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Allspice
- ½ C Walnuts toasted and finely chopped
For the topping
- 4 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, chop into small pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture while on low speed. Add walnuts and stir in by hand.
- Make balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten balls slightly. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Makes about 36 cookies.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.