These grain-free, gluten-free sugar cookies are made with coconut flour. They have a delicious, buttery flavor and the perfect texture for making cut-out cookies!
How have I not shared a recipe for sugar cookies yet?! I’m honestly not sure, because sugar cookies are a staple in my kitchen every year around the holidays. I love finding new cookie cutters and thinking of new frosting designs. This year, I used these adorable star and snowflake cookie cutters. I like these cookie cutters because they can be used for Christmas or Hanukkah.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
For this particular recipe we’re making gluten-free cut-out cookies using one of my favorite healthy alternative flours, coconut flour! I already have a basic coconut flour cookie recipe, but I thought it would be fun to try making coconut flour sugar cookies as well. Turns out, coconut flour lends itself well to cut-out cookies and worked like a charm.
Don’t be intimidated by gluten-free baking, I’m here to hold your hand through this process and it’s really quite easy! However, if you don’t need a gluten-free recipe, try my healthy sugar cookie recipe instead!
Here’s What You Need
butter – you can also use ghee!
cane sugar – using coconut or brown sugar will give these a darker, more carmely color so I definitely recommend using white cane sugar.
egg – a binding ingredient.
baking powder – a levening agent.
vanilla extract – gives the perfect hint of vanilla flavoring to these cookies.
arrowroot powder – this helps with the consistency of the cookie. You can also use tapioca flour in its place.
Vanilla Icing
powdered sugar – when making icing, make sure you are using powdered sugar. Regular sugar will not provide the right consistency that powdered sugar does.
vanilla extract – you don’t need much to make this vanilla icing.
almond milk – the base of your icing. You can use store bought or homemade almond milk. You can also use whatever non-dairy milk you prefer.
sprinkles – these won’t be mixed into the icing, but sprinkled on top. Look for ones that are naturally colored.
How to Make Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Combine ingredients: For this recipe, you’ll simply mix the butter, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla extract and sea salt together and then slowly add in the coconut flour until the mixture is well combined. Coconut flour absorbs a ton of liquid so let the dough sit for about five minutes so the flour can work its magic.
Add arrowroot: After the dough has sat for a bit, you’ll sprinkle arrowroot powder and knead it into the dough. Arrowroot powder acts as a binding agent for the dough. If you’re finding the dough is too sticky or wet, feel free to add in more arrowroot.
Bake: On to the fun part, my personal fave: cutting the cookies! Roll out the dough on parchment paper until it’s about 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden.
Decorate: Let cookies cool completely before decorating. Make some hot chocolate to sip on while you’re waiting!
How to Store Sugar Cookies
If you won’t be eating the cookies right after making them, you want to make sure you store them properly so they don’t get stale! Let them cool completely and then you have two options: frost them or store them unfrosted! You really can’t go wrong either way. If you choose to frost them first, let the icing set/solidify before storing. Lay parchment paper underneath the layers of cookies in an airtight container. If you want to frost right before eating, simply store the sugar cookies in an airtight container.
Can You Freeze Sugar Cookies?
You better believe it! I remember going to my grandparent’s house for Christmas and there were SO MANY Christmas cookies. I always wondered how she baked that many but now I’m wondering if she prepped in advance and froze her cookies?!
For sugar cookies or cut-out cookies, I recommend freezing them unfrosted. Let them thaw and frost the cookies right before serving.
These grain-free, gluten-free sugar cookies are made with coconut flour. They have a delicious, buttery flavor and the perfect texture for making cut-out cookies!
Sprinkles, look for ones that are naturally colored
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together butter or ghee, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla extract and sea salt. Add coconut flour and mix until combined. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes at room temperature.
After 5 minutes, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot powder over dough and knead, using your hands until firm. If it is sticky or too wet, add another Tablespoon of arrowroot.
Dust a clean rolling surface (or a parchment lined surface) with arrowroot and roll out dough, using a rolling pin, until it's about 1/4-1/3″ thick.
Cut dough: Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden. Let cool for a few minutes on the sheet before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Â
Once cookies are cool you can frost and decorate them. To make homemade icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and almond milk (start with 1 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Whisk until all lumps of sugar have dissolved and icing is the thickness you desire. You don't want it to be super thick, but also don't want it to be too runny where it melts off the cookies. Frost cookies with icing and add sprinkles right away, before the icing has a chance to set.
Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Very easy and delicious recipe!! It had a great texture too- crispy edges with a nice chew in the center. I ran out of vanilla extract so subbed with vanilla powder instead. Made with my 4 year old daughter for Valentine’s day themed heart cookies. Coconut flour has recently become one of my fav flours to use. Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe worked out for you, Catia. Heart-shaped cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for making this recipe and coming back to leave a review and star rating, it means so much to me.
My new favorite cookie!! Oh my goodness I cannot rave enough about these cookies! They are the perfect texture! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Everyone loves them and will be my forever go to Christmas sugar cookie 🙂
These are delicious and stayed together pretty dang well for being gluten free! We used the tapioca starch option instead of arrowroot. They turned out great for us! Thanks for the recipe!
Made them today as they sounded very nice. I was absolutely not able to roll them out, the dough just crumbled, was not even able to roll and cut slices. Do I just hand patted the dough into rough round shapes and then cut stars with my cookie cutter. They look OK baked but bit thick and not as nice looking as yours. Now waiting for them to cool and taste test.
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Very easy and delicious recipe!! It had a great texture too- crispy edges with a nice chew in the center. I ran out of vanilla extract so subbed with vanilla powder instead. Made with my 4 year old daughter for Valentine’s day themed heart cookies. Coconut flour has recently become one of my fav flours to use. Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe worked out for you, Catia. Heart-shaped cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for making this recipe and coming back to leave a review and star rating, it means so much to me.
My new favorite cookie!! Oh my goodness I cannot rave enough about these cookies! They are the perfect texture! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Everyone loves them and will be my forever go to Christmas sugar cookie 🙂
Yay!! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed these cookies, Emily! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!!
These are delicious and stayed together pretty dang well for being gluten free! We used the tapioca starch option instead of arrowroot. They turned out great for us! Thanks for the recipe!
Made them today as they sounded very nice. I was absolutely not able to roll them out, the dough just crumbled, was not even able to roll and cut slices. Do I just hand patted the dough into rough round shapes and then cut stars with my cookie cutter. They look OK baked but bit thick and not as nice looking as yours. Now waiting for them to cool and taste test.
WOW. I am blown away at how delicious these cookies are!!! I am so happy I made these. Thank you 🙂 I will def try your other recipes soon.
Ah yay! This makes me so happy to hear, Alex. Thank you so much for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!