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!
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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
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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.
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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.
Great recipe! I did cut the sugar in half and turned out great!
Thanks, Allison! I appreciate you taking the time to share.
Best,
Melissa
This recipe is amazing it tastes so good I highly recomend it.
Thank you so much!
Best,
Melissa
Can you just make into regular round cookies? Would I need to do anything different?
Sure, that wouldn’t be a problem, but I would add 1/2 tsp baking powder so they are softer and spread slightly. Also, I would just chill the dough for 30 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheet.
Best,
Melissa
What is the leavening agent in this recipe? No baking powder?
No, not in this version of cut out cookies because I like them to hold their shape. If you like a softer cookie, you can add 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Best,
Melissa
These are amazing sugar cookies! No different than regular sugar cookies in my opinion. I can’t eat egg so I subbed aquafaba for the eggs. I always add orange zest to the dough -a family preference, and these were perfect.
Thanks for sharing the details about what you use in place of eggs, Heidi! That will help others. And the orange zest sounds delightful!
Best,
Melissa
These are really good. I left the dough in the fridge overnight and rolling it out cold made it so easy. I especially appreciated that when you gave instructions, you also included the amounts so I didn’t have to go back and forth between pages . I’ll definitely be trying your other recipes!
Love reading this, Mary! I’m glad you you’re here.
Best,
Melissa
Sorry that these did not work for me. Crumbled in the cookie cutters- I could only make oblongs with a knife. Stuck to the rolling pin like crazy. Took twice as long to bake than advised. They smelt amazing but will not make again. Not sure what went wrong as recipe followed exactly.
My apologies that this happened. I’m sure this was frustrating to waste the time and ingredients. I’m wondering what brand of GF flour you used? It sounds like some adjustments needed to be made to the recipe based on that brand.
Best,
Melissa
These were so easy to make and taste wonderful! My whole family enjoyed them and couldn’t tell a difference between these and the traditional sugar cookies I make.
Not being able to tell these apart from traditional sugar cookies is the goal! Thanks so much for sharing, Marge.
Best,
Melissa
Easy to make and tasted delicious. Big hit with my 3 yr old triplet nieces and nephew! For rolling out the dough, I sprinkled with a little warm water, to help the dough stick together a little better. Used GF flour on the rolling pin and the combo worked really well. Be sure not to over cook!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Christal! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
I have been gluten free for over 12 years and each year I try to make a soft, delicious sugar cookie but something is always off. This year, I tried this recipe and it finally hit the spot! No need to keep searching for a new recipt next year!
Reading comments like this never gets old! Thanks for commenting, Emily. Celebrating with you that your sugar cookie recipe hunt is over!
Best,
Melissa
I was having anxiety just thinking about making these cookies. lol. I put it off for 3 days! They turned out amazing!!! I did add about an 1/8 tsp of nutmeg and baking powder. I used my counter top and very lightly sprinkled it with flour as well as the rolling pin. My oldest granddaughter has celiac. I tried making GF cookies before and it was a flop. It’s Christmas Eve and my granddaughters and I will be decorating cookies!! I’m so grateful for this recipe🎄🧑🎄🎄🧑🎄🎄
Oh, thank you, Lisa! Merry Christmas as well and I’m glad you were pleasantly surprised by the cookies!
Best,
Melissa
Just made these and they are spectacular! Used King Arthur Measure for Measure and the dough came out perfectly. We’re all happy the cookies aren’t super sweet. I’ll be making these again!
Yay, thank you, Nicole! So glad you enjoyed them and that’s so helpful to know for others who use King Arthur flour.
Best,
Melissa
Followed recipe to a T but used king Arthur flour. After having in fridge two hours and rolling out dough was very sticky still. Had to add a ton of flour and then the cookies of course didnt turn out well. Very dry and crumbly and breakable. Not sure why it didn’t work out for me but won’t use recipe again
I’m so sorry to hear that, Evan. I know how frustrating it is to waste time and ingredients. I wish I could know what happened. I have had other readers make the cookies with King Arthur and have had success. I wish I could be more help. 🙁
Best,
Melissa
I used Cup4Cup as recommended, and the cookies turned out great! They were easy to roll out and had just the right amount of sweetness. I’ve been searching for a reliable gluten free cutout cookie recipe. This is a keeper!
Reading comments like these never gets old. Thanks so much, BK. I appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
Hi! I’m wondering how many cookies does the given recipe make. I’m planning to make about 35 cookies for a party. Should I double the ingredients?
Hello,
This is kind of hard to answer because it depends the size of your cookie cutters. If they are bigger, then yes, I would double or make 1 1/2 the recipe just to be sure you have enough!
Best,
Melissa
best ever and didn’t spread! i never rate recipes but she deserves this 5 star review!!!! thank you! will be using this recipe for years to
come! just wish i could pin it on pinterest
Thanks so much, Laura! I appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
I am new to GF baking, my toddler was just diagnosed with Celiac. I’ve been an avid baker my whole adult life so this change has been really difficult for me. The texture of this dough was extremely dense once I chilled overnight. I used Bobs 1:1. I let it rest and had to gently pull it off the silicone sheet after I used the cookie cutter, but to my surprise these turned out delicious. I think a little vanilla bean would help improve the flavor but definitely will be making these again!! We frosted with basic powdered sugar and milk frosting and then we did a white chocolate drizzle on others. So good!
I know the switch to gluten-free baking can be difficult but with time it’ll get easier and I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies! Thanks for sharing, Brianna!
Best,
Melissa
would recommend! Easy to make!
Thank you!
Melissa
I’ve been gf baking for 35 yrs. This was a failure from the get-go. The butter and sugar was anything but light and fluffy. I followed all to a t, even weighed the ingredients. Not edible.
Hi Janet,
I’m so sorry to hear this. I know it’s frustrating to waste ingredients. I’m a little perplexed on why the butter and sugar were so liquidy. It was softened butter?
Best,
Melissa
My dough is very fluffy and soft, still the consistenct and doesnt seem like its the texture of a roll out dough, im using Trader Joe’s gf flour which says its used as a 1-1 replacement to purpose flour… does it get to the correct consistency after it chills or should I add more flour until it gets to the roll out dough consistency im used to?
Hi Amanda,
I’m sorry I’ve never worked with this flour, but it sounds like it absorbs moisture differently then the brand I typically use. Yes, I would add a tad more flour, not too much. Once it chills it will be easier to work with.
Best,
Melissa
Thank you!
I just made these cutout christmas cookies! They roll out so good! I did not use parchment paper for the first test ones about 5 on the pan and after that I used parchment paper. They do come out much better using the paper! This is a great gluten free cookie recipe! I will definitely use this one again!
Oh, thank you so much, Julie! It’s so great to enjoy sugar cookies again, isn’t it?
Best,
Melissa
Hi how long do these last for once cooked??
Hi Courtney,
I would eat them within a couple days. I usually freeze them if we don’t eat them all.
Best,
Melissa
Thank you so much!
I made these with Earth Balance and King Arthur gluten free 1to1 flour. I chilled them for a very long time but still could not roll them out, as they were much, much too wet. In the end, I added probably about twice as much flour to get them to roll out and retain some kind of shape, but they were very disappointing in that regard. The taste was good, but I don’t think I would use this recipe again. Three stars for taste, one for being much too wet.
Hi Shelly,
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I know how frustrating it is to waste expensive ingredients. I know others have used King Arthur 1-to-1 and non-dairy butter, but I can’t say with certainty if they combined the two. You were using softened butter sticks, correct? KA sounds like it absorbs moisture less readily, so you can also try adding a few tablespoons of cornstarch to see if that helps with absorption if you run into this issue converting other GF recipes into dairy-free as well.
Best,
Melissa
Can I use margarine to make it dairy free?
Yes, or plant-based butter sticks works too.
Best,
Melissa
Not great at baking especially gluten free but these turned out perfect even with all the extra help from my kids!
Wonderful, Rachel! I’m so glad. Thanks for the note!
Best,
Melissa
These cookies came out great!
I did ad 1/4 teaspoon each of xantham and psyllium husk to insure holding together.
They rolled out so easily! They baked perfectly.
This is the sugar cookie recipe from now on!
Love to hear this, Jayne! Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Can’t wait to try your Sugsr Cookies!
Let me know what you think once you do, Cindy!
Best,
Melissa
Can I use maple syrup in the icing instead of light corn syrup?
Hi Paulette,
If you can have honey, I would say that would be a better substitute. Otherwise I would just omit the corn syrup and add a little more milk in its place.
Best,
Melissa
Is there no soda or baking powder used?
No, that is how they stay the shape they are when you bake them. If you like a softer, puffier cookie you could add 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Best,
Melissa
l don’t know if you got my last inquiry. Could you add cream cheese to this recipe? If you can, what would be the ratio? Thank you.
I’m sorry to bothe you again. Could you add cream cheese to the recipe and if so, hiw much woukd you recommend?
Hi,
No worries. I haven’t tried it with the cream cheese, but I feel that would be for a cookie that isn’t going to be rolled out. Are you looking for a soft sugar cookie or cut out cookie?
Best,
Melissa