These Gluten-Free Butter Cookies have crisp edges, tender centers, and a rich vanilla flavor. Almond flour, sweet rice flour, and starches create a delicate crumb without wheat, making them a lovely choice for holiday trays, homemade gifts, or afternoon tea.
Butter cookies are especially inviting, with neat little ridges and lightly golden edges. They look dressed up straight from the oven, so even a plain batch feels ready for a celebration.
Leave them simple to let the butter and vanilla shine, or dip them in chocolate for a sweeter finish. A few sprinkles make them easy to match to a holiday cookie tray.
Ingredient Notes
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter: Bring it to room temperature. It should yield to gentle pressure while still holding its shape; melted or greasy butter can encourage spreading.
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar: Sweetens the cookies while keeping their texture delicate. Sift out any lumps.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste: Adds warm vanilla flavor and tiny vanilla specks. You can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead if you prefer.
- ¾ cup (84 g) super-fine blanched almond flour: Gives the cookies richness and a tender crumb. Use finely ground blanched flour, not coarse almond meal.
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet rice flour: Also called mochiko, this flour helps bind the dough. Regular white rice flour and brown rice flour behave differently, so avoid substituting them. Despite sometimes being called “glutinous rice flour,” sweet rice flour contains no gluten.
- ½ cup (56 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour: Helps the flour blend hold while keeping the texture light. Tapioca flour is simply another name for tapioca starch, so you can use either one.
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (40 g) cornstarch: Creates a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery flavor.
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) heavy cream: Brings the dough together and makes it soft enough to pipe.
Optional decorations: Granulated sugar, melted chocolate, and gluten-free sprinkles.
How To Make Gluten-Free Butter Cookies
1. Cream the butter and sugar
Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer.
Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
2. Add the dry ingredients
Sift together the almond flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing the speed as the flour becomes incorporated.
The dough will look dry and crumbly at first. Keep mixing until it becomes evenly moistened and begins to clump together.
3. Mix in the cream
Add the heavy cream and mix until combined. The dough should be soft and pliable, with no dry pockets.
4. Prepare the piping bag
Fit a sturdy piping bag with a large open star tip, such as an Ateco 827.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use small dabs of dough underneath the corners to keep the parchment from sliding.
Fill the piping bag in manageable portions so it is easier to squeeze.
5. Pipe the cookies
Hold the tip close to the parchment. Start in the center and pipe outward in a small spiral, leaving 1–1½ inches between cookies.
Release pressure before lifting the tip. Gently tuck any loose dough tails against the cookies with a fingertip.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.
Helpful piping tip: If the dough feels stiff, gently knead the filled bag with your hands to soften it slightly. A large tip makes piping much easier.
6. Freeze briefly
For slightly less spreading and more defined swirls, freeze the piped cookies on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes, until firm.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. If you skip freezing, make sure the oven is fully heated before baking.
7. Bake
Bake on the center rack until the bottom edges are just lightly golden:
Without freezing: 13–15 minutes.
From frozen: 14–16 minutes.
The tops should remain mostly pale. Cookie size can affect baking time, so watch the edges closely near the end.
If desired, sprinkle with a little more granulated sugar while warm.
8. Cool carefully
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
Use a thin metal spatula to transfer them gently to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating; the cookies are delicate while warm.
9. Add an optional chocolate finish
Dip part of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the chocolate firms up completely.
Tips for Pretty Piped Cookies
- Start with properly softened butter. Butter that is too cold makes piping difficult; overly soft butter encourages spreading.
- Use a large piping tip. A small opening makes this dough harder to squeeze through.
- Keep the swirls similar in size. This helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Chill after shaping. Pipe while the dough is soft, then freeze briefly to help preserve the ridges.
- Cool the baking sheet between batches. A hot pan can soften the dough before it reaches the oven.
More gluten-free recipes to make ASAP!
- Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (Easy, Flaky & Buttery)
- Gluten-Free Tortillas (Soft & Easy Homemade Recipe)
- Gluten-Free Naan Bread (Soft, Fluffy & Easy)
I love to see all your creations and don’t forget to follow along on Facebook and Pinterest!
Gluten-Free Butter Cookies
Tender, buttery vanilla cookies with delicate piped swirls and lightly crisp edges. Enjoy them plain or dip them in chocolate for a festive finish.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (84 g) super-fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet rice flour, also called mochiko
- ½ cup (56 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (40 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) heavy cream
Instructions
- Cream the butter: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients: Sift the almond flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, and salt together until evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed at first, then gradually increase the speed until everything is evenly moistened. The mixture will look dry at first; continue until it begins to clump.
- Mix in the cream: Add the heavy cream and mix until the dough is soft, pliable, and evenly combined.
- Prepare to pipe: Line a baking sheet with parchment, securing the corners with small dabs of dough. Fit a sturdy piping bag with a large open star tip, such as an Ateco 827, and fill with dough.
- Shape the cookies: Pipe small spirals, starting in the center and working outward. Leave 1–1½ inches between cookies. Gently tuck in any loose tails with a fingertip. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.
- Chill: Place the piped cookies in the freezer for 10–15 minutes, or until they feel firm to the touch. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake: Bake the chilled cookies for 14–16 minutes, until the bottom edges are lightly golden. If skipping the freezing step, bake for 13–15 minutes. Keep the tops mostly pale.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack with a thin metal spatula and cool completely.
- Decorate: If desired, dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and add sprinkles. Arrange the cookies on parchment paper and let them sit until the chocolate has fully set.
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