Gluten-Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

I created these delicious gluten-free frosted sugar cookies as an alternative to my cut-out sugar cookies. These cookies require little fuss and turn out perfectly every time. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

You may have seen my no-spread, cut-out gluten-free sugar cookie recipe, which is a popular recipe this time of year.

However, many of you have asked me for a simple sugar cookie recipe that doesn’t require as much fuss. And today I’m going to deliver that cookie recipe to you!

You’ll find that these cookies are soft-baked and chewy. They offer that sweet buttercream frosting on top like you find in a traditional Lofthouse sugar cookie.

How to Make Gluten-Free Frosted Sugar Cookies

Follow these step-by-step instructions to make my gluten-free frosted sugar cookies.

Step #1: Gather Your Ingredients

The first thing you’ll want to do is gather all the ingredients needed to make the cookie dough, including:

• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 package Open Nature Buttercream Vanilla Frosting
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 2-3 tbsp milk (or milk substitute)
• 2 tbsp decorating sugar

If you don’t have Open Nature Buttercream Frosting (which you can find at Safeway or Albertsons near you), see the notes section in the recipe card below for an alternative buttercream recipe and instructions.

Step #2: Prepare the Dough

The next step to making these soft gluten-free frosted sugar cookies is to prepare your dough. To do that, follow these simple instructions:

(1) Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

(2) Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

(3) Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined. 

(4) Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until all ingredients are well combined. The dough will be sticky. 

(5) Lightly wet your hands, then scoop about 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. Continue to roll the dough into balls until you have about 15 balls. 

(6) Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and put them in your refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight. You can chill the dough up to four days in advance. Do not skip this step. Chilling is essential so the flour absorbs the moisture and so the cookies keep their shape without overly spreading when baked.

(7) Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the chilled cookie dough balls so they are three inches apart on the baking sheet. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need to bake them in batches. They will spread.

(8) Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides but still soft in the center. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting them.

Step #3: Frost the Cookies

Once the cookies are cool, it’s time to frost them.

To prepare the frosting, beat together the Open Nature Buttercream frosting mix with softened butter and milk, as noted on the packaging, until you have a light and creamy frosting.

If you do not use the buttercream frosting mix noted, you can create your own buttercream by blending together the following ingredients until they’re smooth and creamy:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp milk (or milk alternative)

Please note you may need to adjust the amount of milk and powdered sugar needed to get the just-right creamy texture.

Now smear a scoop of frosting on each cookie with a butter knife and decorate the tops with decorating sugar or sprinkles. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set, and store uneaten cookies in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 5 days.

While these cookies are perfect year-round, they are extra special to bake over the holidays because Santa loves them!

This recipe is inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Other Cookie Recipes

You might enjoy these gluten-free cookies too:

Cut-Out No-Spread Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies: These are no-spread, soft but a little more crispier cookie that is perfect for decorating.

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies: Delicious cookies that require no baking and taste incredible!