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Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

This easy, no-chill recipe for Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies is a must-make. They’re great for holidays, birthdays, or any time you’re looking for a sweet treat.

Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies on a wire rack decorated with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles
Thank you Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Sparkle up your holiday season with more delicious recipes at BobsRedMill.com

Photos Updated October 2019

Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

Baking cookies have always been a big part of my family’s holiday tradition. Cookies after cookies, fudge after batch of fudge, and gingerbread house after gingerbread house. It was a labor of love that was more than appreciated by everybody on the receiving end and these gluten free soft frosted sugar cookies are always a hit.

Kelsey adores frosted sugar cookies and has ever since she first started making them with my mom and dad for Easter a couple years ago. My mom has a bunny cookie mold that she uses for the cookies, they’re fabulous and so bunny-cute.

This year, I switched up our recipe a bit to make dairy free sugar cookies so Kelsey can still enjoy them (she’s lactose intolerant). While I kept the shapes simple with cut out circles and trees, these sugar cookies were an easy to make and we had fun decorating and eating them!

To keep things even easier, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in this gluten free sugar cookie recipe. This gluten free flour blend is easy to work with and the cookies came out great! This is definitely a flour that I always have on hand.

A stack of gluten free sugar cookies
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Key Ingredients for Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

  • Gluten Free Flour with Xanthan Gum – I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in this recipe but if you have a different blend that would work fine too. Just make sure it has xanthan gum included.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract – This is a super simple sugar cookie dough and it gets all of it’s flavor from the vanilla extract. Don’t skimp on it or your cookies will be bland.
  • Shortening – I use Nutiva Shortening in just about all my recipes that call for shortening. It has better flavor than Crisco and works just as well, if not better.
  • Vegan Butter – I swear by a 50:50 blend of “vegan butter” and shortening to make dairy free buttercream. It’s soft enough to spread and pipe but not so soft that it won’t hold its shape. My go-to vegan butter is Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread but you can use your favorite plant based butter.

Equipment Needed to Make Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

  • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – either will work. I highly suggest using one because this is a pretty stiff dough and will be hard to mix by hand.
  • Rolling Pin – My favorite kind of rolling pin is a tapered rolling pin or French rolling pin.
  • Cookie Cutters – Use whatever shape you want for any holiday or occasion. Keep in mind, the size of your cookie cutters will determine how many cookies you get out of this recipe. 
  • Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats – I always line my baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat Silicone Baking Mats when baking cookies. 
  • Cookie Sheet – My go-to baking pans are Nordic Ware Half Sheet Pans. They’re fantastic for cookies and basically anything that doesn’t require a specialty pan!
Cut out no chill Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies are a must-make. Frost them and top them with sprinkles for a gluten free dessert recipe that’s perfect for a party or for the holidays. You can decorate them with royal icing if you prefer! Gluten free and dairy free cookie recipe from @whattheforkblog - visit www.whattheforkfoodblog.com for more easy gluten free desserts and gluten free cookies! #glutenfree #dairyfree #sugarcookies #frostedsugarcookies #cutoutsugarcookies #glutenfreecookies

How to Make Frosted Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Step 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the egg and the vanilla extract until incorporated.

Step 3. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until completely combined. The dough should be slightly firm but still pliable – not sticky, and not too stiff.

Step 4. Turn half of the the dough out onto floured parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and roll out until it’s about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters of your choice. Repeat with the remaining dough. Dough scraps can be re-rolled.

Step 5. Bake 8-10 minutes (mine were done in 9 but it will depend on the size of your cookie cutters and thickness of your dough). Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Step 6. Make the frosting and frost your cookies as desired and decorate with gluten free sprinkles.

Cut out no chill Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies are a must-make. Frost them and top them with sprinkles for a gluten free dessert recipe that’s perfect for a party or for the holidays. You can decorate them with royal icing if you prefer! Gluten free and dairy free cookie recipe from @whattheforkblog - visit www.whattheforkfoodblog.com for more easy gluten free desserts and gluten free cookies! #glutenfree #dairyfree #sugarcookies #frostedsugarcookies #cutoutsugarcookies #glutenfreecookies

Tips for Making this Recipe

  • This recipe is great for holiday shaped gluten free cut out sugar cookies. I use this same gluten free sugar cookie recipe for my Gluten Free Mummy Cookies and Conversation Heart Cookies.
  • Instead of using the dairy free vanilla buttercream included in this recipe, you can decorate them with royal icing to fit any holiday or theme. 
  • You don’t have to use vegan butter- you can use regular butter.
  • If you don’t need a dairy free frosting, feel free to use my regular Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe. 
  • I recommend using parchment paper or silicone mats instead of wax paper. 
  • Add small amounts of flour needed when rolling out cookies.

What People are Saying About This Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookie Recipe

These are delicious, I used a pie crust bag to roll them out.

We used butter instead of shortening. The texture and taste were perfect.

This recipe is awesome! Simple to make and the cookies are delicious!

So much better than regular sugar cookies!

We made these yesterday and they came out perfectly! We used butter and didn’t even have to refrigerate it. They tasted great and looked wonderful! Thank you!

We’ve made Peanut Butter Blossoms and the no chill Sugar Cookie recipe. Both are delicious… but that sugar cookie recipe is a winner! Both my grandson and hubby said they were so good, they don’t need frosting!

 I’m eating these right now! My favorite GF sugar cookie recipe! 

Made the sugar cookies. They were a hit.


Other Gluten Free Cookies to Try:

Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies from What The Fork Food Blog | whattheforkfoodblog.com

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Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

4.66 from 129 ratings
This easy, no-chill recipe for Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies is a must-make. They’re great for holidays, birthdays, or any time you’re looking for a sweet treat.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 1 cup shortening I use Nutiva shortening
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg cold
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour plus more for rolling out the dough
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter I use Earth Balance Soy Free
  • 1/2 cup Nutiva shortening
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon unsweetened coconut milk beverage
  • food coloring optional
  • gluten free sprinkles optional

Instructions

To make the Cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in the egg and the vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until completely incorporated. The dough should be slightly firm but still pliable - not sticky, and not too stiff.
  • Turn half of the the dough out onto floured parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and roll out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Use desired cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Dough scraps can be re-rolled.
  • Transfer the cookies (carefully) to the prepared baking pans and bake 8-10 minutes (mine were done in 9 but it will depend on the size of your cookie cutters and thickness of your dough). Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
  • **Important: when re-rolling the dough to cut additional cookies, lightly sprinkle the parchment paper with flour ONLY AS NEEDED (you may not need to add more).
  • Bake cookies in batches if necessary. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the Frosting:

  • Add the shortening, vegan butter, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla extract and milk and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1 minute or less. Mix in food coloring if using.
  • Frost the cookies and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

  1. The dough does not need to be chilled before rolling or baking. The shortening works really well in the cookies and they don't spread out while baking. I have not tested this recipe with butter, which may require chilling time for the cookies to keep their shape.
  2. If baking the cookies in batches, you may keep the cut out cookies refrigerated if desired.
  3. I used 2 drops of Americolor Gel Food Coloring in Fuchsia to make the pink frosting.
  4. This recipe was updated on 11/13/16 - these cookies are an even better version which omitted one egg and the baking powder with easier to follow directions.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 3mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 0.5mg | Iron: 0.02mg

Disclaimers

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.

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Gluten Free Frosted Sugar Cookies from What The Fork Food Blog | whattheforkfoodblog.com

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Recipe Rating




  1. Kathh says:

    I used regular shortening and Cup4Cup flour that has Xantham Gum. The dough was all crumbly and cannot use. Not sure what I did wrong but I am going to try adding more shortening and another egg to try to work with it.

  2. Joohee says:

    This is such a wonderful recipe. I also used butter 1:1 as other commenters have shared, and it was successful. I didn’t need to chill it, but with a few batches I ended up chilling to roll out later, and either way it worked great. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It will be my go-to for Gluten Free sugar cookies. : )

  3. Mira says:

    I’m making these again and have a guest with an egg allergy. Can I omit egg?
    The first batch was amazing! Family has no idea they were GF! I think they are better than the usual hard sugar cookies. Thank you!

  4. Vanessa says:

    Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

  5. Marti says:

    5 stars
    We made these yesterday and they came out perfectly! We used butter and didn’t even have to refrigerate it. They tasted great and looked wonderful! Thank you!

  6. Korie says:

    This recipe looks delicious! Can this dough be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer?

    • Sharon says:

      Thanks Korie! You can refrigerate it first if needed, it’ll just be harder to roll out. You’ll want it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling. You’ll also want to make sure the dough is wrapped very tight in plastic wrap or else the dough could dry out and be crumbly.

  7. Miranda says:

    5 stars
    I LOVE this sugar cookie recipe. I use real butter instead of shortening, and just chill them while the oven preheats, and they turn out great every time. They are super easy to make, (easy enough my 10 year old can make them) and the dough is easy to roll out.

  8. laurie says:

    These look like a great use for the Bobs Mill flour in my cupboard! Do you know if it will work with a 1:1 trade for 2% milk for the coconut milk?

  9. Stephanie R says:

    Yumm! I plan on making these! About how many cookies does each batch make? Thanks!

  10. MissyL says:

    These were great! I used butter instead of the shortening since we prefer it but everything else was as written. I’m very happy with the results and no one else knew they were gluten free! Thank you!

    • Yvonne says:

      5 stars
      I also plan to make this recipe and I am glad to see a comment that butter worked well. I never used shortening before. Thanks!

    • Sharon says:

      Thanks for the feedback Missy – glad to know it works well with butter! I use shortening since my daughter is lactose intolerant, I’ll have to try these with butter the next time I make them as gifts 🙂

  11. Bema says:

    Can I use coconut oil instead of shortening? Most shortenings have soybean oil, which I’m allergic to.

    • Sharon says:

      Hi Bema,
      I haven’t tried these with straight-up coconut oil but I use Nutiva Shortening which is soy free (and vegan). It’s made of a combination of red palm oil and coconut oil. You can find it here: – that’s my affiliate link 🙂

  12. Sheena says:

    These did not work out for me. Dough came out crumbly and could barely work with it. 🙁 Bummer.

    • Sharon says:

      Hi Sheena, sorry they didn’t work out for you. What flour blend did you use? I recommended the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour for this recipe, which contains xanthan gum. If you used a different flour blend that didn’t contain any xanthan gum you would get crumbly cookies.

  13. These look amazing! Fantastic job on these – and you sure did nail that dairy free frosting too!

  14. These sugar cookies look PERFECT! So soft and thick- just how I like them. 😉

  15. Liz says:

    I’ve never seen this Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour before and I’m so excited to go find it now!! These cookies are seriously perfect 🙂

  16. 5 stars
    These cookie look amazing, perfectly decorated!

  17. There’s something about frosted cookies like these that takes me straight back to my childhood. I’m passing this recipe onto a couple of gluten-free friends.

  18. Kristyn says:

    Such a great recipe! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  19. I’m excited to start my Christmas baking…these look so festive and fun!

  20. Gorgeous photos, these cookies look perfect and have me super excited to make Christmas cookies with my kids!