If you need easy gluten free drop sugar cookies, look no further! This gluten free drop sugar cookie recipe requires no rolling cookie dough, and no chilling. Ultra chewy gluten free drop sugar cookies will quickly become your go-to recipe!
How do you make Easy Gluten Free drop Sugar Cookies?
I'm famous for my gluten free sugar cookies.
They are cakey and lightly sweet (just like those Lofthouse cookies in the plastic clam-shells at the grocery store.)
These super easy, chewy cookies are like my frosted sugar cookies sparkly cousin. (Sparkly because of all the sugar they are rolled in.)
They have all of the same ingredients, but the ratios have changed slightly so that your gluten free drop sugar cookies will gently spread in the oven into chewy, sparkly rounds.
- More sugar to butter equals a chewy gluten free drop sugar cookie with crisp edges.
- Less flour equals an easy gluten free drop sugar cookie that will spread on its own (which means no rolling pin or chilling required. Hurrah!)
Perfect with a glass of milk, or get fancy and add some frosting on top.
How do you make gluten free drop sugar cookies from scratch?
This gluten free sugar drop cookie dough couldn't be easier!
It requires no chilling.
Simply mix the dough together, scoop into a small bowl of sugar, roll to coat, and place on your baking sheet.
What do you need to make gluten free sugar cookie dough?
To make gluten free drop sugar cookie dough you'll need:
- Butter- You can use dairy-free/vegan butter or palm shortening, or you can use softened dairy butter.
- White (Granulated) Sugar- I haven't tried many granulated sugar substitutes but I suspect they'll work fine.
- Eggs- You can use regular chicken eggs, or an egg substitute. Bob's
Red Mill's Egg Replacer is my favorite, but it should also work with Ener-G or a flax egg. - Baking Soda- Helps your cookies to spread.
- Xanthan gum- Replace the structure that gluten gives traditional cookie. If you are using a gluten-free flour blend that already has xanthan gum, go ahead and omit the xanthan gum the recipe calls for.
- Vanilla extract- For flavor! You can also use lemon extract, almond extract, or any extract your heart desires for a different flavor twist.
- Gluten Free Flour- I use my own gluten free flour blend, but another blend may work well.IF you are substituting a different gluten-free four, please read the section down below with essential tips for swapping gluten-free flours, they don't all work the same
To mix the dough, first you'll need butter and sugar.
Cream them together until fluffy and then beat in the egg.
(I like using my stand mixer or my electric handheld mixer, however you can make this dough using just a bowl, spoon, and a lot of elbow grease.)
Next, add the baking soda, xanthan gum, and vanilla and mix until combined.
I add these ingredients before the gluten free flour to ensure they get evenly distributed.
Last but not least, add the gluten free flour.
(Keep reading, I've got some important gluten free flour notes below that are crucial to your gluten free chewy drop sugar cookie success!)
Here come the sparkles!
Scoop your gluten free drop sugar cookie dough using a cookie scoop, and give it a quick dip in granulated sugar.
Or you can be super lazy, like I normally am.
Scoop your gluten free drop sugar cookie dough and drop it directly onto your cookie sheet, then sprinkle the top liberally with granulated sugar.
These easy gluten free drop sugar cookies are also super easy to dress up for holidays or parties.
Instead of using white granulated sugar, give them a dip or sprinkle in a bright colored sanding sugar.
You can also dip your gluten free drop sugar cookies in melted chocolate and top with sprinkles or candies.
How do you measure gluten free flour?
When baking with gluten free flour is it essential to measure your gluten free flour very carefully.
- Whisking your gluten free flour (or if it is in a container, give it a good shake.) This ensures the flour is well combined and it is aerated.
- Carefully scoop your gluten free flour into a measuring cup USING A SPOON. Don't scoop the flour directly with the cup. You'll inadvertently get too much gluten free flour.
- Level your measuring cup off with a knife, or using the handle of the spoon. I have some self-leveling measuring cups that I love. If I'm using them, I never forget to level off my gluten free flour.
What gluten free flour do you use for drop sugar cookies?
I tested this recipe with my gluten free flour blend.
You can certainly use another gluten free flour, but you may need a little less flour depending on the absorption rate.
I've discovered that both Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 gluten free flour and Ryze's Blue Bag Gluten Free Flour need a little less gluten free flour than what I use in my recipes.
You can always add more flour but you can't take it away.
So do yourself a favor and if you are using any gluten free flour than mine, start with 1 cup of gluten free flour.
Bake a single cookie to test how it spreads.If it comes out too thin and crispy, add more flour to get a thicker cookie.
How do you make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?
I've made this easy gluten free drop sugar cookie recipe vegan many times! All you need are a few easy substitutions and you'll be set.
What do you use instead of butter to make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?
Instead of the butter, use your favorite vegan butter or palm shortening.
I've found best results when I use half vegan butter and half palm shorting (take the total amount of butter and divide it in half and use that measurement for each).
The reason I like using half vegan butter and half palm shortening is that sometimes vegan butter can make the cookies have a "fake butter" taste.
The vegan butter can also melt too quickly, resulting in oily cookies.
The palm shortening melts slower, helping the cookie to spread not to much and not too little, but just the right amount.
The palm shortening is also unflavored, and when combined with the vegan butter I feel like I get the perfect taste.
What do you use instead of eggs to make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?
Now that the dairy is out of the way, you just need an egg substitute.
My go-to is a flax egg (for each egg, 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons hot water and let sit for 5 minutes to gel) and I also really love Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer.
I haven't tested, but have heard great things about Ener-G Egg Replacer, and aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas).
Can I make sugar cookies without sugar?
Great question! This recipe may work with a sugar substitute, but I haven't tested any.
If you are looking for a low-sugar recipe, I'd recommend my friend Taylor's Low Sugar Healthy Sugar Cookies .
Want more cookie recipes like this one?
Check out my cookbook, Gluten-Free Cookies All Year Round, for more than 60 gluten-free & allergy friendly cookie recipes for every occasion.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookies Recipe
Easy gluten free sugar cookies with no chilling or rolling required! Easy drop cookies that make perfectly chewy gluten free sugar cookies.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or vegan/dairy-butter)
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 egg (or egg replacer)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if you use a different flour that already has it)
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend
- addition sugar or colored sanding sugar to roll cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and gluten-free flour and mix until combined.
- Scoop the dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, roll in additional sugar or colored sanding sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet. You may also sprinkle each cookie with a little sugar instead of dipping or rolling each cookie dough ball.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Notes
If you like your sugar cookies thinner with golden crispy edges and a chewy center, decrease the flour to 1 cup.
I used Earth Balance as my vegan butter in this recipe. I have the best dairy free results using 4 tablespoons vegan butter with 2 tablespoons palm shortening. Or you can use 6 tablespoons of softened butter if you can do dairy.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop -
OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Half Sheet 13 x 18 Inch -
Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract, 8-Ounce -
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Xanthan Gum, 8-ounce -
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free White Rice Flour, 24-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour, 24-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Finely Ground Tapioca Flour, 20-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Potato Starch, 24-ounce (Pack of 4)
Nutrition Information
Yield 18 Serving Size 1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 149Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 21mgSodium 126mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 2g
NanaSharon
Can this dough be made into a pie crust?
flippindelicious
Hi Nana Sharon, I think you could use this as a cookie pie crust just fine. I also have a gluten free pie crust recipe, if that is helpful.
Megan
These were a hit!
I used a whole stick of butter rather than 6tbsp and they turned out great!
My husband even asked if they were really GF!
Thanks for the recipe!
flippindelicious
Hi Megan, I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies! They are one of my very favorites. I'm happy to know that the extra butter didn't make them greasy. More butter, is always better.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Linda Jo Park
Tried your recipe today. It's my first experience with gluten free baking. My son-in-law has Celiacs disease so no gluten for him. I made these for him. They'll be one of the items in the Christmas package for him and my daughter this year. Very tasty. I think he'll love them. Thank you for the recipe.
flippindelicious
Hi Linda Jo, I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe and that it was easy for you to follow. Gluten-free baking can be tricky, I admire you for diving straight in and making cookies for your son-in-law! Merry Christmas! -Brianna
Court
I only got 6 cookies from this recipe?
Kerri Whitmore
I made these for my son who just recently found out he had quite a few food allergies (wheat, dairy, and egg). I took all of your tips (which were AWESOME to someone learning to adapt recipes). Let me say you are right on with this one. I used a vegetable spread, bobs 1 to 1 flour (did use about 1/8C less) and Ener-G egg replacement. Can't tell anything was "different" I shared these with a friend and she couldn't stay out of them!! The egg replacement work perfect.
flippindelicious
Yay! I'm so happy, Kerri! I'm glad my tips were able to help. It is so hard to manage food allergies, but everyone deserves to be able to eat a cookie, and that cookie should be "Flippin' Delicious"!
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Rachel
Oh my word, I can not even believe how perfect this cookie is!!! The dough was DELICIOUS, but the cookies cooked up perfect! They are perfectly round and soft and chewy-- and EASY!!! THANK YOU!!! (I'll share a tip I've learned with gluten free flour: Spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level it off, rather than scooping the flour straight from the bag with a measuring cup. It helps avoid too much flour being added and makes gluten free things taste NORMAL and not dry!) I will definitely save this recipe and make it often!
flippindelicious
Hi Rachel, I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies! That is exactly how I measure flour. It is SO important to measure accurately with gluten-free baking. I talk a lot about it on my gluten-free flour page.
Happy Baking!
Melissa
Easy! Quick! Delicious! My husband loved these-I will be making them again, for sure. One batch made 19 cookies for me. I didn’t add xantham gum because, with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1, it isn’t necessary. Also used real dairy butter and real egg. Followed measurements exactly.
flippindelicious
Hi Melissa,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cookies and that they were a hit with your husband, too!
Yes, if you use Bob's Red Mill 1-1 gluten-free flour the xanthan gum should be omitted.
I can't wait to hear what recipe you try next! Happy Baking! -Brianna
Tegan
Hi!! Two things, THANK YOU so much for including options for vegans or people with allergies (like myself and my family). It’s hard sometimes to find good recipes that are allergen-friendly or give an allergen-friendly option. Second, Ener-G egg replacer is great. Me and my family/friends use it and it works well! I would definitely recommend!! 😊
flippindelicious
Thank you for letting me know that Ener-G Egg Replacer worked well for you. I really believe everyone should be able to eat a cookie, and that cookie should be Flippin' Delicious. I'm glad that my substitution suggestions were helpful! -Brianna
Tina
Can't wait to try these. They look perfect. So nice to have GF options, thanks for sharing.
flippindelicious
I hope you enjoy them, Tina. I'm really believe everyone should be able to have a cookie, if they are GF or not. And that cookie should be Flippin' Delicious! -Brianna
Emily
Can I freeze this dough? I accidentally quadrupled the batch and I don't need that many cookies! 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
flippindelicious
Hi Emily, You can absolutely freeze this cookie dough! I like to scoop my cookie dough into balls, and then freeze them. Then, just pull the frozen dough from the freezer and pop it in the oven whenever a cookie craving hits. It may need an extra minute or two to bake from frozen.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Amy
So good! I even added rainbow sprinkles to the mix and they’re a hit!
flippindelicious
Hi Amy, I've done that before, and sprinkles are a super fun addition! I'm a huge sprinkles fan. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me ow that you enjoyed my recipe. Happy Baking! -Brianna
Tactical Vegan
Came out great, Thank you! I used Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 and egg replacer.
flippindelicious
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I'm so glad they turned out so well! I love Bob's red mill's egg replacer.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Julie
These were absolutely amazing!!! Everyone loved them, even if they weren’t gluten free! I used cup4cup flour and it worked perfectly!
flippindelicious
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, and it was a hit! I love when people can't tell that something I bake is gluten-free, that really is the highest compliment.
Liz
Thank you for the recipe! I look forward to trying it this Christmas! Are they more cakey or chewy? I was hoping to see other's comments on this but no one described the texture. I prefer more chewy rather than cakey or dry. 🙂
flippindelicious
Hi Liz,
This recipe is definitely more chewy, so I hope you enjoyed them. For cakey sugar cookies, I recommend this gluten free sugar cookie recipe.
Shari Williams
Thank you for the recipe, these cookies are so good. They get better the day after you make them. This was my week at chuch to bring snacks, and everyone loved them and couldn't tell they were gluten free. There was nothing left. These will be my go to sugar recipe. Thank you again.
flippindelicious
Hi Shari, I'm so happy to hear they were such a hit! People not being able to tell they are gluten-free is the highest praise a GF cookie can get! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know. Happy Baking!-Brianna
Kayla
Can you add icing to these cookies?
flippindelicious
Hi Kayla, you absolutely can frost or ice them after you bake them! -Brianna
Kat
I made these today, so delicious! I used Bob’s Red Mill but instead of regular sugar, I used Lakanto’s Monkfruit blend to make them diabetic friendly. They were amazing. My kids couldn’t tell they were not a traditional cookie and my husband said they’re a keeper. Thank you for the easy, tasty recipe! ❤️❤️
flippindelicious
Hi Kat, I'm so happy they were a hit and that Lakanto Monkfruit Blend worked well for you, I haven't worked with it much so I appreciate the update. Thank you for commenting and letting me know. -Brianna
Christine
Can I use Almond Flour in this recipe? Will I stiill need Xanthum gum?
flippindelicious
Hi Christine, This recipe needs an all-purpose gluten free flour blend, or what I recommend is my gluten free flour blend. Almond flour will not work as a direct substitute. I wrote a very in depth page about how to swap gluten free flours, or how to pick which flour to use, which you can find here: Gluten Free Flours.
-Brianna
Ashley
Made these for a friend at work for Christmas, these may just replace any sugar cookies j ever make! They were delicious!
flippindelicious
Hi Ashley, I'm so glad that you and your friend enjoyed them so much! I hope you had a Merry Christmas! -Brianna
Roxanna
I just tried this recipe, and these cookies are fantastic! I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose flour and added only 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum, a full teaspoon vanilla, and dipped them in Turbinado sugar. Thanks for the recipe!
flippindelicious
Hi Roxanna,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm so glad this recipe worked so well for you! I haven't used Bob's All Purpose GF flour in ages, ever since they came out with the One to One Gluten Free Flour. Thanks for commenting to let others know that it worked well for you! -Brianna
Abby M
I'm almost certain I followed the recipe, but my cookie dough came out so dry. It was very crumbly and the cookies didn't spread at all. They taste pretty good still but I'm wondering if you know what I might have done wrong? Thanks for the recipe!
flippindelicious
Hi Abby,
Thanks for trying my recipe! I'm sad it didn't turn out how you anticipated. My first question would be what gluten-free flour you used, and how you measured it. Different gluten free flours absorb liquid differently, and if the dough was crumbly it sounds like you either had too much flour (how you measure flour make a big difference) or you used a gluten free flour that absorbed a lot more liquid than my blend. I have this problem if I use a blend like Bob's 1 to 1 gluten free flour and don't adjust for the higher absorption. I talk specifically about how to use Bob's 1 to 1 on my page about gluten-free flour, but the same information applies to almost any flour blend. I hope this helps you start troubleshooting, I can't wait to hear back from you. Happy Baking! -Brianna
Rastagurl
Yummy. This is a good recipe. I used rice flour and substituted 1/3 C of sugar for light brown sugar, used bourbon vanilla extract, and organic sugar both in and to roll it in and no xanthum gum. They are very chewy and good! Keeping this one.
flippindelicious
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing your substitutions! I love the idea of subbing in some brown sugar. Happy Baking! -Brianna
Julie
Followed the directions and mine was like powder. It was like it was missing something, not enough moisture for it to combine. I ended up adding another egg and some butter... Didn't turn out at all. Taste like flour and nothing else... Very dry
flippindelicious
Hi Julie, I'm sorry to hear it didn't turn out how you expected. May I ask what gluten free flour you used? The flour you used can make a big difference, as can how you measure the flour. I want to help you to succeed in the kitchen! Thanks! -Brianna
Tenley
I have a best friend who is glute free and she loved these cookies so much, I tried one myself and I could not tell if they were gluten free or not. They are so good, Thank You!!!
flippindelicious
Hi Tenley, That is the highest praise a gluten-free cookie can receive! I'm so glad I could help you make cookies for your friend! -Brianna
Sue Ruschman
I made these. They where very good. Was wondering if I could make them chocolate.
Sue
I really want to love these. But they look great but have a bitter after taste. I use bobs 1:1, and frontier co-op vanilla flavoring non-alcoholic. The rest is regular butter, sugar, soda, baking powder, and egg. Any ideas why bitter? Thanks