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4.87 from 43 votes

Watch out because this new gluten-free butter cookie recipe is going to become one of your new favorites! They taste like those famous Danish-style butter cookies that come in those fancy blue tins. Make a batch in under 45 minutes!

Two butter cookies on a plate next to a mug of coffee.

(*This post was sponsored by Plugrรกยฎ 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 favorite recipes of all time.

They taste just like the 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!

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!

A bowl of decorated butter cookies.

In my family’s homemade butter cookie recipe, better butter matters!! If you haven’t tried Plugrรกยฎ Butter yet, I highly encourage you to pick some up. Plugrรกยฎ Butter is slowly churned, making it creamier than regular butter.

Why I love these gluten free butter cookies:

  • 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!
  • Plugrรกยฎ Butter has a higher fat content than regular butter, which means this butter makes better pie crusts, flavorful sauces, and buttery cookies. You can read more about Is Butter Gluten Free for more information.
  • They make a great holiday cookie for those cookie exchange parties, and even Santa.
  • They are crisp and slightly soft outside, 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 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
Photos of the butter cookie ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

All you need are six simple ingredients to make this classic butter cookie recipe!

  • 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 this or guar gum, you will need to add it.
  • 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.

Tips For Success:

  • Use room-temperature butter and eggs. 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.
  • Use a cooled cookie sheet when baking. Don’t take a hot cookie 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 and 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:

Photos of steps 1 and 2 of making butter cookies.

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, but do not fully melt the butter.

Add the wet ingredients into a bowl and whisk. Can you believe how creamy this butter is??

Photos of steps 3 and 4 making butter cookies.

Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

๐Ÿ“ข 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.

You want your cookies to be the same size for the best results. This is simple to do.

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.

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Photos of steps 5 and 6 in making cookies.

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.

Photos of steps 7 and 8 piping the cookies.

Step 7: Grab your pastry bag with cookie dough. Pipe the cookie dough along with the circle shapes.

๐Ÿ”‘ 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 350ยบ 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.

Photos of step 9 and 10 photos dipping in chocolate.

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 10-15 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.

A rack of chocolate dipped butter cookies on a rack.

Storage/Freezing Instructions:

Store these cookies in an airtight container. I prefer storing them in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days. You can also freeze these cookies. Place cooled cookies into a zip-style freezer bag.

If you like to decorate cookies, try these Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Cookies too!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you use a standing mixer?

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.

What is the best way to fill a piping bag?

Filling a piping bag can be messy. To make it easy, I fold down the piping bag to fill the batter deeper into it.

What melting chocolate is best for dipping cookies into?

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.

More Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies:

a green gift box filled with butter 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

Sandi Gaertner
Crispy delicious Gluten-Free Butter Cookies are perfect for the holidays or anytime you are craving a delicious cookie.
4.87 from 43 votes
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cookies and Bar Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 116 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 ยพ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ยฝ cup sugar
  • โ…› teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 egg

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Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ยบ F.
  • In a bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
  • In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
  • 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. 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.
  • Optional, dip into melted chocolate and sprinkles.

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. If your gluten free flour blendย doesnโ€™t containย Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
  4. Note, you can pipe these cookies into any shape.
  5. These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight 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, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 82mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 246IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

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.

4.87 from 43 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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61 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Itโ€™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.

    1. 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.

    2. 5 stars
      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 โ€ฆโ€ฆThank you!

      1. 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!

  2. 3 stars
    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.

    1. 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.

  3. 5 stars
    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!

  4. 5 stars
    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.

      1. 4 stars
        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.

      2. 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.

  5. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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.

    2. 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. ๐Ÿ˜Š

  6. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 5 stars
      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)!

  7. My cookies didnโ€™t hold their shape. Used โ€œExtra White Goldโ€ 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.

    1. 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.

  8. 5 stars
    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!

  9. 5 stars
    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!!!

    1. 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!