How to Make Gluten Free Cookies
Cookies have always been my favorite sweet treat. And now that I’m gluten free, I’m always on the hunt for some good gluten free cookies. But if you’ve ever tried store-bought gluten free cookies, you know they leave a lot to be desired. Luckily, I’ve gotten pretty good at making my own gluten free cookies at home. If you’re wondering how to make gluten free cookies, you’re in luck, too! I’m going to share all my favorite gluten free baking tips with you.
How to Make Cookies Gluten Free
If you’ve ever come across a recipe in a cookbook or online and wonderer how you can make that recipe gluten free, I’m here to help! There are a few simple things you can do to figure out how to make cookies gluten free. With these simple substitutions, you can make your own delicious gluten free cookies out of just about any recipe:
Replace the all-purpose flour with gluten free flour. The most important thing you need to do to make gluten free cookies is replace the traditional all-purpose flour with gluten free flour. Flour is our enemy, so it must be replaced in every recipe! When baking, I always use a gluten free all-purpose flour because it’s so much easier (and cheaper) to use than making your own flour mix. I’ve tested a ton of gluten free flours and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is by far the best. You can replace the flour in a recipe cup-for-cup with Bob’s Red Mill with no issues.
Add some xanthan gum. Check the label on your gluten free flour mix to make sure it has xanthium gum added in. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends already have it in the mixture. But if yours doesn’t, make sure to add xanthan gum into your cookie recipe. The gum helps the cookies replicate the gluten in traditional flour, which means it’s a must when you’re gluten free baking. Add 1 teaspoon of gum per cup of gluten free flour when baking cookies.
Increase the baking powder. Gluten helps baked goods rise as they cook. But since gluten free flour removes that gluten, you’ll need to add a leavening agent to your baked goods when making gluten free cookies. Baking soda can help your baked good rise without the need for gluten. The typical rule to follow when gluten free baking is to use 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten free flour. But I’ve found that gluten free cookies don’t typically need that much baking powder to be delicious. You can stick with 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder per cup of gluten free flour for cookies.
Add in cornstarch for chewy cookies. To keep your cookies from becoming dry and brittle as they bake, add some cornstarch to the mix. One teaspoon cornstarch per one cup of gluten free flour helps improve the texture of gluten free cookies, making them more chewing and less dry than cookies baked without cornstarch.
Tips for Making Gluten Free Cookies
Now that you know about the best gluten free baking substitutions, I’m going to give you the inside scoop on how to make gluten free cookies. These tips will help you make the most delicious gluten free cookies every time you bake.
Start with a clean work area and designated utensils. To prevent cross contamination as you bake, always make sure you’re starting with a clean work area. It’s also a good idea to have a designated set of baking essentials used only for gluten free baking. Check out my guide to gluten free baking essentials to see everything you need to set up your gluten free kitchen.
Always check the label before adding it to your recipe! You never know where gluten could be hiding within your baking ingredients. That’s why it’s always a good idea to check the label of each of your ingredients to ensure it is gluten free. Some baking powders may contain gluten, for example, so it’s important to check your labels to make sure you’re not accidently contaminating your recipe.
Chill the dough to prevent spreading. Chilling your dough helps the dough stiffen and absorb the moisture in the recipe, which is important for gluten free baking. While not all cookie dough needs to be chilled before baking, if the recipe calls for it, make sure not to skip that step!
Increase the bake time. Baking gluten free cookies often takes a little bit of trial and error. If you’re baking a gluten free recipe, stick to the bake time outlined in the instructions. But if you’re trying to adapt a traditional recipe into a gluten free cookie, you may need to increase the bake time. Gluten free baked goods often take just a little bit longer to bake through. So, start with the recommended bake time, then increase the time by two minutes until you can see the cookies are fully baked.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet first. Freshly baked gluten free cookies are often very fragile. I recommend always allowing the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet to allow the cookies to set-up before trying to move them.
Always use a cooling rack. Hot baked goods produce a ton of steam as they cool. A cooling rack will help the steam escape from the cookies without getting trapped inside and causing your cookies to get soggy. Give your cookies a few minutes on the pan to set-up, then transfer to cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before you enjoy them.
That doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Just follow these simple tips to bake gluten free cookies and you’ll be on your way to making tons of delicious sweet treats everyone in your family will love!
More Delicious Gluten Free Recipes:
Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
