Quick and easy gluten free cookies (2023)

FAQs

What is the best gluten free flour to use for cookies? ›

Brown Rice Flour

rice flour is a very popular flour. Actually, it is the most common flour used in gluten-free baking. This is because the texture is extremely light, fine, and slightly gritty. Rice flour has a very mild taste, which allows for other flours to be mixed in to create a perfect gluten-free baked product.

Remember: Xanthan Gum is Your Friend

It might sound scary, but xanthan gum is key for successful gluten-free baking. It helps bind together the ingredients, preventing your cookies from falling to pieces. Be careful to not use too much; no one likes gummy baked goods.

Gluten-free batters need a longer bake time.

Because gluten-free batters contain more liquid than traditional versions, they typically take longer to bake. If you remove them from the oven too soon, you may develop a gummy, mushy texture.

Best Overall: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

This mix, which has all recognizable ingredients (including sweet white rice flour, which is the main ingredient in mochi, a nice light, powdery, starchy flour that doubles as a binder), worked well in all three of our tests.

Some ingredients that may help to create that fluffier and more elastic end result include: unflavored gelatin, xanthan gum, guar gum, and eggs.

Binding agents (such as xanthan gum, guar gum, or flax) help give gluten-free baked goods the elasticity needed to create structure — so if your favorite gluten-free flour mix doesn't contain one, you'll probably want to add one.

Give xanthan gum a try – This is a very common bonding agent in gluten-free baked foods. If your recipes tend to crumble too much then add some xanthan gum to the ingredients and you will get much better elasticity. These tips are amazing for improving the texture and taste of your gluten-free foods.

An extra egg or yolk can help improve structure and add moisture. Add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to each cup of gluten free flour for structure and freshness. Let batter or dough sit for up to 30 minutes before baking to absorb liquid and avoid a gritty texture.

Potato Starch & Flour

And both absorb liquid well, so they're good for bulking up your flour mix. It can replace all-purpose flour cup for cup. However, because its texture lacks substance, it's best to mix it with other gluten-free flours. I like to use a maximum of ¼ cup of potato flour or starch for 2 cups of flour.

Gluten is what gives cakes and bakes structure and texture. You can't always replace regular flour with gluten-free flour. Different gluten-free and alternative flours provide different functions. You often have to use more than 1 gluten-free flour in a recipe to achieve a similar result to using regular flour.

What is the secret to making good cookies? ›

Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.

Potatoes in their raw form do not contain any gluten and are therefore perfectly suitable for Coeliacs and anyone with special dietary needs. What you do need to be careful about is how they are prepared as any additional ingredients used could contain gluten, providing a 'back door' for them.

The baking powder brands you can find in grocery stores are typically gluten-free – Bob's Red Mill and Clabber Girl are two brands of baking powder that do not contain gluten and are safe for those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Gluten-Free Flours Require Special Measuring Techniques

These flours and starches are finer than wheat flours, making them hard to pack evenly and consistently into a measuring cup.

What is this? The ratio for creating your own gluten-free self-rising dough is simple too. For every cup of Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour, add 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt.

Gluten-containing ingredients to avoid: malt, malt flavor, malt extract, malt vinegar, brewer's yeast, and ingredients with the words “wheat,” “barley,” or “rye” in the name or in parentheses after the name. Examples of ingredients to avoid: dextrin (wheat), wheat starch, malt extract (barley).

Are graham crackers gluten free? ›

Are Graham Crackers Gluten-Free? No, most regular graham crackers are made with graham flour, wheat flour, or whole wheat flour and are not gluten-free—but fortunately, there are many gluten-free graham crackers made with a gluten free flour blend. However, not all gluten-free grahams are created equal.

To replace gluten, you'll need to use a different thickening agent like xanthan gum or guar gum in your baking. For each cup of gluten-free flour mix, add at least 1 teaspoon of gluten substitute. This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Xanthomonas campestris.

13- Make sure your baking soda and/or baking powder are fresh. These are the leavening agents in your cookie recipe and if they are no longer active, your cookies won't puff up and may spread more. Try a fresh container if they've been open longer than 3 months.

Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.

The gluten is formed during kneading of the bread dough. Kneading causes the gluten strands to get stronger and longer.

Gluten-free baking can often be dry so it is important to add moisture. This can be achieved by increasing the amount of vegan butter or oil, adding fruit such as applesauce or pumpkin puree or using brown sugar rather than white sugar.

Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum

Xanthan gum or guar gum will prevent crumbling in breads, cakes, muffins, biscuits, and many other recipes. If a recipe turns out too crumbly the first time, add a pinch more xanthan gum.

Cassava Flour

This flour is gluten-, grain- and nut-free. It's most similar to white flour and can easily be used in recipes calling for all-purpose flour.

All-purpose flour is best used for: cookies, muffins, bread, pie crusts, pancakes, biscuits, pizza dough, and pasta.

Gluten-free recipes won't taste exactly the same as a wheat flour recipe. Just remember, gluten-free baked goods will taste better than anything made in a factory or mass-produced.

Does gluten-free flour taste different in cookies? ›

Yes, gluten-free cookies can taste different than regular cookies. This is because gluten-free cookies typically use different types of flour, such as rice flour, almond flour, or coconut flour, instead of wheat flour. This can result in a different texture and flavor in the cookie.

Yes, all-purpose flour (aka plain flour) is perfect for cookie-making. To make your cookies a bit chewier, mix plain and bread flour.

They go from soft to hard because they start to dry out, and it begins as soon as you pull them from the oven. (Yikes.) Whatever moisture is left in the cookies is always in a state of evaporation. At the same time, the sugars and starches are solidifying.

Give xanthan gum a try – This is a very common bonding agent in gluten-free baked foods. If your recipes tend to crumble too much then add some xanthan gum to the ingredients and you will get much better elasticity. These tips are amazing for improving the texture and taste of your gluten-free foods.

Can you use baking powder with gluten-free flour? Absolutely. It is necessary to use baking powder with gluten-free flours to make sure the dough rises. Baking soda can be used instead of baking powder getting similar results, but you should combine it with buttermilk and cream of tartar.