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Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies

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I have a confession. I don’t make cut-out cookies during the holidays. Not sugar cut-out cookies. Not butter cut-out cookies. Not ginger cut-out cookies for gingerbread people. Not even the gluten-free cream cheese cut-out cookies that I’m sharing with you today.

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies from Iris Higgins. Cream cheese adds something wonderful to these cut-out cookies! [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com]

Oh, don’t get me wrong … I get as excited as the next person when I see a plate of beautiful cut-out cookies at Christmas—especially when they’re gluten-free! But it’s simply too busy during the Christmas and New Year holidays for me to have a relaxing experience baking cookies. And I really want my cookie baking time to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

January and February, which both come with a much slower pace than Christmas, have always been my favorite months of the year to make cut-out cookies. Snow days are absolutely my favorite time to make cut-out cookies but, of course, snow days don’t always materialize—even when you’re in an area that gets snow. Baking cut-out cookies for Valentine’s Day has always been a favorite activity for me. I love using my heart cookie cutter and seeing a plate full of pretty heart cookies!

Actually, even when it’s not Valentine’s Day, I love making heart-shaped cookies. So when I saw my good friend Iris Higgins’ (Your Fairy Angel) gluten-free cream cheese cut-out cookies in heart shapes—with a perfectly placed single chocolate chip on each cookie—I was completely smitten! That was just by looks alone. When you consider that these are basically cheesecake cookies, I am sure you will be as well!

Note that this recipe is another one that Iris has graciously agreed to share with gfe readers. You can see all of the recipes that Iris has shared with gfe readers to date here. (They include Lemon Bars, Vegan French Bread, and Paleo Zucchini Coconut Waffle Wraps, and a few more of her recipes will be coming to gfe in the future!) By the way, Iris is also the author of the highly praised gluten-free cookbooks The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide Part 1 and The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide Part 2.

Now let’s get back to those delicious cookies! I suggest using not only heart cookie cutters, but any others that will result in cookies that your sweetheart will love. I have many cookie cutters that have special meaning for Mr. GFE! They include a camel, which was his college mascot; a moose (after years of motorcycling in Maine, we finally saw one!); a guitar (we love music); a bear (he’s happy to eat bear cookies, but would prefer not to see any when we’re camping); and a house (we love our home).

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies Close-up [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com]

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies Recipe

Yield: About 17 cookies

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies

Iris says:  "My grandma's cream cheese cookies have never tasted so good. It's been years since I've eaten her gluten-containing cookies, but my mom tells me these are just as good, and perhaps just the teensiest bit better. All I know is I no longer feel like I'm missing out." 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cream cheese, slightly softened
  • 1/2 cup butter or Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar*
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole psyllium husks
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour (40 grams)
  • 1/3 cup white rice flour (52 grams)
  • 1/3 cup tapioca starch (40 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set out two baking sheets.
  2. Using your food processor or an electric beater, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and psyllium husks.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and baking soda. Once well mixed, beat into the cream cheese mix until a ball forms.
  4. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper, sprinkling some extra rice flour on both sides of the dough if necessary. Cut into whatever shapes your heart desires. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Notes

*The above photos were made with regular cane sugar, but you can also use coconut palm sugar or another granulated sugar. The flavor and color will be different, but they will still be delicious!

Yield: This batch made 17 cookies of varying shapes and sizes. 

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Iris Higgins
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies and Bars
Iris Higgins, MA, is a certified hypnotherapist with a passion for delicious gluten-free food. You can download 11 of her favorite gluten-free recipes (like her waffle and pancake guide that works with any gluten-free flour!) HERE. She also loves teaching women how to trust their intuition and create the life that’s just right for them. You can join in on her free challenges, meditations, and e-courses at www.yourfairyangel.com.

Originally published February 12, 2017; updated November 28, 2021.

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Comments

  1. Mari says

    When my kids were young, I used to make cut out cookies for Christmas every year. They would decorate them and hang them on the tree. We are talking 14 to 20 dozen cut outs here! It all depended on the size of the tree. I have very fond memories of my very young children dropping frosting and sprinkles everywhere, and hanging the cookies. They decorated the lower branches and I did the top. When they got into junior high they were too cool for decorating cookies and I carried on with my daughter for a few more years before I gave it up. I never made Christmas cookies after that. it was too much work, and not fun anymore. If I make any desserts at Christmas, it is usually a cake, or I buy one of the many pies that Wegman’s makes for the gluten eaters. I will definitely make these cookies some time – but not for Christmas!

    Reply

    • Shirley Braden says

      Hi Mari–It’s so good to see you here at gfe again! 🙂 Those are very, very special memories, dear! I think that for every thing there is a season. I always make cookies at Christmas, but simple ones. Family favorites like my Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies. I hope you enjoy these cookies when you make them. They sure would make any day special!

      Happy Valentine’s Day, Mari!!
      Shirley

      Reply

  2. Ina Gawne says

    Shirley these cookies look wonderful! I totally agree with you…I don’t make cut out cookies at Xmas either and a snow day is a perfect time to make such a recipe. We got 10 inches of snow in Feb! A rare occurrence for sure!

    Reply

    • Shirley Braden says

      Ina–It’s funny how some of us (I wonder how many?) always go for simple and let snow days inspire us. 😉 Ten inches is a good amount. I hope you took advantage of it!

      Shirley

      Reply

  4. April J Harris says

    Oh how I love cut out cookies and these look and sound extra special. The cream cheese would add so much flavour and a beautiful texture, Shirley. Scheduled to pin on two boards. Thank you for being a part of Hearth and Soul.

    Reply

    • Shirley Braden says

      Hi Lynn–I’m honestly not sure. I hope so! I will admit that I want to make the recipe soon to see myself. 😉 If you give them a try with your rolling pin, please let us know how it goes. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

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