These vegan and gluten free frosted sugar cookies are so cute for autumn! A simple dairy free chocolate frosting is the perfect topping for these sweet treats.
When you were new to allergy friendly baking, what type of cookie was the most difficult for you to bake successfully?
I often get asked how to successfully bake cut out cookies. Usually the question is how to make them maintain their shape when baking. And that’s a big deal, right? It’s so frustrating to take the time to cut out beautiful sugar cookies, and then have the shapes be unrecognizable when they come out of the oven.
Don’t worry – these vegan and gluten free frosted sugar cookies are easy to make, and they do maintain their shape! This sugar cookie dough is easy to work with, and the flavor is buttery and delicious.
For a little variety, I wanted to make these sugar cookies into autumn shapes (acorns and leaves), and frost them with chocolate buttercream frosting and also melted chocolate chips. You don’t even need a piping bag or special equipment! These are very easy to make, especially for a new allergy friendly baker.
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Gluten Free Flour for Cookies
I love using the Namaste Perfect Flour Blend for sugar cookies. When I use this brand of flour, the dough is very easy to work with, and the cookies really hold their shape. You could try other varieties, but if the Namaste flour works for you, I highly recommend it!
Dough Thickness
I find that a thickness of a little less than a quarter inch results in good, even baking, and a nice texture. You can experiment with thickness – thicker will be a softer cookie, while thinner will be a crispier cookie.
Chilling Time
The best way to prevent sugar cookies from spreading on the cookie sheet is to chill the dough. Either put the dough in the refrigerator for two hours, or the freezer for 45 minutes.
Freezing Cookie Dough
You can freeze this dough. Wrap the discs of dough tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. It should stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then roll and cut cookies as usual.
Troubleshooting
The type of flour you use can definitely make a difference in the texture of the cookie dough. Different gluten free flours can absorb liquid differently.
The dough should resemble the texture of play-dough, as you can see in the photo above.
- If your cookie dough is too dry or crumbly, add a little bit of applesauce at a time until it looks like the photo above.
- If your dough is too wet, try adding a little more gluten free flour, continuing to mix until the dough is soft, but not wet.
More Gluten Free Vegan Cookie Recipes
If you make these gluten free vegan frosted sugar cookies, or any of my other recipes, please tag me on Instagram @prettybeeblog. I love to see what you’re baking!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Autumn Frosted Sugar Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup vegan buttery spread
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 3 Tablespoons vegan buttery spread
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
For melted chocolate topping:
- ¾ cup dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the sugar cookies:
- Cream the sugar and vegan buttery spread until light and fluffy. Add the unsweetened applesauce and vanilla extract and continue to mix.
- Add the salt and half of the gluten free flour blend. Mix on low speed. Stop the mixer and add the rest of the gluten free flour blend. Mix until combined. The texture of the dough should resemble play-doh.
- Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. If you are in a hurry, you can chill the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread waxed paper on the counter or tabletop and sprinkle with gluten free flour. Unwrap one of the discs and sprinkle liberally with gluten free flour as well. Dust the rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the dough to about ¼ of an inch thickness. If the dough is too crumbly, add a little water. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin, add more flour to the rolling pin and the surface of the dough.
- Cut out your cookies into your desired shapes. I used an acorn cookie cutter and a leaf cookie cutter. Place them on the cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 9 minutes. The cookies should be just slightly golden on the edges. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
- Allow cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the pan, then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Repeat steps 5-9 with the remaining dough.
To make the frosting:
- Place the vegan buttery spread in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed.
- Add the cocoa powder. Add the confectioner’s sugar a little bit at a time, alternating with a little bit of non-dairy milk.
- If the frosting is too thick, add more non-dairy milk. If it gets too thin, add more confectioner's sugar. The consistency should be easy to spread.
For the chocolate topping:
- Melt the dairy free chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds, then stir. If they are not fully melted, microwave in 10 second intervals until smooth and melted.
- Set melted chocolate aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
To decorate the cookies:
- Use a frosting spatula to frost the cooled cookies with the buttercream frosting.
- Pour the melted chocolate chips in a small ziploc bag, and snip off a tiny corner. Use the melted chocolate to add details to the cookies. I piped on the veins in the leaves as well as the acorn caps.
- To set the melted chocolate, place the cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Katie
Delicious recipe!