If you love sugar cookies, these gluten free funfetti sugar cookies with funfetti sprinkles will be difficult to resist! Rainbow sprinkles make these gluten free cookies festive for any occasion.
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Funfetti, aka Unicorn Food, is a fun way to add color to your baking. I am taking the high road and not calling these cookies unicorn food because my teen daughter will rebel against them! Cookies don't get better than these gluten free funfetti "unicorn cookies."
My daughter has been asking for gluten free cookies lately...but not any gluten free funfetti cookies. She wanted something more girly. I have to admit I was thrown for a loop over this request. My daughter is not the pink sparkly girly type. Do you think cookies can be girly?
Are you a cookie-holic? You will want to try out my delicious Gluten Free Cookie Recipes! There are so many yummy choices!
Why These Cookies Are Great:
- These funfetti cookies are soft and delicious...but just a bit crispy on the ends.
- It is easy to make funfetti cookies from scratch. Make a batch in under 30 minutes.
- They are perfect for a class party or a bake sale because of their colorful appearance.
- There are nut-free and dairy-free options. (See the substitutions section below for details.)
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure. Other blends, like my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend (gum-free), will also work well.
- Almond Flour - I like Anthony's Almond Flour brand because it is milled very fine. See the Substitutions below for a nut-free version.
- Xanthan Gum - If your blend doesn't have a binder, you will need to add one teaspoon.
- Sugar - Use white sugar.
- Baking Powder/Baking Soca - Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Salt
- Butter - Use unsalted butter. See the Substitutions below for a dairy-free version.
- Eggs - Size large.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
- Sprinkles
Tips For Sucess:
- 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 either too dry or too wet.
- 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.
For more tips, check out my Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide! I also wrote up my favorite Cookie Making Tools.
Substitutions:
- Nut-Free: You can make these gluten free cookies nut-free. Omit the almond flour and increase the gluten free flour blend by ⅔ cup so you will have 1 ⅔ cups gluten free flour blend total.
- Dairy-Free: Use plant-based butter to make these cookies dairy-free.
- Swap the sprinkles for chocolate chips.
What Sprinkles Are Gluten Free?
Most sprinkles are gluten free. They are mostly sugar and food coloring. You must be careful of the sprinkles made in facilities that produce wheat.
Surprisingly, Wilton Sprinkles fall into this category of shared equipment. Our family has never reacted to them, but I want you to know that most stores carry their sprinkles.
- Supernatural Sprinkles (like these rainbows)
- Chef's Select Sprinkles are certified gluten free.
- Sweetapolita Sprinkles are gluten free and hold up well to baking.
- Unpretentious Baker Sprinkles are also gluten free.
Tools For Cookies
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large
I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour Blend. Other blends should work as well.
Step 2: Add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla to a bowl and whisk to blend. Whip until it is well blended.
Step 3: Add the rainbow sprinkles to the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix them together.
Note you can use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer. I recommend chilling the cookie dough for 30 minutes, but this is optional.
Step 4: Use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake at 350º F for 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Remove to a cooling rack to cool.
You may also want to try these Gluten Free Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies! They are rolled in sprinkles and baked.
If you love cookies, you will also want to try these Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers!
Recipe FAQ:
You can use almond meal, but your cookies will be more grainy. Almond flour is much finer ground and hard to detect in this recipe. Both almond flour and almond meal have the same protein content.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can freeze these cookies in a freezer bag for up to 5 months.
You can freeze these funfetti cookies! I always make a double batch and then freeze half when we crave a treat. These cookies will last three months in the freezer (if your family doesn't eat them all first!) Store in a large freezer-safe Ziplock bag.
Spreading can happen for two main reasons. Your cookie dough was too wet, or you didn't chill the dough. Every gluten free flour blend performs differently. If your cookie batter seems too soft, be sure to add more flour.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Funfetti Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour I used Anthony's because of the fine grind
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend (*Note, my flour blend has xanthan gum included. If yours doesn't, add 1 teaspoon.)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- dash salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup Sprinkles lots of them 🙂
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixer, add all of the wet ingredients and mix on low until blended.
- (I am transitioning to using my mixer more. It is also easy to make in a bowl.)
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer, keeping the speed on slow.
- (In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Pour in wet ingredients. Add the sprinkles and mix well.)
- Add the sprinkles to the mixer.
- Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. This is optional.
- Drop spoonfuls of cookie onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The baking time varies by the size of the cookies.
- Remove from the oven and move the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure. That doesn't mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours. You can also use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend, which is gum free.
- Add one teaspoon if your flour blend doesn't contain xanthan or guar gum.
- Be sure your sprinkles are gluten free. Check the GF Sprinkles List.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 5 months.
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
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 old April 2016. I added new photos and a video
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Susie
These were delicious, but mine didn’t hold together very well. Do you think it’s because I used egg replacer? I will definitely make again.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Susie, I haven't tested egg replacer. Which gluten free flour and egg replacer brand did you use?
Linds
These were amazing! Saved this recipe and will definitely make again! I replaced the sugar with a little under 1/2 c of monk fruit/erythritol sweetener, and the cookies were soooo good. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved this recipe. I hadn't thought to use monkfruit sweetener so I am sure many readers will be excited to read this.
Casey
Can you roll and cut these for shapes?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Casey, I haven't tried to roll this cookie dough so I am not sure if they will hold their shape. You may consider adding a little more flour to make the cookie dough firmer, but I am sorry I can't tell you how much additional flour without making these again.