BEST Gluten Free Sugar Cookies Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How can I improve my gluten-free cookie texture? ›

Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.

You used a starchy gluten free flour blend.

Some starchy blends need more flour because the starch softens when the liquid ingredients are added. This also happens with the Cup4Cup flour blend due to the dried milk powder.

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Almond flour is a grain-free, protein-rich flour that lends well to cookies, cakes, and more! Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, meaning without skins (as opposed to almond meal, which is made from raw almonds with skins). This is why it has a fluffy, light texture and pale golden color.

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

5. And refrigerate the dough if it's too sticky. Gluten-free cookie dough is stickier than standard cookie dough, but chilling it can help. This is because cold dough is less sticky, and it doesn't spread as easily, too.

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

— resting the dough makes SUCH a difference in the final cookie. You will not regret this extra step! ALL THAT SAID, if you simply don't have the time or patience to wait 24-48 hours, chill the dough for at least 2 hours in the fridge before scooping and baking.

Moisture – for some reason gluten-free cakes tend to get a little dry. Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it's not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.

Should you let gluten free cookie dough rest? ›

Instead of proceeding directly to baking, let the gluten-free cookie dough rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. This resting period is crucial for hydration, not leavening. During this time, gluten-free flours absorb moisture from the wet ingredients, altering the dough's texture and consistency.

Baking with gluten-free flour will produce some slight differences in taste or texture. Millet flour tends to have a mild flavor while buckwheat flour lends itself to a more earthy taste. In addition, quinoa flour has a nutty flavor and bean flour can actually sometimes taste like beans.

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture.

Learn to keep the dough cold by working with one piece at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge. Put your cookie dough, already rolled dough or even an entire cookie sheet with cut cookies on it in the fridge when it's too soft. This helps cut cookies hold their shape and overall decreases spreading during baking.

After adding your dry ingredients, mix the dough for a few minutes (instead of just until combined). This will help the dough develop a bit more structure and get rid of any gritty texture from unincorporated ingredients. After all, you can't develop too much gluten if there's no gluten to begin with.

Instead of adding more liquid to your dough (like sour cream or buttermilk), you can simply add a bit of baking powder. These cookies will turn out tender and chewy.

There are two factors that can cause gluten free cookies to be gritty: one is the kind of flour or flour blend used and the other is not allowing the dough to chill at an appropriate time to hydrate the flour.

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.