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With only 6 basic ingredients and endless mix-in and topping options, these gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies are the unsung heroes of the Christmas cookie season!
The Holiday season is stressful.
Yes! You heard me right.
“Normal” life is stressful enough, but adding in all those extra holiday to-do list’s can be really exhausting.
So, forget about making complicated cookie bags/boxes for co-workers, family and friends. Instead, make something simple in several different variations that everyone will love.
These gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies are my favorite way to make that happen.
You could easily make four different batches of them, and make each a different flavor. I’ve got more flavor combination ideas I’ll chat about later.
For now, here’s the basics: these gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies are light, crispy shortbread cookies that are quick and easy and can be made ahead of time.
My recipe is made differently with an egg white, for a little extra crispness that my family loves.
Plus, they’re gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free too.
Keep reading, for more tips and tricks, and different flavor ideas.
Have you ever made “slice and bake” cookies?
They’re typically a shortbread cookie dough that’s made and rolled into a log. Then the dough chills in the fridge for a couple hours.
Afterwards, you slice them and bake them (just like the “slice and bake cookies” name, ha!).
Mine are made with six simple ingredients: butter, white sugar, vanilla extract, egg white, flour and salt.
To make these Slice and Bake Cookies gluten-free, be sure to use a high quality gluten-free all purpose flour blend.
You can also make them dairy-free, by using a butter alternative stick (like Earth Balance or Country Crock Plant Butter). Keep in mind to use dairy-free chocolate as well.
The cookie batter is made like any other cookie batter, and is very easy to make. So, what flavors can you make? Great question!
The cookies I made in the pictures have finely chopped pecans and dark chocolate.
You can keep things simple and make these Slice and Bake Cookies one same base flavor (let’s say, plain) and top them all with different types of chocolates and other toppings (nuts, sprinkles, crushed candy canes, etc).
Or, you can make different batches with different flavors. Such as:
- Dark chocolate peppermint (add 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract, topped with dark chocolate and crushed candy canes)
- Funfetti (with 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract, topped with white chocolate and sprinkles)
- White chocolate orange (add zest of 1/2 orange, topped with white chocolate and orange sprinkles)
- Peanut chocolate (add finely chopped peanuts to the batter, dip in milk chocolate, sprinkle more peanuts on top)
- Cinnamon pecan (add finely chopped pecans and 2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter)
- Heath (add heath bits to the batter, dip in chocolate and sprinkle more heath bits on top)
As you can see, you can get really creative! You can use any combination of extracts, chocolate (or very small candy bits), and toppings that you’d like.
Wanna get festive?
Consider rolling your cookie dough log (after chilling) in fine red and/or green sprinkles. After slicing and baking them, you’ll have cookies with festive edges too (I did green edges on some of mine for fun).
Also, consider adding more festive sprinkles inside the batter. I like to make “Funfetti” flavored Slice and Bake Cookies for the Holiday season. They sort of remind me of those pre-made cookies from childhood that you buy already sliced (that my husband could eat an entire package of raw, ha!).
These gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies start with just 6 ingredients, are quick and easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and can be made in so many different combinations. I seriously LOVE these cookies for Holiday ease!
After making them, let me know what you think. Do you love them to?! Leave a comment and rating, below, and find me on Instagram and tag me in a picture of your creation. Let me know what flavor you decided to make too! I can’t wait to see.
And if you need a few more gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes, check out my Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookies, Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies, and Chai Snickerdoodles too.
4 from 1 vote
Gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies (dairy-free option)
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 92 kcal
Author: Chelsea Green
Ingredients
Gluten-free Slice and Bake Cookies
- 6tbspbutter, softened (or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 1/4cupsugar
- 1tspvanilla (or another other extract)
- 1egg white
- 1cupgluten-free all purpose flour (or regular flour)
- 1/4tspsalt
Optional Mix-in's
- 1/2cupfinely chopped chocolate, chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc.
Toppings
- 1/2cupchocolate, melted (dark, semi-sweet, milk, white or dairy-free)
- additional chopped nuts, sprinkles, crushed candy canes, etc.
Instructions
To a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugar and beat together with a mixer till creamy. Add your vanilla and egg white and blend together briefly. To the same bowl, add your flour and salt and stir together till you have a smooth cookie dough.
Place a piece of saran wrap on your counter (about a foot long). Place your cookie dough in the middle of the saran wrap, and use your hands to gently push it into a log (about 2 1/2-3 inches wide). Wrap your cookie dough log in the saran wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours.
After chilling, preheat your oven to 350 and spray a pan with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper). Remove your cookie dough log from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice each cookie (to about 1/3-1/2 inch thick) and place them on the pan.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or till the edges are set.
Let the cookies cool entirely.
To Decorate
Dip in melted chocolate, or drizzle the chocolate across the tops (with a spoon or piping bag). Sprinkle nuts, crushed candy canes and/or sprinkles across the tops of the chocolate before it's dried.
Let sit at room temperature till the chocolate has dried (or move them to the fridge to speed things up).
Devour!
Recipe Notes
Stored in an airtight container these cookies last about a week.
