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Grain Free Sugar Cookies

What don’t you see in this picture?

Flourless sugar cookies from @choccoveredkt that are gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and vegan! No flour and no butter required! Full recipe here: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/12/18/grain-free-sugar-cookies/

No flour. No butter.

And no refined sugar. None of these items are included in today’s cut-out grain free sugar cookie recipe. Unless you douse the grain free cookies in sprinkles, as you know I love to do.

healthy sugar cookies

If you happen to forget the dough and then decide it’s really good unbaked and straight from the freezer… well, I wouldn’t know anything about that. It’s not like I’ve done it or anything. 😉

Flourless sugar cookies from @choccoveredkt that are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and vegan! No flour and no butter required! Full recipe here: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/12/18/grain-free-sugar-cookies/

Grain Free Sugar Cookies

(with a paleo option)

Adapted from this recipe and inspired by Laura.

  • 1 cup finely-ground almond meal (also known as almond flour. For substitutions, see nutrition link at the end of this recipe.) (75g)
  • a little over 1/8 tsp salt (1/8 plus 1/16 tsp)
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, or stevia to taste (For substitutions, see nutrition link below.) (30g)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil (15g)
  • For maple syrup version: up to 2 level teaspoons milk of choice or extra oil, as needed (5-10g). For stevia version: 1 tbsp milk of choice, added with the liquid ingredients. (15g)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • optional: pure almond extract

Grain Free Sugar Cookies Recipe: Combine all liquid ingredients (except milk of choice if using maple syrup version). In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir very well. Now mix wet into dry and keep stirring, breaking up clumps as you mix—it may seem dry at first, and you can add the extra 2 tsp milk or oil (I did add this when I made the maple syrup version), but do not add any more liquid than the recipe calls for. It will eventually form something that can either be squished into a ball with your hands or put into a plastic bag and smushed from inside the bag (the less-messy option). Roll out dough to cut-out-cookie width, either between sheets of parchment paper or from inside the bag, then cut into shapes. Freeze dough at least 20 minutes before cooking 10-13 minutes (depending on desired crispiness) at 325 F on a greased cookie sheet. Let cool another 10 minutes before even attempting to remove cookies from the sheet. They should firm up nicely. For troubleshooting, see nutrition link below. I store these in a glass container, not fully covered, as I like them crispier.

View Grain Free Cookies Nutrition Facts

grain free sugar cookies

Optional glaze:

Just mix 1 cup powdered sugar or no-sugar powdered sugar with scant 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract and a little milk of choice. Start very small with the amount of milk, and stir well before deciding to add more. If you accidentally add too much milk, simply add more of the sugar. (The cookies in the photos are frosted with the sugar-free powdered sugar, linked above.)

Link of the Day:

sprinkles

Sprinkles!

Um, I mean Sugar Cookie Oatmeal.

Published on December 18, 2012

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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164 Comments

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  1. Lena says

    These look so great!! I’ve been trying to find cookie ideas for Christmas morning for my hubby and I and these are it! I love the decorations on them 🙂

  2. Samantha says

    Very interesting, I am going to try these. I have been seriously considering the hazelnut flour myself, but I could see where almond would be more appropriate to sugar cookies…

    Decisions! I will let you know. I can’t wait to try. 🙂

  3. Kristen says

    Has anyone tried this with oat flour? I’m allergic to all nuts and I’m currently off wheat so thought I’d give the oat a try!

    • Sheena says

      Just a reminder that oats are a grain too
      Some people are intolerant of all grains
      This includes. Oats , soy, quinua, etc
      But your almond flour cookies are great
      Thank you
      Sheena

  4. petrina says

    This reminds me of the low-carb crackers I used to make for my husband, who is a strict low carber. But I used egg white for the liquid binder. This is a nice vegetarian version and sweet! I have to try these for him!

  5. Marianne says

    Hi Katie! So, to confirm…you’re freezing it after you’ve cut it into shapes? When I’ve made sugar cookies in the past, I’ve refrigerated the dough for a few hours before rolling out and shaping, since the dough is easier to manipulate. I just want to make sure I got the order correct, since I’ll be making these soon 🙂

  6. Kayla says

    Hi Katie, how do you substitute something sticky (like maple syrup, as you have listed) with stevia? That’s two different consistences…how would that yield the same result? Do you test these recipes out???

  7. Jesann says

    What did you put in the glaze to make it sparkly? Did you pulverize some of the sprinkles into a powder and mix that in? That looks wonderful.

    (I’ve been re-reading the recipe and don’t see anything about the method for making it sparkly, so if you did mention how to do that and I just can’t read, sorry. 🙂 )

  8. jodye @ chocolate and chou fleur says

    These look so authentic, and I love the short ingredient list! Sugar cookies are a must for christmas, and I bet nobody will be able to tell the difference. These are going on my to-bake list for sure!

  9. Hannah says

    Katie! Thank you so much for this recipe! I made them this morning and they turned out GREAT! I didn’t have any almond meal so i substituted it for Vanilla Rice Protein Powder. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Thanks again! Tastes amazing!!

  10. Shelly Bourdo says

    Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!!!!
    My daughter has been asking for several days to make cut out cookies. This is the first recipe I’ve found that is workable for us!
    Thank you!!!

  11. Lucy says

    Hi Katie nice recipe i am making these for a pre-Xmas party I’m having for my husbands family and my family this Saturday and put everyone’s names on them in the icing!

    Off the point questions: but do you have oatmeal every morning for breakfast? And if you do which of your oatmeal recipes do you use most/ think best? As I’m trying to get myself into eating breakfast again and am thinking it needs to be something tasty to be worth it and all your oatmeal recipes look yum!

    Thanks Lucy!

    • Alanna says

      I’m not Katie, but I definitely recommend trying one of the baked oatmeal recipes (banana bread flavor is especially yummy!)… it’s easy to scale up and freeze so you can have homemade deliciousness even during the week! For years I would just eat granola bars in the car on my way to work because I’m so not a morning person, but now I prepare a large batch of boatmeal over the weekend and have that in the morning! It’s so easy to vary the recipes to your taste, too, since you can add in different dried fruits and nuts (I love cranberries, raisins, and sliced almonds).

    • Susan says

      I have this every morning and it is SO good and very filling. I don’t get at all hungry until lunch.
      Rolled oats covered in dark chocolate almond milk and left to soak overnight in the fridge. I take it to work in the morning and microwave until hot. Then I add a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter. Play around with the amount of milk to get the consistency you prefer.

      • Alanna says

        Definitely love the overnight oatmeal, too! Although I’m not sure if it was a fluke or just a difference in prep, but in my experience I much prefer overnight oats cooked with Katie’s voluminous oatmeal trick than when I just added milk to oats and let them soak overnight. The texture is much nicer (and seems like more to eat) when they’re pre-cooked, I think, and it helps my tummy to have the oats softened, too. 🙂

  12. Lisa Olson says

    I know it depends on what cookie cutters and all that you use, but how many does that make approximately? I have a big family and would love to know whether I should double, triple, etc. the recipe. Thanks! (Looks awesome!! And I love that there is a paleo option.) -Lisa

  13. Lauren says

    thank you so much for posting these! I can’t wait to make these with my kiddos this weekend… and the photos are just beautiful!!

  14. Nora says

    Made these today using almonds I ground myself, added some ground hazelnut and used honey as a sweetener. I also added a TON of gingerbread spice. I rolled them out quite thin and used a small cutter making a total of 31 cookies (32 if you count the dough I HAD to eat!!). After baking I topped them off with a drop of melted dark chocolate, they turned out fantastic! Next time I’ll try adding chopped bits of ginger for an extra kick!

  15. Lia @ Sojourning says

    Yum and adorable! I’m really glad these are grain free. Thanks for sharing another healthy recipe. I’m trying to reduce grains, so this is just perfect for me to still be able to enjoy cookies at the holidays.

  16. Laura C says

    Katie, my mom and oldest sister (the “Christmas Elders” haha) are gluten free for different reasons, and I know my mom has been looking at all the treats the rest of us have had with longing eyes. She deserves awesome treats too and I’m so thankful you’ve got my answers. I know when I make these it will make her day. They might just make her Chrismas! I’m excited to make them! Thank you!

  17. Mia says

    Dear Katie,

    A HUGE THANK YOU for posting a grain-free cookie recipe! With the new wheat-free and Peleo trends on the rise, MANY people are searching for flour-free dessert recipes. For anyone intrigued by the grain-free lifestyle, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Davis’s book, Wheat Belly. (New York Best Seller!) This book completely changed my life. Going wheat-free is not just about celiac disease anymore. Anyway, definitely going to give these cookies a try!! (beautiful presentation, Katie!)

  18. Jen J says

    These are to die for!!! I quit sugar in June and haven’t really had anything that hit the sweet tooth spot until today – these are amazing!! I used almond milk and liquid stevia (vanilla) drops. I also made a cream cheese frosting using almond milk and the same stevia drops w/ a bit of vanilla extract – I am so excited. I might be making these every day this week! LOL Thanks for this recipe!! 🙂

  19. Jessica says

    These are cooling right now in my kitchen, and they smell amazing! My first set I rolled to 3/16″ thick (yield: 10 cookies) and they took less than 5 minutes to bake to doneness. I re-rolled the scraps at 1/4″ish (yield: 4 cookies) and they were much easier to handle. Katie, how thick are your cookies?

    I did the maple syrup version and did not need any additional liquids; it was still pretty wet/sticky. This is my first time using almond flour and I didn’t know if it is okay to add more?

    My learning experience: the thinner my cookies are, the more fragile and quick to bake. I’d recommend at least 1/4″ thick. Tip 2: baking them on parchment (instead of a greased cookie sheet) works great! I used the same parchment I rolled between. You can also cool the cookies right on the parchment on the counter.

    Ohmygosh I just tasted one. YUM! Can’t wait to try one with coconut manna frosting!

  20. Danielle says

    The frosting on these cookies is so…vibrant. What brand of food colouring do you use? I have blue food coloring, but it doesn’t make my frosting sparkly and light blue like these…

  21. susanne says

    hi katie,
    i’m attempting to make these now, but i’ve ended up with a very gummy/sticky “batter” that i’m not sure will even hold together enough to roll out. what was the consistency of your dough? this is the same problem i have when i attempt to make almond butter with any kind of maple syrup added..it turns into this gummy, weird mess. how could it be that no one else has this problem?! i guess for me in the future no almonds/almond flour and maple syrup together.. 🙁

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      It should be just a little sticky… then after the freezing stage, it should be firm enough to roll out and make cutouts. Are you using a food scale? They tend to be much more accurate, so that might be one thought for something you could try with your recipes if you’re not already using one.

  22. Sarah Anne says

    Well, didn’t have any almond flour or almonds, so I ground up pecans instead. They didn’t turn out exactly like sugar cookies, but they were still delicious!

  23. renata says

    instead of vanilla i used only a few drops of vanilla extract and some orange zest and added nutmeg. yum! thanks katie<3 amazing recipe and i love that its flourless… make more of these!

  24. Maria @ Pappa Don't Preach says

    I just made these and I love them! I went for the maple syrup version and I didn’t have to add any additional liquid. I made mine really thin, wafer like and they’re just delish!!

  25. Denise says

    I was just thinking if only Katie had a sugar cookie recipe. Can’t wait to make them. I Love your recipes. Thank you for sharing them.

  26. alyssa booko says

    katie your talents just kill me. you amaze me katie. the heart cookies are not only beautiful they are amazing in composition. i will give them a try sometime.

    • CC says

      Amanda, I HATE Rolling things out. I don’t know what it is, but I just suck at it! I have a rolling pin but sometimes have better luck at using a plastic drinking glass (think Rubbermaid from the 70-80’s tall pastel drinking glasses). I used this method before I found my rolling pin, but like it better than the rolling pin! Necessity breads invention…think outside the mould! Hope that helps.

      • becauseHeloves! says

        I just flatten the dough with my hands until it’s a pretty even consistency, because rollers never seem to work for me. The dough always sticks to it.

  27. Terry says

    I want to make these cookies!! I only have Stevia in the Raw packets. How many of those would I use for this??

  28. Alyssa says

    I just stopped at the grocery store and couldn’t find the almond flour so I grabbed coconut flour instead. Do you think I can do this the same way but with coconut flour?

  29. Holly says

    Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s the first baked good I’ve had in two months because of the elimination diet I’m on. I searched high and low for something that only uses stevia as a sweetener and this is the only thing I’ve found so far! So THANK YOU! I’m going to toy with this recipe a bit when I make it again…I’ve never had almond flour cookies so I’m not sure how much of the texture is inherent, but I think rolling them more thickly and baking them longer will be better. I only baked them for about 9 minutes because I like soft cookies and the edges were turning brown, but they didn’t taste fully cooked. I used one dropperful of nunaturals liquid stevia and the dough tasted lovely, but the stevia mellowed during cooking and they weren’t sweet enough in the end–i’ll adjust it next time 🙂 I found that the vanilla plus a slightly smaller amount of almond extract baked to a peanut-buttery taste–also unlike the dough. Overall I’m so glad I tried these and so grateful to you for making my day 🙂

  30. katie says

    Katie,
    Just wondering where you buy your sprinkles. Are they free of dyes and other bad ingredients? thanks, love your ideas.
    Katie

  31. Joanne says

    Katie,
    Your website has changed my life! I am a vegan and also gluten free. I love your website so much! Thank you for all that you do!! And keep up the amazing recipes!!

  32. Baker Loli says

    Ohmygob! I didn’t have any sugar in the house and had lots of almond flour so I kept looking for recipes that would do, I baked these exactly according to directions using Stevia and leaving the cookies inside the oven for 10 minutes. When they were ready I drizzled them in the powdered sugar mixture and wow were the delicious!
    If you use soymilk it becomes an instant vegan win!
    Definitely going to use this recipe every time I have almond flour in the house 😉

  33. Michelle says

    These were really good! I didn’t feel too bad promising my daughter we’d make cookies for no occaision at all. We had a difficult time transferring the shapes onto a baking sheet. So we rolled them out between two pieces of parchment paper right on the baking sheet, cut out the shapes on to bottom piece, pulled away the excess and just baked it from there. It also kept my 3 year old very clean in the process! She also put some sprinkles right on to the shapes before freezing and they were tasty without icing. We were all happy!

  34. CW says

    I made these using sugar-free Torrani Almond Syrup for the sweetener, and they were AWESOME! They did mix up like cookie dough should. I didn’t have to add anything additional. It did take 30 minutes for them to bake to desired crispiness.

  35. Bianca says

    These cookies weren’t too sweet, which was perfect for my family which do not possess a sweet tooth. I had a hard time getting my sprinkles to stay on top of the cookies and not stick to my fingers, but they did add a nice crunch to the cookies. By the way, do all funfetti sprinkles stick together like they have a lot of static electricity? I’m just curious 🙂 Thanks for the recipe; they helped use up the bag of almond meal I picked up at Trader Joe’s!

  36. Unique says

    Good morrow! I was just stumbling along looking for sweet treat recipes and I absolutely fell in love with all of these healthy refreshing twists on things that I just adore. Thank you so much! I am 17 and now that my mother will be working more often I have control over what we eat. Mwah ha ha thank you thank and thank you again! Did I mention, THANK YOU!

  37. Lee Marie Christopher says

    Hi…Thank you for your lovely cookie recipes…Like your cookies, you are so young and sweet and I am sure you will go far with your cookies …. I am going to use these recipes for gifts for friends and relatives and even those in far away lands…Please continue sending me more of your “lovelies”…Peace, Lee Marie Christopher

  38. Cindy says

    I will definitely try this recipe for Christmas.
    I have a wonderful ginger cookie recipe but have no idea how to make it gluten free. Do you know where I can find the measurements for substituting almond or oat flour for all-purpose flour?

  39. diana says

    dear ms chocolate covered katie,
    so! i tried these for the bf who’s keto. and he loved them. so much so that here i am making them again. two times in two days! so thanks! fyi: another winning sweetener combo seems to be 2 tbsp erythritol powder (crystals?) with 1/2 tbsp of splenda- in case anyone is wondering. your site is really awesome. 🙂 i may try to actually make cut outs of these but i’ve had sorry luck with shapes so far
    “ooh! what are these? camels?”- friend
    me sigh. “no they’re supposed to be cats” and so on.

    :o)

  40. Inanna says

    Hello, Lovely Miss Katie,
    These cookies were a big hit with my family! I added nutmeg to the frosting to make it a little more interesting, which turned out splendidly.
    I have a suggestion for your site! It would be great if you could list serving sizes with your recipes – I often find that I need to double the ingredients to serve four (doubled, this one made about 14 cookies). Just a thought!
    Keep up the good work. 🙂

  41. Cinn Jenn says

    Just yesterday I was at the grocery store, and feeling so sorry for myself that I can’t have traditional sugar cookies because of grain allergies… and then this recipe comes along! Hooray! I can’t wait to try them out. Thank you for your great recipes!

  42. Heather Thornhill says

    Just made these for my son who is coming off a strict anti-candida diet and transitioning to Paleo—–I used 1tbsp of powdered stevia and 1tbsp coconut palm sugar. The cookies were delicious! We used a small scoop for the batter and flattened the ball of dough with our hands….we did not add additional liquid and used trader Joe’s almond flour and caps.

  43. Sage says

    These are my new favorite cookies, definitely try them! The recipe doesn’t make very much dough so I recommend doubling it (if you plan on sharing). Also, the almond extract is a must 🙂

  44. Natalie says

    Hi Katie,
    can you clarify the details for when you use agave syrup instead. is it just exactly the same as for maple syrup or do you do the sweetener option instead. I want to make them for a first birthday party and have the agave already.

    thanks
    Natalie

  45. Amanda chutz says

    Do you think this recipe could work as the sugar cookie base for a fruit pizza? It would be cooked as one whole piece.

  46. Hillary says

    These are quite tasty and not too sweet!! It should be noted, though, that this recipe makes like 8 cookies…so if you’re planning on bringing these to a party, I would definitely recommend doubling or tripling the recipe. Also, I would suggest rolling out the dough between two layers of parchment paper, taking off the top layer of paper, freezing the dough for 20-30 minutes, and then cutting out the cookies. My dough was quite wet, so cutting the cookies with the dough at room temperature was impossible.

  47. Stephanie says

    I love that you are starting to post with Paleo options! I have loved your blog for a couple of years and am usually able to adapt what you have provided, if needed, but already having the Paleo option available is such a wonderful gift. Thank you!

  48. Julie says

    Hi Katie!

    Love your recipes! Thanks so much.

    Do you have a vegan recipient for Village Inn French Silk Pie?

    I am also interested in finding more sugar free options, not necessarily grain free, but love the sugar free.

    Thank you!!

  49. Bridget says

    Hi Katie! These cookies are amazing! The first time we made them I forgot to add the coconut oil but added the milk. They turned out great! The second time we did it the “right” way and did not need the milk. They were both great! We live in California and it is not humid right now, so we didn’t refridgerate them at all! Just wanted you to know incase a reader didn’t have the coconut oil or milk. Thank you for your yummy recipes!
    Bridget

  50. Pam says

    I know these are GRAIN FREE cookies, but I wonder if I can substitute the Almond Flour for Whole Wheat Flour just because I want to make them right now and that is all I have at home? Thank you! These look DELICIOUS!

  51. Heathet Rush says

    Okay Chocolate Covered Katie – Challenge: should you choose to accept and make one happy new mommy to be!! I am allergic to ALL grain (except GF oats), ALL nuts including coconut, eggs, dairy, pinto and lima beans. Also I can’t have sugar. Is there anything out there I can make as a treat??? I would SO LOVE to have a “decatant delight” with all these prego cravings :-D!!

  52. Sheena says

    Just a reminder that oats are a grain too
    Some people are intolerant of all grains
    This includes. Oats , soy, quinua, etc
    But your almond flour cookies are great
    Thank you
    Sheena

  53. Kaela says

    I dont really like almond extract… if I omit and use vanilla instead, will I still have a strong taste of almond from the almond flour? I have never used almond flour. Thanks!

  54. Bianca says

    Best part is they smell like “real cookies” while baking/cooling – that is one thing I hated to part with when going GF 😉

  55. Kat says

    Love flourless! However, I am unable to have nuts :'( Will try to play with this using Coconut flour…or possibly Bob’s Red Mill baking flour.

    Great job!

  56. Jacqueline Simonian says

    How long do these sugar cookies last? I am hoping to make some monkey sugar cookies for my daughters 1st Birthday. We are currently Dairy and Gluten free and I would love to have her eat a cookie on her Birthday. Would these stand up to Royal Icing? Could I make and decorate them a week in advance? Do they freeze well?

    • Unofficial CCK Helper says

      They last the same as regular traditional cookies and should be stored the same way. And yes, can stand up to royal icing and freeze well or you can freeze the dough balls and then bake from there 🙂

  57. Thourughly dissapointed says

    This recipe looks nice but does NOT work. I followed it to the letter and the damn things never baked. Every time after I let them cool, I tried to pick on up and it would fall apart extremely moist and useless.
    I tried experimenting afterwards, and tried three different bake times and the things did not work. And forget trying to cut them into shapes. This dough is too mushy for that. Even after you freeze it!

  58. Diana says

    About how much powdered stevia would you use and/or liquid stevia in place of the maple syrup? You don’t seem to address this in your recipe. It would be VERY much appreciated!! My friend is diabetic and LOVES these cookies, but wants to try a stevia version.

  59. Caryn says

    These are sooooo pretty! I will definitely be making them for the holidays, especially once our warm, Texas temps drop a few more degrees. Have you shared what you used for the frosting? They’re gorgeous and sound delish! Thank you!!! 🙂

  60. Delilah Ashton says

    Hey Katie, we just wanted to let you know that we tried out your amazing recipe and it turned out to be delicious.
    A few modifications were made, (we used butter instead of oil) even though we thought your recipe was flawless.
    To be honest, we thought that one cup of powdered sugar, for the icing was a lot, so we used half a cup, because it was sufficient for a dozen cookies.

  61. Vivian says

    Could you just leave the cookies/dough in the frig overnight and then bake them in the morning rather than freeze?
    Thanks!

    P.S. – I have made these cookies more than once and they are delicious. I am just trying to find a way to not have to do every step on the same day.

  62. Niella says

    Thanks for making a low carb sugar cookie. I used 3/4 cup almond flour and maple syrup and there was no need for the extra milk just the right amount of sweetness and texture thanks Katie!

  63. Sarah Pollie says

    Want to use this as a fruit tart crust. Thoughts? I’m too impatient for an answer, I am about to start making this🤣🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I’ll let you know how it works out!

    • Sarah Pollie says

      Is the optional almond extract instead of or in addition to the vanilla? Reading again in case I missed it.

      • Sarah Pollie says

        My dough made 8 perfect round cookies which I topped individually with a sugar-free pastry cream recipe i found, then topped with fruit, wish I could leave a photo, came out great, a delicious and perfect treat after dinner!

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