Watch out because this new gluten-free butter cookie recipe will become one of your new favorites! These cookies are delicious year-round, but they have a special place in my heart as an incredible Christmas cookie. They taste like those famous Danish-style butter cookies that come in those fancy blue tins. Make a batch in under 45 minutes!
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(*This post was sponsored by Plugrá® Butter. All delicious opinions are my own.)
I have been so excited to share this recipe with you in time for the holidays. These are the best gluten-free butter cookies!! This is one of our holiday favorite recipes of all time.
These tasty cookies taste just like the non-gf Dutch butter cookies we all love. (You know, the ones that are sold in that festive blue tin every holiday season!) Only my version is gluten-free! In fact, this gluten free Danish butter cookie recipe is the best online recipe. I share so many easy-to-follow step-by-step photos of every step, which makes this cookie recipe easy for readers to make.
They are also perfect for making gluten-free holiday cookies that you can decorate for a party, bake sale, or cookie exchange! If you are a cookie fanatic like me, you must give some of these gluten free cookie recipes a try!
In my family’s homemade butter cookie recipe, better butter matters!! If you haven’t tried Plugrá® Butter yet, I highly encourage you to pick some up. Plugrá® Butter is slowly churned, making it creamier than regular butter.
Why I love this gluten free butter cookie recipe:
- I have perfected this homemade butter cookie recipe for you. I have made this cookie a complete copycat of those delicious Danish cookies in the blue tin.
- You can make these cookies by piping the cookie dough or drop style, depending on your comfort level!
- Plugrá® Butter has a higher fat content than regular butter, which means this butter makes better pie crusts, flavorful sauces, and buttery cookies.
- They make a great holiday cookie for those cookie exchange parties, and even Santa will approve.
- These are the best crispy and buttery gluten-free cookies, just like Danish butter cookies should be.
- You can dip them in chocolate, sprinkle them with sprinkles or coarse sugar, or enjoy them plain!
Allergen Information:
These buttery, homemade Danish butter cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free. Make them dairy-free using a plant-based butter.
These are truly delicious! I used almond extract in place of vanilla (just personal preference) and let the cookie dough rest for a few hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to develop and the gluten free flours and starches to absorb moisture (I do this with all my gf cookie recipes and most all of my other gf baked goods). So, so yummy!! My husbands favorite cookie is a butter cookie and he said these were he best I have made (and he doesn’t have to eat gf, he just does it for me to make my life easier). Thanks for this superior cookie recipe!”
ella, Blog comment
Flavor Modifications:
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla extract.
- Add 1 tablespoon of orange or lemon zest to add some citrus flavor.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon anise extract to add a little spice and licorice flavor.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum- if your gluten free blend doesn’t contain a binder like xanthan or or guar gum, you will need to add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Sugar – Use regular white sugar.
- Salt – I used sea salt, but you can also use kosher salt. I do not recommend pink Himalayan salt.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – The vanilla flavor is the star of these butter cookies, and I do not recommend imitation vanilla.
Cookie Tips For Success:
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs. It may sound 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.
- 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 baking, only let them sit on the baking sheet for up to 5 minutes. The pan will still be hot; continue baking them otherwise.
I have a great Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide if you need help baking gluten free cookies. Be sure to check out my favorite Cookie Equipment Recommendations.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix the ingredients.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to mix. Be sure your butter is at a very soft room temperature. You can microwave the butter for 20 seconds to soften it more. Try not to melt the butter fully.
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Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients into a soft cookie dough. Optional: chill the cookie dough for 15-30 minutes. This is very important if you over-melted your butter.
📢 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.
The dough comes together super quickly with no additional steps.
Step 4: There are two great ways to ensure your cookies all turn out the same size. The first way is to take a small glass and trace circles around the bottom in rows, along with a piece of parchment paper.
You can also use a silicone macaron mat that has the circles pre-drawn. To avoid getting ink on the cookies, turn the parchment paper over. Now we get to pipe the cookie dough into the cute circles.
Step 5: Use a tip that has jagged edges if you want your cookies to have the flower shape my cookies have. I like the Wilton tip 8B, too. You can use other tips, but if you want the texture of your gluten-free butter cookies, use a tip with cut zig-zag edges.
Step 6: Add the semi-soft batter to a pastry bag with the shape of the piping tip I show above. Your cookie batter should be somewhat soft for piping.
Step 7: Grab your pastry bag with cookie dough. Pipe the cookie dough along with the circle shapes.
🔑 Sandi says: If you are sugar-coating these cookies, sprinkle coarse sugar over them before baking instead of dipping them in chocolate.
Step 8: Do this until you fill all the circles with cookie dough. Bake your cookies at 350º F for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are just slightly golden. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a wire cooling rack.
Let the cookies cool completely before moving them. The cookies will be a little soft until they cool into a nice crisp texture.
Step 9: As these Danish-style cookies are cooling, add your melting chocolate to a microwave-safe dish and melt. I like to melt in 20 second increments, stirring between increments to avoid the chocolate burning.
Step 10: Dip your cookies halfway into the chocolate and sprinkle with colorful sprinkles. Note: make sure the sprinkles you use are gluten free. Read here for information on all of the gluten free sprinkles.
Gluten-Free Related Reading
Gluten-free baking is like a science experiment. There are so many things you need to understand the different components of baking without gluten. My Gluten-Free Resources Section is here to help teach you the tools you need to know to become a confident gluten free baker.
My Best Gluten-Free Baking Tips For Better Baking!
Why Binders Are Important In Gluten-Free Baking
The Best Gluten Free Flour Blends – And how to use them!
How To Store Gluten Free Butter Cookies:
Store these cookies in an airtight container. I prefer storing them in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
If you like to decorate cookies, try these Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Cookies or my Gluten Free Lebkuchen Cookies (aka German gingerbread cookies), or my buttery Gluten Free Shortbread.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can definitely use your standing mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer. Add your wet ingredients to the standing mixer and mix on low speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, mix the speed up to medium for 30 seconds.
Yes, this recipe works very well with dairy-free butter like Smart Balance.
Filling a piping bag can be messy. To make it easy, I fold down the piping bag to fill the batter deeper into it.
I really like to use Ghirardelli melting wafers best. You can get them in milk, dark, and white chocolate flavors. Other chocolate chips will also work well.
You can also freeze these cookies. Place cooled cookies into a zip-style freezer bag. They will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies:
- Chestnuts roasting over an open fire are the inspiration for these Gluten-Free Roasted Chestnut Cookies.
- Santa loves these Easy Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles cookies!
- These Gluten-Free Chocolate Pizzelles are fabulous Italian cookies for the holidays.
- Everyone loves this classic Holiday Gluten-Free Gingersnaps cookie recipe.
- A Collection of Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
I hope you love these gluten-free butter cookies as much as we do. They make a beautiful holiday gift. If you love European cookies, try these Italian Gluten Free Pizzelles too!
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!
Gluten-Free Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or mix the ingredients in mixing bowls by hand.
- In a bowl, add 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/2 cup cane sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and1 large egg . Whisk. Optional: Chill for 15-20 minutes. Just don't chill the dough too long because you want it to be soft enough to pipe through a pastry bag.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. 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 cookie dough is too wet, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
- Take a pastry bag and a star tip. Cut the tip of the bag and insert the tip.
- Fill the pastry bag with the butter cookie dough.
- Place a piece of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet. I really do not like to use cooking spray. Parchment paper helps your cookies bake more evenly. Use the small glass to trace circles on the parchment paper. (Or use a macaron mat!).
- Pipe the cookie dough in a ring around each circle. (See photos above for step by step instructions on how to do this.)
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes depending on the shape of the cookies. You want the cookies to be slightly golden. Move the baked cookies to a cooling rack by sliding the parchment paper with the cookies onto the rack.
- Optional, when the cookies are fully cooled, dip into melted chocolate and sprinkles.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. 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 3/4 teaspoon. A binder is what holds gluten free baked goods together, so it is an important part of any gluten free baked good.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Note that you can pipe these cookies into any shape or drop them onto a cookie sheet with a cookie scoop.
- These cookies will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition 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.
This post was updated from an older November 2019 post with more details.
Hi there-
I was looking for a healthy gf cookie recipe and came across your recipe. I am planning on making valentines cookies with my grandchildren and wonder if we can roll this out and use cookie cutters? Would you suggest that or maybe not such a good idea?
Thank you! 😊
Hi Colleen, this cookie dough is too soft for cookie cutters because it is meant to be piped. Try this recipe: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-valentines-cookies/
It’s a great recipe, but they took 15 minutes to get to the color and crispness I like in a butter cookie. I used King Arthur measure for measure flour. I used erythritol instead of sugar. And I used a cookie press instead of a piping bag.
Hi Angie, I am glad you loved the recipe. I wonder if the erythritol affected the baking. Sugar is what gets them to crisp. I can’t test alternate sugars as they mess with my stomach.
Very best crisp tender, no fall apart GF sugar cookie and not too sweet. I used Bobs Red Mill 1:1 GF flour. Dropped spoonfuls flattened with piece of parchment and baked 20-25 minutes. Look perfect and taste the best ……Thank you!
I am thrilled you loved this recipe. These cookies taste like the Danish cookies we used to buy in the blue tin before going gluten free. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review!
so I do not know what I did but these cookies flattened. i followed step by step and did not overmix. also the taste and texture is like mashed potatoes. its really weird.
Hi Desiree, it sounds like you used a flour blend I have not tested. Which did you use? From your description of the cookies texture, you used a starchy blend, and it needed more flour. More flour would have also helped with the spreading.
These are truly delicious! I used almond extract in place of vanilla (just personal preference) and let the cookie dough rest for a few hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to develop and the gluten free flours and starches to absorb moisture (I do this with all my gf cookie recipes and most all of my other gf baked goods). So, so yummy!! My husbands favorite cookie is a butter cookie and he said these were he best I have made (and he doesn’t have to eat gf, he just does it for me to make my life easier). Thanks for this superior cookie recipe!
I am so glad you loved the recipe for these butter cookies. I love your husband isn’t gluten free and still said they are the best!
Could I use a cookie press instead of a piping bag?
Hi Barbara, A press should work well. You may need less flour, depending on the blend you use.
My husband says he likes these BETTER than regular flour version. I made this with no vanilla but 3 tsp almond extract and the flavor was just like Mom’s Spritz cookies. I would advise to let the dough sit for 1/2 hour or so, because the first batch had a grainy texture, but later batches did not. I used Pillsbury 1:1 gluten-free flour. I believe the rice component softened in that time. Mine took 18+ minutes to bake.
It is good to hear the Pillsbury GF worked well. I also love you used almond extract. Thank you so much for coming back to let others know!
These had a good flavor. The dough was too stiff to pipe, so I will add more butter next time, and perhaps some milk.
I think the lady that said she refrigerates her cookies for several hours before baking has a great idea.
Hi Sheila, which gluten free flour blend did you use? Every gluten free blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, and this affects the moisture. Next time, if you use the same flour blend, I would recommend a little less flour or add more butter.
These are great! I could not pipe them, even after leaving them out to soften for a few hours. They were still too stiff. But I made little balls and they worked great, even rolling some in a sanding sugar to look like the “tin” cookies of my youth. Thanks for a nostalgic treat!
I am so glad you loved these cookies. If the batter is too thick, it is most likely the flour blend you used had a higher starch content. If this happens, it is okay to add more melted butter.
I actually used the King Arthur measure for measure and I had the same problem. It was too thick for the piping. But I made them into balls and that worked just fine! I did have to put them in for a couple min longer because 10 min left them undone in the middle. I might try putting the dough in the fridge and then rolling and using a cookie cutter. They were fantastic though! Close to the blue tin which I had growing up. 😊
Hi Alison, did you melt the butter? It should be soft and pipable. I am glad it tasted great.
These are amazing! Even my family that can have gluten loved these and said they were their favorite cookies. We doubled the batch and did half with vanilla extract and half with almond. They were both delicious! I could have eaten the entire plate they were so scrumptious. Super easy too!
By the way we used Bobs red mill 1:1.
I am so glad you loved them. I love using almond extract for these cookies as well :-).
Maybe it’s because I don’t have piping bags and did small scoops instead (and added extra time based on other comments), but these turned out very crumbly. That being said, they are absolutely delicious, and I will certainly be making them again (which gives me a good excuse to buy piping bags)!
Hi Lizzie, what gluten free flour blend did you use? How dry was your batter?
My cookies didn’t hold their shape. Used “Extra White Gold” flour so that may be the cause. They looked perfect before I baked them. The taste is nice and light. Will try again with a different flour.
Hi Mindy, I don’t know that flour blend. I see they make three gf blends. They are VERY starch heavy and probably liquify to a certain extent. You probably need a lot more flour to compensate for that.
These cookies are a favorite in our house! Kids & adults both. Recipe is easy, with lots of great tips. Seriously can’t recommend these cookies enough!
I am so glad you made a batch! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know everyone loved them!
I made these cookies for my our co-worker’s Christmas feast and everyone loved them! I and two others are gluten-free, so I decided to try this recipe, and man oh man am I glad I did! They are amazing and everyone wanted the recipe! 10/10 recommend! Also, a lot of gluten-free cookies are dryer but these aren’t, really impressed with this recipe! Thank you!!!
I am so glad you and all of your co-workers loved these cookies! This is one of my very favorite recipes too. I hope you come back to visit my blog again and try more of my recipes. I have 100s of delicious gluten free recipes, including 50+ cookies!
Can you use a cookie press for this recipe?
Hi Jennifer, yes! You can easily use this recipe in a cookie press.
The picture of the ingredients calls for baking powder, but there’s none listed in the ingredients of the recipe. Can you post how much baking powder, if any, is needed? Thank you!
Hi Kate, there is no baking poweder. I will amend the photo. Thank you!
They turned out yummy but I used bobs all purpose gluten free which is mainly legume flour and they turned out flat. I followed the recipe and I’m assuming it’s cause of my flour choice. Will have to try again with something else.
I am so glad you liked them, Catherine. I would not recommend the flour you used for sweets as the bean flour can behave oddly and add bitterness in baked goods.
Best cookies ever!! Yes, King Arthur’s flour works best! Baggie works great!
Thank you so much🙏🏼♥️
I am so glad you loved these Suzie! They are one of my favorites too!
This sounds super easy. My question is – can I use a cookie scoop to make a regular disc style cookie? I don’t have the piping bags/tips, etc. Many thanks.
Hi Sandra, you should be fine using a cookie scoop. YOu can also use a sandwich bag with the corner cut off. Enjoy 🙂
This is fabulous, my whole family loved it… Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am so glad you loved them Raylize 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly (I even got the Plugra butter!), they came out amazing, and almost perfect, but didn’t quite hold their shape, as in the photos. Should I add a little more flour?
Hi Ren, It sounds like a smidgeon more flour would have helped, or refrigerating after piping? Which flour blend did you use? Did you use piping tips or a cut corner of a plastic bag to pipe them?
Have you ever done these with a cookie press? Or rolled them out to get the other shapes like the cookie tin?
Yes, I use this dough in my spritz cookie press often :-). I would say do not refrigerate the dough.
Can you make these with an egg substitute? If so, which would be the best to use?
I have not tested any egg substitutes with this recipe. If you try it, please let us know if it works.
I subscribe and often use your recipes b/c you do a great job with Gluten Free. I understand why you direct people to Plugra butter and Safeway and other brands. Sponsorship and ads are part of the deal with blogs such as this. And…there are so many local farm and small businesses that can provide high quality butter and eggs and other baking ingredients. I use only organic ingredients and I find they are of much higher quality than the ingredients you recommend. I’d like to suggest readers try locally sourced butter and eggs from a local farm and organic chocolate. Once you taste the difference, you’ll be sold.
I love the idea of fresh butter. COVID shut down our farmer’s market where I would get this amazing raw butter. I hope at sometime our market will reopen so we can get it again.
Is this dough the right consistency to use a cookie press? I have a gf recipe I used for Christmas trees, but the cookies were so fragile, they disintegrated when picking them up.
Actually, a cookie press should work well Carole :-). Please let me know how it works and I will add a note for readers in case they have the same question.
Could you roll this into a log, refrigerate until firm, and then slice and bake?
Hi Nancy, you can easily roll these and make slice and bake cookies. Great idea!
Hello. My cookies spread badly after it’s baked ?, what did I do wrong?
Hi Phyllis, my first guess is the gluten free flour blend. Can you please tell me what brand you used? Starch content varies widely by the company so it is important that I know what you used so I can see.
What type of gluten free flour blend do you suggest
Hi Jackie, I like King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Blend.
just made these using coconut gluten free flour. they turned out amazing. a cross between a shortbread cookie and a macaroon. never made gluten free before or tasted gluten free anything but will definitely make these again.
I am so glad it worked with coconut flour!
Must one pipe these cookies? Could I roll or drop on cookie sheet?
Hi Linda, you can easily make these cookies drop style 🙂