In our opinion, cookies are important all year long - but during the Holidays - cookies are serious stuff! We tested Gluten Free Sugar Cookie & Basic Cookie mixes to make the holiday baking season a little easier - and tastier - for you!
First, our tips for Gluten Free Cookie Baking success:
- Use a Silpat or parchment paper to line your cookie sheets - less spreading & cookies are way easier to remove
- Follow directions on mixes or recipes precisely, and preheat the oven!
- Chill Gluten Free cookie dough before baking - cool dough spreads less
Here’s how we did this: Mixes were made with standard directions & baked for the time directed on the package. No nuts, chips or other mix-ins were added. Several of the mixes have alternate recipes or substitutions for other allergens, and you’ll find some of those outlined in our review. Happy Baking!
Best Overall Sugar Cookie & Best for Cookie Cutters/Cut-outs: This mix won in two categories, and that's only because it was only in two. It's is simply the Best Sugar Cookie Mix we've found - you've got to try Lindsay's Lipsmakin' Sugar Cookie Mix by 123 Gluten Free. Our cut-outs were nice & clean and the taste is awesome, plus - the mix is gluten, wheat, soy, corn, dairy, egg & nut free, and includes clear directions for making the mix dairy & egg free. We also liked 123 Gluten Free's Chewy Chipless Scrumdelicious Cookie Mix for a base to add in our our chips or nuts.
Best Cookie Mix for Mix-ins: We loved the homemade, brown sugar flavor of King Arthur's Gluten Free Cookie Mix. Once we got this dough nice & cold, it did pretty well with cut-outs too, so this is our pick for all-purpose, keep-it-in-the-pantry cookie mix.
Best Double-Duty Mix: When we read the box of Gluten Free Pantry's Old Fashioned Cake & Cookie Mix and saw there was directions for cake & cookies we thought the results might be a little weird. But this mix delivered light, fluffy cookies with a very vanilla flavor - you could easily bake this mix in a Madeleine pan for pretty, fancy tea cookies or make use this mix for Snickerdoodles or spice cookies. The box has clear directions for Egg & Dairy free versions. This mix spreads a bit, so get the dough cold & keep your cookies small for best results.
Best Shortbread Cookie Mix: We loved the Shortbread Cookie Mix from Bob's Red Mill - it was easy to use and not too sweet, so you can add in your favorite shortbread flavorings - from fresh Rosemary to chopped chocolate - and this mix will stand up to them. But sure to get enough moisture in the dough - it shouldn't be wet (that will result in tough cookies!) but it is difficult to work with if it's too dry. Want to skip the baking? We like the Gluten Free Dairy Free Shortbread Hearts from Orgran - not too sweet, and the kids can add icing & decorations to them too.
Our Team Loves: We love Pamela's around here - that's no secret. One of the reasons we fell in love? Her Sugar Cookie Mix & Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mixes. The cookies hold their shape and have great flavor & texture.
Here are some Recipes you may want for Cookie Baking time:
Royal Icing
Marshmallow Fondant
Gluten Free Rolled Sugar Cookies
Here are some Tools you might need:
Vanilla Bean Paste
Silpat Baking Non-Stick sheet liner
Icing Colors- bright & cleaner than food coloring
Decorating/Piping Bag & Tips
We did a Gluten Free Brownie Review earlier this year, so check that out for a chocolate fix! Hope these reviews - Sugar Cookie & Basic Cookie Mixes help!
GF Carrie says
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to conduct this study and put such helpful info in one place. GFree Foodie Rocks!
I have found the silpat pads help a lot, but never realized why - and chilling the dough makes a big difference, otherwise I end up with flat and brittle cookies.
I can't count the number of times I've bought GF packaged foods or mixes only to be disappointed if not grossed out. You have provided an amazing service. Thank you.
Allison@KingArthurFlour says
Thanks for including King Arthur Flour's gluten-free cookie mix in your line-up! We are so glad you enjoyed them. I noticed our brownies didn't make it into your brownie review from August - did you have a chance to try them? If not, let me know - I'd be glad to send a sample.
Happy gluten-free holidays!
Administrator says
Allison - thanks so much! No sample was submitted for the Brownie Review, but we have tried them since - delish!
Jane says
Thanks for the Silpat mention. It really does make a difference in your baking. What I did learn from you is the refrigerator method. My Mom used to always do this and I never knew why.