This is the season for delicious gluten free holiday cookies! These are the best gluten free holiday cookie recipes on the blog...and ones that are perfect for holiday baking!
These popular gluten free Christmas cookies aren't just for the holidays!! You can enjoy them all year long!
You will find every type of cookie, and you will love bringing these cookies to a gluten free cookie exchange party! These are the cookies you bake and hide so your family doesn't eat them all in one sitting! If you love cookies as much as we do, you will want to check out ALL of my delicious Gluten Free Cookie Recipes!!
Do you love cookie exchange parties? I am so excited to give you some new cookie options for a gluten free cookie exchange that will wow your friends. Nobody will know these cookies are gluten free!! They taste that good.
Tips to avoid cross-contamination at a cookie exchange:
- Keep the gluten free cookies on a separate table from the regular holiday cookies. If the gluten free and non-gluten free cookies are too close, accidents can happen, crumbs can fly, minds can be changed and the wrong cookies can be placed onto a gluten free plate.
- Let your friends know if you are very sensitive. Many friends want to do the right thing and make gluten free cookies in their non-gluten free kitchens. Cross-contamination is likely to happen, even if your friends are very careful.
- Watch out for hidden gluten and always ask to see the ingredient labels if you are in doubt!
If you haven't been to a cookie exchange party, it is time to throw your own this holiday season!! Here is a great tutorial on how to throw a cookie exchange party.
Now, this is just a sampling of the cookie recipes you will find here at Fearless Dining. There are so many cookies here because I have a killer sweet tooth :-). If you are like me, you will be trying them all! Don't forget to write and tell me which are your favorites!
Tools you need to make gluten free holiday cookies:
To make gluten free holiday cookies for your cookie exchange party, you need the right flours and ingredients. You can find my whole list here in My Gluten Free Pantry.
I use some of these gluten free ingredients in all of my gluten free cookie recipes:
- Gluten free flour blend *(and add 1 teaspoon of Xanthan gum if your blend doesn't include it!)
- Eggs
- Sugar (coconut sugar or organic sugar depending if you prefer refined or unrefined sugar!)
- Vanilla
- Coconut Oil or Butter (depending on if you prefer dairy-free!)
- Almond flour, to sneak in a little protein!
It seems like it was just Halloween, and here we are on the homestretch to Hanukkah and Christmas!! This year I am all for delicious cookies ANY time of year. This collection of cookie recipes is perfect for those holiday parties, bake sales, teacher gifts, and cookie exchange parties.
What gluten free flour blends do you use to make gluten free cookies?
I have a few favorite gluten free flour blends that I prefer to use when I am baking. King Arthur Measure for Measure (awesome if you are corn-free too!), Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Blend, Cup4Cup, and Authentic Foods Multiblend.
There are a ton of others that I haven't tried, but you want to make sure the blend you use does NOT contain bean flours (those are better for savory recipes) or a high starch-to-flour ratio.
Holiday cookie exchange parties are a popular way to share your favorite holiday cookie recipes. Which recipe will you try first?
Cookie baking tips:
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs. I know that it sounds crazy to use butter and eggs at room temperature, but it dramatically helps how your cookies will turn out. You'll thank yourself later if you try it.
- Take special care to measure correctly. If you add in too much gluten free flour or other ingredients, it can mess with the cookies as they bake. If they don't have the proper ratios of ingredients, you may end up with a disaster.
- Chill the dough when possible. I know you are probably ready to eat your cookies, but taking a few minutes to chill the batter makes them less likely to spread.
- Your oven temperature may be off. Periodically, check your oven temperature to make sure it's right. Otherwise, the cookies will, for sure, spread if it's not accurate.
- Use a cooled
cookie sheet when baking. Don't take a hotcookie sheet and put the batter on it, or I promise the cookies won't turn out. They start baking immediately, and it messes with their shape of them. Use a couple of sheets and rotate them out when making large batches of cookies. - Don't let the cookies sit on the pan too long. After they have baked, only let them sit up to 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The pan will still be hot, and continue baking them otherwise.
Can these cookies be made dairy-free?
Most of these gluten free holiday cookie recipes can be made dairy-free with vegan butter or palm shortening.
How long do these cookies keep?
These gluten free Christmas cookies will last about a week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them easily if you want to enjoy them longer.
Can I make these ahead of time?
You can definitely make these gluten free cookies ahead of time. You can freeze them so that they are ready when you need them.
Can you freeze these holiday cookies?
You can easily freeze these Christmas cookies. Place them into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and seal them.
Do you need to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking?
These cookie recipes are pretty varied, so you will want to check each recipe for the directions if you need to refrigerate the cookie dough first!
Also, check out my best Gluten Free Christmas Cookies on the blog :-).
The Best Gluten Free Christmas Cookie Recipes:
If you love the recipes you find on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free lemon dessert e-cookbook!)
Debra C.
This is terrific! I'm baking cooking this week for an event for foster children. There are so many wonderful holiday cookies here to choose from - thanks for all of the great options!
Sandi Gaertner
What a wonderful way to give back Debra, that is so sweet of you to consider making gluten free options for them.
Shirley Martin-Tutolo
Thanks for the cookie recipes. We have vegans, gluten free and I am always looking.
Sandi Gaertner
Perfect Shirley...glad to help anytime 🙂