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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Richly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, these gluten-free gingerbread cookies fill your kitchen with the warmest holiday aromas. A simple rice flour blend ensures the dough holds its shape perfectly when rolled and cut, so you won't lose those classic gingerbread figures in the oven. They bake up firm with tender centers, ready for a quick vanilla icing and a few bright red cinnamon candies. It's a festive, allergy-friendly treat that everyone at the table can enjoy.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 egg
- 1¾ cups Betty Crocker Gluten Free all-purpose rice flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup white vanilla baking chips
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- 1Combine the sugar, softened butter, and molasses in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, then add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.
- 2Whisk the gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg together in a separate medium bowl. Gradually stir these dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a uniform dough forms.
- 3Cover the bowl tightly and chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 1 hour until it becomes firm enough to roll. Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven.
- 4Preheat the oven to 375°F. Dust a clean work surface lightly with the gluten-free flour blend and roll out half of the chilled dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator while you work.
- 5Dip a 2 1/2-inch gingerbread cookie cutter into the flour blend and cut out shapes from the rolled dough. Transfer the cut-out shapes to ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.
- 6Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the cookies are set. Move them from the baking sheets to wire racks and let them cool completely for about 15 minutes.
- 7Place the white vanilla baking chips and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat uncovered on high for 30 seconds, then stir the mixture.
- 8Continue microwaving in 15-second bursts, stirring after each, until the icing is completely smooth. Transfer the melted mixture to a decorating bag fitted with a small round tip, pipe designs onto the cooled cookies, and finish by pressing red cinnamon candies into the icing.
Notes
- Allergy safety: To keep the cookies strictly gluten-free at a party, serve them on a separate plate with a clear label.
- Equipment swap: If you don't have a piping bag, a small resealable plastic bag with one corner snipped off works perfectly for decorating.
- Storage: Keep the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.