Cookies are one of my favorite things to make, especially around the holidays. And while a tray of a single type of cookie can delight anyone at the table, the more the merrier! This simple Gluten-Free Cookie dough can be utilized for many different types of cookies and produces workable dough and scrumptious cookies that your friends and family will love. In this post I’ll show you the basic recipe, but there are so many variations. Let’s get baking!
Choosing the Flour
You can use any type of cup-for-cup Gluten-Free flour in this recipe. I regularly use Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, and a special blend that I’ve derived from America’s Test Kitchen. Although they all use similar ingredients, each has it’s own composition and ratio of starches that will subtly impact the texture of your cookies (think crispness or chewiness). For my most recent batch of cookies, I tried a new baking flour called Carol’s Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour. It has a very fine texture and pure white color, which is ideal for making sugar cookies. The white dough contrasts beautifully with icing and sprinkles to showcase your designs.
Not Just for the Holidays!
These cookies are not only for the holidays! This dough is great for all types of cutout cookies, like these Football inspired cookies for the Super Bowl. Or heart-shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day. Get creative!
Gluten-Free Cookie Variations
This recipe is easy to adapt by adding nuts, dried fruit, zest, or other favorites. Here are a few to try:
1) Russian Tea Cookies
Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup butter to the recipe for delicious Russian Tea Cookies. The additional butter and sugar make the cookies lighter and flakier. After mixing, use a teaspoon to portion out the dough into small 1-inch (or smaller) balls. Bake 12 minutes and then gently roll cookies in a bowl filled with 1 cup powdered sugar. If you make smaller balls, adjust cooking time to 10 minutes as they will cook more quickly. After the cookies cool, roll again in powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.
2) Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds to the recipe. Shape dough into a flattened log and refrigerate for 1 hour. Slice log into 1/2 inch slices to form each cookie. Bake cookies on parchment for 12-14 minutes until golden.
Easy Gluten-Free Cookies
Description
This simple Gluten-Free Cookie dough can be utilized for many different types of cookies and produces workable dough and scrumptious cookies that your friends and family will love. The recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies but can be easily doubled by doubling all ingredients.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter cubed
2 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Combine the butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl of stand mixer or in large bowl for a hand mixer.
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Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
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Scrape down bowl with spatula and slowly add sugar beating on high speed until light and fluffy.
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Scrape down bowl and add egg and vanilla.
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Stir salt into flour and slowly add to wet ingredients. If your mixer has a “stir” speed, use that setting to add the flour. Beat on medium speed until flour is fully incorporated, but do not overwork the dough. Otherwise add the flour by hand initially to avoid flouring the whole kitchen.
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Dough will be thick and sticky.
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Divide dough into desired parts (for 3 cookie types, divide into thirds), and wrap each portion in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
For cut-out sugar cookies:
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Place dough on lightly floured surface. Sprinkle dough with a teaspoon of flour and dust rolling pin with flour.
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Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness.
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Cut into desired shapes and place on parchment lined baking sheet using spatula.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. A longer cooking time will create more crisp cookies.
2 Comments
Best recipe I’ve ever done for gluten and dairy free cookies!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for sharing your review!