These soft cut out gluten free sugar cookies with a meringue-style frosting are in a class by themselves. They’ll hold any shape you like, and they’re absolutely scrumptious with that thick layer of stable buttercream frosting.
You know those soft frosted sugar cookies at the store? I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve basically got a Lofthouse copycat recipe here — except better! No one will know these gluten free sugar cookies aren’t the “real thing”!
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The best cut out gluten free sugar cookie recipe
These gluten free sugar cookies are so good, they make me want to go on and on about it. Here's what makes them really special:
- Classic taste and texture — they've got the crispy edges and soft centers that you expect from the perfect sugar cookie
- Sweet but not overpowering — on their own, they're great cookies, but they're even better with frosting
- Perfect for all occasions — whether you're making cut-out cookies or drop cookies, whether you're making gluten free sugar cookies for Christmas or a birthday, this recipe delivers
- Fast and easy preparation — Forgot a special occasion? In a rush? Just want a cookie, like, now? These soft gluten free sugar cookies are prepped, in the oven, and out, in just 30 minutes.
- Dairy free and vegan substitutions — These cookies are naturally nut free when prepared as instructed, but you can eliminate further allergens by checking out my substitutions below.
Cut-out cookies with clean edges that hold their shape
Every holiday and every season needs its own cookie: St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Spring celebrations, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day… need I go on? We all need gluten free cookies that can hold their shape so we can use whatever cookie cutters we please.
These cut out gluten free sugar cookies are seriously so easy to make from scratch. The dough has very few ingredients so it comes together very quickly.
It’s super simple to roll out, and, although we use gluten free flour, it’s stable enough that it’s even simple to cut out shapes and transfer them to the baking sheet. There is nothing fragile about the dough, but once you bake the gluten free sugar cookies, they’re tender and light as could be.
If you don't want to roll out cookie dough
Don't feel like pulling out the rolling pin and cookie cutters? We've all been there, and we all understand. For best results, you should try my gluten free drop sugar cookies recipe instead. But if you change your mind mid-recipe, here's what you can do:
After kneading your dough, skip the rolling process and instead use a spoon to measure out consistently-sized clumps of dough.
Roll a piece of dough in your hands until it forms a ball, place it on the baking sheet, and flatten it using the palm of your hand. Voilà — you've got drop cookies!
Best of all, you can still decorate these drop cookies with colored frosting and sprinkles, or just plain powdered sugar, and I promise, no one will bat an eye at your gluten free sugar Christmas cookies that aren't shaped like trees.
Gluten free sugar cookie ingredients
When baking gluten free foods, whether it's Christmas cookies or a delicious Chinese fake-out, there's quite a bit to think about when it comes to selecting the best alternative ingredients for a gluten free diet. Gluten free flour is a key factor, of course, as are your choice of sugar and whether to use use dairy or plant-based alternatives.
The best gluten free flour blend for this gf sugar cookie recipe
Probably the most important decision you'll make when gluten free baking is your choice of flour. There are so many out there, from single ingredient options like almond flour and rice flour to gf flour blends comprised of several different flours.
While each has its place in various gluten free cookie recipes, here's what worked best for me.
I’ve perfected this gluten free sugar cookies recipe using Better Batter all purpose flour. It’s the gluten free flour blend I use most often for baking because it’s always produced amazing results.
If you’re looking for an alternative, you can also try Cup4Cup, or one of my “mock” all purpose gluten free flour blends that are just as good as the brand-name blends.
Both of these gluten free flour blends already contain xanthan gum, so you can leave that ingredient out of the gluten free cookie recipe below.
I haven’t tried any other gluten free flours for these sugar cookies, so I can’t vouch for any other methods. I highly recommend that you use Better Batter, but if you don’t have access to it, you’ll need to experiment with others on your own.
Whatever you do, be sure you’re using a gluten free flour blend — single flours like almond flour or coconut flour don’t have binders and will require totally different moisture ratios.
Sugar cookie ingredient notes:
Gluten free flour may be the most important ingredient, but it's nothing without its supporting cast:
- Baking powder – helps the cookies puff out and spread a bit so they're not dense
- Sugar – you can't have sugar cookies without the sugar, but we don't go overboard in this recipe — you only need 1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- Butter – keeps the cookies soft and tender, while contributing to their amazing flavor
- Egg – the egg acts as a binder to keep your cookies together, while also adding richness and moisture
- Vanilla extract – vanilla extract is a flavor enhancer that really takes these gf sugar cookies to another level
- Salt – also a flavor enhancer, it helps balance the sweetness, so it's not overwhelming
Tips for making the best cut out gluten free sugar cookies
No matter for what occasion you’re making these gluten free roll out cookies, they’re sure to be a hit. To ensure you achieve the perfect soft, frosted sugar cookies, follow my tips below.
Measure your ingredients by weight for the perfect sugar cookie dough
This cookie dough can be made, rolled out, cut out, and baked without any change in temperature (no chilling the cookie dough!) because the moisture balance is just right.
You’ll find that the dough resembles moist crumbs and clumps, and you might be tempted to add more moisture.
Please don’t add anything extra — but do make sure you’re measuring your ingredients (especially the gluten free flour) by weight, not volume, since the right balance of ingredients is essential to this simple recipe.
Knead your dough by hand or machine
Once you reach a uniform mixture that resembles moist crumbs and clusters, knead the dough with clean hands to bring it together before rolling it out.
If you’re planning to make a double recipe, you may want to use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment instead of a bowl and spoon.
A stand mixer will make quick work of bringing the dough together into a cohesive whole, ready to be rolled out.
Be sure to wiggle your cookie cutter
I fully support wiggling in anticipation of these delicious gluten free sugar cookies, but when it comes to the cookie cutter, you're doing it to ensure that the cut dough fully separates from the surrounding sheet. This will prevent the dreaded tearing and stretching that will make your cookies look weird.
Don’t frost your gluten free sugar cookies until they cool completely
To keep your frosting from becoming a melty, runny mess, let your gluten free sugar cookies cool completely before you start decorating.
I recommend you use the buttercream frosting that I share below, but if you have something else you’d like to try, experiment and let me know in the comments how it went.
Buttercream frosting for easy gluten free sugar cookies
This frosting recipe is super thick, and unlike what I would generally use to frost cupcakes. It’s very stable because we add a touch of meringue powder to the mixture.
Like Lofthouse cookies, these gluten free cut out sugar cookies can travel. If you don’t have meringue powder, you can leave it out, and the frosting will just be softer.
How to decorate cut out cookies
To pipe frosting, you can do it in a classic cupcake-style swirl, which is easy enough using a medium-sized open piping tip.
You can also begin with a simple mound of dough piped onto the cookie with the same medium-sized open piping tip.
I also use the swoop, which is one of my favorites. It’s made with a moistened teaspoon that is inserted into the center of the frosting at an angle and then swirled lightly in a circle.
The classic Lofthouse-style shape is the flattened top, made using a small moistened offset spatula or a simple wide butter knife. Simply use the spatula or knife to flatten the mound of frosting into a disk and smooth the top as evenly as possible.
For all these shapes, allow the frosting to set at room temperature until it becomes semi-hard. That will allow you to transport the cookies if needed. You can even layer them if you place a sheet of waxed or parchment paper gently between layers.
For a truly hard surface, use royal icing in place of frosting. Simply click the link in the previous sentence for a royal icing recipe with complete instructions.
I used a #4 piping tip to outline and then “flood” the center, sprinkling decorations immediately before the icing has dried.
Coloring the frosting for gluten free sugar cookies
You can, of course, add some food coloring to the frosting or to the royal icing. I recommend gel coloring because liquid food coloring will alter the moisture balance and make the frosting soft and weepy.
AmeriColor brand gel food colorings are reliably gluten free, and the colors are super vibrant.
I left out the coloring here because the anti-food-coloring people seem to expect more from a gluten free recipe than I think they would of a conventional recipe. If you want to speak out against food coloring, feel free to do so elsewhere on the Internet!
Easy gluten free sugar cookies for every holiday
Seriously, there is no time of year when these gluten free cookies wouldn’t be a good idea.
Valentine’s Day? Check.
Fourth of July? Yes, please!
Gluten free Christmas cut out cookies in the shapes of Santa, snowmen, stockings, stars, and more? Of course!
This recipe yields the perfect gluten free holiday sugar cookies, but if you’re looking for more Christmas cookies to round out your cookie plate, check out my archive of gluten free Christmas cookies for more ideas.
Gluten free sugar cookie ingredients: substitution suggestions
If you or a loved one suffers from food allergies, check out my suggestions below to eliminate dairy and eggs from my gluten sugar cookies recipe.
Gluten free, dairy free sugar cookies
There is butter in both the gluten free sugar cookie recipe and in the frosting recipe. I have successfully replaced the butter in the cookie dough with Melt brand vegan butter.
The edges of the gf sugar cookies aren’t quite as blunt and clean as they are when you make the recipe exactly as written, but the recipe still turns out and tastes great.
The butter in the frosting recipe can be replaced most effectively with Spectrum brand butter-flavored nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening. It has quite a lot less moisture than butter, though, so you might not need as much confectioners’ sugar to reach the proper consistency.
For the milk in the frosting, you can use any unsweetened nondairy milk. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk, but nearly any will do here.
Gluten free, egg free sugar cookies
There is only one egg in the cookie recipe, so you should be able to replace it with a “chia egg” or a “flax egg” egg substitute (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
In such pale cookies, you may see some flecks of chia in the cookies. Cover them with frosting and no one will even know!
About the meringue powder in the gluten free sugar cookie frosting
Meringue powder is made of egg white powder, sugar, a starch, and some stabilizers. You can try using egg white powder in its place, but it won’t work exactly the same way.
If you can’t have eggs, I’d just eliminate meringue powder as an ingredient altogether. The frosting will just be a bit softer. I don’t know of any egg free alternative to meringue powder for making royal icing.
Gluten free, nut free sugar cookies
There are no nut products in my gluten free sugar cookie recipe, so if you have an allergy, these treats are safe to enjoy.
If you deviate from my recipe by using a different flour blend or other ingredients, be sure to check product packaging and ingredients lists to be sure the substitutions are also nut free.
Gluten free, sugar free sugar cookies
As these are sugar cookies, I wouldn't really recommend replacing the sugar.
However, if you'd like to try a sugar substitute, I'd suggest Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sugar substitute. It has a similar texture to granulated sugar, so it might just work. Note that this sweetener is drying, so your dough may be more difficult to work with.
If you're looking for an alternative to heavily refined cane sugar, you can try coconut sugar or fructose.
Storing your gluten free sugar cookies
The secret to maintaining fresh-tasting cookies is to keep them away from air and moisture. That means waiting until your cookies are completely cooled before storing them and then keeping them in an airtight container.
You can use an airtight cookie jar or other food storage container if you have it. But in a pinch, throwing cookies in a zip-top bag also works.
If you’re giving away the cookies, put them in a zip-top bag and then place that bag inside of a decorative plastic airtight container for a more finished presentation.
If you need to store your cookies for longer than a few days, you can pop them into the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, just snack straight from the container or let your cookies sit on the counter for a few minutes to defrost.
Gluten free sugar cookies FAQs
Unless otherwise labeled, sugar cookies you buy at the store or make from a recipe book are not gluten free. They use wheat flour, semolina, malt, and other ingredients that may contain gluten. And yes, that includes those pretty Lofthouse cookies!
If you're avoiding gluten, you need a traditional flour-less sugar cookie recipe. The recipe below fits the bill, using a gluten free flour that's perfect for celiacs and anyone else who doesn't want to or can't consume gluten.
Of course! When you mix all the dry ingredients for these cookies and store it in an airtight container, it's really not that different than buying a boxed mix from the store.
When you're ready to bake, just dump your gluten free sugar cookie mix into a bowl and add your wet ingredients.
If you’ve got the right ratio of ingredients, you’ll find that your dough resembles moist crumbs and clumps. However, if you’re off in your measurements or have you used a different kind of gluten free flour than one of my recommended blends, your dough may come out excessively crumbly.
You can try adding water by the drop and kneading it in to the dough until you reach the right consistency. Go slowly, though, since you don't want a drop more water than absolutely essential, or your cookies won't keep their shape in the oven!
Most likely, you rolled out your sugar cookie dough a bit unevenly. That means some cookies came out thinner, baking faster and becoming crispier, while others didn’t bake long enough, resulting in a softer gf sugar cookie.
To achieve a more consistent result, just be more careful when rolling. Your goal is to roll the gluten free cookie dough to about 1/3-inch thick.
For this gf cookie recipe, you'll want to bake for just 6 to 8 minutes. This is long enough for the cookies to set on top and maybe start to brown at the edges.
Resist the urge to wait until your cookies are golden brown (or even barely golden brown) all over. If you over-bake them, you won't get that soft, chewy texture you're expecting.
You can definitely freeze this gluten free cookie dough so that you always have some on hand.
The best way to do it is to roll out the dough, cut out shapes, and freeze the rounds in stacks with a light dusting of gluten free flour between them. Wrap them tightly and freeze. When you're ready to bake, place the rounds on prepared baking sheets and let them defrost before baking them as usual.
Cookies are my ultimate comfort food
These gluten free sugar cookies are one of my go-to recipes whenever someone asks me to bring dessert. If I'm coming over, chances are good you're asking me to bring dessert, and if I love you, I'm probably bringing cookies!
So if it's not these sugar cookies, though, it's probably one of my other favorite cookies. Here are the gluten free cookie recipes that no one knows are GF, and everyone requests that I bring again and again.
Featured Recipes
Gluten Free Sugar Cookies | Cut-Out Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full info on appropriate blends), plus more for sprinkling
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (22 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the frosting (see recipe notes for alternative)
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons meringue powder LorAnn and AmeriColor brands are gluten free
- 4 cups (460 g) confectioners’ sugar
- Seeds from one vanilla bean optional
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine well.
- Add the butter, and mix to moisten the dry ingredients with the butter, until the mixture looks sandy, pressing down on the butter with the back of the mixing spoon.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and mix to combine, until the dry ingredients are all moistened with the wet.
- With clean, dry hands, knead the mixture together to form a cohesive dough. It will be thick and relatively stiff.
- Place the dough on a clean, flat surface, and roll it into a round a bit less than 1/3-inch thick, sprinkling very lightly with flour to prevent the rolling pin from sticking.
- Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (or whatever shape you like), cut out shapes from the dough and place them about 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- It can be helpful to remove the surrounding dough from the cutouts, and then peel the shapes off. Gather and reroll the scraps and repeat the process until you’ve used all the dough.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are just set on top, 6 to 8 minutes, depending upon size and shape. The edges of some cookies may brown slightly.
- Remove them from the oven before there is any significant browning, and allow them to cool on the baking sheet until set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, milk and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined. Increase the mixer speed to high and mix until creamy.
- Add the salt, meringue powder and about 3 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated. Turn the mixer up to high and beat until it becomes uniformly thick.
- Add the optional vanilla seeds and as much of the rest of the confectioners’ sugar as necessary to thicken the frosting, and beat to combine well.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spoon a generous amount of frosting onto the top of each, and spread into an even layer with a wide knife or offset spatula. Scatter sprinkles, if desired.
- Allow the cookies to set at room temperature until the frosting hardens a bit. Store any leftovers in an airtight glass container at room temperature. Freeze any plain cookies for longer storage.
Notes
Note about nutritional information Nutritional information is approximate, per cookie, and is not at all guaranteed. It is for the cookies only and does not include frosting or icing of any kind at all.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Ashley says
Super impressed with this recipe, to the point that I am recipe reviewing for the first time ever (and I am someone who relies on comments)! These were so easy to make, and so easy to lift off the counter! I only had King Arthur GF flour – I’d read another comment about adding a small amount of milk and water. I added about a teaspoon of milk, and then a sprinkle of water and it worked out well. Thank you!
Emily says
Hi, I am planning to make a huge batch of these as gifts that will take multiple days of work. How long will these keep in an airtight container?
Nicole Hunn says
Please see the section of the post titled “Storing your gluten free sugar cookies.”
Amy says
I made these today and they were very yummy! I have lots of leftover frosting/icing that I don’t intend to use right away. Can I freeze it for later use?
Nicole Hunn says
I wouldn’t freeze the icing, Amy, since the texture will likely be grainy when you defrost it. You can try refrigerating it in a tightly-sealed container, and then letting it warm to closer to room temperature, then beat it again since it will have compressed and lost its fluffy texture.
Lyn says
Going to try these tomorrow with my GF grandson But I am at high altitude (6000 ft). I typically adjust regular cookie recipes with +1T per cup of flour and +1T of liquid per cup of flour. Cut baking powder in half. Put cut cookies on sheet in oven for ten minutes then bake at a higher temp for less time.
Do you have any high alt suggestions for GF? If I use my usual high alt changes do you think it will be ok?
Nicole Hunn says
High altitude is the only condition I can’t possibly recreate, so I can’t offer you specific advice, Lyn, but in the past other readers have reported making their typical high altitude adjustments with success. I’m afraid I simply don’t know, though, and you’ll have to experiment.
Andrea says
Super easy and super soft! I made dinosaur cookies with my 3-year old grandson🥰
Nicole Hunn says
How adorable, Andrea!
Vanessa says
When I make traditional sugar cookies I use powdered sugar on the rolling pin/mat when I roll out. Would that work or would it change the dough too much?
Nicole Hunn says
These cookies are already balanced for moisture really perfectly, which is why you use as little additional flour as possible for rolling. You can try using powdered sugar instead of the flour, just be sure not to use too much. Then you can sprinkle the raw cutouts on both sides with powdered sugar if you like, after rolling.
Rebecca says
These look delicious! So excited! Do you think I could use King Arthur 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid not, Rebecca. I’ve tried over and over to use that flour blend, but I have to recommend against it. It would perform especially poorly in a simple recipe like this. Please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page for more information.
Julie J says
We used the King Arthur GF blend 1:1, we just added a little milk and drips of water and it was perfect! Good luck!
Walt C says
Used 1c almond flour and 1c all purpose flour, then substituted granulated and confectioner’s sugar with 1/2 c Monk Fruit+erythritol plus 4 drops stevia to lower glycemic index for a diabetic friend. It worked! Also lightened with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tbs greek yogurt. Baked 10 mins 1/4-inch cookies. Thank you for a wonderful and robust recipe.
Nicole Hunn says
Those are a ton of changes, Walt! I’m glad you enjoyed your recipe. :)
Kiersten Wenthold says
These are the best Gf cutouts!! So impressed with this recipe. I have never been able to cutout cookies and transfer to pan with such ease. The cookies held together perfectly. I swapped out the butter for dairy free butter sticks (Earth Balance), and it worked great.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad the buttery sticks worked well for you, Kiersten. I imagine they probably spread a bit more than intended since Earth Balance has quite a bit of extra moisture, but it sounds like you didn’t mind. :)
Rachel says
Can this recipe work if I added a subtle flavor like almond flavor to the dough?
Nicole Hunn says
Sure, Rachel, you can replace the vanilla extract with almond extract, but keep in mind that almond extract is much more potent so you probably want to use less.
Stephanie says
Nicole,
These cookies are the real deal! The dough is so easy to work with and my young children love helping me make these. Thank you so much!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so happy to hear that, Stephanie! This is a really special recipe and like you said, it makes a very easy to handle dough when made exactly as written.
Nikki Gilman says
Very tasty. But not sure what I did wrong here but I too had trouble getting the dough to come together. I used Red Mills 1 to 1 with xantham and I did have to add moisture to be able to roll it out. But otherwise it baked well and had a nice bite
Nicole Hunn says
As I explain on the all purpose gluten free flour blends page linked in the recipe, you cannot use Bob’s Red Mill flour blends in my recipes. They’re poorly balanced and have gritty rice flour, so they don’t perform and don’t even blend properly.
Tracy says
If I substitute the Spectrum shortening in place of butter for the cookie recipe, do I use the same measurements? 8 TBS? or 112 g?
Nicole Hunn says
You’d replace the butter by weight, Tracy.
Sammie Fitz says
I made these today with my 6 Year old daughter. WHAT A BLAST! The instructions were simple enough for her to not only read but understand. She practically made them herself. Rolled out with minimal flour (so no excess to wipe off). Baked up in about 10 minutes (ours were a little thick). Came out perfectly delicious and the cookies held their shape very well! Highly recommend this recipe!!
*trust the process* follow the instructions to a T and they’ll come our great. All weights listed are spot on with no issues.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so great to hear, and what an adorable picture you painted of your 6-year-old running point, Sammie! Thank you so much for sharing that, and I’m especially excited about your advice to “trust the process.” We’re big 76ers fans in this house!
Krystal says
I also weighed everything out and it was super crumbly. I was not able to form a dough ball. I added oat milk as needed until I got the consistency I wanted. But the math doesn’t math on this recipe. Hopefully they are still good
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I can’t help you, since you’ve decided that the recipe doesn’t work, Krystal, which of course it does, so I won’t try to troubleshoot, but everyone says they followed the recipe exactly, and it’s rarely the case. There’s nothing wrong with the math in this recipe.
Natalie says
Could these be made chocolate flavoured with added cocoa powder?
Nicole Hunn says
Nope, Natalie. It’s not that simple. But I have a separate recipe for chocolate cutout sugar cookies. Just use the search function!