Be the star of your cookie exchanges this holiday season with these gluten free Christmas cookies with crushed candy canes. They are the perfect Christmas treat that is both kid, adult, and Santa friendly.
It doesn’t feel quite like Christmas without a healthy dose of Christmas cookies! Theres something so nostalgic about biting into a cookie shaped like a snowman or Christmas tree and I am HERE FOR IT.
This gluten free Christmas cookie recipe will not only bring the Christmas spirit in a big way, but they are also totally gluten-free making them the perfect Christmas treat for the gluten intolerant or Celiac folks in your life.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
To make this gluten free Christmas cookie recipe, we use almond and coconut flour. While this dough tends to be a little more delicate than other doughs that use regular all purpose flour, it is still totally workable and yields a soft and chewy cookie.
I also love using these flour alternatives because they pack on an extra nutrition boost which makes me a happy dietitian. The almond flour provides some healthy fats and protein, while the coconut flour gives these cookies a fibre boost.
Depending on the size of your cookie cutters, roughly two of these gluten free Christmas cookies provides around 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fibre. And when they are shaped into a cute little Christmas present and decorated to perfection? Come to mama!
Key Ingredients
Gluten-free Flour – these Christmas cookies use coconut and almond flour to make them gluten friendly. While there are definitely other gluten free flours on the market, I wouldn’t recommend substituting them in for this recipe as the quantities required would be totally different.
Icing Sugar – to make an easy icing for decorating, we whisk together icing sugar with a bit of almond milk. You can adjust the quantities to play around with the thickness of the icing.
Extracts – we use vanilla and peppermint extract to give these cookies an extra boost of Christmas flavour. Feel free to use one or the other depending on your taste preferences.
Cookie Cutters – we go full Christmas mood with these cookies by using a plethora of Christmas shaped cookie cutters like candy cane, snow flake, Christmas tree, presents, and snow man. The more opportunity for decorating the better!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Add butter, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract to a bowl.
Step 2: Cream together until combined.
Step 3: Add in half of the almond flour, the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda and mix.
Step 4: Add the remaining almond flour.
Step 5: Stir to combine.
Step 6: Mix in the egg until a uniform dough forms. Roll the dough into two balls, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 7: Take out half of the dough and roll it between two pieces of parchment paper until the dough is just under ¼” thick.
Step 8: Use your favourite cookie cutters to carefully cut out shapes. The dough will be delicate, so it’s best to cut them out directly on the piece of parchment that you plan to bake them on. Scrape up any remaining dough and repeat by making shapes from them.
Step 9: Bake for 8-11 minutes. Pull them out when they are just slightly browned on the underside and firm yet slightly puffy on top. Set them aside to cool.
Step 10: To prepare the icing, mix a few tablespoons of the powdered sugar with a teaspoon of milk. Add half of the remaining powdered sugar slowly.
Step 11: Whisk to prevent clumps. Add an additional teaspoon of milk. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar until you get a thick icing.
Step 12: Once you have a thick icing, pipe the icing on to the cookies in your favourite designs or shapes. While the icing is still sticky, sprinkle on any decorations you’d like – we used non-pareils, chocolate chips, and crushed candy cane pieces. Allow the icing to set and enjoy!
Expert Tips
The number of cookies this recipe makes will depend on how large your cookie cutters are and how thick you roll out the dough, but with my cutters it made about 2 dozen.
Coconut flour widely varies in absorbency across different brands. I have only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill brand coconut flour so that’s what I recommend here. Use a fine blanched almond flour.
All ovens and pans cook a bit differently. Watch your cookies and pull them just when they begin to slightly brown on the underside for a softer cookie. Allow them to brown a little more if you want a crunchier cookie.
Feel free to use your own icing (homemade or store bought) or use this very simple powdered sugar icing. Add any type of flavoring you’d like to this gluten free Christmas cookie recipe.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to make these Christmas cookies vegan you can try using vegan butter and a flax egg instead.
Absolutely. Let the cookies cool down and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once they are solid, transfer to a container using parchment paper in between each cookie so they don’t stick together. Cookies will keep up to 3 months in the freezer. With that said, you can totally use the dough to make valentines day or Easter themed cookies and thaw them just in time for decorating.
Almond flour and almond meal are both made from ground almonds, however almond flour is made using blanched skinless almonds, while almond meal is made with unblanched almonds with the skin which ends up creating a more course flour. For this recipe, we recommend using (blanched) almond flour.
While almond flour is a bit more on the pricey side, a little goes a long way! So you definitely want to ensure you store almond flour correctly so that is doesn’t go to waste. Due to the fat content of the almond flour, it can go rancid at room temperature so be sure to store in the fridge or freezer to maximize it’s shelf life.
One of these cookies provides around 7 grams of net carbs. To make them lower in net carbs you can substitute the coconut sugar for a keto friendly sweetener.
More Recipes You Might Like
Here are some more Christmas treats that you might enjoy this holiday season!
- 20 Best Healthy Vegan Christmas Desserts
- Candy Cane Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Coconut Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Oatmeal Cookie Cups with Healthy Vegan Chocolate Mousse
- No Bake Matcha Cheesecake Parfait
- Vegan and Gluten Free Pecan Pie
Have you made cookies with almond flour before? What’s your go-to gluten free Christmas cookie recipe?
Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes
Ingredients
For the cookie:
- ¼ cup very soft unsalted butter or you can use vegan butter
- 3 Tbsp. coconut sugar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp. fine blanched almond flour
- 2 Tbsp. coconut flour I used Bob’s Red Mill
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 large egg
For the icing:
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- Almond milk to thin (a few teaspoons)
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract or a few drops of peppermint extract
- Decorations sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips, etc.
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Add in half of the almond flour, the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda and mix. Mix in the remaining almond flour.
- Mix in the egg until a uniform dough forms. Roll the dough into two balls, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. After the dough has refrigerated, take out half of the dough and roll it between two pieces of parchment paper until the dough is just under ¼” thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to carefully cut out shapes. The dough will be delicate, so it’s best to cut them out directly on the piece of parchment that you plan to bake them on. Scrape up any remaining dough and repeat by making shapes from them.
- After this, get the second ball of dough out from the fridge and repeat until you have 1 or 2 parchment covered baking sheets covered in cookie cut outs.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your cookies. Pull them out when they are just slightly browned on the underside and firm yet slightly puffy on top. Set them aside to cool.
- To prepare the icing, mix a few tablespoons of the powdered sugar with a teaspoon of milk. Add half of the remaining powdered sugar slowly, whisking as you go to prevent clumps. Add an additional teaspoon of milk. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar until you get a thick icing. If desired, add your favorite extract. Depending on the type of milk and powdered sugar you use, you may need more or less liquid. Once you have a thick icing, pour it into a piping bag or plastic baggie and make a very small cut at the end corner of the bag.
- Pipe the icing on to the cookies in your favorite designs or shapes. While the icing is still sticky, sprinkle on any decorations you’d like – we used non-pareils, chocolate chips, and crushed candy cane pieces. Allow the icing to set and enjoy!
Notes
- The number of cookies this recipe makes will depend on how large your cookie cutters are and how thick you roll out the dough, but with my cutters it made about 2 dozen.
- Coconut flour widely varies in absorbancy across different brands. I have only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill brand coconut flour so that’s what I recommend here. Use a fine blanched almond flour.
- All ovens and pans cook a bit differently. Watch your cookies and pull them just when they begin to slightly brown on the underside for a softer cookie. Allow them to brown a little more if you want a crunchier cookie.
- Feel free to use your own icing (homemade or store bought) or use this very simple powdered sugar icing. Add any type of flavoring you’d like.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
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How can individuals with gluten sensitivities or allergies enjoy the holiday season with these gluten-free treats?
Greeting :How can individuals with gluten sensitivities or allergies enjoy the holiday season with these gluten-free treats?