A great gluten free cut out sugar cookie recipe is a must in our family. We find any excuse to make gluten free cut out sugar cookies to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Halloween, of course, but then there’s Ground Hog Day, Arbor Day, St. Patty’s Day, Election Day, Wednesday, birthdays, a sunny day, a cloudy day, rainbows … you get the idea.
The key to any good cut out sugar cookie dough is that it must be easy to roll and cut, resilient, elastic, never crumbly and of course, oh so yummy.
I’ve led gluten free cooking classes with elementary schoolers and pre-teens using this recipe, and they have all had such fun with this dough! It really is a wonderful recipe, rolled thin for crispy cookies, or thicker to make a softer, cakier cookie.
My gluten eating son has recently been on a kick that he wants me to make gluten free sugar cookies “just like the ones in the grocery store!” Eww. Uh, yeah, ok Mr. teenager. Your tastes are weird, and the unpronounceable ingredient label on those store-bought cookies is a mile long, but sure. I’ll make some cookies for you like those store-bought ones.
Not being able to taste those store-bought cookies for myself, I had to rely on him to confirm that when I only roll this dough to about 1/4+ inch thick, these indeed do taste like the ones he’s been craving (not sure if that’s a compliment in this case!), and I must admit, I actually really, really like them that way.
Soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth yummy. And at least they have a clean label.
If you need a vegan egg-free dough option, hop over to my GF Vegan Cut Out Cookie Recipe, or for an even easier, delicious cut out cookie dough, try my gfJules Sugar Cut Out Cookie Mix! Roll them thicker to be more akin to this store-bought cookie, and use my easy homemade cookie icing recipe for that perfect crackle-topped icing we all grew up with!
Gluten Free Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil of choice
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup (236 grams) gfJules™All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbs. water (as needed)
- food coloring (optional)
- colored sugar or frosting (optional – see below)
Instructions
Cream shortening, sugar and oil several minutes with an electric mixer, until very fluffy.
Add egg yolks, vanilla extract and food coloring, if using. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in tablespoons of water only as needed to keep the dough together and avoid dryness (err on the side of this dough being wetter).
Pat the dough into a disc shape to roll or to cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate or roll out immediately.
Preheat oven to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection).
Lightly flour a clean surface or pastry mat with gfJules™ All Purpose Flour. Roll the dough to a little more than 1/4-inch thickness and dust cookie cutters with gfJules flour before using to cut out shapes. You may also roll thin coils of dough of different colors and braid into candy cane or other fun shapes.
Place cut cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and decorate with colored sugar, if desired.
Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, but remove before they begin to brown at the edges. Cool on a wire rack and frost with gluten-free frosting, if desired.
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Based on 17 Review(s)
My daughter and I had fun making Valentines cookies and she decorated them herself!
Such special memories made in the kitchen!!! + She did a great job!
~jules
I would love to try the flour. 13 years of being gf for celiac and haven’t found ” the” flour.
Hi Patricia – I would love for you to try my gfJules Flour, too! I know you’ll love it!! Here’s the link for more information on my flour as well as how to purchase it. You can order all different sizes or just a sample to try first — whatever you’re most comfortable with. I can’t wait to hear how you like it!
~jules
We love this GF flour for baking!!! I made these at work and the 6 year old took the lead on these simple sugar cookies! He loved it. The GF 3 year old was just excited to eat the cookies ♥️
I love the tie-dye effect!!! So glad they brought joy to all — cookies are a universal!
~jules
I work in a Special Needs High School class. Today we rolled out, baked and frosted out GF Jules cookies mix. They were a big hit!!
That is so fantastic to hear, Leah! Thanks so much for taking the time to drop me a note and let me know! That’s such a great idea to get them all involved to make cookies!!!
~jules
Not sure why the original pic didn’t post, but here’s a pic of one students cookies. They all did a great job!
SO cute!!! Seriously, what a great activity and ALL could participate in. Thanks so much for sharing a pic, Leah!!
~jules
I won’t use anything other than gf Jules! Everyone who has ever had one of my cookies likes them better than “gluten-filled” sugar cookies. AMAZING product.
That is quite the testimonial, Cindy!! I’m thrilled to have any part in your gluten free cookie baking success. These Valentine’s Cookies truly look irresistible!!!!
~jules
I’ve been making these cookies with full gluten for years – the now adult children still request them. But this year they are GF, thanks to this recipe and your great flour. I was worried, especially as I had to add cocoa powder, but they rolled easily and baked quickly. Perfect. I think we prefer these to glutinous flour! Thanks, Jules!
CONGRATULATIONS JOAN! You’re the winner of the random drawing for the gfJules Valentine contest!!!! Please email us your preferred shipping address for your prize pack!
~jules
GfJules flour makes the best cookies ever!
These are my lovers surprise cookies. They are
A sugar heart cookie with a stuffed small heart cookie on top. Inside is a small piece of chocolate! Then decorated of course. This is one of my favorite holidays!!
These are so pretty, Linda! I love that you layered the cookies and hid chocolate inside!!! What a treat!
~jules
So fun to make and delicious!
I love the different icing applications, Lisa! These are so creative! I hope you had a magical Valentine’s Day — I know it was a sweet one!
~jules
Happy Valentines Day, Jules! I made these valentine dachshund cookies using your flour and recipe. They turned out great!
PS: This is my entry for your valentine’s giveaway contest! I’ll also post and tag you on Instagram (I’m @gfwhimsy) <3
ADORABLE!!! I absolutely love these cuties! Thanks so much for sharing – this picture makes me smile every time I see it!
~jules
Everything was going good using my kitchen aid machine rolled out nice then baked them and they are ALL crumbled!
Sigh!
Any other tips??
Its xmas eve and just wanted safe xmas cookies… 😪😔
Hi Alison, did you bake on parchment? Were they rolled very thin or baked too long or too high heat perhaps? The fact that you said that the dough rolled out nicely leads me to believe that something was wrong during the bake or they were removed too early after baking. I bake on parchment paper and let them cool for a few minutes before trying to move them off the cookie sheet to let them “set” or they will crumble. Also, don’t over-bake them and make sure your oven isn’t baking too hot. Try those things with the dough you have left — don’t give up!!!
~jules
Sorry Jules that was Taralli cookies not Charlie
Today was my third attempt using your flour to make one of your recipes this time it was Charlie cookies for Christmas attached is a picture none of the three recipes I tried came out at all and I had to throw everything away your flower is very expensive and this is becoming a nuisance I don’t know if it’s your flower or your recipes or my lack of understanding but I can read English and do follow directions very well I am very upsetNot sure I’ll purchase your flower again
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry you’re having problems with the recipes and I’m wondering if it’s perhaps a measuring issue, as it definitely looks from the picture like the dough is very dry and crumbly and would not be able to be shaped into a dough that could make cookies. How do you measure your dry ingredients — is it by weight or using measuring cups? Check out this article on measuring and also some other baking FAQs and then send an email to [email protected] so we can walk through these recipes with you to see what might have gone wrong and help you get it right!!!
~jules
I’ve been reading the comments and someone mentioned substituting yogurt for the milk, but I don’t see milk in your recipe somewhere. Am I missing something? My gluten recipe also calls for sour cream, and it helps the recipe be soft and delicious too. But I don’t see where I could substitute that into the recipe above. I want to try these, but want to make sure I have all the ingredients right.
Hi Deborah, I actually have TWO gluten free cut out sugar cookie recipes, so maybe that’s where some of the confusion comes in with commenters. If you enjoy adding sour cream in your sugar cookie recipes, I’d suggest checking out my other gluten free sugar cookie recipe and adding it in place of the milk in that recipe instead. It’ll make WAY more sense there – LOL! The other option is to replace the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in this recipe with sour cream instead. The texture of the cookie will change, but it might be what you’re looking for! The best part of this kind of mad scientist experimenting is that we get to eat the experiments!!! Let us know how they turn out!!!
~jules
Thank you for clarifying. I just received your flour and am excited to try your recipes.
Just came out of the oven! Perfect Christmas cookies! Thanks Jules!
Wonderful, Jen! So happy to hear you’re making cookie memories today! 🙂
~jules
Another Jules recipe hit! I made these for valentines day but did not end up frosting them, today I am. I substituted non-dairy yogurt for the milk and they turned out so soft mixed up well, it worked out really great. Our family’s sugar cookie recipe (gluten) has sour cream so I wanted these to be as much like those as possible. Some family members even liked yours better. The family members gluten and dairy free weren’t giving anything up. I am so glad I finally bought your flour! I tried so many and was never really truly happy with my baked goods. Thank-you Jules.
That is fantastic to hear, Darica! I’m so happy you went for it and made the substitution too, so it could be as much like your family recipe as possible! There’s nothing like a great, soft cut out sugar cookie — I’m thrilled your family has it back! I’ve heard from lots of people that folks like sugar cookies (among other recipes) better with my gfJules Flour even than with wheat flour. I think it’s because my flour is so soft and light, it works particularly well to make a delicate or soft recipe like these. May all your baking be happy, from here on out!
~jules
Jules I made the dough last night and rolled them out and baked them this morning. They are wonderful! So light! Thank you!
YAY! I’m thrilled that you love them too! May all your baking be merry and bright, Dawn!
~jules
I just received my first order of gfJules flour and want to make these cookies to freeze and decorate closer to Christmas. Any tips on freezing?
Hi Donna – I can’t wait to hear what you think! I find that wrapping baked cookies in parchment and then putting in a tin (or even tupperware) in the freezer works well and keeps them from breaking when jostled. Have fun decorating!!!
~jules
Can you use butter instead of shortening?
Hi Pattie, you can use butter but the cookies will spread more. Butter is 80% moisture and shortening has no moisture, so recipes calling for shortening where you use butter instead will not turn out just the same. If you choose to use butter, I would definitely recommend chilling the dough first and perhaps rolling and cutting the dough, placing the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and then freezing or refrigerating then baking — this will help the cookies hold their shape a bit better and not spread so much during the bake. Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Hi, I was wondering what brand of sprinkles and decorating colored sugar you use? I am looking for decorating sugars that are gluten free. Thank you so much!
Hi Amber, I like “Let’s Do” Organic GF Sprinkles and also Sweetapolita ones you can get on line.
Hope that helps!
~jules
Why buy colored sugar when making it is simple and less expensive. Put sugar in a ziplock bag add a few drops food color, then shake the contents or mold it in your hands until you get your preferred color. You can use it as is or dry it out in your oven on low heat.
Absolutely, Sheri! I love making my own colors that way, and it works great for coconut flakes too (making “grass” around cakes at Easter, for example!).
~jules