Is there anything more universally pleasing than a sugar cookie? I mean there are no nuts, no raisins, no chocolate, no anything for people to complain about. The pure simplicity of sugar, flour, butter and eggs. If you love soft sugar cookies but hate the work of rolling out the dough and cutting out shapes, these easy gluten-free sugar cookies are for you.
This recipe actually came about by accident as I was making another cookie and messed up the ingredients. I decided to bake them anyways and they were delicious, but not perfect. So with a few more tests I developed a perfectly soft sprinkle sugar cookie which can be customized for any occasion.
If you prefer cut-out cookies, check out my gluten-free Christmas cookies or these super cute Easter sugar cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe
- ALLERGEN FRIENDLY: This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and nut free as written.
- CUSTOMIZABLE: This versatile recipe can be colored with food coloring, used with all sorts of sprinkles or sanding sugars, or even covered with frosting. They are perfect for any occasion.
- EASY: No rolling pin or cookie cutters required. Just scoop and bake!
- QUICK: With only a 30-minute chill time, it won't take all afternoon to bake.
Ingredient Notes
The best thing about these gluten-free cookies is they only require simple ingredients that are available in any grocery store.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend - I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Flour Blend for this recipe. If you substitute another flour blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum or a similar binder. As always, I recommend weighing your flour if you plan to use another blend since all gluten free flour is not equal.
- Sugar - You can't have a sugar cookie without sugar. White sugar works the best here, since it will provide the spread and chewy edge that you would expect from a sugar cookie. If you want to substitute brown sugar or coconut sugar, use the same measure but your cookies texture will be a little different.
- Vegan Butter - I used Country Crock Plant Butter for this recipe. You can use your favorite brand of stick butter. I do not recommend substituting for margarine. If you're not dairy free, use regular unsalted butter in the same measure.
- Eggs - This recipe needs one whole egg and one egg yolk. I haven't tried it with an egg substitute, if you do please let me know in the comments.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract provides a little extra sweetness and complexity to the flavor.
- Baking Powder - This leavening agent is needed to help the cookies stay thick and soft.
- Salt - Don't be tempted to skip the salt. It's an important ingredient in dessert recipes.
- Rainbow sprinkles - You can certainly make these cookies without the sprinkles, but they won't be nearly as fun. One of the great things about sugar cookies is they can be dyed and sprinkled to match any occasion. Sprinkle are a tricky ingredient that can frequently be made on shared equipment. If you're concerned about the presence of wheat, then I recommend buying sprinkles online since there are a lot of gluten free options available.
See the recipe card for full ingredient list with measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not Dairy Free - replace the vegan butter with regular dairy butter in the same measure.
- Lemon Sugar Cookies - Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to your sugar before creaming it with the butter. Mix in yellow sprinkles (or yellow food coloring) to complete the lemon theme.
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies - Replace ⅓ cup of the gluten free flour with cocoa powder and use chocolate sprinkles in place of rainbow sprinkles.
- Halloween Sugar Cookies - Use food coloring to make your dough green, purple or even black. Replace the rainbow sprinkles with halloween sprinkles.
- Brown Sugar Cookies - Replace the granulated sugar with the same amount of light brown sugar to get a thick, soft brown sugar cookie.
- Pink Sugar Cookies - Add a few drops of pink food coloring to the cookie dough and replace the rainbow sprinkles with pink sprinkles for a fun twist on this recipe!
- Almond Sugar Cookies - Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and reduce the vanilla extract to ½ teaspoon.
How to Make Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
These easy homemade sugar cookies come together in about 10 minutes. I recommend using an electric mixer to make things easier.
Before you begin, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Combine the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together until well mixed.
STEP 2: Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
STEP 3: Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat again for another 60 seconds.
STEP 4: Turn the mixer to low speed. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
STEP 5: Add the sprinkles to the cookie dough. Fold them in with a spatula. Be careful not to overmix so the sprinkles don't bleed during baking. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill it for about 30 minutes.
STEP 6: Use a cookie scoop to portion the gluten-free cookie dough into balls about the size of a golf ball. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart. Add a few more sprinkles to the top to get picture perfect cookies.
Expert Tip
To check for done: gently poke the edge of one cookie with your finger. If the edge feels stiff, the cookies are done baking. Do not bake until they turn golden brown or they will be hard when cooled.
Storage
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will stay fresh about 3 days.
These cookies will also freeze well. Wait until they are completely cooled, then store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container with the excess air removed. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. I suggest portioning the cookie dough into balls and freezing them on a baking sheet for 1 hour before transferring them to a freezer bag for long term storage. The dough can be frozen up to 3 months.
Cookie dough can be baked from frozen, but may require an extra 1-2 minutes of bake time.
These cookies have sprinkles mixed in the dough and added to the top before baking. No need to worry about the sprinkles burning during the short bake time.
The most likely answer is too much flour was added. Make sure to measure your flour carefully, either with a kitchen scale or by spooning the flour into your measuring cup and leveling off the top. You can save crumbly cookie dough by mixing in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough reaches a softer consistency that does not crumble.
More drop cookies to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Vegan Butter room temperature
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ Cup Gluten Free Sprinkles plus more for the tops
Instructions
- Combine the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk to mix well and set aside.1 ⅔ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.½ Cup Vegan Butter, 1 Cup Sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for an additional 60 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.1 Egg, 1 Egg Yolk, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- Turn the mixer to the lowest setting. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until they are just incorporated.
- Add ¼ cup of sprinkles to your dough if using. Fold in by hand taking care not to over mix as it will cause the sprinkle colors to bleed later.¼ Cup Gluten Free Sprinkles
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 325 °F (163 °C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between. Flatten the balls slightly, so they are thick discs and if you desire sprinkle the tops with more sprinkles.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes or until edges are just set. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Ivy says
Thank you for putting the amounts for the ingredients in the instructions! Dreams do come true 😂
Olivia Goode says
Used this recipe for Christmas cookies and it turned out so soft and chewy. So good!
It's a winner for sure! I'm so glad you like the recipe ◡̈
Evelyn says
Tiffany, I tried your recipe for BRM 1;1 bread today ,and its wonderful. Can't find your email address so I am writing to you here. You saved my day! Thanks. Evelyn