Gluten-free soft frosted valentine sugar cookies

Give your gluten-free honey a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day, like these heart-shaped sugar cookies topped with creamy pink frosting.

During a holiday that revolves around sweets, it’s easy to forget our gluten-free friends. This Valentine’s Day, Nicole Hunn has you covered with her adorable heart-shaped cookies, perfect for those who are gluten-free and, of course, those who aren’t. These deliciously soft sugar cookies might have us all ready to give up gluten! Make these cookies year-round by using different shaped cutters and changing up the frosting color.

Gluten-free soft frosted valentine sugar cookies recipe

Recipe by Nicole Hunn

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (use your favorite or Nicole’s go-to blend: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine brown or white rice flour plus 9 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch plus 5 tablespoons potato starch)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons meringue powder
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Pink soft gel food coloring

Directions:

For the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine. Add the butter, egg and vanilla. Mix to combine. The dough will be thick and you may have to knead it with your hands until it is smooth.
3. Roll the dough between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper into a disk a bit less than 1/3-inch thick. Using a 2-1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts of dough and place them about 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, about 6 minutes. The edges of some of the cookies may brown slightly. Take them out before there is any significant browning. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool until set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, milk and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined. Turn the speed up to high and mix until creamy. Add the salt, meringue powder and about 3-1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated.
2. Add the food coloring to achieve desired color and turn the mixer up to high and beat until it becomes uniformly thick. Add the rest of the confectioners’ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting.
3. Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spoon a generous amount of frosting onto the top of each, and spread in an even layer with a slightly wet wide knife or offset spatula.
4. Allow frosting to set at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nicole Hunn is the personality behind the popular blog, Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, and the author of the book series Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, featured in the New York Times, MSN Money, Epicurious.com, and the Dr. Steve Show. She lives with her husband and three children in Westchester County, New York.

More gluten-free cookie recipes

Peanut butter cookies
Oatmeal apple cookies
Iced gingersnap cookies