This time of year leaves me feeling a little like the Cookie Monster: “Me want cookies!” And I don’t want just any cookie, I want cut-out cookies. I love cookie cutters. I might love them a little too much. My 200-plus cookie cutter collection even boasts an armadillo-shaped cookie cutter.
When I want to make use of my excessive cookie cutter collection I turn again and again to my recipe for basic cut-out cookies. As written, it makes delicate vanilla-scented cookies that strike a nice balance between sweet and buttery. But like most bakers, I like to adjust my recipes from time to time. Happily, this recipe welcomes change! If you crave a more robust flavor, swap brown rice flour and brown sugar for the white rice flour and granulated sugar. Or you can add some lemon zest and oil instead of vanilla extract.
Cookie Variations
- Flours: Use a different gluten-free flour, such as brown rice flour or sorghum flour. They’ll both provide you with a deeper flavor and color.
- Sugars: You can replace the granulated sugar with brown, raw, granulated maple or muscovado sugars. Just be sure to avoid using a liquid sugar (like honey or maple syrup).
- Flavors: Feel free to vary the extract, or add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. (I’ve found adding cinnamon is especially nice in batches where I’ve also used brown rice flour and brown sugar.)
- Dairy-free: Use a solid non-dairy replacement, like shortening or coconut oil. Be sure you use a solid, not liquid, fat replacement.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups finely ground white rice flour (5 ounces; 142 grams)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch (2 ounces; 56 grams)
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour (1 ounce; 28 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 10 tablespoons butter, softened (5 ounces; 142 grams)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 148 grams)
- 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 teaspoons water if needed
Instructions
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In medium mixing bowl, whisk together white rice flour, cornstarch, sweet rice flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Set aside. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl.
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Add egg and vanilla, turn mixer on to medium speed. Blend until incorporated, about 25 seconds. Turn off mixer and add dry ingredients. Turn mixer to medium-low. Blend until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Dough might be dry, especially if you are using shortening. If this is the case, add 2-3 teaspoons water.
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Pat dough into round. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator. Allow to dough to stand for 10 minutes or until slightly soft. Generously dust countertop with white rice flour. Roll dough out about 1/4-inch thick.
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Cut dough into shapes. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies until edges are golden brown. (Baking time will vary depending on the size of your cookies. My 3-inch trees took about 12 minutes; the 6-inch dachshunds took about 14 minutes. Keep your eye on the first batch of cookies to help you with the timing.)
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Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Gluten-free cookie dough can be gathered into a ball and re-rolled. Be sure to bake cookies on cool baking sheet. I usually bake one sheet of cookies at a time. This allows baking sheets to cool between batches.
Susan Block says
Have you ever made these as chocolate cut outs? Or can you suggest how to do it?
Elizabeth says
I haven’t! I’m not sure how much cocoa powder to add to convert these to chocolate cookies. I’d be happy to create a chocolate cookie cut-out recipe for you!
Susan Block says
I used my standard GF cut out sugar cookie recipe (similar to yours but used 1 c cornstarch) and replaced 1/2 c cornstarch with 1/2 cocoa powder. They got great reviews. Not sure if that replacement quantity would work for this recipe, but it is a place to start 🙂
Yvonne says
I just made these cookies using 2 cups of my own all purpose GF blend instead of the flours in the recipe and Earth Balance soy free butter alternative and they turned out wonderful! Thank you for the recipe, will definitely be saving this one to use again
Elizabeth says
Glad to hear they worked even with the substitutions!
Nancy says
What is sweet rice flour and where can you get it? Can you substitute and use just 1 1/2 cups of white rice flour in the gf sugar cookie recipe above?
Elizabeth says
Sweet rice flour is made from short grain (aka sticky) rice. And, yes, if you can’t find it, you can replace it with white rice flour.
Heather says
Are you using regular or superfine white rice flour?
Elizabeth says
Regular!
CharlieAnn says
Do you know what I can replace the gums with? I can not digest any of those and I was wondering if there is a good substitute for them. Tried Psyllium Husk and can not use that either. Can help would be great.
Thank you,
CharliAnn
Elizabeth says
I’m not sure. For this recipe, you could try simply omitting the gum. That will cause the cookies to spread, however.
Sorry I don’t have more options for you!
Rose says
Possibly chia gel? Take chia seeds, grind, measure equal to the xanthan gum called for, add 2 parts water per 1 part ground seeds, and wait till they get “viscous” according to Healthline. They also mention adding some baking time when using chia gel. Another alternative they list is ground flax seeds + hot water (same ratios as chia, though flax may make the result a little grittier in texture.)
Lindsay says
Just wondering, at what point would you add the sprinkles/sugar (like you have in the picture)? Pre or post baking?
Elizabeth says
Good question! To get the sugar to stick, like in my photo, place them on the cookies before baking and press them down just a bit. As the cookies bake, the sugar sinks into the dough and sticks! So easy!
Lindsay says
Thank you so much, worked perfect!
(And a great recipe!)
Cathy says
Can you use gf all purpose flour
Elizabeth says
Different blends produce different results. If you want to try it, I’d use a blend like Bob’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
Rose says
Super yummy, quick and easy to make, baked really fast (you definitely have to watch them, especially if you have different thickness cookies. Mine took about 11 minutes.) They did end up a little prone to breaking, though some of that is inherent in GF cookies, and some may be that I didn’t let them cool enough before trying to move them. But they melt in your mouth, with just the right hint of vanilla, and keep their perfect cookie cutter shape! I used 1.5 cu something (it was either sorghum flour or gluten free all purpose mix of some sort, I don’t remember what I have in the canister in my fridge) and .5 cu corn starch. We couldn’t find our xanthan gum so used 1/2 tsp guar gum instead. They bound up nicely. Refrigerated just 10 minutes or so, then rolled, cut, and baked and they were perfect! Thank you – we’ll save this off to use again the next time we make cookies.