Gluten-Free Cookie Baking Help
Categories: Baking Tips, Blog Hop, Cookies, Gluten Free 101
Tags: , Allergy Friendly, Baking Tips, Cookie Swap, Dairy Free, Desserts, GFCF, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Kids, Gluten Free Products, Vegan
Gluten-Free Cookie Baking Help
Yes, these are gluten & dairy-free cookies!
Of all the categories of gluten-free baking, it might come as a surprise to you that the one that seems to cause the most problems is not bread, but cookies! (Bread is a very close second, though!)
Particularly if the cookies must be both gluten-free and dairy-free … and (gasp) … what if they must be egg-free, too? Would it surprise you to learn that using Ener-G® Egg Replacer instead of eggs actually helps keep most gluten-free cookie recipes from spreading?!)
While most people tend to get a bit frustrated with their “free from” cookie baking results, if you keep these 10 tips handy next time you’re baking cookies, you’ll be baking your way to moist, chewy success!
10 GF Cookie Baking Tips
1- Cream the butter or shortening with the sugar with an electric mixer before doing anything else. This step will help whip up the butter or shortening and make it fluffier, while also breaking down the sugar a bit, so that it doesn’t melt as much (e.g. spread) when baking.
2- Bake with a combination of butter (or non-dairy butter alternative – i.e. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks — NOT spreads because they … spread!) and shortening, rather than just butter alone. The combination works to give more body to the dough to prevent spreading. To see more on the benefits of this combination, see my video!
Gluten-Free, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
3- Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper for every cookie recipe. It prevents the cookies from sticking to the sheet (and then breaking apart when removed), doesn’t leave a greasy aftertaste on the bottoms of the cookies, and helps you spend less time in the kitchen doing clean-up duty when you’re done!
4- Chill your dough well before baking! (Particularly when dealing with rolled cookie doughs, although I happen to think it’s a good rule of thumb no matter what!)
5- Don’t put too many additions into any cookie recipe. For example, with chocolate chip cookies, adding too many chocolate chips will cause the cookies to spread, as there is not enough dough to bake up for support. This is one reason why I like using Enjoy Life® MINI chips (and they’re dairy, soy & nut-free, too!).
6- If your cookies still insist on spreading, add 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour to them to help hold them together (also helps at high altitude!).
7- Baking by weight, as opposed to volume, is always more accurate. One measured cup of my Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour should weigh approximately 135 grams. Measuring your ingredients inaccurately can throw any recipe off, especially finicky cookie recipes!
8- Convection settings tend to work best for cookies. If you have a convection setting on your oven and a convection temperature is not given, simply reduce the static temperature by 25 degrees when using your convection setting.
9- Take your cookies out BEFORE they look done. With chocolate chip cookies, for example, I remove them when the centers still look a bit doughy. As they cool, they are still cooking. Taking them out of the oven at this point will ensure that they stay chewy!
10- Let your cookies cool before removing them from the parchment. I slide the parchment onto wire cooling racks after 5 minutes or so, and let them fully cool before I remove them. Once they’re cooled, they are no longer fragile … but still chewy and delicious!
For more gluten-free cookie recipes, take a peek at my Jules CookiE-book! Also try my delectable and uber-versatile Jules Gluten-Free™ Cookie Mix!
And don’t forget to sign up for all things Gluten-Free Cookie by joining the Gluten-Free Cookie Swap – your community cookie recipe share site!
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Natalie said: on May 14, 2012
Great ideas and tips for baking cookies. Can’t wait to try them.
Paula said: on May 14, 2012
Thank you for all the ideas with cookies. Very helpful!
Penny said: on May 14, 2012
Thanks for this! I’ve been having a lot of trouble with my cookies basically disintegrating lately.
Barbara Goodson said: on May 14, 2012
Awesome tips that are a must in GF cookie baking!!
Denise M said: on May 14, 2012
shared on FB and twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/denimorse/status/202048393705566208
Kathi said: on May 14, 2012
Thanx for the tips–and the reminder of how much a cup of your flour weighs! I had forgotten, but didn’t want to bug you again about it…
Cindy B. said: on May 14, 2012
Thanks for #4, 7, and 9. They are very helpful to me! Shared on facebook!
Melaina from Rudi’s Gluten Free Bakery said: on May 14, 2012
This is so useful! Thanks for posting a wonderful list of tips, we can now make gluten free cookies with ease!
Lynn said: on May 14, 2012
YUMMY thanks
Jeannie Parker said: on May 14, 2012
Thanks for all the great tips. i look forward to my next batch of cookies.
Diane Stephens said: on May 14, 2012
Glad to hear abt using egg replacer instead of real eggs.
Emma said: on May 14, 2012
I’ll have to try out the butter and shortening combo…my cookies sometimes have a mind of their own.
Jessica B said: on May 14, 2012
Lots of great tips for baking cookies.
julie said: on May 14, 2012
I haven’t tried baking any cookies yet, but I will definitely keep your tips handy!
julie said: on May 14, 2012
I shared on facebook
Casandra said: on May 14, 2012
Thanks so much for the tips- especially about sliding the paper onto the rack to finish cooling!
I am a teacher, and I promised my students cookies for beating me in a game- and I promised to make something we could ALL share (I’m the celiac, and they are very curious). Then, I found out one student is egg free- and I knew exactly where to turn! I’m making your oatmeal raisin cookies over the memorial day break- I’ll let you know what my students think!
Jules said: on May 14, 2012
Casandra – that’s fantastic! Spreading gluten-free awareness, one student at a time!
Holly @ My Plant Based Family said: on May 14, 2012
I’ve just started gluten-free cooking. I have not tried cookies yet. We are also dairy free and oil free so I’m a little intimidated to try.
Jules said: on May 14, 2012
Holly – you’ll be just fine! Check our GlutenFreeCookieSwap on Facebook for more recipes too, and post questions anytime for help! We have a remarkably helpful community!
Jena said: on May 14, 2012
Thanks for today’s post
I too love the Enjoy Life chips, my hubby & I love chocolate chip cookies using these chips!
Laura said: on May 14, 2012
Fantastic baking tips! I need to remember to try chilling my cookie dough even when it is not just for roll out cookies
pat said: on May 14, 2012
Wow, thanks for your post today. Cookies are also my downfall. Seem to have the most problem with them. I will try some of your suggestions.
Caitlin Leyden said: on May 15, 2012
Wow, that explains a lot. Now I understand why my cookies occasionally fail. (I have some chocolate chip cookies that kind of melted one year.)
Melisa said: on May 15, 2012
I haven’t had a cookie since I went gluten free, but haven’t really missed them yet. I know that will change once Christmas gets here, though.
Susan said: on May 17, 2012
Thanks for all the tips! Now I know what to do if something goes wrong.
Wendi S said: on May 17, 2012
Great suggestions…I never thought about chilling the dough before baking.
Jules said: on May 21, 2012
Congratulations, Wendi! You are our Blog Hop winner! Look for an email from us – we need your address to ship your prize: one 5lb bag of my Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour!
Helen said: on May 18, 2012
After trial and error, we found that adding more flour was often the key to success.
For the butter / shortening blend – do you recommend a 50/50 mix or some other variation?
Jules said: on May 21, 2012
Helen, I start with a 50:50 ratio, but will sometimes modify, based on results.
Angel R said: on May 18, 2012
More great tips. Thank you!
Cindy W. said: on May 18, 2012
Thanks for the advice.
Krista said: on May 20, 2012
Thanks for the tips! I have little boys who love cookies so I need to figure this out!
Roselyn said: on May 23, 2012
After I partially chill the cookie dough, I lay out 5 or 6 sheets of saran wrap and divide the dough between them and roll them each into a cylinder. Place back in fridge or freezer and just slice and cook when needed. Works much better than wrestling with frozen chunks of dough!!!
Jules said: on May 24, 2012
Roselyn, I’ve tried that trick before too. It’s awesome! I use it especially for peanut butter cookies because then I can slice them to be flat and just press the fork into them for the pattern. Much faster!
Nora Brine said: on December 6, 2012
I would like to add a tip… cookies that are placed in a covered container within 20 minutes of baking tend to stay softer, if soft cookies are what you prefer.
Jules said: on December 7, 2012
Great tip, Nora! Thanks!
Dedra said: on December 17, 2012
I just made your Hamanashen Cookies. What is the best way to store them? Can they be frozen for eating a future date? Thanks for all your gluten free baking tips! I love your recipes!
Jules said: on December 18, 2012
So glad you tried the recipe and that you’re putting my tips and recipes to good use! You can certainly freeze them if they are wrapped tightly – I never recommend refrigeration, though, as that just dries out recipes. Enjoy!
Sharon said: on December 20, 2012
I just made your sugar cut-out cookies, and they turned out divinely! I never thought I would be able to eat Christmas cookies again at parties, and now I have a recipe that I can bring! Thank you so much!
Jules said: on December 27, 2012
Yay! So glad you have Christmas cookies back in your life to enjoy and to share!!!
Ann said: on December 23, 2012
My daughter and I just finished making the Christmas cut out cookies. Absolutely delicious! Her Christmas baking is now complete! Thanks Jules for the great flour mixture. Anxious to make some blueberry muffins next and maybe an Angel food cake.
Rhonda O’Blenis said: on January 2, 2013
I mix up oatmeal cookies and leave them overnight in the fridge. I am able to add dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts and flax to the original recipe with no “spreading” issues at all. I have actually left them up to 24 hours and they cook up fabulously and are always moist. Even family members who are not GF love these cookies.
Jules said: on January 3, 2013
Great thinking, Rhonda!
Beth said: on February 8, 2013
I just discovered your products. I received the “New To Jules Gluten Free” flour, cookie mix, cornbread mix, and e-books. I can’t wait to try some of the products this weekend. I enjoy baking; my non-celiac family often tell me they are not interested in trying my cookies and cakes. I imagine there will be rave reviews by the comments on this blog!
Thank you for the informative website.
Jules said: on February 8, 2013
Beth – I look forward to hearing about all the goodies that your family will be loving, without even knowing they are gluten-free! I know you will love them too – welcome to our family!!!
Rochelle said: on February 27, 2013
I LOVE your flour for everything I make. I have successfully turned my mother’s chocolate chip cookie into gluten and egg free using Bob’s red mill all purpose. When I use your flour they spread and are not edible. What am I doing wrong?
Peris said: on June 7, 2013
I am trying to make my mother in laws cookie recipe with your AP flour. They keep coming out flat. Crispy. And I am getting frustrated. I added more flour. But I still can’t figure this out. I have had great success with cakes and meals but these cookies are hard to get right!!! Your help would be appreciated. Should I not try to convert a regular recipe to GF???
Jules Shepard said: on June 7, 2013
Hi Peris, I’m sorry you’re having trouble converting that particular recipe. The easiest way to help you get it right is to communicate via email. Send an email to Support@julesglutenfree.com and we’ll walk through the recipe with you to see if we can figure out how to get it just like you like it!
Rhea said: on June 15, 2013
I used Jules gluten free flour for the first time in a pound cake. The recipe calls for sifting the flour first, which I did. The cake rose (not as high as with flour), but then it rather collapsed. Could it be from sifting the flour?
Jules Shepard said: on June 16, 2013
That shouldn’t have an effect, Rhea, but if it meant that the flour wasn’t measured accurately, that could certainly cause the cake to fall. If you have a food scale, measure 1 cup of my flour to 135 grams to be sure you have the accurate measurement. Otherwise, I’d say add an extra 1/4 cup of my flour to this recipe next time to help give it more support.