Learn how to make the best gluten-free sugar cookies from scratch that are soft, easy to roll out, and taste amazing. Easy, homemade gluten-free cut-out cookies tastes so much like old fashioned ones, no one will know the difference! This recipe has earned hundreds of 5-star reviews and earned thousands of smiles!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!
5-Star Gluten-Free Cut Out Cookies Recipe
Any holiday or Christmas would not be complete without a batch of traditional rolled sugar cookies. Every year growing up I looked forward to decorating cut-outs with glossy sugar cookie icing and blanketing with festive sprinkles.
As a mom of four now, my kids love decorating sugar cookies just the same. (Which also goes along with the Christmas sprinkle explosion covering my kitchen.)
I was determined to find a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe with the same great taste after becoming GF over 10 years ago and more recently writing a gluten-free cookbook.
This recipe is so good, and just as easy to roll out, I prefer it over the cookies I grew up on! And I’m so happy it’s not just my life that has changed, but hundreds of readers have written in with their own success stories. 😊
My mom used a recipe without baking powder so the cookies wouldn’t puff up and lose their shape during baking. These cookies also do not use baking powder. They maintain the same shape after rolling, cutting out, and baking.
Gluten-free bakers will love these cookies because of how easy the dough is to work with and incorporate easy gluten-free baking tips for cookies. They work well for gluten-free Christmas cookies, (along with another old school classic – GF peanut butter blossoms!), Valentine’s Day, graduation, or to cut out in any shape! Plus, I guarantee no one will even know they are gluten-free!
By far the BEST sugar cookies! These are just perfectly soft and delicious. The dough is so easy to work with. I could not even critique this recipe in the slightest. My family and I love these cookies! I’m grateful to have this recipe and it’s the only cut out cookie recipe I’ll use
—Sunny
My go-to gluten free sugar cookie recipe!! The recipe is detailed, well explained and beginner friendly! I am not good at cooking and baking but my first attempt turned out amazing!! People cannot tell it’s gluten free which makes me feel really satisfied. Within two months, I made sugar cookies following this recipe three times.
—Minatsu
Watch The Recipe
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Creamiest creamed butter (and sugar)
When creaming butter and sugar together, beat it until very light and fluffy. This will take about 3 minutes, which seems like a long time when you are holding a mixer, but it will reward you with some damn good cookies.
Other liquids and more mixing (Yeah!)
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla then beat again until the mixture is smooth. At first it may look a little curdled. Have faith and keep mixing!
GF flour and chill baby chill
See, I told you it was easy! Mix in the flour, salt then cover the bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. If you are in a time crunch, I’ve also frozen it for 30-40 minutes. The colder the dough is the easier it will be to roll.
Roll Sugar Cookies Like A Pro
Okay, you got me. I know the hardest part about making homemade sugar cookies isn’t the dough, but the rolling it out…especially when it comes to GF cut-out cookies. But that’s not something you have to worry about anymore!
- Sprinkle GF flour onto a rolling surface or silicone mat. The trick is to not use too much flour or you will dry out your dough. Usually I sprinkle some on my work surface and then rub the rolling pin with some to keep it from sticking.
- Use half the cold dough and roll out to about 1/4″ thickness. If the dough is very cold, let it sit out about 5-10 minutes until it’s a little more pliable.
- Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and transfer the cut out cookies to prepared baking sheets. If you aren’t baking the cookies straight away, I recommend storing the baking sheets in the fridge because they are best baked from cold dough so they don’t spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. If you want them extra crispy, some readers have said they let them bake a few minutes longer.
Sugar Cookie Icing Options
If you struggle with runny icing, then use this easy recipe for sugar cookie icing that hardens to a glossy sheen. It’s my absolute go-to because it takes 5 minutes, dries so the cookies can stack and store without ruining, and I always have the ingredients on hand.
Some other options include using cream cheese icing, which with add a bit of tangy sweetness. Use royal icing if you really want to get precise and creative with your decorating. If you love an airy frosting, then this heavenly fluffy buttercream frosting is my absolute go-to. You will only need half the recipe to frost a batch of cookies.
Note About Gluten-Free Flours
Not all gluten-free flour blends are created equal. Typically I make gluten-free cookies with Cup4Cup (highly recommended!), but here are some other brands to try.
Please note: Flour blends use different ratios of gluten-free starch, such as tapioca flour, rice flour, almond flour, or cornstarch. These varying ratios and ingredients will change the texture and taste of the cookie.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour – Another great GF flour blend because of the ease of use. I find the texture to be slightly denser, but still yields a soft sugar cookie.
King Arthur Measure-for-Measure– Make sure you are using the “measure-for-measure” kind instead of King Arthur all-purpose GF flour, which doesn’t include xanthan gum.
Namaste Gluten-Free Flour Blend– Many bakers use this mix because it’s economical and available at Costco. Although the cookies will still hold their shape, the taste is rather gritty. To make the taste more pleasing, try replacing 1/2 cup of the flour with almond flour.
Save gluten-free cut-out cookies to your pinterest board!
Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
No Fail Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut Out)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 tsp. almond extract + 1 tsp. vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon ( ) salt, omit if butter is salted
- 2 cups (292 g) gluten-free all purpose flour, Cup4Cup all purpose gluten-free flour highly recommended
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter until very light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes for mixture to be fully creamed.1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Add the egg, milk, vanilla, and salt to the butter / sugar mixture. Beat again until very well combined. It may look separated and curdled at first, but as it beats longer it will blend together smoothly.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour and beat at low speed until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. The dough should be very cold throughout.2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper for best results. Otherwise, leave baking sheets ungreased. Set aside.
- Sprinkle gluten-free flour onto a rolling surface or silicone mat. Use half the cold dough and roll out to about 1/4" thickness. TIP: If the dough is very cold you may have to let it sit out 5-10 minutes for the dough to become more pliable. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and use a spatula to transfer the cut out cookies to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with all the remaining dough. TIP: If you plan on baking the cookies at the same time, store the baking sheets with cut out cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Warmed dough spreads more during baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. After cookies have cooled, decorate with my favorite sugar cookie icing. Store in airtight container up to 3 days.
Notes
Funfetti Sprinkle Cookies
Add 2/3 cup gluten-free sprinkles (not nonpareils) to the dough after mixing in the dry ingredients. Scoop the dough. Use large 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into balls. If desire, roll tops in additional sprinkles. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Transfer the balls to a parchment-lined plate or small lined baking tray, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour (can freeze for faster chilling). Preheat oven to 350℉ and position balls 2 inches apart on parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until bottoms are very lightly browned, but middles are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Makes 20 cookies.Expert Tips and Tricks
- The dough can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator.
- Make sure the dough is very cold before cutting out the cookies. This helps them hold their shape during baking. However, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rolling to soften slightly.
- Prefer crispier cookies? Roll out the dough slightly thinner. If you like softer cookies, roll it out slightly thicker.
- If you plan on cutting out all the cookies first, store the baking sheets holding pre-baked gluten free cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- For quicker chilling freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer before the dough freezes completely.
- For dairy-free cookies, replace the butter with vegan butter sticks and the milk with a non-dairy substitute.
Freezing Gluten-Free Cookies
Freezing Baked Sugar Cookies: Make gluten-free sugar cookie recipe as directed, cooling completely. Cookies may be frozen either unfrosted or with frosting. If cookies are frosted, make sure the icing has set before stacking. Place cookies in a large airtight container, wrap the container with plastic wrap, and freeze up to 2 months. Allow cookies to thaw one hour at room temperature before frosting or serving. Freezing Unbaked Sugar Cookies: Prepare the cut out cookie dough as directed. When it is time to chill the dough, transfer it to a freezer ziplock bag, squeezing out any excess air. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and cutting out. Alternatively, roll out the cookie dough and cut out cookies as directed. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets and transfer baking pans to freezer. Once the cookies have hardened, carefully remove them from the parchment and stack in freezer ziplock bags. Freeze, laying flat, up to 2 months. When ready to bake, transfer back to lined baking sheets. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to baking time. Recipe adapted from MOMablesThis post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Can you substitute half vanilla, half almond flavoring?
Yes! I’ve done it before and it’s delish!
Thank you!!!!
I have not yet made these cookies, but certainly intend to do so.
I just want to comment on how very grateful I am that you included the ingredients with each step of the process. It makes life so much easier when putting the recipe together.
I wish more recipes were done this way
Thank you, thank you thank you
It’s my pleasure! Thanks for saying this, Didi!
Best,
Melissa
What sprinkles do you recommend?
Hi Lynn,
I generally use Cake Mate brand, which are at my local grocery store. Their site indicates they are gluten-free.
Best,
Melissa
I’m planning to make these for our nursing home residents, and wonder if I could use a substitute for the sugar?
Hi Margaret,
I wish I could be of more help. I haven’t tested the recipe with a sugar substitute. If you did use one, it would have to be something in granulated form to have the same bulk.
Best,
Melissa
These cookies are a very good texture and cut out of molds well. The flavor was a little bland for me, I would add some extra vanilla next time. Overall, I am greatful to have a gluten-free option for my friends!
Thanks for sharing, Emily! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
Hi there! My friend shared your website with me as she makes your white bread all the time. I’m wondering if you’ve tried the Americas Test Kitchen all purpose, gluten-free flour blend with this sugar cookie recipe or your bread recipe and have any tips for me?
Thank you!
Hi Kara,
I have not tried it personally, but I believe I have gotten comments about people using it successfully for the bread recipe, not sure about the cookies. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Best,
Melissa
Hiw do you recommend storing the baked cookies? And how long do they last for?
Hi Virgina,
Generally GF baked goods dry out pretty quickly because they don’t hold onto moisture well. Therefore, I recommend enjoying these within a day or two. A lot of times I will freeze either the baked or unbaked cookies. If baked, stack in 2 to 3, wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to a gallon freezer bag, laying flat. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
Do you still recommend Cup4Cup all purpose flour or have you found a better one now? I have read they changed their ingredients and many bakers are upset.
Hi Lisa,
Great question. Yes, I still recommend them and still feel like this flour does the best job of not getting a gritty or gummy texture. The only change I’ve made with the new formula is sometimes with bread recipes I will remove a couple tablespoons of the flour from my recipes and add replace that with milk powder. But I haven’t found the new formula makes any difference in cookies, muffins, or cakes because the sugar does a good job of adding moisture.
Best,
Melissa
These were delicious and made a lot of 1 1/2″ round cookies. The granddaughter heaped decorations on them, so they may not have been intact when she got home.
So fun knowing you were decorating with your granddaughter! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Best,
Melissa
I am impressed by all the rave reviews of this recipe and am about to bake these cookies. I am however confused why the dough can’t sit covered in fridge more than a day. Also you recommend a 3 day shelf life. Most sugar cookies covered airtight are good for 3 weeks. Thanks
Hi Kimba,
Great questions. GF baked goods dry out quicker than wheat flour baked goods because they have a harder time absorbing moisture. You can refrigerate the dough overnight and bake the next day, although I would let it sit at room temp to soften a bit before rolling out. You can also roll the dough, cut out, and freeze the cut out cookies before baking. Then you would bake right from frozen. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Best,
Melissa
is it still the same bake time if you put them in the oven straight from the freezer?
You might have to add 1-2 minutes, not much longer.
Fabulous cookies! Thanks!
Love reading this! Thanks, Shari!
Best,
Melissa
Thank you for this recipe , I used it for the crust for my fruit tart. I REALLY loved how you added the amounts of ingredients in the instructions, so helpful. First site I’ve seen this on and it is fabulous!! No more scrolling back up to list of ingredients with sticky fingers:)
Love it, Jen! I’m so glad the ingredient in the instructions was helpful! Thanks for leaving me a note.
Best,
Melissa
I’ve read the complete post twice and don’t see a baking temperature. No one else has commented about this, so I guess it’s just me. I’ve read elsewhere that reducing the oven temperature is important to help minimize spreading (in addition to chilling the dough until ready to bake), so would like this information before tackling my first batch of gluten-free cookies. Thank you!
Hi Lois,
I’d be happy to help! The oven temp is 350F. It can be found in step 4 of the recipe card. Perhaps the recipe at the end of the post was missed? That is where I write out the detailed info.
Best,
Melissa
Do you think coconut oil would work in place of butter?
Hello,
I haven’t tried this, but I worry about it being softer than butter and not holding shape. I think it would be fine if you’d like to do drop sugar cookies or round ones, but not sure about them holding their shape after rolling out. The other option would be plant based butter sticks if you are looking for a dairy-free recipe.
Best,
Melissa
These cookies are fantastic!! So flavorful especially with the almond extract. They kept their shape beautifully and I love the texture! A big hit!
I love hearing this, Carri! And I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Best,
Melissa
Ignore my previous comment – I found the answer ; p
Oh good!
Best,
Melissa
I was very excited to find this simple recipe. I am making these cookies at the moment and realized there is not rising agent listed. Just confirming that there is no baking soda or baking powder. Thanks!
Thank you, Robin! I see the follow-up comment that you found your answer.
Best,
Melissa
Can I put this dough in a cookie gun?
I haven’t tried it, but the dough would have to be softer. You could put it in the dispenser right after mixing, pipe out the cookies, and then chill the trays before baking.
Enjoy!
Melissa
I want to make fruit pizza w this recipe. Can I just put in 9×13 pan? Do I have to grease the pan?
Hi Reyne,
I don’t think that would be a problem! I haven’t tried it, but yes, I would suggest spraying the pan with nonstick spray. Also, chill the dough before pressing in. You may have to let it soften back to room temp a bit when you are ready to put it in the pan. I’m not sure of the baking time, but I’m guessing around 15-17 minutes? Let me know how it works out for you!
Best,
Melissa
Hi. I was wondering if I can use royal icing to decorate these cookies??
Hi Shari,
Yes, that wouldn’t be a problem at all. The frosting I use and have linked hardens like a royal frosting, but whatever you prefer is fine!
Best,
Melissa
THESE ARE AMAZING THEY ARE PERFECT LOVE THEM SO EASY
I’m so glad you love them, Violet! Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
My family REALLY enjoyed these cookies! The recipe was followed as written and the results were perfect. I am definitely going to check out your other recipes. Thanks
Yes! Love hearing this! Thanks for sharing, Sabrina!
Best,
Melissa
These were perfect! Thank you!
Appreciate it, Beth! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Can you just drop them instead of rolling them out
Yes, that works too!
Best,
Melissa
First batch turned out good but my second batch almost look like they are wrinkled. Did the same method as first. Cut them out, put back in frig so they wouldn’t spread for 10 mins then baked. Very odd
Hi Diane,
You used the same GF flour for both? I’ve also found the colder the dough is, the less they wrinkle. So this would be before cutting them out, making sure the dough is very cold. Another thing that can contribute to this is how well the butter and sugar are creamed together. Perhaps one batch was mixed longer than the other? I know that this has happened to me time to time too, but since I always frost them, and it doesn’t affect the taste, I don’t sweat it too much. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
These turned out sooo good, I’ve tried to make so many different sugar cookie recipes and they’ve all just been ehhh. This is the first time I’ve made sugar cookies and actually felt proud of them, the texture is amazing and they look beautiful! They’re so good I don’t even think they would need frosting to be honest, but frosting is amazing so they will only be even better when decorated.
Thank you so much, Athena! I really appreciate this!
Best,
Melissa
Love the taste and crunch to these cookies and without the addition of baking powder they hold their shape really well!
Just wondering how long a batch would last if kept in the fridge?
Thanks!!
Hi Heidi,
Do you mean storing them unbaked in the fridge? I would say no more than 24 hours, but if you want to store longer I would refer to the freezing tips for unbaked cookies or you can bake and freeze as well.
Best,
Melissa
Hi, I came across your recipe to make gluten free Valentine’s Day cookies. Before reading the recipe I got the King Arthur all purpose flour with no xanthan gum. Then I read not to use this kind of flour. Why is that? New to gluten free baking. Thanks.
Happy to help, Krista. You can use this this flour, but you will have to buy and add the xanthan gum separately. Most GF flour blends have the xanthan in the mix so you don’t have to worry about adding it. However, some GF bakers like to add their own because different baked goods can require different amounts, like cookies less than shapable breads, like cinnamon rolls. If you have xanthan on hand I would add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum when you add the flour. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Melissa
Holy smokes…these are awesome and easy. I chilled dough for about 15 minutes and then rolled out half and put rest back in fridge. I sat cookie sheets back in fridge for 10 minutes prior to baking. Turned out perfect. So simple to make and work with. I cooked down a handful of strawberries, smashed them up and added powder sugar for icing. Will be making these again and again and again!
Love the strawberry version idea! Sounds amazing for Valentine’s Day! Thanks for sharing, Diane.
Best,
Melissa
Is this 2 cups of GF flour or 4? Ingredients say 2, Equipment says 4?
Hi Jennifer,
Happy to help. It’s 2 cups flour and the brand I use and recommend is called Cup4Cup gluten free flour. Wish I could do something about them changing their name because it has confused more than you!
Best,
Melissa