Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Easy to make: These cookies are simple to make and look like you spent hours baking them! No rolling or cookie cutters required. The cookie press does all the work!
Classic holiday cookies: Gluten-free spritz cookies are a holiday classic! They’re perfect for parties, cookie exchanges, a holiday gift for neighbors, or for shipping to a loved one.
Buttery, sweet cookies: These cookies are perfectly balanced in flavor and texture. They’re sweet but not too sweet. They’re crisp but also tender and buttery. They’ll soon become your favorite cookies for the holidays!
Top Tips: I’ve tested pressing these cookies out onto an unlined baking sheet, a parchment lined baking sheet and a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. I’ve found a silcone mat works best. The cookies also adhere much better to a cold surface so I recommend chilling the cookie sheets for a few minutes.
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in December 2023. It was updated with new photos and instructions in November 2024.
These gluten-free spritz cookies are the perfect way to get the whole family involved. With these easy, buttery cookies, you don’t have to roll out the dough or even mess with a cookie cutter! Just place them in the spritz cookie press and press the dough into fun holiday shapes like Christmas trees, wreaths, or stars.
You can decorate them if you like or enjoy them plain! Either way, they taste delicious and will bring holiday cheer. They really are the perfect cookie for the holiday season!
Featured Comment
From Heather: “Thank you for a recipe that is as delicious and melt-in-your-mouth as the original recipe made with wheat flour! I followed the recipe exactly and used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. I did not spritz the silicone baking mat but the cookies did not stick. Excellent taste, texture and appearance.”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free spritz cookies. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: It’s best to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend for these cookies. I recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Baking Flour. It has xanthan gum, which helps create a nice chew and gives a similar texture to all-purpose flour.
- Butter: I typically prefer salted butter over unsalted butter. It has better depth of flavor and will really make a difference with buttery cookies like these gluten-free spritz cookies and my gluten-free shortbread!
- Almond and vanilla extract: The hint of almond extract combined with vanilla makes these delicious holiday cookies extra special. I highly recommend using a blend of both! (Real vanilla extract will give better results than imitation.)
How to Make Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make these spritz cookies. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!”
Recipe Tip: Chill Your Baking Sheets
Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats. While the cookie dough is chilling and the oven is preheating, and if your refrigerator or freezer has room, it’s helpful to chill your lined baking sheets. The dough coming out of the cookie press adheres much better to a cold surface.
- In a stand mixer: Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together using a paddle attachment. You can also use an electric hand mixer!
- Add ingredients: Mix the egg, vanilla, and almond extract into the butter/sugar until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix in dry ingredients: Add the gluten-free flour and mix on low until well-combined.
- Cover and chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F. Do not refrigerate the cookies for longer than 20 minutes or they won’t press out easily!
- Fill the cookie press: Your cookie press should come with directions on how to add the decorative plate. After that gets worked out, fill the press with dough.
- Press out cookies: Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the baking sheet and press out the cookies. Since they don’t spread much, you can place them fairly close together.
Decorating Spritz Cookies
If desired, top the cookies with sprinkles or press a chocolate chip into the center. If needed, you can very lightly brush the cookies with water before topping with sprinkles so they adhere to the cookies better.
If the cookie dough becomes too soft as you work, chill the shaped cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
Bake: Bake until very lightly browned on the edges, 7–9 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Store: Store gluten-free spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: These cookies freeze well! Store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Can these gluten-free spritz cookies be made dairy-free?
Yes, you can use vegan butter in place of the butter. It might impact the buttery flavor a bit, but they’ll still be delicious!
The dough won’t go through the cookie press, what should I do?
The dough won’t go through the cookie press if it is too cold or firm. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften a bit. If it gets too warm though, you’ll need to chill it again so keep an eye on it and don’t leave it out too long!
Can I use other extracts besides vanilla and almond? Or can I use vanilla extract only?
Yes! I love the combination of vanilla and almond extract (it’s such a great flavor combo for these cookies), but if you aren’t a fan of almond extract, you can use all vanilla. Or try out your favorite extracts — just be cautious and add a little at a time since some extracts can be very strong. You don’t want them to overpower the cookie!
Gluten-Free Spritz Cookie Recipe Tips
- Use a good cookie press. This is the cookie press I have and love!
- Use a silicone mat. I have tried baking these 3 different ways — on parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, and directly on the cookie sheet. I highly recommend baking these spritz on a silicone baking mat. Parchment paper is too slippery, so the cookies spread too much. When you use an unlined baking sheet, it’s hard to get make the cookies adhere to the sheet as they come out of the cookie press.
- Use gel food coloring (if desired). If you’d like, you can set aside some dough to tint. I recommend using gel food coloring for this step. One very tiny drop of green is plenty for ¼ of the cookie dough. Use it sparingly! You may have to chill the cookie dough for just a bit after mixing in the food coloring.
- Get creative. Have fun with decorating these Christmas cookies! Add melted chocolate drizzle, sprinkles, dark chocolate chips, icing, colored sugar, and more. The possibilities are endless!
More Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies
Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies (Tried and True Recipe!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¼ cup (337g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- optional: gel food coloring, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and melted chocolate for decorating
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats. While the cookie dough is chilling and the oven is preheating, and if your refrigerator or freezer has room, it’s helpful to chill your lined baking sheets. The dough coming out of the cookie press adheres much better to a cold surface.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and salt together. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add the gluten-free flour and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. (Do not refrigerate longer than 20 minutes!)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Follow cookie press manufacturer’s directions to fit your cookie press with a decorative plate. Fill the cookie press with dough. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the cookie sheet and press out the cookies. They can be fairly close together, since they don’t really spread.
- DECORATE: If desired, top the cookies with sprinkles or press a chocolate chip into the center. If needed, you can very lightly brush the cookies with water before topping with sprinkles so they will adhere to the cookies.
- If the cookie dough becomes too soft as you work, chill the shaped cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake until very lightly browned on the edges, 7–9 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
There was a small error in the printed recipe.
It calls for 2 1/4 cup gluten-free flour, which weighs 279g. Use this amount of flour.
It says in parenthesis, 338g, which is too much flour.
I made the dough the day before a party and refrigerated it overnight. Then I allowed it to warm slightly before putting it in the cookie press. They came out delicious.
Thanks!
Hi Michele! Thank you for sharing your feedback. The measurement is correct. This recipe needs 2 1/4 cup (337g) of gluten-free flour. We find that 1 cup of KAF weighs much closer to 150 grams. At the end of the day a cup measurement is subjective – and we think the manufacturer doesn’t realize gluten-free flour is denser than traditional wheat flour (traditional wheat flour is 120 grams/cup) so they provide that generalized measurement that really isn’t accurate for gluten-free flour. Erin’s measurement for the KAF flour is consistent across all of her recipes, even though it’s not the same as KAF. We’re glad you enjoyed the cookies!