This gluten-free animal cookie recipe is a special kids’ favorite! Make them into gluten-free circus cookies by dipping them in chocolate and adding sprinkles to circus cookies, or enjoy them plain! These cookies are perfectly crisp on the edges and soft on the inside. They taste just like the real thing!!
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When my kids were little, we used to love buying animal cookies and those bags of circus cookies. They were fun to eat. When we went gluten free, we missed these cookies. I never thought to recreate these classic cookies.
These gluten-free animal cookies are absolutely delicious on their own, or dip them in white chocolate to make them into gluten free circus cookies. Either way, you make these cookies, and they taste just like the real deal!
Why we love these cookies:
- I use simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- You can use any size of animal cookie cutters, though I prefer to use the mini ones, so they are closer copycats.
- You can enjoy them in two ways: plain or dipped in white chocolate.
- They freeze well, so you can keep them on hand to snack on at any time!
Allergen Information:
These homemade animal cookies are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oat-free. Make them dairy-free by using dairy-free butter.
Flour Blends Tested:
1. King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in muffin recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
2. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also works well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking the muffins. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty muffins.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested the two blends above. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Salt – Sea salt or kosher salt is fine.
- Vanilla – I recommend using pure vanilla extract.
- White Chocolate – I used Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers, but you can use other white chocolate. Always read the labels to ensure they are gluten free. Note Wilton melting wafers are made on shared equipment. If you need dairy-free, use Enjoy Life’s white chocolate chips.
- Sprinkles – Check my gluten free sprinkles list to ensure the sprinkles are gluten free. Many are made on shared equipment.
How To Make Gluten Free Animal Cookies:
Step 1: Add the gluten free flour blend, brown sugar, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and sea salt to a large
Step 2: Add the softened butter, egg, and vanilla extract to a small bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix into cookie dough.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Note: You can use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment to make the animal cookie dough. Add the wet ingredients first to a mixer bowl. Mix on low speed. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is formed.
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Step 5: Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Step 6: Place the dough on wax paper or a silicone baking mat and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness. Take small animal cookie cutters and cut the animals out of the dough.
Step 7: Place the animal cookie cutouts on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack.
Step 8: If you are making gluten free circus cookies, you will prep the chocolate. Melt the vanilla melting wafers or chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe dish.
Put half of the melted chocolate into another small bowl. Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to make a bright pink color.
Step 9: Dip the animal cookies into the melted chocolate and quickly add the sprinkles. These gluten free iced animal cookies are so good!
When the chocolate is hardened, they are ready to eat!
Cookie Tips:
- Don’t take a hot
cookie sheet and put the cookie dough on it. The cookies won’t turn out. They start baking immediately, and it messes with their shape. Use a couple of sheets and rotate them out when making large batches of cookies. - After they have baked, only let them sit no longer than 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The pan will still be hot and continue baking them otherwise.
Read my Cookie Troubleshooting Guide for more tips! I also wrote about my favorite Cookie Tools.
Storage/Freezing Information:
These gluten-free animal cookies will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer. To freeze them, place the cookies into a zipper freezer bag.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Animal cookies are made with flour, sugar, butter, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, and vanilla.
If you like your cookies crispy, roll the dough to be thinner.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes To Try:
- Easy Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
- Gluten Free Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- Nutella Filled Gluten Free Linzer Cookies
- Gluten Free Cookie Cake
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Gluten Free Animal Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all of the 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Whisk with a wire whisk to blend them thoroughly.
- In a smaller bowl, add 1 large egg, melted 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Whisk to mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix into a nice cookie dough.
- Wrap the animal cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. You can roll it on a silicone mat or wax paper.
- Use mini animal cookie cutters to cut out animal shapes. Place the cookies onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. Remove to a wire cooling rack.
- While the cookies are cooling, melt the 4 ounces white chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. I melt in short 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each interval so that the chocolate doesn't burn.
- Place half of the chocolate in a separate bowl and add 1-3 drops of red food coloring. Stir to get a beautiful pink color.
- When the cookies are cool, dip each into either the white or pink chocolate. Quickly top with sprinkles.
Nutrition
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Use unsalted butter.
- Be sure your sprinkles are gluten free with my gluten free sprinkles list.
- These animal cookies will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
These are amazing. I bought the Fox Run Mini Animal Cookie Cutters from Amazon and they worked well. I baked them for 10 mins on 350 degrees and they were just right. At 8 minutes, they seemed too delicate. I baked until they were barely brown on the edges. I cooled cookies completely before dipping them in the white chocolate and then added sprinkles immediately to each one- one by one dipping and sprinkles. Time consuming, but each one is perfect. Some of the best GF cookies I have made.
These circus cookies are on of my guilty pleasures. I am so glad you loved them as much as I do. Thank you!
The 12 tablespoons of butter says *see note. I don’t see anything about the butter in notes. Do I melt the butter. Otherwise there’s not much for the wet ingredients. Just 1 egg and vanilla.
Sorry, Carol, it was to use unsalted butter.
Where did you get your animal cookie cutters?
Hi Lilly, I found them on Amazon. I link to the specific ones I bought in the post. Have a great day.