This gluten-free vegan vanilla cut-out cookie recipe is simple, quick, and perfect for holiday cookie swaps or gifting. The dough comes together in minutes and needs no chilling, so you can cut and bake cookies the same day. It produces sturdy, easy-to-handle shapes and a tender, fragrant vanilla flavor.
For detailed shapes I used a snowflake press cutter, but any basic cookie cutter works beautifully. These cookies can be decorated with vegan frosting or royal icing, or turned into ornaments by piercing a small hole before baking for threading ribbon through.
Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Cut-Out Cookies
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4.4 from 14 reviews
A classic gluten-free vanilla cut-out cookie for the holidays. Simple, quick to whip up, and free from refined sugar. Vegan and dairy-free.
- Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes
- Yield: 26 – 28 2″ cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- ½ cup non-dairy butter at room temperature OR coconut oil, softened
- ½ cup maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground vanilla bean or the seeds from ½ a vanilla bean pod (optional but recommended)
- Dash of salt
- 2¼ cups gluten-free flour blend (use a blend such as Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend, or combine 1 cup brown rice flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ½ cup sweet rice flour, and ½ tsp guar gum)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare a rolling surface with two sheets of parchment and have your cookie cutters ready.
- In a large bowl, beat the non-dairy butter until creamy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds (if using), and a dash of salt; mix until combined. Stir in the gluten-free flour blend with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to work the dough until it forms a smooth ball. The dough should press together when pinched and not feel sticky. If slightly sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour; if too dry, add 1 tablespoon more sweetener. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten each into a disk.
- Roll one disk between two sheets of parchment to about ¼” thickness (adjust thinner or thicker to your preference). Cut shapes with cookie cutters and transfer them carefully to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about ½” apart—they won’t spread much. Gather scraps, re-roll, and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking. Let cool for about 10 minutes before decorating or serving.
