Cookies Archives - Gluten Free on a Shoestring

Gluten Free Animal Crackers | Like Nabisco

By Nicole Hunn | Published: February 5, 2021 | Posted In: Cookies, Desserts

Gluten free animal crackers are the lightly sweet, simple vanilla cookies that you remember from childhood. Just like the little cardboard box!

Metal tin with animal crackers mostly without frosting

What makes animal crackers special?

These gluten free animal crackers are buttery and light, and melt in your mouth just like the conventional kind in that little box. And just like the conventional ones, they break easily. It's part of their charm.

They taste a bit like butter cookies, but they also have an egg in the batter. That gives them some richness, and also creates some structure.

They're fragile mostly because animal shapes tend to have thin portions. A giraffe neck and an elephant trunk always seem to be the first to go.

Glass jar filled with animal crackers some with frosting and nonpareils

The history of animal crackers

My personal history of animal crackers goes back to other kids' having them at lunch in grammar school. If I had a cookie, it was probably in a Glad fold over plastic bag—and it was probably an Oreo.

I have plenty of legitimate gripes about my childhood, and I know that this doesn't rank. But would it have killed my parents to just buy me that little shoebox with the tiny string for my lunch the once?

A little internet sleuthing reveals that Nabisco has been making the P.T. Barnum-inspired shaped cookies since 1902. Nabisco named them animal crackers, but a similar version had been around in Britain before that.

Apparently, the Brits just called them “animals.” That doesn't help explain why they're animals in the first place, but I stopped being super curious by the turn of the 20th Century.

Besides Nabisco Barnum's Animal Crackers, there also that type that comes in that huge plastic bear.

This gluten free version is more like the Barnum's kind, since the huge bear kind have no taste whatsoever. And their texture isn't much better. Let's stick with Nabisco.

The frosting seems to have originated with the Stauffers brand of animal crackers. I wonder if the ones in the big bear are made by that brand. If so, the frosted ones no doubt taste like frosted nothing. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Elephant cookie cutter with cut dough in it on black board

What are the best animal shaped cookie cutters?

The very cool cookie cutters you see me using above and in the video are made by a company called Mrs. Anderson. I bought them online years ago, when I was writing my third cookbook, Gluten Free Classic Snacks.

They're spring-loaded cutters, with the ability to imprint details onto the dough. You use them the regular way, by pressing the edges into the dough.

Then, you press the plunger to imprint the pattern on the dough. Lift the cookie cutter from the rest of the dough, and press the plunger again to release the shaped dough.

I bought the cookie cutters online at a Philadelphia home goods store called Fantes. You can find them at Fantes.com.

These cookie cutters are sometimes available at big box stores online, but not always. I'm not including links since these sorts of links tend to lead nowhere before long. Just Google the name!

You can also just use any small cookie cutters in any shape. Ateco makes a set for Spring, with duck and flower shapes. They're fun, too.

Animal cracker cookies with pink frosting and rainbow nonpareils on white paper

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

The only dairy in this recipe is the butter. You should be able to replace it with vegan butter.

My favorite brands of vegan butter are Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt brands. They're available at many larger grocery stores, and often Miyoko's is even sold at Trader Joe's.

I caution you against using Earth Balance buttery sticks, since they have a ton of moisture. The cookies probably would not hold their shape during baking.

Egg

There's only one egg in this recipe. You might be able to replace it with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).

Corn

In place of cornstarch, you can try arrowroot or potato starch. If you're using a higher starch all purpose gluten free flour blend, like (mock) Cup4Cup, replace the cornstarch with 36 grams more of your all purpose gluten free flour.

If you can't have corn, be sure your confectioners' sugar is corn-free. Organic confectioners' sugars are often made with another starch, like tapioca starch.

If you'd like to make frosting for your animal crackers, but you can't have light corn syrup (which is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup), try making the royal icing instead (linked in the ingredients list).

Rainbow nonpareils

I always have rainbow nonpareils in my house. They're so fun, and make anything sweet seem a bit more festive.

Cake Mate brand and Signature brand nonpareils are both made by Betty Crocker. When I've called the company, they've always been able to assure me that they're reliably gluten free.

If you’re concerned about whether any ingredient you're using is gluten free, please be proactive. Contact the directly using the contact information on the package or on their website.

Closeup image of lion shaped animal cracker with pink frosting and rainbow nonpareils

Magic Gluten Free Blondies

By Nicole Hunn | Published: January 13, 2021 | Posted In: Bars

Magic gluten free blondies are rich brown sugar bars with the extra chewy texture of corn flake cereal added to the batter. My favorite chips here are butterscotch, but the choice is yours.

Overhead image of magic blondie bars in pile on round white serving plate

What makes these the best gluten free blondies

Magic gluten free blondies aren't actual magic. I don't want to mislead you. You might know them as magic bars, or you might not know them at all.

They're really just blonde brownies with flaky cereal baked in. The cereal acts almost like oats do in baking, since they hold their shape and create a chewy texture.

Other than the cornflakes, brown sugar is the star ingredient in this recipe. Since there's so much brown sugar, it caramelizes beautifully and almost invisibly in the oven.

The baked edges of the bars taste almost like they're kissed with caramel. Listen, if you don't like sugar, or have to avoid it, this is not the recipe for you.

Overhead image of raw magic blondie batter in square pan with white paper liner

Cereal in these gluten free blondies makes them magical 💫

When I was a kid, we had “dream bars.” To this day, I can't figure out if that's a real thing, or if it was just a peculiarity of my childhood.

But everyone loved them, with their chewy texture and sweet brown sugar taste. Only many years later did I figure out that they were essentially blondies with Post brand Grape Nuts Flakes cereal in the batter.

But Grape Nuts flakes, if they still exist, are most certainly not gluten free. But we don't need them.

The cereal flakes in this gluten free blondies batter layer together, surrounded by that delightful mixture of brown sugar and vanilla. The cereal functions sort of like the oats in our homemade protein bars.

If you look closely at the recipe, you'll see that it has more brown sugar than it even does flour. That isn't an accident.

Magic blondies baked in square metal pan with white paper liner

Selecting the right gluten free cereal

There are a number of available gluten free cereals that come in flake form, but most of the flakes are strangely very thick. Nature's Path gluten free corn flakes are relatively thin—although not as thin as Kellogg's.

There aren't many available brands of gluten free corn flake cereal. I used Nature's Path brand “Honey'd Corn Flake Cereal,” which is gluten free.

You can probably even use Corn Chex cereal, too, but they're more likely to splinter when you crush them. You want to crush larger flakes into smaller ones, not Chex into dust.

White serving plate with pile of magic blondie bars against gray background

Gluten free blondies: ingredients and substitutions

Can you make gluten free blondies also dairy free?

There is dairy in this recipe in the forms of butter and the chips. In place of butter, you should be able to use vegan butter. My favorite brands are Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt.

Butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips have dairy in them. I've never been able to find a version of either type of chips that's dairy-free and tastes good.

Instead, I'd recommend using dairy-free chocolate chips. My favorite brand is Enjoy Life.

Can you make gluten free egg free blondies?

There are 3 eggs in this recipe. I'm afraid I don't recommend making this recipe with any sort of egg replacement.

If you're determined to try using an egg replacer, you'd do best with a legitimate “flax egg.” I'm referring to cooking flax seeds with water until a viscous liquid is created, from which the seeds are strained and discarded.

What sort of gluten free cereal is best in these gf blondies?

See discussion above about the gluten free cereal in the batter.

Group of magic blondie bars overlapping on white paper liner

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Magic Gluten Free Blondies

Magic gluten free blondie bars are the ultimate chewy blond brownie with plenty of caramelized brown sugar and butterscotch chips.

Course: Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 9 bars

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend I used Better Batter
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups (270 g) packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups (120 g) crushed gluten free corn flake cereal See Recipe Notes
6 ounces butterscotch chips See Recipe Notes
10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch square baking pan and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and mix, breaking up any lumps. Add the crushed cereal and all but about 2 tablespoons of the chips, and mix to combine.
Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla, and mix, pressing the back of the spoon into the mixture until all the dry ingredients have been absorbed into the butter and beaten eggs. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth, but it will be quite thick.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer using an offset spatula. Scatter the reserved chips evenly over the top of the batter and press gently to help them adhere.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are brown, and the bars are set in the middle.
Allow them to cool completely in the pan. To make them easier to cut, you can chill the cooled bars in the refrigerator until they’re firm.
Remove the bars from the pan and place on a cutting surface. Using a large, sharp knife, slice into squares or rectangles and serve.
Originally published on the blog in 2011. Recipe scaled up for thicker bars, text, video, and photos all new.

Notes

For the corn flake cereal
I used Nature’s Path brand “Honey’d Corn Flake Cereal,” which is gluten free. Their “Fruit Sweetened Corn Flake Cereal” tastes nearly identical, and works well, too.

For the chips
I used Nestle brand butterscotch chips, which are gluten free (but contain dairy). I chose them at first because one of my children doesn’t like white chocolate chips, and fell in love with the flavor here.

If you prefer, you can use white chocolate chips (a classic in blondies). You can also use dark chocolate chips, or whatever flavor chip you like best with brown sugar.

Gluten Free Butter Cookies | Spritz or Icebox

By Nicole Hunn | Published: October 23, 2019 | Posted In: Cookies, Desserts, Holiday season recipes

This gluten free butter cookie recipe turns out perfect icebox or spritz (cookie press) cookies every time. They hold their shape and can be as simple or as fancy as you like!

A close up of a box of gluten free butter cookies in a flower shape.

How to make gluten free butter cookie dough

I've always made this butter cookie dough by dumping all of the ingredients (dry first, then wet) in a food processor and processing it until it's smooth. Using a food processor ensures that the dough is completely uniform in color and texture.

If you don't have a food processor or simply don't want to use your food processor because you hate cleaning it like I do, you can make the cookie dough by hand (well, in a bowl). Just be sure that the butter is at soft room temperature.

If you press on the butter with your finger, it should leave an indentation but the butter should not be leaking liquid at all. Simply gather the dough together by squeezing it in your hand a bit, and then placing it in plastic and kneading it until it's smooth.

Raw gluten free butter cookies in a flower shape on a tray.

Tips and tricks for using a cookie press to make gf butter cookies

If you're making spritz cookies, use the dough immediately after making it, without chilling the dough at all. To use a cookie press of any kind, your dough must be at room temperature so that it is able to travel through the press and out of the disk at the end without crumbling. It must also stick to the baking sheet, which it will as long as your baking sheet itself is not warm or greasy, and is not nonstick.

I have a cookie press made by Kuhn Rikon, and it was well-priced and serviceable. But it doesn't seem to be available anymore without a more expensive set. If I were going to make a purchase today, I'd go with the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press (affiliate link; feel free to shop around!).

If your cookie dough is the right consistency (which it will be if you use this recipe, and follow the instructions carefully), the cookie press should work properly and without a problem. About 95% of the time, I have absolutely no problems making spritz cookies in my cookie press. So why do I dream of sneaking up on it, and choking it to death with my bare hands? Because of that 5% of the time when it just won't cooperate.

Open the chamber of your press by lifting on the plunger and placing your butter cookie dough inside. Choose a disk (I like the simple flower shape the best), place it in the end of the press, place them both on the end of the chamber, and turn it to seal.

Once the press is closed, press the lever until you're certain that the dough is all the way at the end of the chamber, right by the extrusion disk. Then, place the press upright onto an ungreased baking sheet. If the dough isn't sticky, or the baking sheet isn't clean, the dough will not stick to the sheet.

Click just once on the lever per cookie, wait a moment to ensure that the shape is sticking to the baking sheet, and lift the press straight up into the air. The dough will stick to the baking sheet, not fall from it like it would if you were using a piping bag.

Raw sliced gluten free butter cookies on a tray.

How to make icebox butter cookies

If you're put off by the whole cookie press business, do not make yourself crazy. Just make this recipe as icebox cookies.

Make the dough, place it on a piece of unbleached parchment paper, shape it into a cylinder, square the edges, and chill the dough completely. Then simply slice into 1/4-inch thick cross-sections and bake.

Baked gluten free butter cookies in a flower shape on a tray

The egg white wash and coarse sugar coating

Butter cookies aren't very sweet, and their buttery goodness just melts in your mouth. Since they're a bit plain, though, I like them best when they have a coating of coarse sugar on top.

What coarse sugar to use

I've found that the best way to get the sugar to adhere to the cookies is to brush them with an egg white before sprinkling the coarse sugar. My favorite gluten free coarse sugar is made by Chef's Select and I used to purchase it on Amazon.

I'm afraid it's no longer available, and I'm having some trouble finding it. This appears to be the same brand, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about the seller. I can't recommend Wilton or CK brands, because I don't feel comfortable that they're allergen-friendly enough.

When I run out of Chef's Select, I'm expecting that I'll be able to find it again somewhere. If not, I'll just use Sugar in the Raw. Its only sin is not being clear white in color. ?

Be careful brushing with egg wash

When you brush spritz cookies with egg wash, the cookies may stick to the unlined baking sheet after they've been baked. The egg white wash tends to act like a glue to keep the sugar in place, but also to adhere the cookie to the baking sheet.

You can skip the egg white wash on spritz cookies, and just use lukewarm water instead to help the coarse sugar crystals stick to the raw cookies. If you do use the egg white wash with the spritz cookies, just allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes (no more!) and run a edge of a small offset spatula or knife under the cookies to pry them from the baking sheet. Then, allow the cookies to finish cooling completely.

Different shapes of gluten free butter cookies on a serving plate.

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy-free: Since these are butter cookies, it's tough to make them without butter, but I think it's worth a try. My favorite butter replacements in general are Melt brand or Miyoko's Kitchen brand vegan butter.

If you can't find either one of those, try using half (56 g) Earth Balance buttery sticks and half (56 g) Spectrum brand non hydrogenated vegetable shortening. That mix helps to approximate the flavor and moisture balance of real butter.

Eggs: There are 3 egg yolks in this recipe, and I'm honestly not sure how to replace them. You can try using coconut cream in their place, gram for gram. But I'm afraid I've never tried anything like that, so you'll have to experiment.

You can either leave off the egg white wash and coarse sugar coating, or try using water in to help the sugar crystals stick.

Flavorings: In place of vanilla extract, I really like using almond extract in its place (but use a little less, since almond extract is much stronger in flavor). You could also try another flavoring oil, but be careful not to add too much or you'll overpower that lovely buttery flavor.

A close up of a bowl of flower shaped butter cookies.

Classic Gluten Free Pinwheel Cookies

By Nicole Hunn | Published: December 14, 2016 | Posted In: Cookies, Desserts, Holiday season recipes, Holidays

These classic gluten free pinwheel cookies have a place on every holiday cookie plate. If you've wanted to give them a try but had trouble imagining how, now is the time!

It's surprisingly easy to make a fancy-looking cookie like these gluten free pinwheel cookies. The basic cookie dough base is made much like any other cookie dough.

Then, divide the dough into two portions — one a bit larger than the other. To the smaller one, add some melted chocolate and cream, and two more tablespoons of flour.

Focused image of pinwheel cookie with other pinwheel cookies on metal tray

Next, roll out each portion of dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, and roughly the same size as one another. Chill them both in the freezer for a few minutes or until firm but not rock solid.

Place the layers of chilled dough, one squarely one top of the other. Since the dough is chilled, it's not hard to turn one over onto the other.

Direct angle of pinwheel cookies on metal tray

Using the remaining, bottom layer of parchment paper to roll the dough together as tightly as you can. The dough may crack a bit as you roll it. Just patch it together as you go. You won't see any cracks in the cookies at all.

Slice the cylinder of dough into about 20 pieces, each about 1/4-inch thick. I have used a chef's knife, metal bench scraper and even a simple steak knife. They all work just fine. Place the slices on a baking sheet, and bake away.

There's something super satisfying about making such a classic holiday cookie at home. For gluten-eaters, they can pop into a bakery and buy a pinwheel cookie, along with maybe some rainbow cookies.

But when you're gluten free, or someone you love is, it's not that simple any more. The corner bakery most likely doesn't have gluten free rainbow cookies (my favorite!) or gluten free pinwheel cookies.

If you'd given up on the idea of having bakery-style cookies for the holidays, take heart. We can make them ourselves! And they're easier than you probably thought. Let me show you the way. ??

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Classic Gluten Free Pinwheel Cookies

If you've ever wondered how to roll pinwheel cookies or what they're made of, this recipe for classic gluten free pinwheel cookies, made with chocolate and vanilla dough, will show you exactly how!

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 20 cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn