Buttery gluten-free sugar cookies topped with a sweet, creamy peppermint buttercream frosting.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

Welcome to day 3!

For all of my gluten-free peeps, this recipe is for you, and it’s a doozy!

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

If you’re not on a gluten-free diet, that’s okay, because these gluten-free sugar cookies with peppermint buttercream taste just like any other sugar cookie you’ve ever stuffed in your face. They’re buttery and crunchy with a hint of vanilla. I frosted them with a thick, creamy peppermint buttercream, and we all know buttercream takes every dessert to the next level.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

I used Pamela’s Products Sugar Cookie Mix as the base for this recipe. This recipe is beyond easy to make. Combine the mix, 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into your mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until the dough comes together and forms a  ball. Wrap and refrigerate. Roll and cut. Bake and frost. Eat!

Pamela’s motto: No crumbles, no cracks. Just roll and cut.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

The gal doesn’t lie. The dough came together with ease, it’s super smooth,  and it rolled out like a champ. The cookies bake up perfect–no spreading, no crumbling, no cracks!

And, they taste amazing. You would never know they were gluten-free if I hadn’t just told you.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

For perfect sugar cookies every time, follow these helpful tips:

  1. After you prepare the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill  for 4 hours or overnight. You must chill the dough!
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat (I prefer silicone for this recipe).
  3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to rolling to allow the dough to soften slightly and become more manageable.
  4. Press the dough ball into a thick disc using the warmth of your hands to soften the dough.
  5. Lightly flour your work surface–a gentle sprinkle will do.
  6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s an 1/8-inch thick.
  7. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into festive shape. Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7 until there is no more dough left to cut. If your dough becomes to warm to manage, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.
  8. Place the shapes on your prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1-inch apart.
  9. To prevent the cookies from spreading, I like to place the cookie sheet  in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking. So, if you want your snowman to come out of the oven looking like a snowman, I highly recommend making a pit stop to the freezer before baking.
  10. Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning the pan half way through for even baking.
  11. Allow your cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not frost your cookies until they are completely cool.
  12. Frost your cookies however you like. Be creative. Get funky. And, sprinkles are a must!

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream | www.themessybakerblog.com

These peppermint frosted sugar cookies are the perfect balance of buttery and sweet with a subtle crunch. Your friends and family with love them!

Gluten-Fre Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream

Buttery sugar cookies baked up crispy and frosted with peppermint buttercream.

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookies:

Peppermint Buttercream: 

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

 

Directions:

Cookies: 

  1. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the contents of the sugar cookie package and butter until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
  2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Press down slightly on the dough ball to flatten. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight. You must chill the dough!
  3. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to rolling to allow the dough to soften slightly and become more manageable. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
  4. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out until it’s about an 1/8-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Transfer the shapes to your prepared baking sheets. How many cookies you get out of a batch depends on the size of your cookie cutters and the thickness of your dough. I used a 3-inch round cutter and got 30 cookies out of my batch. Re-roll the leftover dough and continue to cut until all the dough is used. If your dough becomes too soft and difficult to handle, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few minutes.
  5. Place the sheet pan with the cut-out dough in your refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This step will help prevent your cookies from spreading.
  6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops and edges are a very light golden color. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies must be completely cool before they’re frosted.

Peppermint Buttercream:

  1. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add heavy cream and peppermint extract to the bowl. Whip on high until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Frost the cookies however you like. I used a small cake spatula to frost some of my cookies, and I used a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip for the writing. Feel free use sprinkles and peppermint crumbles for decorating.
All images and text ©.
Whipping up one of my recipes? I wanna know about it! Snap a photo and tag your post with #onesweetmess on Twitter or Instagram. Seeing your creations come to life makes my day!