Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Recipe With Endless Variations
Kim
Start a tradition with your family making the absolute best gluten free cutout sugar cookies each year! These cookies are so tender, tasty, and addictive, no one will ever know they're gluten free, and they're sure to become your favorite!
1teaspoonmilk or water, more as needed to thin icing
3. BAKERY STYLE ITALIAN BUTTER COOKIES:
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
2tablespoonmilk
2tablespoonraspberry jam
3oz (85g)melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate
sprinkles for decorating
4. CRANBERRY PISTACHIO STICKS
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
½cup (65g)whole toasted and salted pistachios
½cup (73g)dried cranberries
zest of one small orange or half a large orange
3oz (85g)melted white chocolate
sprinkles for decorating (if desired)
5. MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES:
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
2tablespoonDutch process unsweetened cocoa powder
2oz (56g)semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks or chips
⅛teaspooncayenne pepper
¼teaspoonground cinnamon OR
½teaspooninstant coffee granules
6. PECAN SQUARES:
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
½cup (113g)butter
¼cup (85g)honey
¾cup (150g)brown sugar
¼teaspoongrated lemon zest
¼teaspoongrated orange zest
1tablespoonheavy cream
½lb (227g)coarsely chopped pecans
7. POTATO CHIP COOKIES:
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
1cup (54g)crushed ridged potato chips
⅓cup (45g)toasted pecans
8. LINZER COOKIES:
15oz (425g)master sugar cookie dough
1cup (96g)almond flour
¼teaspoonalmond extract
¼cupraspberry preserves or jam
¼cupapricot preserves or jam
powdered sugar for sprinkling
ROYAL ICING FOR DECORATING CUTOUT COOKIES
4cups (480g)powdered sugar
3tablespoonmeringue powder
5-10tbsp (75-150g)water, room temperature(amount varies depending on the consistency you desire)
Instructions
MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
To make the entire amount of dough at one time, you will need a very large bowl and a hand mixer or a professional-sized stand mixer (such as Kitchenaid Pro Series or Bosch). You can also make the dough in two batches. Cream together the butter and cream cheese and slowly add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix well.
Slowly add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
Separate the dough into 6 bowls and two disks on sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap the disks tightly and chill for about 2 hours or up to 48.
MAKE CUTOUT COOKIES
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On lightly floured surface, roll one of the chilled disks of dough to about ⅜ to ½-inch thickness.
Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set but not browned, or only very lightly browned around bottom edges only.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting or decorating as desired.
MAKE CINNAMON ROLL COOKIES
Combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour blend in a small bowl until smooth.
Remove one of the chilled disks of dough from the fridge and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper into a 9 by 11-inch rectangle.
Spread filling all over the dough and roll it up, like you would cinnamon rolls or a jelly roll, using the parchment as a guide.
Wrap tightly in the parchment and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Unroll dough from parchment and cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Place slices on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
Mix powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and drizzle over still warm cookies.
MAKE BAKERY STYLE ITALIAN BUTTER COOKIES
Add milk to one of the 6 bowls of dough and stir to combine well.
Fill pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip with the softened dough and pipe cookies onto prepared baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottom edges are lightly browned.
Cool completely. Spread jam on the bottom side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie.
Dip one end in melted chocolate and add sprinkles to the chocolate while still soft. Allow to set completely.
MAKE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO STICKS
Add pistachios, cranberries, and orange zest to dough in one of the 6 bowls. Mix to combine well.
Line a small (8 by 4-inch) loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place dough onto plastic in loaf pan and pull plastic wrap over top of dough. Press firmly to shape dough into a large rectangle using the bottom of the loaf pan as a mold. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Unwrap rectangle of dough and cut dough into sticks about ¼-inch thick. Place sticks on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until very light browned. For crisper cookies, after 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 250° F and continue baking at this low temp for 20 more minutes.
Cool cookies completely before dipping one corner in melted white chocolate and sprinkling with sanding sugar or other decorative sprinkles.
MAKE MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Combine all mexican chocolate dough ingredients in small bowl using mixer or with a spoon.
Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper and form into a log or sausage shape. Wrap tightly in parchment and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Unroll cookie dough and cut into ½-inch thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
MAKE PECAN SQUARES
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan with parchment to the top of the pan (so you can lift the parchment out later).
Using one of the 6 bowls of dough, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared square pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
While crust is baking, add honey, butter, brown sugar, and citrus zests to a small saucepan. Place over low heat and stir occasionally until butter is completely melted. Increase heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and chopped pecans. Pour over prebaked crust.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Cut into small squares.
MAKE POTATO CHIP COOKIES:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Add crushed potato chips and pecans to one of the 6 bowls of dough and mix well. Roll in one-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets.
Flatten balls using the bottom of a drinking glass or a cookie stamp dipped in flour.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Cool completely.
MAKE LINZER COOKIES
All almond flour and extract to one of the 6 bowls of dough and mix well. Place on plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Wrap tightly and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Unwrap dough and roll out onto lightly floured surface to ⅛-¼ inch thickness. Cut out using a linzer cookie cutter (or cut into circles and use a small star cutter to cut the center out of half the cookies). Reroll scraps and cut out cookies again.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool completely.
Sprinkle the cutout cookies with powdered sugar and set aside.
Spread jam onto the bottom sides of the whole circle cookies. Sandwich the two cookies together, pressing to push some jam into the cutout on the top cookie.
ROYAL ICING
Place all icing ingredients (beginning with 5 tablespoon water) in large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 2-3 minutes. Check consistency by lifting up head of mixer. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. For spreading, opt for a thicker consistency. For piping and writing, a thinner consistency is best. For flooding cookies, a very thin consistency is needed.
Notes
Dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 3 months. Dough can be divided in half and only be made into 4 cookie variations, or one variation (such as the cutout cookies). Be creative and mismatch any variety you'd like. For instance, if you don't like pecan squares, but love cranberry pistachio cookies, skip the pecan squares and make more cranberry pistachio cookies.
Keyword cutout cookies, Gluten Free, sugar cookies