Gluten-free Christmas cookies taste just as delicious as the traditional versions, but without wheat! Learn how to make perfect almond flour sugar cookies, or try one of the other 16 holiday cookies below.
Tips for Making Gluten-Free Cookies
While gluten-free flour blends can be convenient, they don’t always work as a perfect 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour. The recipes below use a variety of different gluten-free options, like buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, almond flour, and oat flour, without relying on special ingredients like xanthan gum.
If you’re not already familiar with gluten-free baking, these tips may help you get started.
- Don’t swap the flour in a recipe. If a recipe calls for almond flour, don’t expect to get the same results if you use a gluten-free flour blend. Instead, find a recipe that already calls for the flour you want to use.
- Oat flour doesn’t work for everyone. While oats are naturally gluten-free, not everyone with celiac disease can tolerate them. If you can use oat flour, make sure the package is labeled “certified gluten-free” to make sure there is no cross-contamination during processing.
- Don’t make extra modifications. Gluten-free baking is trickier because there’s no gluten to act as a binder. That means it’s more difficult to leave out the eggs, and if you cut back on the sugar in a recipe, the cookies won’t spread as expected.
If you need a vegan or Paleo recipe, I’ve labeled them for you below! I hope these gluten-free cookie recipes will make your holiday season easier.
Gluten-Free Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Vegan & Paleo)
These grain-free cookies can be cut out just like the traditional version, or you can drop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them spread into circles as they bake.
Add some sprinkles before baking, or decorate them with frosting after cooling.
- Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Paleo)
Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and molasses, these gluten-free cookies taste even better than the classic version. They make the perfect holiday dessert!
- Flourless Chocolate Crinkles (Vegan & Paleo)
These rich chocolate cookies are made with almond butter instead of flour, for a nourishing gluten-free and dairy-free treat.
Since they’re made without eggs, you can taste-test the cookie dough, too!
- Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies (Vegan & Paleo)
These classic cookies are filled with your favorite jam for a bright and fruity flavor. With a subtle hint of almond extract, they are hard to resist.
- Oat Flour Chocolate Cookies
These chocolate cookies have a chewy texture and rich chocolate flavor. You can add chocolate chips for a double chocolate cookie, or roll them in powdered sugar for a crinkle.
- Oat Flour Sugar Cookies
Oat flour is an affordable flour that makes delicious gluten-free sugar cookies! To help hide the “oat” flavor, these cookies feature almond and vanilla extract.
Cut them out to decorate or roll them in sugar for an easy drop cookie that will spread on the pan.
- Almond Flour Snickerdoodles (Vegan & Paleo)
Made with protein-rich almond flour, these cinnamon-sugar cookies have a chewy texture you’ll love.
- Coconut Macaroons (Vegan & Paleo)
Classic macaroons are made with sweetened condensed milk and egg whites, but this recipe is vegan-friendly using coconut butter and maple syrup instead.
They almost taste like a Girl Scout cookie especially when you dip them in chocolate!
- Chocolate Coconut Macaroons (Vegan & Paleo)
If you love chocolate and coconut, this cookie is for you. It has a rich chocolate flavor and takes just a few minutes to stir together!
- Chickpea Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter cookies are irresistibly chewy and happen to be gluten-free. Chickpea flour is NOT delicious before it’s baked, so don’t snack on the gluten-free cookie dough with this one.
(But trust me when I say you’ll love the final results!)
- Peanut Butter Temptations
Flourless peanut butter cookies become extra-decadent when you stuff a dark chocolate peanut butter cup inside! They taste like an upgraded peanut butter blossom.
- Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies . (Vegan)
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are fruit-sweetened, with a rich and tender texture. Press a few chocolate chips in the center (or a Hershey’s Kiss) to make easy gluten-free peanut butter blossoms.
- Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies
Buckwheat flour doesn’t often make it into cookies because it can have a distinctive earthy flavor. Adding cocoa powder to this recipe gives it a delicious brownie flavor!
- No-Bake Cookies
These no-bake cookies are made with coconut sugar instead of white sugar and have a surprising twist. They will disappear quickly, so you might want to make a double batch.
- Almond Flour Biscotti (Paleo)
Biscotti has a very crispy texture that makes it perfect for dunking into coffee or tea. These almond flour cookies are double-baked and would make a delicious DIY holiday gift, especially when dipped in dark chocolate.
- Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
If you love chocolate mint desserts, this cookie is for you. It has a chewy texture without using any flour and is the perfect addition to holiday cookie platters when you sprinkle some crushed candy cane on top.
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you love a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies, be sure to try my Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Almond Flour Cookies for some gluten-free options.
Looking for more gluten-free recipes? These gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls are the best you’ll ever try, and my Gluten-free Pretzels make an excellent appetizer!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder, almond extract, and salt. Stir well until the batter looks uniform.
- For cut-out cookies, place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. (Sometimes I skip this step, and it still turns out okay if you’re in a hurry. Just keep in mind the dough will be more fragile to work with.)
- Place the dough between two large pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out. I like my cookies to be on the thicker side, about a 1/4-inch thick, but you’ll get crispier cookies (and more of them) if you make the dough thinner. It’s up to you!
- Press your favorite cookie cutters into the dough, then carefully remove the excess. Transfer the cut-out shapes to the lined baking sheet. Squish the remaining dough together, roll it out again, and repeat the cut-out process until you’ve used it all.
- Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. The shorter baking time will produce cookies with a softer center. Let them cool completely on the pan to allow them to firm up. Once the cookies are cool, you can frost them with your favorite icing. (There’s a simple powdered sugar option in the notes below.)
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. They will soften when left at room temperature, so store them in the fridge or freezer for a firmer cookie.
Notes
Nutrition
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies are filled with your favorite jam for an easy gluten-free cookie. They couldn’t be easier to make!
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re easy to prepare. This recipe calls for just one type of flour, and you can stir the cookie dough together in one bowl. They will be baking in the oven before you know it!
You can make multiple flavors. If you love variety, you can use a mix of jam flavors to make several different options. Try apricot jam, strawberry or raspberry jam, or you could even use melted chocolate in the center for a non-fruit Christmas cookie.
They’re gluten-free & vegan. If you need a dairy-free, egg-free, or grain-free option to serve during the holiday season, this recipe checks all of those boxes!
They taste amazing. The combination of tender almond cookies and tart jam make this dessert just as delicious as the traditional version made with white flour.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These gluten-free thumbprint cookies are made with blanched almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and baking powder. The cookie dough can be stirred together in minutes!
To keep this recipe naturally sweetened, use homemade chia seed jam . For convenience, you can also use your favorite store-bought option.
Raspberry jam and orange marmalade pair perfectly with the added almond flavor!
Make Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Stir well until the dough looks thick and slightly sticky.
Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the dough, and roll each between your hands. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 to 2 inches apart.
Press your thumb into the center of each ball, creating an indentation for the jam to go into.
- Add a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges look golden brown.
When you remove the paleo thumbprint cookies from the oven, they will be very soft, but they will firm up as they cool.
Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. They will have a slightly crisp outside and a soft, tender texture in the center under the jam.
Once the cookies are cool, serve them at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Looking for more almond flour cookie recipes? Try Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies , Vegan Gingerbread Cookies , and Almond Flour Sugar Cookies .
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons jam of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and salt. Stir well, until the dough looks thick and slightly sticky.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough then roll it between your hands to form a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough forming 18 balls. Arrange them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Press your thumb into the center of each ball, creating an indentation. Add a ½ teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottom edges of the cookie start to look golden.
- The cookies will feel very soft to the touch when you remove them from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool on the pan. Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Serve the cookies right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies: Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder, almond extract, and salt. Stir well until the batter looks uniform.
- For cut-out cookies, place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. (Sometimes I skip this step, and it still turns out okay if you’re in a hurry. Just keep in mind the dough will be more fragile to work with.)
- Place the dough between two large pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out. I like my cookies to be on the thicker side, about a 1/4-inch thick, but you’ll get crispier cookies (and more of them) if you make the dough thinner. It’s up to you!
- Press your favorite cookie cutters into the dough, then carefully remove the excess. Transfer the cut-out shapes to the lined baking sheet. Squish the remaining dough together, roll it out again, and repeat the cut-out process until you’ve used it all.
- Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. The shorter baking time will produce cookies with a softer center. Let them cool completely on the pan to allow them to firm up. Once the cookies are cool, you can frost them with your favorite icing. (There’s a simple powdered sugar option in the notes below.)
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. They will soften when left at room temperature, so store them in the fridge or freezer for a firmer cookie.
